Thanks for the reviews in last chapter, I always love reading them. It's makes me really happy that people enjoy my writing! School has been nice and stressful lately, I can't wait for spring break next month. Spring break will at least give me a break from classes (except my online ones …). And I'm so glad Walking Dead is finally back on TV!

Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Diary of the Dead Days

Part 2: Hershel's Farm

Chapter Thirteen
The Barn

My heart kept pounding against my chest, we all surrounded the barn. The front doors were chained shut and the moans sounded louder as we approached. I had no idea how we didn't notice it until now. The stench of death lingered heavily around the area and their groans were unmistakable. Shane peeked through the crack of the double doors, reporting over ten walkers inside. I shifted uncomfortably as I heard the number, knowing that if they had escaped without our knowledge of them being there, they would likely had killed us all. The barn was a sitting time bomb, the wood was rotting, nails rusting, and the barn was a couple of generations old. With time, they surely break through.

"We need to do something about this." Shane was pacing back and forth.

"We are guests on Hershel's property." Rick reminded him, "There is nothing we can do."

"We've gotta make things right or we just gotta go." Shane said.

"What about Sophia? What about Rose?" Carol spoke up from the back, I nodded in agreement. We were still looking for them, we couldn't leave. Shane chuckled under his breath, shaking his head while placing his hands on his hips. His dark eyes stared blankly at both of us.

"You really think they are alive? After all this time? They are long gone." His words weren't hostile, but he spoke like his was talking to children. Children that believe their dog was just sleeping instead of thinking it was dead. He lit a fire in my belly, I clenched my teeth and narrowed my eyes. I looked around the group, everyone remained silent. Carl gazed up at his mother, who averted her eyes. Lori had given up a long time ago but kept reassuring Carol as much as she could. Andrea and T-Dog also turned their attention to the dirt beneath their feet, their hope for Sophia and Rose being alive was gone as well. I was about to open my mouth to yell at the others for giving up, but Daryl had already started ranting.

"The hell is wrong with you people!" Daryl snarled, he then shot a menacing glare towards Shane, "We can't give up! They're still out there."

"It's been almost a week." Shane frowned, "You're the only one who still thinks their alive."

"My sister is alive!" I felt myself step forward, I was lingering in the back of the crowd with Lori and Carol, but I pushed toward the front. I stood next to Daryl, scowling at Shane. I was half expecting Carol to join me, but she stayed behind and watched from the back.

"We can't stay here with a barn full of walkers!" Shane growled.

Daryl stepped forward, getting in Shane's face. I almost thought they were about to hit each other until Rick got between them. He shot disappointing glances at both of them, knowing fighting wouldn't solve anything.

"The barn needs to be cleared, but we need Hershel's blessing." Rick calmly said.

"Hershel just thinks they are sick." Dale chimed in from the back, "He's not going to let us kill them. He'll think we're murders."

Our group erupted into another burst of arguing, everyone's voices mixed together in complaints about the whole situation. Rick tried to calm everyone down, but his voice was barely audible over the yelling. I didn't join in, slipping towards the back of the group beside Carol. Daryl and Shane were yelling at each once more, while Andrea kept remarking on how unsafe the barn was and T-Dog started mentioning on how the walkers were no longer people, only monsters.

The only thing that was able to stop our commotion was the sudden pounding against the barn doors, the walkers were drawn to noises and were all shifting towards the sound. Their bodies rammed against the doors, the chain was barely keeping them in. We all left the area, hoping the walker activity would cease.

Andrea had armed herself, following Shane's orders to guard the barn. I noticed the two of them getting closer lately, especially since their search at the housing development. She was basically becoming his right-hand man, er, or woman. Either way, I've been curious about what secretly goes on with our group ever since Shane saved me from Merle. He wasn't alone that night, Lori was with him and she appeared less composed than she usually did. Every now and then, I could sense the tense between them ever since Rick returned. I hadn't had the need to read any of my books lately because of the underlining drama that was occurring right in our own group. Plus the constant fear and stress of potentially being in danger made it even harder to relax, even though the barn seemed so isolated from the rest of the world.

Laundry duty was finished for the day, and Lori sat at the picnic table with Carl trying to teach him some schoolwork. I sat inside my van, leaving the sliding door opened while I let my legs hang over the side. Ripley was laying beneath me, not minding while my bare feet rest on his back. Normally, Ripley would start to growl when a walker was nearby, however as of late, he seemed more depressed and less active. I think the shepherd dog was missing Rose as well.

I used my free time to write some more in my diary, I felt as if I was neglecting it lately. I wrote about the barn, of course. Mainly focusing on how Hershel seemed to believe they were still people. After going through that surprise attack back in Atlanta, I didn't believe there was any traces of human left in them.

"Let's go, Ripley." After spending some time jotting down my thoughts, I hooked Ripley to his leash and pulled on my boots.

