Hi guys! I am sorry for teh late update. There are many ideas in my hands and finally I update again. Here is an extra long chapter. Have fun reading.
At some point I turned off the shower and took the towel Maggie had given to me. It was soft … as if it has been washed with fabric conditioner. My dirty clothes were lying on the ground and I resisted the urge to put them back on. They had grown part of me … I had worn them for days. Maybe it was weird but somehow it felt like I was looking at my skin lying on the ground. Turning to the fresh clothes Maggie had laid next to the sink it felt as if putting them on would feel like a new start. A fresh start. I smiled taking the clothes. Pulling the shirt over my head, the shirt even smelled of a fresh beginning.
Isn't this a bit too much?
Was it? Looking into the mirror I saw myself wearing a black shirt with long sleeves and light blue jeans. The last days – or maybe weeks – my hair had never been clean and mostly had stuck to my face. Now it was freshly wet pulled back in a high ponytail. I could actually see my whole damn face. My face … This was my new face … my nose really looked kinda funny. And there was a scar on my lips I had never seen before but felt many times. And the scar on my neck was still visible. Would the redness ever fade? I took the bandana, not only to cover my skin but to have a reminder of the last months.
Sighing I turned to the door and opened it to hear voices from downstairs. It was already getting dark when I walked the corridor. There were closed doors and a few empty rooms on both sides. I descended the stairs and entered the living room. There had already been set a camp in the whole living room. Mattresses were lying on the ground like a sleepover in the good old days. We would stay together, not only in this room but in this life. No one could part this group. My eyes found Daryl who sat at the window staring outside.
"You want some bread?" Carol asked and when I turned to look at her I couldn't believe my eyes. She was looking like a real housewife. A bit bewildered I took one and couldn't help but stare at her. "Don't you like my new outfit?" She smiled. Even the smile was … scary. What was happening here? Did she really turn into another person the minute we entered Alexandria. Just like Merle …they both were playing a role. I was wondering what she was planning. "What?" Carol pulled me out of my thoughts.
I shook my head. "You look good." The words came out slow and wrong but Carol still smiled and returned to the open kitchen where a smell of warm food was coming from. Someone had already started cooking, maybe Carol. She had always been something like a motherly figure for most of us, but this was overly weird. I wanted to walk after her, but I heard Judith soft voice. Turning around, Rick was putting Judith into a crib. An actual crib for a kid with cushions and a small pink mobile. Rick smiled happily at his daughter. This was what we all had wanted for this girl, for this group. Shelter … A home. When Rick turned around he had no beard. I laughed lowly under my breath. He sure didn't look so frightening anymore.
Was the shower that good? Seems you have washed away all the tenseness, stress and dirt. This feels more like my little sister.
Yeah, he was right. Something had been washed away … And seeing my family gathered in this place, in a house, with mattresses under their bodies and cushions and blankets – I sighed – this was what we deserved. My eyes wandered to Carl who was sitting at a table reading the Shi comic I had given to him. Maggie and Glenn were putting cover on cushions with a smile on their lips. The both of them could start something here …
A new start … again my eyes found Daryl and this time our eyes met. He looked puzzled, as if he had expected something else. I went over and sat down next to him to look out of the window too. "Ya feelin' better?" He breathed lowly and somehow the heavy accent was back.
"Maybe you would feel better too if you'd take a shower." I told him eying his dirty clothes.
"Ya look good." He almost whispered.
"Was that a compliment?" I tried to be funny but I was blushing. Since I had seen me reflection I wondered who had been that woman staring back at me in the mirror. Daryl didn't respond. "It is weird to take a warm shower. Don't know how long I had been under the hot running water. Somehow this feels a bit more like reality." I took a bite of the bread absently and it tasted good. I had food in my hand, actual self-made bread and it was still warm. I smelled at the bread and remembered my granny's traditional bread.
But Daryl next to me seemed to stiffen. "This ain't real."
I turned but he looked outside. I took his face into my hands and forced him to look at me. "But it has to be. For the kids, for them." I whispered and nodded to the group never letting go of his eyes.
"We cannot let our guard down." He retorted.
"When have we ever?" I let go of his face and moved closer to him. Daryl put his arm around me and I laid my head on his shoulder. Looking into the living room, Merle was missing. "Where is your brother?"
"Upstairs."
