Chapter 50... holy shit. We've come far in this story. l still can't believe how many people like this story, you guys blow my mind. In this chapter, well, it's how everyone is after losing the prison and who's with who. Anyways, let's get started shall we? Disclaimer, I don't own The Walking Dead, just my ocs and plotlines.
Hayley's POV
Me and Carl run through the ruins of the prison, running back outside after trying to find Judith. But she's not here. She must have got taken out to safety during the shoot out, maybe on the bus.
It feels... odd saying ruins now. This has been our home for months. Five months for some people, six for the people who came with Rick's group, who had been on the road all winter and before that. This has been the place where we have found stability. A family in the midst of chaos, our life in the dark parts of our survival.
We exit the prison, seeing the mess outside. Walkers added to the smoke, the smell of rotting flesh, blood and ash all mixed in one. The tank now on fire.
We hear a voice not far away but I can't tell by the walker's groaning and the roaring of fires.
"Do you know who it is?" Carl asks me, his shotgun still in his hands, tightly gripping the gun.
"I'm not sure." I admit but grab my gun tighter an carefully hop off the steps, where there use to be a fence but now it has been destroyed.
We see two walkers and we both kill one each. Revealing the perosn who was calling out to us; Rick.
He rushes to Carl and brings him in a hug. He pulls away and grabs my shoulder and gives me a nod of gratitude. I smile in return. God, he looks like shit. His lip is bust, blood smeared over his face. A swollen eye. What the hell happened to him?
"Judith. Where is she?" Rick questions, his voice hoarse from pain. He looks between us.
"I don't know." Carl admits.
"Rick, we've looked everywhere. She's not here." I tell him, hoping there's some sort of reassurance in my voice because I can't tell. Instead of him replying he looks behind me and I turn around. Just before the destroyed walkway was a baby carrier and my breath catches in my throat. Me and Carl aupport Rick as we hobble to the carrier. Please. Please, not her. Not Judy.
When it comes clear, well, a shocking sight. Blood. A blood smeared baby carrier. Oh my god. No. Why is this world such a fucking dick, honestly? Tears gather in my eyes and I furiously wipe them away.
"No." Rick breathes out before he breaks out sobbing. Carl just purses his lips but tears are in his eyes.
A walker groaning fills our ears. Oh for heaven's sake.
Carl storms up to it and shoots at it or and over again.
"Carl." I call, my voice cracking.
"Carl. Carl." Rick stops him and Carl drops the gun and Rick hugs him from behind. Carl's sobs fill the air and I grimace. Jesus, these two have been through a lot. Now, they lost Judy? "We've got to get out of here. We've got to go. Shh. Shh. Shh." Rick soothes.
"Yeah. We need to go. Before more come." I agree, worried about the many walkers that will be coming our way ever since the battle that happened here. All that gun fire. "It's over. It's over. It's over." Rick repeats like a mantra.
Me and Carl take either side of Rick and we make our way out of the prison. Away from everything. All them memories. All of it.
Boom!
A gunshot echoes causing me and Carl to slow down but Rick stops us.
"Don't look back. Just keep walking." Rick encourages and we do just that. Walking into our unknown deadly future.
Emma's Pov
I fiddle with my hands, waiting for more news. Currently it's just me and Marley in the cabin, while Ashley and Adam are out looking for the others and supplies.
"How are you feeling?" Marley asks me, handing me a bottle of water.
I take it gratefully and take a sip.
"Good." I murmur and she gives me a sharp look. "Alright, fine. Like shit. I'm worried. But I can't be because of the baby, and Daryl, Jamie-" I cut myself off, due to my voice cracking.
Marley sighs and sits next to me on the bed. "Look, I get it. We're all in the same boat right now. You know? We're one big family that is separated, we don't know who is alive or not. But, I think they're ok. They have to be."
I nod. "You're right." I furrow my brows and look at her. "When did you become wise?" I question her with a teasing tone.
She gives me a playful glare. "I've always been wise." She says cockily and I raise a brow at her. "Since just now." She admits and I snort.
"You're a good kid." I compliment and she smiles.
"Thanks." She pauses and I see a small frown on her face. "I miss 'em." She admits and I stay silent, letting her continue. "My parents. Everyone at school. Hell, even though I didn't like it, I still miss it."
I snort which causes her to glance at me. "It's not about you. I just... I never had friends... before. Maggie, that's it. But other than that, there's no one else. And now, Hershel. The only parent figure I had left. He's gone." I murmur and she nods."The Governor killed him. I hope he's dead." She spits and I hum in agreement.
