Chapter twenty-one: Trail mix fever.
As we drove, I heard someone screaming and turned my head, seeing Sophia being chased by a group of Walkers; with a sigh, I glanced at Rick before opening my door and launching out. The car ahead screeched to a halt as I shot down the Walkers and wrapped an arm around the girl, hoisting her into the car before shutting the door.
"Go, get outta here!" I shouted before slapping the door and retreating, making towards where I could hear more screaming; Hershel's car was gone when I came upon Andrea, who seemed relieved to see me. "Come on, we gotta run!" She nodded and followed me into the woods.
We ran for ages before escaping the Walkers on our tail, the trees felt more secure than being stuck out in the open.
"We have to go back." Andrea panted but I shook my head, knowing where we were.
"It's a straight shot back to the highway from here, that's where we go." I replied as the blonde laughed and straightened up, looking around.
"How could you possibly know where we are?"
"I was here when I was with Sophia, when we were missin', it's only about three hours on foot, and we might catch up to the others, if we're lucky."
We walked in silence until we hit the creek and stopped for a breather.
"Do you think we all made it out?" I shrugged and looked around. "Wait, do you hear that?"
"Where'd you find everyone?" I frowned, recognising the voice as Rick.
"Well, those guys' tail lights zigzaggin' all over the road...figured he had to be Asian, drivin' like that." Daryl replied and I let out a sigh of relief, we were closer to the road than I had thought. "Where are the rest of us? We're the only ones who made it so far."
"Shane? Andrea, Ellie?"
"Andrea saved me and then I lost her in the herd." Carol said. "We saw her go down."
"Patricia?" Hershel asked, and I heard someone sniff.
"They got her, too, took her right in front of me. I was...I was holdin' onto her, daddy. She just... what about Jimmy? Did you see Jimmy?" Beth sobbed and I grabbed Andrea's hand.
"He was in the RV. It got overrun." Carl announced, making the girl sob even harder.
"You definitely saw Andrea?" Daryl asked, uncertainly as I stopped.
"There were walkers everywhere." T-Dog admitted and I could hear someone shifting around as we broke through the tree line silently.
"What about Ellie, where's she?" The redneck queried and I watched Sophia step forwards.
"She jumped outta the car and stuck Sophia in, told us to leave her and disappeared. We don't know why she didn't get back in or where she went after." Rick relayed as Daryl shifted on his bike.
"I'm gonna go back." Carol put her hand on his shoulder and stopped him.
"No."
"We can't just leave her." Daryl argued, Rick shaking his head and holding out a hand as I helped Andrea over the barrier and onto the road, Lori glancing over and sighing.
"Oh thank god!" She exclaimed, hurrying over and embracing Andrea and I; as she stepped back, the others approached and made similar noises.
"What happened?" Rick asked and I noticed that Daryl was hanging back, chewing his thumb.
"I heard Sophia; she was callin' for help so I put her in the car and then spotted Andrea. We ended up near Otis's huntin' shack and I knew my way back to here from there." Rick nodded and clasped my shoulder tightly.
"This is the second time you've risked your life for this group, I want you to know that we're grateful." He said softly and I nodded, patting his hand with a small smile.
"I know you are." Parting, I exhaled and we returned to the cars and Daryl's bike.
"We gotta keep moving. There have been walkers crawling all over here." Rick announced and T-Dog raised his head.
"I say head east and stay off the main roads; the bigger the road, the more walkers…more assholes like this one." He jerked his head towards a Walker ambling towards us and Daryl loaded his crossbow.
"I got him." After taking down the Walker, he glanced over at me and jerked his head. "You're with me." I nodded as Carol shifted and the group rearranged itself, as T-Dog's truck was almost out of gas, we siphoned the rest into the two remaining cars.
In one car were Glenn, Hershel, Maggie, Beth and Andrea; in the second were Rick, Lori, Carl, Carol and Sophia and T-Dog. As we prepared to leave, I got on the bike behind Daryl and wrapped my arms around his middle.
We travelled until the sun was going down, the clouds pulling in and the sky darkening rapidly; I wondered what time it was when T-Dog ran out of gas, stopping as everyone got out and began to mill about.
"What's wrong?" I called softly, getting off the bike stiffly and walking over, the men all bent over the hood of the red Chevy.
"We've been riding red for the past hour; better make sure we don't get forgot." Rick replied distractedly, his eyes were ringed by dark circle.
"You're out?" Daryl asked, hand resting on my shoulder as he leaned in.
"We're running on fumes." I watched Lori getting out of the car as well, looking pissed.
"We can't stay here." She hissed, looking over her shoulder and into the car where the kids were napping.
"You can't all fit in one car." I retorted and Rick sighed, shaking out his arms as a chill set in.
"We'll have to make a run for some gas in the morning."
"Spend the night here? I'm freezing." Lori snapped before wrapping her arms around herself, as if to drive her point further.
"We'll build a fire, yeah?" Pointing at Daryl, Rick licked his lips. "You go out looking for firewood, stay close."
"I'll back you up." I added, checking my knife as he went to argue. "You've only got so many arrows." I added, silencing the issue.
"How're you doing on ammo?" I shook my head.
"Not enough."
"We can't just sit here with our asses hanging out." Maggie spat as Hershel frowned and levelled a finger at her.
"Watch your mouth."
"Everyone stop panicking and listen to Rick." Andrea said firmly and silence fell, one that I noticed Rick appreciated.
"All right, we'll set up a perimeter and in the morning, we'll find gas and some supplies. We'll keep pushing on." He decided and yet again, this wasn't good enough for Lori or Carol as she got out of the car as well.