Maybe Merle was already settling in, choosing a room and getting comfortable in his own walls. For a few seconds a memory crossed my mind. Merle choosing a room in a house. A time I had buried deep in my memory. I sighed. Merle again diverged from the group, chose to stand on the outside. But we needed to be together, who knew what was going on in here. Even I thought this place – since it was existing since the beginning – was something like a safe haven, it seemed too good to be true. "It would be great to finally settle down …" I yawned. "Some safety and …" I had closed my eyes but still heard the voices of my family. I was so damn tired and since I felt safe in the arms of Daryl, I allowed myself to get some sleep. Daryl pressed me tighter to his body.
I was awoken by a shifting. "What's going on?" I was alarmed and wanted to grab for my gun but there was none on my belt. I blinked to look at a wall. "What …" I remembered we had entered Alexandria, we were in a house. Our group was sleeping under a roof.
Daryl looked at me with apologizing eyes. "Nothing." He pressed my head carefully to his chest.
"Can't you get any sleep?" I whispered a bit relaxed. We were still in the house, most of the others were sleeping.
"Rest." He told me without answering.
"Daryl?" I looked up to him and saw Merle sitting next to us. He was sleeping with his head on his knees. So he didn't abandon us. I smiled looking back to Daryl. When I was close to him I was able to sleep and could rest my mind too. But it seemed Daryl wasn't able to get any rest at all. "You have to rest too." He only stared at me wordlessly. "Do you wanna go outside?" I asked him and now he looked baffled. "Get some air?"
"Nah." He told me and looked through the window again. A few moments later he closed his eyes resting his head on to the wall. I sighed and closed my eyes too. Daryl wasn't sure of this place at all, he didn't trust its safety. But I wanted this to work. It had to, for the sake of this group. And for the future that awaited our youngest.
I woke up leaning on the window. Daryl was gone and the others were slowly leaving the house. "You seemed to have been in need of some sleep." Gabriel told me.
"We all have." Through the window I saw Carl and Judith leaving the house to walk the streets. Maybe he shouldn't go alone.
"You wanna come explore this place?" Noah asked with a tired voice. He was the newbie but a friendly soul nonetheless. Since he had been to his 'home', he had been more quite.
Losing a friend and family in such a short time, he must be devastated.
But he was with us now. He was one of us. "Sure." I nodded to Noah and stood up. We walked out the house where Daryl was sitting on the stairs of the porch.
"How was your sleep?" I asked him and saw Rick standing to my right ready to walk down the steps.
"Fine." Daryl just nodded, maybe he and Rick had 'a talk' and I was disturbing.
"Noah and I want to check this place out." I told him implying he should walk with us.
"I'll stay." He retorted. Behind him Glenn and Maggie were wandering the street, maybe exploring Alexandria too. Almost everyone was out of the house. This place couldn't be too big.
"You sure just want to sit here?" I asked him noticing Rick still leaned on the wall seemingly waiting for me to be gone.
Daryl nodded again so I turned and walked down the porch and around the house with Noah. "Let's see what this place is all about …" Noah smiled sadly. I knew this grieving smile. "I have lost my brother." He looked up to meet my gaze. "Not like this." I sighed looking to the wall. "Before all this, many years ago, he died in a motorcycle accident. I saw him dying in front of my eyes."
"I am sorry." He looked even more hurt.
Well, you could have left the dying part out. That was a bit dramatic.
It hadn't been my intention to make him feel sorry or even worse. "Don't be. It's been years ago. It still hurts and I miss him a lot." I gave him a compassionate smile. "I know how you feel. But I want you to know that you are not alone."
It is nice you comfort him. This kiddo really looks sad all the time. Never smiles. Maybe you should take him with you and Carl upstairs to the Comic Room. I nodded to myself, agreeing to my brother's suggestion. Yeah, the kids should stick together. My brother laughed and I had to smile too. He never stopped calling me a kid.
"Thank you." He smiled weakly.
I wanted to change the subject. "How was your talk to Deanna?"
"Okay … I guess." His answers were short. He really wasn't quiet talkative.
"A lot of questions, heh?" I nudged him carefully. "And now I am quizzing you too."
He looked up a bit puzzled. "It's okay."
We walked on until we stood in front of the wall. "What job do you think they will give us?" I tried again to engage him into a conversation. I touched the wall and pushed it a bit. It didn't gave way.
It really looks solid with all the steel girders.
"Don't know …" He looked from the wall to me. "This really looks safe."
I wanted to ask what walls had been around his home, but bit my tongue. "Let's see what else they got." Michonne had told me about his place, about some walls and a truck. She also said something about human bodies torn apart. This kid really was traumatized.
