Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Diary of the Dead Days

Part 2: Hershel's Farm

Chapter Eighteen
The Herd

A few days had passed since my last conversation with Aaron, his threat seemed too real. I knew all I had to do was tell Daryl and he'd report it to Rick but with the tension in the air from Randall, that would create a rippling effect of chaos. If we couldn't trust Aaron, a seemingly selfless hero who saved both Rose and Sophia, then we couldn't trust this stranger who had once belonged to the group that had attacked Rick. I had avoided telling Daryl about my conversation, though Daryl wasn't much for conversation himself and he had never brought up my past. He seemed like he didn't want to drag up old emotions again and wanted me to come to him first.

Randall was still on a tight leash, being guarded by Dale and Andrea at all times. I had a few passes with him, greeting him on my way across the camp to help out with chores and I walked past the shed he was kept in at night to go with Daryl on archery and hunting lessons. Daryl had continued inviting Rose and the other children to our lessons with the permission of Lori and Carol and of course, Ripley would accompany us as well. I felt much safer away from the main camp and the farm. I had successfully avoided Aaron and had kept both Rose and Ripley far away from him. My cousin was getting on well with everyone in camp, doing his fair share of chores and supply runs into town with T-Dog and occasionally Shane. He seemed like a functioning member of our society we created.

It was during dinner that night that Shane proposed that Randall join him on a supply run to the nearest town. We were running low on canned goods with so many mouths to feed and it would be a good idea to scavenge for any other items like batteries and gas and it was finally time for Randall to contribute more to the group. Dale had interjected, stating he should come along for the run as well.

"Back up is always needed." Shane agreed with a slight nod, though reading between the lines, it didn't seem like the former police officer cared for the older man's help and knowing Dale only intended to join for Randall's safety. Shane also asked Andrea to join in the run, saying she had been progressing well in gun practice and should put her skills to better use.

My archery skills had been significantly improving with my continued lessons with Daryl and he had even let me use his crossbow. It functioned similarly to my compact bow and felt easier to grip and reload. However, I had never been on a supply run. The closest I've ever gotten was a small hunting day trip with Daryl. We had taken Ripley but left the kids behind under the watchful eyes of Lori and Carol and the Greene family. There wasn't much wildlife close to camp and if there had been a chance to actually catch something, I feel like Daryl would have just gone on his own.

"Stop." Daryl had ordered during that hunting trip, holding up his arm to halt my approach. Ripley had ceased too and a low growl erupted from his throat.

My heart pounded in my chest at the sight ahead of us, it was two walks stumbling in the woods. They hadn't heard us and continued to wander aimlessly.

"Get your bow and shoot." Daryl nodded in the direction of the closest walker. The bow had already been in my hand and I shakily grabbed for an arrow in a makeshift holster that was strapped to my leg. My experience with walkers had been far and few, my protection relied heavily on the group. If it weren't for them, I'd be dead by now.

I pulled the arrow back and let it loose, it soared through the air and landed directly in the side of the walker's head, it's body dropping with a heavy thud on the ground. I yelped in surprise at my success but the noise drew the attention of its companion. It turned to our direction and started approaching. I fumbled with pulling another arrow but it had slipped out of my hands and fell into the grass. As I bent down to search for it, I heard the release of Daryl's crossbow and another thud as the other walker dropped to the ground.

"Good shot, kid." Daryl chuckled as he walked over to grab our used arrows, "Maybe one day you'll be running for supplies."

Shane, Dale, Randall, and Andrea had left mid-morning for the supply run. They had taken Shane's jeep into town and planned to be back before nightfall. I had started my daily duties of campsite babysitter, trying to entertain three kids who seemed to only get more bored with each passing hour. I had tried teaching them stuff they would learn in school, reading to them, and trying our hands at arts and crafts with limited supplies. Glenn had returned from a recent supply run with crayons and a pack construction paper. That entertainment had only lasted for about a day before the kids wanted to do something else. They wanted to go out hunting with Daryl but he had gone off on a solo trip, trying to recover supplies from abandoned houses he had uncovered during his search for Rose and Sophia. Part of me wanted to tag along, but he had gone before I woke up this morning.

More patrols had been set up around the farm, Dale had observed the prior day an increase of walkers circling the area. It was almost like they were traveling in groups. Maggie and Glenn had taken shifts together on horseback and Rick took T-Dog and my cousin, Aaron to the other side of the barn. Hershel's no gun policy had seemed to dissipate after the walkers had been let out of the barn. I kept my bow nearby and my father's old handgun with me.