"Me too. If I see him, I'll bury my machete in his head." I announce and she smirks at me.
"I'll shoot him before hand though." Marley suggests and I nod with a smirk. "I wonder how everyone else is doing? You know? With everything?"
"What? Other survivors or others from the prison?" I question her and she holds up two fingers, telling me which option. "Everyone would find shelter, supplies, anything before they come and find people." I tell her and she nods.
The door gets kicked down and Marley stands up and swiftly holds out her gun. Aiming at the intruders. Three men come in, dirty, with tattered clothes, like they've been on the road for a long time.
"Well, well. Two women." One guy sneers with a sickening grin. My hand goes to my gun and he clicks his tongue in warning.
"Weapons." The second man commands, his glasses with one little crack in the top corner of his eye. I pull out my gun and drop it to the floor, my buck knife too but not the one under my shirt.
Marley looks at me and I nod my head at her, telling her to do as he says. When she does the third man grabs her and I stand up in protest.
"Hey!" I shout and the first man whistles.
"A pregnant woman. Where's your husband?" He questions, glancing nervously at the door but I don't point that out.
"Dead." I answer, my face showing no emotion.
"Glad we can have some fun then." The second man sneers happily and I almost threw up there but I kept it down. These sick bastards. "Have fun with the little one the most though." He adds and I clench my jaw.
"Sit." The first man orders and I do as he says. It's better that way. Who knows what can happen if I don't co-operate. He comes up to me and licks my ear and I clench my eyes shut.
"Em." Marley pleads and I peak my eyes open to see the man with glasses griping her, her ass and her hip bones, the third man, with a man bun grips the front of her jeans and runs his hand down and I clench my fist. I'll kill them now. I will. I need an opportunity.
The man on me, runs his hand to my belt loops. That's it. I flicker my eyes to the handgun on the man bun guy's gun and she understands by a glitter of hope in her eyes.
I swiftly grab my knife and stab the man in the neck, blood burts out of his neck and on me. I hear a gunshot and I grab the man's gun and aim quickly at the second man who has Marley in a head lock, a knife to her throat but a dead man at her feet.
"Easy. Mama Bear. Easy. I'll kill the bitch now." He says, trying to sound determined but I see the tremor of his hand. I pull the trigger, going for his head and it's successful. He falls to the floor, dead.
"Holy shit." Marley breathes out shakingly and I nod in agreement.
"You ok?" I ask her and she nods. I give her a look and she starts to shake her head and cry and I bring her into a hug, which she cuddles closer. "Shh. You're ok. We're ok." I assure her.
Tears gather in my eyes but I blink them away, no! I have to be strong. Mama Dixon has to be strong for her young. I have to be. For Marley and for baby Dixon.
"Fuck." Ashley's voice alerts me and I look up, to see the concerned, proud and now horrified expressions of Ashley and Adam. It must be that I'm covered in one of the men's blood.
I hear a groan, so I pull away from Marley and quickly stab the walker in the head. I pull her into a hug again, keeping her close as her crying goes to hiccups. Poor girl. She didn't deserve that. Nobody does.
Hayley's Pov
It's only me helping out Rick now, Carl, now in a very bad mood is storming ahead. While I struggle to keep Rick up and I can tell that Rick is struggling to keep up with me, I can't imagine Carl too. I get why Carl is upset, but right now he's acting like a brat. We need to stay together because we're all we have now. We just have each other, as I hate to admit.
"Carl, slow down." Rick orders him but he doesn't listen. "Carl, stop!" He raises his voice and Carl halts. We come to his side. "We got to find a place with food, supplies." Carl just breathes heavily. "Hey. We're gonna be...
Carl cuts him off by giving him a sharp glare before walking off. I look at Rick in worry. Wow. I know what happened was bad and you want some time for yourself, but there is no need to take it out on Rick. He's done nothing wrong
Me and Rick carry on walking.
"Once we get supplies, we'll need to find shelter." I voice and Rick grunts.
"Yeah. Do you know what I can say to him?" He questions me but I shrug.
"I have no idea. I wish I knew how to talk to teenagers, otherwise I would've calmed him down just then." I admit and he nods.
We walk in silence, crossing some train tracks before a building comes into view. That'll be good. We stop outside of it and I read the name. Joe and Joe Jr's BBQ. This is good. A restaurant. That means food, water, extra knives. Crows caw which sends chills, I have no idea why. I guess an abandoned building in the middle of knowhere is creepy, I know it's normal nowadays but still.
"Wait outside, ok? Keep watch." Rick orders, looking between me and Carl.