We started to walk along the wall maybe both of us wanted to check it for weak spots or something else. I noticed he was still limping. "What have you been doing before the dead started walking?" He eyed me curiously yet I saw he was afraid. Well, he didn't know me. I was just looking like a woman with scars to him.
"Everything." I answered. "Went from job to job to survive and gain money. I wanted to open my own studio."
"How old are you?" He stated a bit startled.
I laughed at him. "I have no idea how much time passed, but counting the winters I would say I am in my mid-thirties." He rose an eyebrow at me. "But I feel much younger." Now there finally was a real small smile on his lips. "How old are you?"
"17." Noah knew his age as if he just had celebrated his birthday. I didn't even care how old I was.
Maybe that is because you are at an age where you do not want to know how old you truly are.
"I have lived in a walled community …" He started. "My brothers and my …" He still was devastated.
"It's okay Noah." I touched his shoulder. "Whenever you're ready."
"Have you ever been ready?" He looked at my scarred lips and bandana.
I hadn't been ready at all. I hadn't even told Daryl yet … now Noah asked and it didn't hurt to think about it. "No … not really." I sighed.
"Beth told me about your group. She had a story about every one of you." We walked along the wall eying the houses. I wondered what story she had told him about me. "I haven't been one of your group when we returned to the hospital. Yet you stood up for me. Why?"
"Because that shithole wasn't your home."
A couple passed us greeting us in a very friendly way. I only nodded while Noah waved back voicing a soft Hello. I looked to the house they had just left and saw a girl sanding behind a window. She waved at us and I waved back. They were not even afraid of us.
And they raise kids.
"Do you believe in safety?" Noah suddenly stated. We both eyed the girl who now hid behind curtains.
"I do not know yet. But the only safety I have ever known is being with my group."
You mean being with Daryl. My brother chuckled.
"That's what Beth had said too. She said your group means safety." Noah smiled.
"And she was damn right. And you belong to this group just as much as I do." I told him with an honest and meaningful undertone. "What about you? Do you believe in safety?"
"I thought we were safe, me and my family … our place was almost like this. We had walls. We had no spotters or snipers … but we had us." His eyes left the house and he looked at the wall again. "But this place looks more secure. I just want to sleep at night. I'll work for safety, if that's what it means to have a place." He breathed.
"Hey Noah." He looked up to me. "We all want this to work." I gave him a smile. "And now let's explore this place. If something is not looking safe, we will make it safe." I winked at him.
You are talking to him like I am talking to you. Are you his bigger brother now? A warm feeling spread my body. Not a family by blood but by heart. Damn right.
He finally gave out a short laugh. "Thanks."
We walked slowly on examining everything. Behind us was a pond. We walked alongside the water never leaving the street. There was another gate, a smaller one. The one we had entered Alexandria was bigger and must be something like their main gate. Opposite of the lake stood more houses. In front of one of the houses I saw a figure sitting looking at us. When we got closer, I realized it was Eric.
Eric waved at us with a smile. "Hey you guys. Exploring the place?"
"Yes." Noah answered.
"If you get bored you can come over any time." He still smiled. "Anyways, welcome to Alexandria."
"Thanks." I nodded and we walked on. He couldn't follow us. His taped ankle was resting on a chair in front of him. I wondered why Aaron was letting him alone all helpless when …
There won't be an attack. They feel safe in here. Walls, gates … they do not even think about the danger that can get to them in here.
"They are wrong …" I whispered.
"What is wrong?" Noah asked me.
They were careless for thinking walls and gates can protect them. "Just a thought that crossed my mind."
But Noah shook his head. "I know what you think … Nothing is safe anymore. Tyrese …"
I stopped walking and took both of his arms. "No!" I told him. I remembered how Noah had almost given up on himself because of the death of his family and Tyrese. This boy had enough. "We will make this place safe. We know what it is like to lose a lot. This will not happen again."
Since when are you the one believing in this place? This place will be our home. We will make this our home.
"Hey Ella. Noah!" Aaron approached us.
Maybe he is not leaving his love all alone.
"Hi." We almost greeted him in unison.
"I'm on my way to Pete to get Eric's meds. Do you want to come with me?" He asked Noah.
"Who is Pete?" I asked.
"Our surgeon. He might be able to help Noah." He mentioned to Noah's foot. "He can look at it."
I waited for Noah to answer. A few moments passed before Noah stammered unsure words. "If that would be okay …" One could see he wanted to his ankle to be checked.