Due to searching for Rose and Sophia all this time, I had been mostly leaving Ripley in the care of Carl. Letting Rose's friend take care of him while I helped with the search of my sister. I led him near the barn, curious to why he hadn't reacted to it in the first place. Back in Atlanta, if he hadn't warned me about the approach of the walkers, I might not have been able to react as fast as I did and might would have not made it out there. I waved at Andrea, she nodded in my direction. Ripley's pace was slow, but I noticed him perk up as we came closer to the barn. He stopped and sniff the air, whimpering at first but then began to growl lowly. We continued our walk through farm, passing the house and awkwardly waving at Maggie and then heading back towards camp as Ripley already lost interest in our walk. I saw T-Dog looking over at the open field in front of our camp, I follow his gaze and notice Rick and Hershel emerging from the tree line. However, they weren't alone.

"Walkers!" T-Dog shouts.

Shane immediately jumps from his spot at the picnic table. Lori and Carol are also alerted by T-Dog's warning, they follow close behind Shane to see what the commotion was. Rick and Hershel both had walkers on snare poles, leading them towards the barn. Shane then races towards them, pistol in hand. I wasn't sure what to do, I started panicking as Ripley starts to pull against my grip and barking as the walkers approached camp. We headed towards the barn.

"They aren't people!" Shane yells as the two try to control the walkers, "They're dead, and they kill."

"Back off." Rick grunts, glaring at his friend as he tries to get a better grip on the beast at the other end of the pole.

Andrea, who was still guarding the barn, aims carefully at the walkers in case something was to happen and the walkers ended up attacking somebody. I held on tighter to Ripley's leash, the dog is now growling viciously. Lori holds onto Carl, worried about her husband.

"Could a living person walk away from this?" Shane fires several shots at the walker Hershel was struggling to control. The bullets take no effect as he shot at the heart, arm, and stomach. Shane then fires a final round in its head, the walker drops to the ground and Hershel stares at Shane with horror and shock. Rick continues to struggle beside Hershel, the walker riled up by the noise and sight of living people.

"The hell?" Daryl hadn't been at camp, but at the stables looking for a horse to continue the search. He must had heard the shoots and went to investigate. I look at him, his eyes were fixated on Shane's reckless behavior.

"Enough looking for two girls who are gone," Shane grabbed the bag of guns that Andrea had next to her as she guarded the barn, he threw it down in front of us, "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us."

He broke the rusty lock with ease, swinging the doors open and allowing the walkers to start pouring out. He steps back, aiming his gun at their heads and begin shooting. T-Dog and Daryl immediately grab for the guns, Andrea runs towards the line and starts shooting at them as well and Glenn joins in. I go towards the back of the group, having to drag Ripley with me.

Hershel collapsed on the ground, staring in horror and what was happening. Patricia ran out from inside the house, crying as she held on to Beth who stood beside her shocked sister. I felt bad for them, even though their family was bitten by walkers they still believed they were alive somehow and now they were watching them die again. Ripley kept barking loudly while the gun shots rang through the air, I almost wanted to cover my ears but I stood my ground and watch the onslaught before me.

The number of walkers we thinning, soon enough the last one stumbled out and was easily taken down by Shane. The former police officer peered inside, in case a straggler was still left in there but it was proven clear. Ripley finally quieted down as well, his chocolate eyes gazing around with panic and sniffing the air for anymore danger.

The aftermath of the barn shooting was tense, T-Dog, Dale, and Andrea organized the burying and burning of the walker bodies. Not long after the burials, Hershel ended up disappearing and Beth collapsed due to shock. It was obvious after the stunt Shane pulled, we were no longer welcomed and I felt more frustrated than ever. Rick had took Glenn along with him to find Hershel, hoping he would be able to save help his daughter from slowly dying in her comatose state. I ended up talking to Shane, it felt awkward speaking to him but the search still needed to continue.

"I know you don't believe my sister is alive, but I think we should check the highway one last time." I kept my eyes on the ground, but I could feel his cold stare.

"And if they aren't there?" Part of him might have regretted the careless words he said at the barn about my sister and Sophia, but if they weren't alive we needed to face that harsh reality.

"Then I guess we stop looking." My heart ached as I said those words. I was giving up on my sister, but I couldn't wait any longer. Daryl and I were the only ones who felt they were alive. We hadn't been able to check the highway lately because all the events happening at the farm, but this down time had given us an opportunity to look there again.

"Alright." Shane nodded.

Shane had led our patrol towards the highway. Andrea and Daryl joined to provide extra back up in case we ran into walkers. Carol almost didn't come, but I talked her into it, reassuring her that this was the last time. Daryl was the only one unaware that this was the last search party for Rose and Sophia, I knew if he figured out, he would be angry. Lori stayed behind to watch after Carl and help take care of Beth. Carl promised he would look after Ripley while we were out searching. Dale and T-Dog were guarding the camp and waiting for Rick's return. I prayed the entire time we traveled to the highway. Praying that they would be there, by some miracle that they were alive. I didn't care how they survived, I just wanted them alive and waiting for us at the highway. If they were dead, I still wanted to know even if it meant running into my sister as a walker.