"Rick, you can barely stand on your own. You'll need help." I argue. I never disagree with him but that's stupid going off on your own to clear a building.
"You keep watch. You can barely stand. I'm not gonna let you go in there alone." Carl tells him and Rick looos between us with a horrible look.
"Excuse me?" Rick asks, his voice going deep.
"We've done this before. I'm gonna help you clear it. You should just let me do it myself. Have Hayley stay out here." Carl responds to him and I frown. Wow. How horrible is that?
"Let's go." Rick agrees and giving me a look, which I nod. Fine, I'll keep watch.
They quickly walk in, weapons raised. I look out, my hand resting on my gun, just in case.
I hear a crash from inside, followed by a gunshot. I quickly run inside. To the seating area where I see a walker on the floor along with some furniture, Rick breathing heavily and giving Carl a lecture, while Carl has his gun raised.
"What happened?" I question them. They give me looks. "A walker got difficult to handle." I conclude and they nod.
Rick looks at Carl. "Every bullet counts. What if you needed that one later? See what you can find. Then let's move on." Rick explains before the leaves the room. Carl quickly climbs over the counter and I sigh, leaving the building and taking watch. Who knows how many walkers heard that gunshot.
I wonder what's wrong with Carl though? He seems in a huge mood, yes I get it about Judith, but Rick is trying to help him but him acting like he can do stuff by himself is insane. Like, I totally get it about Rick, he is limping and can barely walk on his own but I'm fine.
I hear footsteps and see Carl looking pleased and Rick holding a bag.
"I win." Carl says before walking off, so I put Rick's arm over my shoulder and follow after him.
Eventually we come to a town.
"How about that onw?" I question Rick, nodding at a suitable looking house that Carl is about to pass.
"Looks good." He comments and looks ahead at Carl. "Hey. Hey. Hey." He calls an Carl stops, turns around to us to see what we've got to say. "That one's as good as any." He says and Carl nods before heading to the door.
I bang on the door as the boys wait. We wait for a few moments in silence before I grab my gun, nodding at Rick who kicks open the door. We go in, weapons raised, ready for anything. I see Carl go off a little on his own ans Rick notices too.
"Carl." He warns.
"I got it. All the doors down here are open." Carl snaps and I look between the pair. There's going to be an argument now.
"Just stop!" Rick barks and I see Carl huff.
Carl spins around, glaring at his father before his fist pounds the wall. "Hey, asshole! Hey, shitface! Hey-
"Watch your mouth!" Rick scolds him, cutting him off from saying any more bad languge.
Carl shakes his head in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? If there's one of them down there, they wohld have come out."
"Alright. I'm gonna check the upstairs, Carl with me. Rick, you'll stay down here and do a sweep." I command and go upstairs, I hear Carl behind me and Rick sighing. There shouldn't be any arguments now, we need to stick together.
I go to the bathroom upstairs while Carl goes to the bedroom, a kids one in fact. I search th drawers, quickly looking for anything worth while. I find pads and tampons, that's helpful for me. I quickly grab them. Oh, I should grab a bag as well. I head into the master bedroom and find a ruck sack and dump the feminine products inside. I search through some more drawers and find some plasters and some little bits of first aid, paracetamol and hayfever tablets. That'll help, incase any of us develop it.
I head downstairs to see Rick pushing a sofa to the door.
"I tied the door shut." Carl informs him and I look at the door, seeing a pretty secure knot there. Wow.
"We don't need to take any chances." Rick tells him.
"You don't think it'll hold?" Carl questions him, tilting his head.
"Carl." Rick warns, obviously not wanting him to go through an argument with him, standing up fully now that the sofa is preventing the door from opening. Even though it is secure, but we just have to make sure.
"It's a strong knot. Clove hitch. Shane taught me. Remember him?" Carl questions and I frown. Who's Shane?
Rick gives Carl a look. "Yeah, I remember him. I remember him everyday. There something else you want to say to me?" Rick questions but Carl stays silent. I wish I could ask about Shane but it seems like a very sensitive subject. "This'll have to do for the night. You gonna have some?" He asks, handing him a bag of dry cereal but Carl doesn't take it. "You should eat." He presses.
"We should save it." Carl says.
"Hey." Rick calls and I frown. What the hell is going on with Carl?
"I don't want any." Carl tells him stubbornly.
"Eat it. Now." Rick orders, chucking the food on his lap to make him eat before he walks to his couch to sleep. The one by the door. Carl eats some food before going upstais, leaving the bag of cereal for me. Ok, then. After eating the dry cereal, I go upstairs to the upstairs bedroom to sleep.
Next Day
Wake up! Wake up!