Who wouldn't want to be healthy in a world like this? A broken leg in the apocalypse means death follows close behind. Literally …
He was right. "Let's go." I told Noah and we walked with Aaron. I had my knife in my boot if they would try something. But Aaron had never lied about anything he had told us – so far.
Like Daryl had said, never let your guard down.
I nodded to myself and followed Noah and Aaron who were talking to each other. I eyed all our surroundings. Everything looked perfect, too perfect. The grass grew the greenest green, flowers were blooming, and even the trees grew fruits. This wasn't a safe zone, this was utopia.
Noah and I walked back to 'our house'. I still couldn't believe there was an actual doctor's office. "How do you feel?" The doctor sure knew what he had been doing and didn't care who Noah or me was. Even though I caught some chauvinistic words of his and the way he was eying me when I looked around, he was quite nice.
Maybe that got something to do with his oath as a doc. Like 'treat every human being the same and safe lives'.
Safe lives … I repeated after him. This was what this world should be about. Safe the ones who were still alive and yet there were all kind s of murderers and monsters in this world. It wasn't 'Safe Lives' it was 'Survival of the Fittest' out there …
"Better." Noah ripped me out of the conversation with my brother. He indeed was in a better mood. Maybe not only because of his treated foot but of the fact there was an actual doctor in this community. It somehow meant the old world wasn't dead completely. These people were helping each other. There was no more money for your job but safety and food. Still, they didn't realize they were trusting these walls too much, they needed way more guards and snipers at the gates and along the wall.
I spaced out, thinking about watch towers, more weapons and a job for myself. Something was moving and I saw Merle leaning at the wall – again he was smoking. I stopped walking while Noah hesitated, maybe Beth had told him 'a story' about Merle too. "I'll meet you at the house." I offered Noah a way-out.
Noah nodded and walked on. "See you guys later." His limping wasn't as bad as before and to be honest his whole posture was more straight. This place was giving him strength.
"Why do ya always have to make friends with the outsiders?"
"It's a gift." I gave back while he took a drag. "And what is it with you acting all Mr. Nice Guy?"
Merle chuckled. "Thought ya read right through me."
A blonde woman passed us. "Hey."
Merle grunted but smiled. "Some things never change." I told him looking through a small slot in the fence seeing the outside world … "What is your deal?" I eyed his arm. There was no blade attached to his stump anymore. Maybe he had to hand it over or maybe without it his role was more believable.
Merle took another drag. Silence fell upon us and I heard a walker on the other side. "It is so easy to do nothing, to be just me." He exhaled blowing the smoke in front of my eyes and took another deep drag. I coughed and wielded the smoke away. The smoke bothered me but I kept my mouth shut and my eyes fixed outside the wall. The walker on the other side roamed around not walking towards the wall. Yet it was dangerous, more could join him, form a herd. I looked up to see there was no way to walk on the wall and there was no watchtower to guard this side of the wall. The wall was right behind our house.
Your house? Sounds like someone is settling.
Yeah, somehow I was planning on living in this place a while longer. The walls and our abilities … we had learned from our former 'safe places'. We knew what we had to look for, knew what we had to do to keep something safe. We survived a camp, prison, a tank and – in my case – an exploding building and more. Maybe this could work.
"M'am!" Merle suddenly stated and walked away.
"What …?!" I was baffled he just left like that but then I saw the reason: Deanna.
"Your eyes are everywhere." She told me.
"Yours too." I turned to her examining my counterpart. She really looked like a congress person, her clothes were neat and tidy. "Are you observing me?"
"Of course. I have to figure out what job to give all of you." She smiled.
Call me dumb, but I really think she is telling the truth straight to your face.
Before I could say something Deanna talked on. "You care for your friends and get on with everyone. And I see how your eyes keep looking around … I think I finally know what job to give you."
"And what is that?"
"Not yet." She laughed. "I want you to come to my house tomorrow evening. I'm inviting all of you. And I promise I'll have an answer to the job question tomorrow." She eyed me once again then her gaze went behind me. "There are still some people in your group I have no idea where to put." A smile played around her lips maybe thinking about Daryl and Merle. What job might she have for me?
I didn't see a bar or restaurant around. No gym or something alike. I scoffed at his words. What did she say, caring and looking around … maybe you are going to take care of the kids.
"Don't you think it is amazing how people with totally different backgrounds and nothing in common can become a family?!" She told me with a smile.
"Yeah … sure …" She totally nailed it.
"Well, see you Ella!" She nodded and turned to walk away.