"They aren't here." Carol muttered, glazed eyes staring at the road full of abandoned cars.

"Someone's been here." Daryl investigated the supplies we had left for Sophia and Rose.

I looked closer at what Daryl was talking about, I noticed a few bottles of water missing as well as some of the bread and canned fruit. Daryl even pointed out the crumbs left on the ground, he explained that this had been recent because the opened bags of bread weren't stale like they would have been if they were left opened for a long period of time. I noticed Andrea stiffened, thinking whoever messed with the supplies could possibly still be here, she tightened her grip on her gun as did Shane. I tensed up as well, thinking of a stranger watching us. Carol stepped closer to me, fearful as the rest.

"Lily!" I heard my name being shouted from across the road, my heart skipped a beat and I almost couldn't breath. I knew that voice. I looked up with wide eyes, seeing a figure appear from behind one of the cars and race towards me, "Lily!"

"Rose!" I screamed, tears falling from my eyes as my little sister ran towards me.

"Well, I'll be damned..." Shane was lost for words.

Without thinking, I ran towards my sister and dropped to my knees with my arms opened wide. She knocked me to the ground, embracing me and crying. I held her tightly, sobbing uncontrollably while laying on the rough pavement.

"Mom!" I had heard Sophia's voice as well, she was hidden along with Rose. The young, blonde girl jumped into her mother's arms. All fours of us crying to no end, being reunited with loved ones in such a harsh world. I couldn't believe they were alive. I bit down on my lip, feeling the pain to make sure this wasn't a dream. I got up from the ground, instinctively checking Rose for wounds. Her skin was caked in dirt and her hair was a tangled, oily mess. Though she bore no wounds.

"I'm so sorry," Rose sniffed, wiping the tears away from her eyes, "I don't hate you, I didn't mean what I said. I'm so sorry."

"Shh, it's okay." I hugged her once more.

I glanced at the others. Shane was still shocked to see them alive, but I knew he was glad. Andrea kept rubbing at her eyes as she was touched by such a reunion and Daryl was smiling at both Carol and me. Sophia was in the same condition as Rose, her blonde hair was almost brown from the mud and dirt. I had also noticed Rose seemed much lighter than usual, she probably hadn't eaten in the last few days.

"H-How?" Carol could barely form words, she couldn't stop hugging her child.

"He helped us!" Rose grinned as she pointed past where she and Sophia were hiding.

We all gazed in the direction that Rose pointed, not realizing there was a person leaning against one of the abandoned cars. We had been so surprised by finding Rose and Sophia, we let our guard down. Shane lifted his gun, aiming at the stranger. Daryl readied his crossbow as well. The man raised his hands, signifying he wasn't a threat.

"What's your name?" Shane called out.

"Aaron." He replied, "Don't shoot."

He dropped the butcher knife he had on his belt and slowly walked forward. Aaron was around my age with light skin and his hair was shaved to his scalp, similar to Shane's. There was something about him that seemed so familiar. As he approached closer, I started to realize who he was. My stomach twisted into a knot and my throat became dry. I wanted to hide behind the others, but I stepped forward.

"Is your name Aaron Ryder?" I asked with uncertainty in my voice.

I could feel everyone's eyes on me, their gazes full of doubt and confusion. Aaron's eyes widened in recognition, probably not realizing who either Rose and I were due to the fact that I hadn't seen this person in past ten years. He bore a fierce resemblance to my cousin and shared the same name.

"Shit, Lily, that's you?" He grinned, stepping closer but ceased due to the guns pointing at his head.

"Who the hell is this guy?" Daryl continued to glare at the stranger.

"Our dads were brothers, he's my cousin." I explained.

"We're related to him?" Rose gave me a questioning glance.

"How come Rose don't know him?" Shane and the others were still unconvinced on whether to trust Rose and Sophia's savior. Everyone's eyes kept darting back and forth between Aaron and me, looking at me for answers.

"I haven't seen him since before Rose was born." I said.

"You guys got a camp? I've been travelin' by myself until I found these two girls lost. They caught the attention of a walker and I took care of it, they told me about the highway and it took us awhile to find it." Aaron said.

He seemed friendly enough, even went out of his way to rescue two helpless little girls in the woods. Rose and Sophia were also talking very positive of him, encouraging us to let him join our group. Andrea and Carol seemed convinced, nodding in approval. However, Shane and Daryl were still on guard and unsure of what to do. Even if we didn't allow him to join our ranks, he is now aware there is another survivor group with a camp, which could be a bad thing.

"I say let him join," Andrea smiled towards me, "What are the chances of running into your family members like this, I'm sure you're glad you found a relative. Plus we need more people to guard the camp."

"Yeah." I agreed, but the unsettling feeling in my stomach wouldn't go away.

I introduced another OC, hoping it would be a nice change of pace from the canon plot since I've been following it so closely. Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! Please review!