Randall jumped, his mouth dropped open as the woman hit the ground with a 'Thud' and didn't move.
A red river poured over her forehead and Shane heaved; knelt over the still form of a woman he actually once respected, on the same level as he respected his partner.
Eve reminded him a lot of Rick when things first started. And it appears she is… was, too much like him.
Randall covered his mouth with his hand, part of him convinced the man standing over the woman glaring at the limp body like a gladiator, could hear him breathing even from this distance.
A growling breath rushed into his lungs as Shane looked around and for a moment, felt nothing but triumph.
The same triumph he felt whenever he and Rick would arrest a suspect that tried to be clever or tried to run. That rush of adrenaline from emerging as the victor.
He managed to take down Evelyn Rider. Someone he actually thought was untouchable before. Someone he knew could've taken his life as easy as whistling, at her prime.
She put up more of a fight than Odis but that was expected. Evelyn Rider was not the type of person to go down easy. It's a miracle he took her down as fast as he did and he has the search for Sophia to thank. So I guess one good thing came outta that disaster.
This changes everything though.
Randall? Ain't nobody gon' care if he's dead but Eve? The most universally respected person of the entire group — Daryl won't be the only one tryna skin him alive if any a them figure out what he just did. Hell even Carl might wanna kill 'im for this.
As soon as they realize she's gone they won't let this go.
Shane looked around and came late to the realization that little prick is long gone.
A snarl tore from his blood covered mouth, the fresh stuff still seeping from his badly broken nose as he stormed over and swiped both guns off the forest floor, small brown leaves and sticks clinging to the cool metal as he did so.
He's gotta come up with something — something to explain all a this. A plan stormed in his mind as he stalked away in a fury. Bits and pieces of an already half formed idea trying to mash themselves together into something that'll fit.
Randall watched, not making a sound until that man was long gone. He wanted to jump out and run as soon as he was out of sight but his wrists are still bound and as soon as he moved his leg he winced and slammed his sweaty filthy palms over his lips the moment the slightest sound of pain slipped from them.
His heart stopped, eyes blowing wide, and his entire body went rigid; frozen in place, every panicked corner of his brain telling him not to move and buzzing with 'Did he hear' because if he did… he's as good as dead.
If that woman couldn't win that fight what chance does Randall have against him? About as much of a chance as the risen dead crawling back into their own graves and going back to being just that; Dead.
Minutes must've ticked by before the shaken injured man deemed it safe enough to slowly crawl from the bushes, still looking around like an animal of prey making sure it's safe before leaving it's burrow.
His eyes flickered like poorly wired lights from thing to thing; between the still body of that lady who tried to help him, to the trees surrounding, to the direction that man stalked off, and finally to what would be his salvation.
Two beautiful crafter shimmering steel blades. One stuck in a log, the other buried in the dirt and slanted over but still upright and stuck in the earth like it'd tried it's damndest to carve up the ground itself.
Crawling seems to have become a thing for Randall as he shimmied his way across the forest floor in something of a half limp army-crawl to the log; the closet object containing his freedom.
He finally reached it and didn't even stop to think before wrapping his hands over it and starting to saw at the duct tape pulling sharply on his raw skin.
The tape soon split and Randall — momentarily forgetting the reason for keeping quiet — cried out in joy.
Seconds later he realized his mistake and quickly whipped his head around. Thankfully it seems nothing has heard but his eyes caught on the body mere feet from him.
He gulped as his throat constricted. He's seen people die before but… this felt different.
He was lucky enough not to have seen his folks go, and he's never had to luxury of hanging around to watch the gruesome deaths of anyone else but… what he witnessed — what he just hid in the bushes and watched happen... is a whole 'nother level of messed up.
He's seen his own group kill people in brutal ways before but, they never went after each other like that — at least, never gotten so far as to kill the other.
Although thinking about it now… there are definitely a few he can think of that would have if they weren't interrupted by one thing or another. And who knows what's happened since he's been gone.
Does he even wanna know?
Randall wrenched the blade from the log, eyes moving back and forth between the body, blade, and the forest.
Being truly out here on your own is already starting to wrack his nerves. The dead body and lurking possibility of that guy comin' back ain't helpin'.
It's still bleeding.
When do bodies stop bleedin'?
Randall used the tree next to him to try to stand up. Pain spiked through his leg, and his mouth dropped open, hissing trying not to make any noise but it's hard when your whole leg feels like it's on fire and just the thought of putting your foot on the ground much less doing it is crippling him.
That old guy patched him up good but it still hurts so bad. He didn't lose his leg thankfully but he shouldn'ta listened when he told him to jump. He knew that rooftop was too high, if his foot hadn't buckled underneath him when he hit the other roof, he wouldn't have rolled and —…
Randall tried to stop panting. He can't think 'bout that right now. He's gotta get outta here.
Even if that guy don't come back, her people are sure to come lookin' for her and there's no way that man won't tell them he killed 'er soon as he gets back there. And they won't believe him over one a their own—
Randall's thoughts flew out the window as he stared at the body. He couldn't see it from the ground but it— is she…?
Randall looked around before carefully edging closer.
There's no way she's turnin' — she wasn't bit but she's… breathing?
Without a thought he went closer to her and leaned over.
She is definitely breathing — she's alive!
Randall almost laughed in pure disbelief. She's alive! She survived that head clobbering!
"'Ey." Randall bent over, using the tree next to him to stabilize himself.
"Hey lady, wake up." He shook her but nothing happened.
Randall looked around again, watching the sky already getting darker and already making it harder to see out here. If he's gonna get out of here he's gotta go — like now. But…
He looked back down at her biting dry, scabbed lips. 'If I leave 'er here, she'll die for sure.'
Oh— why should I care? These people tried to kill me! Kept me prisoner!
But she didn't.
She didn't ever try to hurt him — Hell she stopped them from hurtin' him a couple times too.
She did try to help him, she gave him that medicine to help with the pain (which worked wonders for a little while), she saved his life more than once — she stopped that guy from killin' him; almost got 'erself killed doin' it.
He probably owes this one person his life 3-4 times over.
Ain't nobody's ever done that for him. Not the guys he was with, there was no reason to before all a this, and ain't nobody's ever looked out for 'im like that. Except… well, his sister.
Jenny always used to look out for him even though he was such a screw up and kinda… an asshole to 'er sometimes. She was only a year older but she was so much better. Had 'er life put together and everything; Did what she wanted and ain't nobody could stop 'er.
Randall swallowed hard. It's been awhile since he's thought about his older sister.
He never saw 'er body. Some part of him is holding out that she's out there somewhere — that there ain't no way she died, she's too smart for that but… I don't know. You can only hold onto that hope with nothin' to support it for so long.
'Snap'
Randall whirled around, "Ahhhh—!"
Phew~
I'm not gonna lie. This was tough. I had a little trouble with my apartment after a serious amount of driving but I'm here now and settled, and super proud that I was able to upload on schedule. Thank you guys so much for being supportive and understanding through this you all rock! (still not sorry lol)