"Hmmm." I watched Deanna's back. For a moment I enjoyed the silence around me, enjoyed my beautiful surroundings and the perfect world that seemed to exist right in front of my eyes. When I couldn't see Deanna anymore I sighed and looked left. Through the wall I saw another walker. "This isn't a perfect world." I turned around and went back to the house deep in thoughts. The street was almost empty. Where was everyone? But when I was almost at our house, Carl passed me pushing Judith in a buggy with a smile on his face. This was too cute to be true.
"Hey big brother!" I chuckled and he waved at me.
"Wanna take a stroll?" He invited me.
I shook my head. "See you later." It sounded nice but I wanted to check on Daryl. He was quiet and distant again. No matter what he thought about this place, I wanted him at least to know that this place wasn't going to change the dynamic of our group. We were still together in here.
Why do I have the feeling you are talking just about yourself and him? Do you think of a house for the both of you? An apartment, a love nest? Or maybe a house big enough so Merle had a place too?
I shook my head and approached the porch I had Daryl last seen sitting on. When I arrived Noah was sitting outside on the stairs while Daryl was nowhere to be seen. "Hey there." I stopped next to him. "Have you seen Daryl?"
"No." He was hiding something behind his back. Noah looked almost ashamed.
"Everything alright?" I tried to see what he was hiding from me.
"Yeah …" He awkwardly stood up still hiding something behind his back.
"What are you up to?"
"When you were talking to Merle, Glen told me to get ready. We are going on a run."
"Really?" I was surprised. "You think I can come?"
"Dunno …" He slipped his secret under his shirt. "I mean … it is going to be our job …"
Really, a limping kid is going out on a run? True … and she didn't give me a job yet … "I'll just join you, it's not like I am not going to take over your job." I laughed.
Glenn stepped out of the house and smiled at me. "Where have you been? Haven't seen you all morning."
He came down the stairs with Tara in tow. "So you three?"
"Seems like we are the only ones capable of the dead." Glenn teased. "They haven't found a babysitter for you yet." He passed me with a grin.
"Let me come." I joined his walk. "I can't sit around all day."
"Daryl is sitting around." He smiled. I shot him an annoyed look and his answer was shrugging his shoulders. "I don't mind to have you in our team."
"So who is going to teach you how to do your job?!"
"Nicholas and Aidan." Nicholas rang a bell, while I never had heard the name Aidan before. "He's the son of Deanna." Glenn explained.
I walked next to Glenn when we approached Nicholas and the guy who should be Aidan. He looked all charismatic. "Glenn, Tara, Noah?" He pointed at us and looked at me with a questioning glance. "I only have three names."
"I am Ella. I want to join."
"I am sorry you were not named for this job." He smiled but the smile looked rather frosty.
"Just let her join!" Glenn stated. His happy nature was gone and he looked more kind of annoyed.
Aidan nodded. "Nice to meet you Ella." While he smiled Nicholas looked all grumpy, just like yesterday. "I am Aidan und you met Nicholas pulling gate duty."
"Hey!" Nicholas greeted us without any emotion.
"You're Deanna's son?" Glenn asked Aidan and I immediately saw the resemblance. This charismatic somehow elusive smile.
"That's right. I hear you got experience making supply runs." Aidan looked at us as if he didn't believe it.
I mean look at Noah. He is still limping and standing like a breeze could knock him his socks off.
"I saw your pantry. You guys seem to do pretty well." Tara stated.
"Yeah well, had some training before this. ROTC." Aidan announced proudly. The face Nicholas made told me he didn't believe his words, neither did I. He looked way to shiny to have been in military. "Was nearing lieutenant when this shit blew in."
I scoffed but before Aidan could say something Noah spoke up. "My dad did ROTC."
"He didn't make it?" Aidan asked rather insensitive.
"Nah." Noah shook his head and I mentally labeled Aidan as an unsympathetic asshole.
"I am sorry." He told Noah. Maybe an unsympathetic man … "I am sorry a lot these days." What was that all about?
"I'll show you the ropes!" He walked passed us.
"We are going on a run today?" Tara asked.
"Just a dry run." Aidan retorted. "Show you the terrain outside the walls, see how you do." He may never have reached lieutenant, but he sure acted like a superior. "Weigh each other's sack a little, you know?"
"No, I don't." I told him.
"Me neither, but cool." Tara smiled. Her nonchalant behavior was a nice change.
"What about weapons?" Glenn finally asked. Would we get our weapons?