The day slowly progressed, Daryl had returned in the late afternoon and had found canned beans in one of the abandoned houses along with a small first-aid kit. He had told me to keep it, saying it would be useful if one of the kids got hurt while playing around the farm.

"And a somethin' little extra," Daryl tossed me another can, turning over the label I noticed it was dog food.

"Thanks." I had smiled, happy to finally give Ripley some real food that wasn't just table scraps.

The sun was making its way below the horizon, casting an orange and yellow hue in the clouds. There had been no sighting of Shane and the others from their supply run. There was growing concern among everyone, Maggie and Glenn had reported an increased number of walkers around the perimeter with Rick, T-Dog, and Aaron reporting the same thing. The fact that also Shane's group hadn't returned from their supply run was unnerving. Had they gotten attacked by the walkers?

It wasn't until nightfall when a figure was running through the wheat fields towards the camp. Daryl, who was on watch at that time, called out to Rick in a warning and had caused Ripley to bark in alarm. I tried calming my dog but something didn't seem quite right. It wasn't a walker approaching the farm.

"Randall!" Shane called out once he reached the RV, his nose bloodied, and was out of breath, "His group ambushed us, Dale's dead. Andrea too."

Gasps could be heard and it felt like there was a ringing in my ears, Randall and his group had ambushed our supply run? How had they known? Before Rick could ask any more questions, Daryl called out from on top of the RV.

"Hey, we got bigger problems up here."

Rick climbed up the RV and it didn't take long for the rest of us to figure out what Daryl had seen. Out in the distance, not far from the Greene farmhouse was a slow-moving herd of walkers. At first glance, it was hard to tell if anything was out there in the wheat fields. It only looked as if the stalks of wheat were swaying in the wind but there were things moving in between those fields. I only now realized Ripley growling by my feet and Rose clinging to my hand. It felt out of body seeing such a massive crowd coming towards the farm. It wouldn't be long until the swarm encased us.

"Everybody get to safety!" Rick's voice rang out but was quickly silenced by a scream.

Swinging around, it was Patricia and a walker behind her and digging its face into her neck. We had been preoccupied with the scene before us, we had all failed to realize there wasn't just one herd approaching the Greene farm.

I'm not entirely sure what happened next, I didn't feel in control of my body but I only knew one thing. Rose. I picked up my sister, she was crying in terror at the sight before her. I ran towards our minivan that was parked behind the RV and further away from the Greene home, Ripley following closely behind. I swung open the backseat and put her inside.

"I want you to stay underneath this blanket and whatever you do, don't move." I ordered, grabbing the blankets from our makeshift cot and pulling them over Rose.

Chaos erupted at the house, the sounds of gunfire was deafening and was accompanied by screams. I had only seconds before the walkers surrounded our van as well. Rose had been my only priority, there was no time to think of the others and make sure everyone was safe.

"Step away, Lil'." A voice ordered from behind. I turned back only to see Aaron holding a shotgun and aiming it towards me, "I'm taking the van."

I raise my hands defensively. Everyone around us was running for cover and trying to survive, no one was aware of what was happening. My bow and pistol were stowed away in the van for the night along with Rose.

"We can go together, Aaron." I can hear the screams echoing in the distance and the groans of the walkers inching near.

"I've always hated you. You got the perfect, cushioned life." Aaron spat, the gun shaking in his hands, "I want you to suffer like I've had to all my life!"

"Please, Rose is in the car!" I begged, my heart beating against my chest. Ripley was snarling by my feet, ready to spring at any signs of an attack.

"You should be worrying about yourself!" Aaron's voice grew louder, catching the attention of a group of walkers who turned towards us and the van. Aaron notices the walkers, his eyes narrowed in anger and his finger was now twitching on the trigger. I could see the tears forming in his eyes, the pure hatred that was focused on me. He hated me for the life that I had and my existence was a reminder of that. He couldn't start over with me alive.

But before Aaron could fully pull the trigger, an arrow soared across the clearing and plunged right into Aaron's trigger hand. He yelped out in pain and dropped his gun, holding his injured hand against his chest. He cursed loudly and it took me a second to realize what happened. I lunged forward and grabbed the shotgun before Aaron had a chance to regain his composure, I took aim at my cousin but more walkers were closing in.