I jerk awake to shouting coming from downstairs before it stops, I heard a door open and close. What have I missed?
I quickly get up and creep dow the stairs, who knows who has entered. Or maybe Carl left? Who knows? I come downstairs to see a badly bruised Rick on the sofa, laying still but breathing deeply, ah, he's still asleep? Usually he's awake before anyone back at the prison.
Emma's Pov
After I explain what happened yesterday to Ashley and Adam, they nod in understanding. Marley is currently still asleep, trying to forget about the whole event. I can't blame her.
"Well, I'm glad that all three of you are ok." Adam voices and I smile at him gratefully. Not going to lie, but, it feels weird sometimes that I'm pregnant, that I'm growing a human being in my body.
"I'm glad too." I mutter and look at the young girl.
"She took it hard. I hope she's gonna be ok." Adam says and I hum in agreement.
"She will be. She's just in shock." I remind him and he nods. I finally realise Ashley's hair. Short. A lot shorter than it normally is, which is odd. Because the last time I saw her before last night's events was not that long ago. But she had long hair then. I just... never had the chance to ask her. "What happened to your hair?" I blurt out and Ashley snaps her head up to look at me. "I never asked. But it looks really nice." I comment and she smiles. "It suits ya." I add on.
"Thanks. Uhh, an accident at the college. A walker grabbed my hair and I had to cut it." She informs me and I nod.
"Glad nothin' happened to ya." I say honestly and she grins.
"Truth is your life would be boring without me." She jokes and I roll my eyes at her.
"It would be peaceful." Marley joins in, her voice hoarse, turning over, her eyes red and puffy but there's a smile on her face. I snort at her joke and Adam smirks. An offended look passes on Ashley's face.
"Oh yeah?" Ashley challenges her, a genuine smile on her face.
"Hell yeah." Marley says and me and Adam burst out laughing.
"Our lives would be peaceful without the both of you." I joke, pointing between me and Adam and Ashley nods.
"Same goes to you bowling ball." Ashley retorts and I laugh.
"A bowling ball, mind you?" I question her and she nods, laughing.
Eventually our laughter dies down and we look at each other. A few questions on our mind, one of them is because here isn't safe anymore, where will we go? Where do we look for the others? Is anywhere safe for us right now?
"When should we head out?" I ask all of a sudden and they all look at me.
"Tomorrow." Adam voices and we nod in agreement.
"Tomorrow, we'll look for the others. Find safer shelter and supplies." Ashley explains briefly and I nod.
"Tomorrow it is." I agree and Marley hums.
"Yeah." She murmur.
There has to be another safe haven out there somewhere. It has to be. Other people like us, like in the prison. But we have to use our survival skills. Who knows what type of people they are? Plus, we have extra package to look after; Baby Dixon.
Also, I wonder how Daryl and Jamie are. If they are alive. Stop! They are alive. They have to be. The are probably looking for everyone right now. Looking for the same thing as us, a safe shelkter, supplies and hopfully the rest of us.
Hayley's Pov
After Carl left, I heard gunshots, I would have run out there to help him but I don't know where exactly it came from, and that I don't know the area so I would have gotten lost. Besides, Carl can handle it, and Rick needs to be looked after since his body is regaining its strength.
I'm currently outside, trying to get into the shed. I'm trying to break it open with my knife, but so far, it ain't budging. I growl in frustration. Damn, shed. Now I'll have to look for the keys in a drawer full of keys, which is so damn annoyingh. Why couldn't the previous owners be organised like my mom, she always had each key with a label key chain on it, saying whait is for. She was a very organised person.
I walk inside the house to hear Carl talking, well... ranting to a still unconscious Rick.
"They were at the door. They were gonna get in, but I lured them away. I killed them. I saved you. I saved you." He repeats and I frown. What is he trying to prove? "I didn't forget whilw you had us playing farmer. I still know how to survive. Lucky for us. I don't need you anymore. I don't need you to protect me aymore. I can take care of myself. Hayley doesn't need your protection either. You probably can't even protect me anyways. Protect us. You couldn't protect Judith. You couldn't protect..." He sighs. "Hershel or Glenn or Maggie or Adam or Ashley. Michonne, Jamie, Marley, Emma, Daryl, or mom. You just wanted to plant vegetables. You just wanted to hide. He knew where we were and you didn't care!" He snaps. "You just hid behind those fences and waited for..." He sighs again. "They're all gone now. Because of you! They counted on you! You were their leader!" He shouts and I look down. This has been bottled up inside him. He sniffles. "But now you're nothing." He hisses and I look back at him. Ok, no need for that. He picks up the now almost empty cereal bag and sighs. "I'd be fine if you died." He mutters.