"Oh yeah!" Aidan smiled. "We pulled out some sweet-ass biscuits for today." He mentioned for Nicholas to hand us the guns he had in his bag. They gave us weapons but not our guns. Nicholas gave Tara, Noah and Glenn a gun but looked at me with dead eyes. "You do not get a weapon." Aidan told me. "There were only three on my list and you are not on it."
His arrogant eyes looked me up and down. "Okay." I told him feeling the knife in my right boot. I was glad I was always prepared. "I don't mind watching you guys doing all the work."
The way he eyes me reminded me of other times. "Okay." He smiled at me and winked. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on you." He walked on mentioning for us to follow. "We have been living here since the beginning. This place was just great to settle when the apocalypse started." He told us while we approached the gate. Aidan nodded to the guy who stood at the gate and then opened it for us. Nicholas was last in our row. "Luckily my father is all architecture and started to build the wall with the people seeking shelter here." To me it sounded he hadn't done a thing to build this place. All had been handed to him on a plate. "A lot of people left the country." I wondered where he got that information. I hadn't met a lot of people who knew anything about the outbreak.
A lot of people?
Any people … no one knew something about the virus or whatever it was that made the dead walk. And I definitely hadn't seen any military to rescue us. We walked after him out of the safety zone. It didn't feel like exiting but entering known territory … I thought I would like to stay behind the walls but somehow I felt relieved to walk into the woods again. We crossed a small street and walked into the woods. "We've been increasing our radius mile by mile spreading in a semicircle around the town." Aidan told us.
Nicholas walked passed me to join Aidan on top of our group. "We've made it 53 miles so far."
Did they want us to clap hands or cheer for them? I gave Glenn a look and he nodded maybe reading my thoughts. He didn't look like he was convinced at all.
"We break into two groups when we step outside our vehicle. If shit hits we fire a flare. One group gets the other." At least Aidan wasn't too dump.
"Good system!" Noah retorted. When I looked at him he seemed a bit lost in thoughts.
"It is!" Aidan nodded. I wondered when he would stumble and fall over his damn attitude. "Still, you're standing here because we lost four people last month."
"What happened?" I asked looking around us for walkers. Aidan had been talking quite loudly. They were pretty acting different from what we were doing 'outside'. When they had lost four how come they are only taking three with them? I would be great out here …
Don't overestimate yourself. You do not know this place. And to be honest I am curious about the job Deanna will offer you.
"We were on a run, roamers came out, they didn't follow the system."
"They were good people." Nicholas threw back.
"They were." Aidan agreed. "They were just scared." He turned to us. "Look, I know I can be a hard-ass. And I know I am a douchebag."
"Well at least he knows." I said lowly under my breath. Noah chuckled next to me shaking his head.
"Someone's got to call the ball around here and that someone is me." He stopped walking holding his weapon on the ready. "If you're on this crew, you do exactly as I say."
"Sorry you lost your people." Tara sighed and started walking again.
"Yeah, we got ours." Aidan chuckled and Nicholas joined his laugh.
What was funny about losing people? "Why are you laughing about it?"
"Managed to snag one of the deadheads that took them down." Nicholas explained. "Strung it up there."
"What, why?" Glenn asked bewildered.
"Now we have a little pregame ritual." Nicholas chuckled again. "Get our heads on straight."
"Remind us what we are up against." Aidan walked on quickly as if he was eager to show us a walker.
"What is he talking about?" I asked.
"Son of a bitch!" I heard Aidan and looked up to see a bloody chain dangling in the air. Everyone stepped closer to see what the fuss was all about but I was paralyzed with fear. My eyes were on the bloody chain. "Help me find it." They let the walker alive? He started to loosen the chain and the sound sent a shiver down my spine.
"Find what?" I stammered still frozen.
They are not going to hurt you. You have to let go of it.
"You didn't kill it?" I breathed? What game had they been playing?
"Blood is still wet, it is nearby." Nicholas started to whistle loudly and took me out of my state of shock.
Get your damn knife! My brother ordered but I could only stare at the others.
Tara shushed him while Glenn walked up on him. "Hey, hey! It's gone!"
"It took down one of our friends." Aidan ranted. "It's nearby we're not letting it go."
"This is crazy!" I couldn't understand why Nicholas started clapping and whistling again. "You really are a douchebag." I told Aidan.
He turned towards me with small eyes. "What?"
Suddenly a walker appeared right behind him. He quickly turned and was about to push it when Nicholas clapped his hands loudly. "Hey, over here. Come on." He called for the walker. "Come on."
I kneeled down and grabbed my knife out of my boot. Finally! Stepping forward with my raised knife, Nicholas stopped me with a swift motion of his hand. "No, don't touch it!"