I took aim at one of the nearby walkers and pulled the trigger; since it had been so close, I was able to make an accurate headshot. Another arrow flew across the clearing, landing squarely into another walker's head and another arrow followed suit. By this time, Aaron had run off, leaving a trail of blood and walkers turning at fresh scent. I wanted to go after him, and finally end that chapter in my life. Kill the boy who had tormented me through childhood and the man who came back to haunt me in my present and threatened my sister's life. I almost took off after him, but a voice broke through my bloodlust.

"Lily!" It was Daryl, his crossbow reloaded from the last shot at the surrounding walkers. He grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the van, "Get in the van and get Rose out of here!"

"What about you?" It was so hard to hear over the gunshots in the distance and the growling of the walkers, it sounded like each word echoed louder than the last.

"I got my bike, get out of here!" Daryl swung open the driver seat and pushed me inside, "Don't worry about him, he's walker food."

Daryl had taken off. Ripley and I were both secured in the minivan, Rose was still hiding underneath the covers. It didn't take long for me to start the van, it has been more of a challenge navigating out of the farm. While the walkers were mostly preoccupied with the others. I had noticed a group of the dead encircling the Greene's house, Patricia was quickly overtaken and one of the farmboys was trying with all his might to kill a few but his arm was bloodied and bitten. It was hard to tell where anyone else had gone or what else was happening. My only objective was to get as far away as possible.

My van managed to speed out of the clearing, I headed down the dirt road that led to the main road but quickly realized it was clogged by walkers. Their hands grabbing at my windows, blood smearing on the glass and blurring my vision. It was like I was on autopilot, I wasn't sure where I was going or where was safe but I knew I had to get away from the Greene farm as fast as possible.

It was a miracle any of us made it out of there and, other than Daryl, I had no idea who else survived. Part of me hoped that Aaron was picked off by one of the walkers, he was bleeding and running deeper into the herd. He should've been eaten alive. Rose had been hidden the whole time, she probably had heard the entire confrontation. She didn't know Aaron the way I did, she never knew how much of a monster he was even though he had saved her and Sophia's lives. Part of me wondered if Aaron had found our ragtag Atlanta group and I had died before he returned Rose or if Rose and I never found any other survivors, would he have assimilated with them and got the fresh start he desired? Would he have truly changed from his dark childhood and been able to contribute positively to a group?

It was well into nightfall and I had driven at least twenty miles away from the farm in the opposite direction of the farm and managed to find the highway. I killed the ignition on the van, the gas tank was a quarter of the way from being empty. I buried my face into the steering wheel and started to sob. We were alone again. While Rose and Ripley were always my priority, I had grown attached to the Atlanta group and even the members of the Greene family. Majority of them were likely dead and anyone alive was probably split up. There should have been some emergency meet up place but that was never discussed, at least not with me. I immediately thought of Daryl, I'm sure he had survived. He was the hardiest of us all and likely separated from everyone else. It would've been easier for him to survive alone, not hanging a group or me to drag him down, but I wished I could've known where he was or where to find him.

"Lily?" Rose's soft voice called out from the backseat.

Her hair was a mess and eyes bloodshot from exhaustion and fear. She crawled into the passenger seat with Ripley who also let out a soft whimper. I wiped my tears on my sleeve, trying not to let my sister see me so upset.

"Do you think everyone is okay?" Rose asked, her hand reaching out to mine.

"I don't know." I answered honestly.

I had driven instinctively towards the highway where our journey at the Greene farm had started and where we had lost Rose and Sophia and met Aaron. It was out of the way of the walker hoard and the only real destination I knew to go. I needed to be brave for Rose.

"Was Aaron really going to kill you?" Rose asked before I could brace myself for the eventual question. She had heard the commotion outside of the van. Fearful tears welled up in her eyes, "He saved me and Sophie, I-I don't understand."

Before I could find the words or answer her question, the sound of a motor echoed against the pavement. I pushed Rose's head down and got a low as I could, hoping whoever it was couldn't see us inside the dark van. Ripley let out a low growl and I quickly shushed him before he got any louder.

The engine of the motor died but it was difficult to hear anything other than my heart pumping in my chest. I was concentrating to see if I could tell where the footsteps were coming from. It wasn't long until there was tapping against my driver's side window. My heart skipped a beat until I heard a familiar voice.

"Lily? Rose? Is that you?"