He turns around and spots me standing there.
"You meant all that?" I question him, getting straight to the point. He looks hesitant to answer but eventually nods. "Being a leader isn't easy. Me and my brother were in charge of ourselves and that was hard enough, before we came with Tyreese, Sasha and Marley. But I can't imagine Rick. He had it hard. So... cut him some slack if he wanted some time to find himself without making the hardest decisions a person can make." I tell him before I storm to the kitchen, looking through the door. Not bothering to go back to listen to Carl's explanation.
Like ok, I get it why he's mad but not at Rick. He needed time to pull himself together, find a purpose without being a leader because looking after a group is difficult as it is so I can't even imagine him being a leader of a lot of people, which he is. He is a leader, leaders make hard choices and face the consequences, which is what Rick is going through right now.
I hear the door open once more and close. I guess he is going to get some supplies because he can take care of himself. Which is a stupid decision but it is his choice. He'll have to deal with the consequence by himself, because he'd be fine without Rick.
After going outside and battling with each and every key to unlock the shed, which I finally do and I'm happy about it. I cough when I'm inside from the smell of the dust. Jesus. You forget what it is like when something hasn't been used in a very long time.
I grab an axe, which surprisingly is still in good condition and that it is still here. Usually people don't search sheds, they search houses. But they are pretty good, you can hide quite a few things in here. After grabbing items that are useful, I head back inside, seeing Rick still on the sofa, in the same position. Please, Rick, please wake up. I won't be able to look after Carl by myself.
Later...
Carl returned with food but this time me and him are staying downstairs with Rick, but I'm not talking to him until he grows up.
I hear raspy breathing and me and Carl look at each other with wide eyes. Is that from outside or... inside? I look at Rick and see it is coming from him. Shit, no. No, Rick! You can't be dead. Eventually Rick's body falls to the floor and Carl clicks off his safety of his gun and tries to point it at him and I drag him to me, hugging him close as he cries. No. Rick. Why did you have to die?
Carl sobs and tears gather in my eyes.
"It's ok. I'm here. You have me." I try to assure him, but how am I gonna look after a kid? Yes, I am a teenager but Carl is an early teen.
Carl has lost everyone. His mother, his sister and now his father. Carl lowers the gun. "I can't. I was wrong. Just do it." Carl admits.
It's hand grabs on Carl's foot and I was about to grab my gun but a voice stops me.
"Carl." Rick wheezes and I snap my head up to look at him. He's alive?! "Don't go outside. Stay safe." His weak and muffled voice adds before passing out. Me and Carl climb to him, and Carl lays Rick's head on his lap.
"I'm scared." Carl admits crying silently. "I'm scared. I'm scared." He continues sobbing and I bring him into a hug.
"I'm sorry, kid. Me and Rick won't leave you." I tell him and he nods, his crying finally stopping.
Next Day...
Me and Carl sit on either side of a conscious Rick.
"You shouldn't have risked it, going out there like that. It's dangerous." Rick reminds Carl.
"I was careful." Carl retorts and I roll my eyes.
"It's good that you found more foo." Rick admits and I nod.
"Yeah." I mutter.
"I found even more. But I ate it." Carl admits sheepishly and I look at him.
"You found more but didn't share?" I question him through narrowed eyes and he smirks.
"What was it?" Rick questions him.
That question makes Carl smile even more. "112 ounces of pudding."
My jaw drops open. "Dick." I breathe out and they chuckle.
"I know we'll never get things back to the way they used to be." Rick admits and I notice Carl look at him surprised. "What? I only clung to that for you. For Judith. Now she's gone. And you, you're a man, Carl. You're a man. I'm sorry." Rick tells him.
Carl shakes his head. "You don't need to be."
"I still can't believe you didn't share 112 ounces of pudding." I say aloud and they laugh, knowing I'm trying to light things up for all of us.
A knock on the door gets us alert and me and Carl cock our guns, while Rick looks through the peep hole of the door, his python in his hand. He sits back down chuckling.
"What?" Carl asks him while I just raise a brow. Why is he laughing?
"It's for you." Rick just says to Carl and I look at Carl curiously.
There's only one question on my mind, probably the same in Carl's. Who's outside?
Wow, this chapter is a long one! But you guys deserve it since you guys have been giving me so much support. I thought there should be some light hearted moments as well as the bad moments. Hmm, I wonder who's outside? I hope you guys are enjoying this so far because I am! Anyways, I hope you like the chapter, please review, I would love to know what you think.