"The rest of you back off!" Aidan told us while he grabbed the arms of the walker and pulled them back. He wanted to chain it again but the way the walker was looking his limbs didn't look as if they would stick to this rotten body forever.
Nicholas clapped his hands in front of the walker's eyes and screamed at him. "Come and get me! Come on!"
When I made another step, Aidan pushed me back with his knee never letting go of the walker. "I said back off!" I tripped over a root and fell to the ground. While Glenn helped me to get up, Tara took her knife. When she was about to stab the walker, the damn thing turned to attack Aidan. He wasn't prepared for this and pushed the walker away from him directly into Tara.
"Tara!" I screamed and jumped to my feet to kill the walker before it could bite her. With a swift motion I pushed my knife in its skull easily. When the walker fell dead to our feet Tara still held its skin in her hands.
"What the hell!" Aidan screamed at me.
"Yeah, what the hell." Tara gave back throwing away the skin in disgust. She looked at me. "Thanks!"
"I told you to back off!" Aidan pushed me back and I almost tripped again.
Glenn was immediately at my side and pushed Aidan away from me. "You almost got her killed."
"I told you all to stay back." Aidan screamed at him loudly. "I told you to listen to every damn thing I say." There was an aggressive touch to his voice. "I told you that." They stared at each other but in the end Glenn turned away from Aidan and mentioned for us to follow him. I stared at Aidan in disbelief and shook my head. Noah nudged me in the side and walked after Glenn and Tara. I was glad Glenn would rather walk away than punch this guy in the face. They were not made for the world beyond their walls. I walked after my people while Aidan followed us yelling. We were quickly back at the gate and when we approached someone opened the gate. We entered without even looking back or listening to Aidan's words.
"You need new gigs." He told us but we ignored him. All I wanted was to return to Daryl. Now I understood better while he wasn't exploring this place or wanting any job. These people had no idea. "You're not ready for runs yet."
"You're not ready." I spat.
And that is the reason why you all are here. Deanna told you she needs you guys, you know better than Aidan. My brother chuckled. You definitely do.
"Yeah, pretty sure you got that backwards." Glenn didn't even turn to face Aidan. He was mad.
"Hey, hey!" Aidan screamed after Glenn but we walked on. With quick feet he walked passed me to touch Glenn's shoulder. "Look, we got a way of doing things around here."
"You tied up walkers." Glenn retorted just as loudly.
Some people of Alexandria stopped walking to stare at us. I looked around and felt surrounded. Nicholas looked at us like we were prey. He still had a gun in his hand and I didn't like the way his finger played nervously with the trigger. Behind him Daryl approached us too nodding towards me with a frown. I nodded back, telling him we were fine.
Aidan smiled. "It killed our friend." How I wished I could slap that smile out of his face. He was crazy, acting like a teenage boy who's allowed to have a party for the first time without parents. I gave him the same smile. "What the heck are you smiling about?" Shrugging shoulders I tried not to clench my fists. How could he be so stupid? How could he have survived? Before I could say something, he looked at all of us. "Look, I am not having this conversation. You obey my orders out there!" He pointed at Glenn and I stepped closer to my friend. Aidan looked from Glenn to me as if he waited for a sign of understanding. When neither of us said a word he scoffed and stepped back to leave.
"Then we are just as screwed as your last run crew." Glenn gave back and Aidan immediately turned to stand very close in front of Glenn.
"Say that again." There was this attitude I had always hated on boys. The look on his face made me clench my fist.
"Back off." I told Aidan when he tipped on Glenn's chest. Aidan only smiled and pushed Glenn backwards as if to test his limits. "Step back or …" And he pushed him again. I wanted to withhold him from coming again too close to Glenn but Glenn took my arm pulling me back to his side.
"Come on tough guy!" Aidan teased him. Now it really felt like back in school. "Or is your girl fighting for you?"
"No one's impressed, man." Glenn didn't want to start a fight but I could see his blood was boiling. These people had no idea of what it took to be outside. They had no talent to survive. Especially Aidan and Nicholas.
I clenched my fists, ready to strike. "Touch us one more time and you'll …" I started but was cut down by Deanna's voice.
"Aidan, what is going on?!" Deanna came running towards us.
"This guy's got a problem with the way we do things." He told Deanna while never losing sight of Glenn. Then he turned to her and his smile was gone. "Why did you let these people in?"
