Chapter 25- Lost Of Her Possession

Jacob continued to edge further and further into the noisy herd. He truly hoped he was finding himself exiting the sea of dead, but it was likely he was still only in the middle, where clusters of walkers gathered together like a huddle of cold penguins trying to warm up.

Well shit. Jacob thought as he looked to see around four walkers stumbling towards him all of a sudden. They didn't sense him, they'd just happen to all be walking in the direction Jacob was trying to get too.

Well shit. He thought once again.

The blonde man adjusted himself slightly, crouching down for God knows what reason, and gripping his hunting knife. Sweaty palms never fazed him once. Also for backup, Jacob's other hand clutched the strap of his rifle that was still slung over his shoulder. He didn't want to result in having to use gunfire, but in order to eliminate the dead, some things had to be done...

Taking slow but steady steps, Jacob made his way forward all while avoiding the four walkers who stumbled over to him looking as if they were like one happy family that refused to be separated, no matter the circumstances.

More like one dead family... Jacob told himself, distracting away the thoughts of him being scared and alone. But who wasn't to feel this way? He had no clue where Seth, Imogen, Clem or Luke was. They could even be out of the herd while he was still taking his time, covered in guts and slowly learning the life of a walker. Besides devouring on fresh meat...

I'll probably be an expert at my 'How to walk like a walker' degree by the time I get outta this... Jacob continued to speak worthless things inside his humorous head.

Anything to pass the time he supposed...

Imogen practically found herself running through the herd, swiftly and quietly as the blonde girl was rather stealthy and quick on her feet. Being alone and having more and more walkers on your tail the closer you got into the centre, it was scary... not just scary, but daunting. Her heart had beaten faster than she could've ever imagined. The sickly groans coming from each walkers rotted throats was enough to make your stomach go queazy. The stench, the blood, the guts equalled overwhelming to its max.

It was all too exhilarating when Imogen could see trees. Not walkers, but trees. Green trees, tall and right in front of her very eyes. Not just the very top of the trees, but the trunks, the mixture of frost and dirt surface underneath. There was an opening, there was an end!

Imogen carefully pushed her way through clusters of walkers, slowing herself down as she found herself feeling somewhat calm knowing she was very close to reaching the end of the herd. Surely, there was to be more walkers in the continuing forests, but hopefully no more herds. She wanted to find the others and then have a wash, in a stream... anywhere! The rancid smell was now stuck to her, embedding itself within her pale skin. If only there was a nice, warm hot tub. Soapy water and sweet smells... but this was not the time to be caught up in fantasies. Now was the time to get out of the damn herd, alive.

It only took around another minute before Imogen found herself out the swarm of walkers, unharmed but defiantly alive. Stinking and looking like shit, but alive.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she made her way over to the first forest tree, slumping down hard on the frosty ground and leaning back against the rough trunk. Stray walkers still wandered around, but while she still had the guts smothered all over herself, Imogen was fine. As long as she kept quiet that is...

Where are the others? I hope they're alright. Imogen thought to herself. It would be wise to keep moving, but she wasn't one to ditch her group. The walkers were off putting as they continuously roamed around, but as long as Imogen kept an eye out, hopefully she could spot at least someone.

To her relief, out came a blood covered Clem. Her axe was also covered in blood, and all in all, she looked exhausted.

Imogen stood up straight away, trying not to find the urge to shout the other woman's name. Instead, she waved her arms backwards and forwards frantically until Clem cocked her head to the side to set her eyes among the blonde girl.

Clem let out a relived chuckled before swiftly running over to Imogen, collapsing into her smaller figure and giving a well needed hug to the other girl.

"Thank God Clem! I thought I was alone!" Imogen cheered, while still in the embrace.

"Ssh, ssh, walkers!" Clem whispered but at the same time giggled like a small girl would.

"Oh yeah, sorry! Wait... Clem, where's your hat?" Imogen questioned curiously once the two broke apart from each other.

Clem eyes widened almost immediately as she placed her blood covered hands over her curly brown locks.

"Oh, oh no... oh god!" Clem whisper shouted as she hopelessly looked back into the herd to see what was to be expected, just walkers...

"I..I need it." Clem said sadly, panicking as she remembered how much value that hat was to her. Her dad's hat.

"We... we could maybe try and go back." Imogen suggested. She didn't like the idea of facing the herd again, but she didn't want Clem to feel even worse at the same time.

Clem shook her head.

"We can't, not now..."

"I'll have to deal with it..." Clem says, even more sadness lingering within her voice. After all, it was just a hat. She couldn't risk her life for it. Maybe having possessions from the past was a good way of remembering the better days, but at the same time hard to let go of. Because in all truth, there will be a point when you accidentally or have to let go of what you love. Whether it was a person or a possession.

Imogen nodded sadly.

"I understand what it feels like. My guitar... well it wasn't mine, but I liked it." Imogen replies. She sighed remembering all the times she used to just sit and strum her guitar whenever she'll feel down.

Clem responded with a small smile before changing the subject slightly.

"Oh well, I'll have to find a way to live without it. Have you seen Luke? Seth? Jacob?" Clem questioned, now looking back into the herd to see nothing but the dead. She shivered, remembering what she had just managed to get through before looking down at her filthy clothes. She needed a wash.

"No, just got out myself. I was with Jacob and Seth at first, but then we split... didn't see Luke though." Imogen explains, noticing Clem's face showing clear anxiety.

"Oh god... we won't be able to stay here long, Imogen. It's not safe for us." Clem reluctantly replied. She knew if the others didn't turn up, her and Imogen would have to make a move. They couldn't sleep or wait around even disguised, it wasn't safe.

Imogen's lip quivered slightly, her voice going shaky.

"But.. but what if we don't see them again?" Imogen asked. "What about Luke? Don't you want to see him?"

Clem looked back towards the blonde girl, studying her blue eyes.

"I do Imo, I do... but the plan was to all meet up here, and if the others don't come soon, we need to go and find ourselves a safe place to rest while we wait. We will see them again, I promise, but not now I don't think..." Clem explained, not liking the sound of her reply as well. She would wait as long as she could for Luke, but she knew he wouldn't want that. Risking herself around these walkers just to wait for him, Luke wouldn't want that.

Imogen thought over Clem's words. She was right, well she was right most of the time anyway. There was only one way to do this, it was the surviving way. There was still hope of finding Seth, Luke and Jacob. They were not the types to just give upon the middle of a herd...

There was a way.

"Okay Clem, I believe you." Imogen replied with a sad smile.

Clem returned the smile, placing negative thoughts in the back of her mind. Yes, she lost her hat today, but there is still hope for Luke, Seth and Jacob. She is going to see them again.

"Should we go?" Imogen asked after a few moments of just watching clusters of walkers roam around.

Clem sighed.

"Afraid so..."