"Because we actually know what we're doing out there." Glenn retorted and with a swift motion Aidan turned to punch Glenn who ducked and punched Aidan right in the face. He almost fell back but then leaped at Glenn.
"Aidan no!" Deanna screamed. "Thant's enough."
I wanted to grab Aidan, but saw Nicholas grabbing into his pocket while approaching Glenn. I grabbed his arm to stop him from pulling out whatever he had in his hand. When I took hold of his arm to pull him away from Glenn, he pushed me back into the wall grabbing my neck. "You!" He pressed through his teeth.
The moment I felt pressure on my throat I punched against his head and he let go off me only to haul off to punch me in the stomach. Nicholas pushed me against the wall again, his elbow on my throat. Suddenly Daryl tackled him down.
"I said that is enough." Deanna tried with a firmer voice.
Rick came running to Daryl, trying to pull him aware from Nicholas. "Let's not do this now!" He told him.
"Tell him!" Daryl had Nicholas in a tight grab looking deep in Nicholas eyes who seemed to be almost pissing his pants.
Michonne pushed Aidan off Glenn. "You want to end up on your ass again?"
Almost all of our group came to our rescue. There was a special bond between us, we were a family, something much bigger than this community. Finally Daryl let go off Nicholas and stepped to my side. "Did he hurt ya?" He asked me with a glance on my throat. Shaking my head I felt the bandana was gone and looked to the ground. Daryl bent down to get my bandana.
Nicholas coughed as if Daryl had almost choked him. Deanna's questioning eyes looked at all of us than stopped at me seeing my scar. Big eyes looked at me and I didn't feel like putting the bandana back on. When Daryl saw my scar again he looked over to Nicholas who was rubbing his throat. He almost attacked him again but Rick stepped between them. I held Daryl's arm to not let him do anything stupid right now. The death glare he was giving Nicholas was warning enough.
"I want everyone to hear me, okay?" Deanna spoke loudly. "Rick and his people are part of this community now in all ways as equals." She looked around to all the people around us. "Understood?" Then she looked back to Aidan who hesitated.
"Understood." He smiled again and I clenched my fist unintentionally.
"All of you turn in your weapons!" She told us and Nicholas looked to my boot. "Then you two come talk to me!" She said to Nicholas and Aidan.
"I have a job for you." Deanna turned to Rick. "I want you to be our constable. And you too." She told Michonne. "Are you in?"
It took a few seconds but then Rick nodded. "Yeah."
"Yeah, I am in." Michonne smiled. She really wanted to be part of this community. As much as I wanted to be save in here, I felt like there was something strange going on.
Daryl scoffed and faced me, turning his back towards the others. "Let's go." He told me. When I nodded he took my hand to pull me away with him. "What happened out there?" He asked me.
"Aidan has no idea." I retorted. "They hung up a walker who killed his last run crew."
Daryl raised an eyebrow at my words. "What the fuck."
"Yeah, exactly. When we arrived at their little gaming ground, the walker was gone. Believe it or not they tried to find the walker. They endangered Tara. But in the end we killed it." Daryl scoffed again. It seemed to be his most favorite noise since we arrived in Alexandria.
Daryl and I were on the porch when the night came down. We were sitting with our feet dangling in the air looking into the garden. "Does it still hurt?" He suddenly asked me.
With my hand I felt the skin around my neck. "No …" I wasn't able to look at him. He lit a cigarette and I wondered where Merle had been gone off to. How come these guys always had a smoke? "My skin feels weird." I sighed. "But looking at this place they will definitely have a moisturizer."
Good one.
"These people are not used to walkers. They have no experience how to handle them and they definitely do not know what walkers can do." I sighed. "They are fucking stupid, Dar."
Daryl gave me a small smile. "Was going on a run that bad?"
"If Glenn wouldn't have been there, I would have punched that jackass Aidan in the face." Again I grew furious.
"Ain't ya tallin' no shit." Daryl chuckled next to me.
"I think that is why we are here for - to protect these people." Turning my head Daryl looked through his shaggy hair. The look he was giving me was worth more than hundred words. "For staying here we are paying with our abilities."
For a split second he looked at my neck again before he tilted his head and I closed the little distance between us. "Aw, aren't these my two favorite lovebirds?!" Merle walked around the house chuckling.
Before one of us could even try to talk back, footsteps made us turn around to see Rick stepping out of the house. I couldn't believe my eyes. Rick was wearing an actual police uniform. I remembered Deanna had said she wanted him and Michonne to be the constable of Alexandria.
"We good?" He sad to Daryl. Maybe they need a moment, since Daryl clearly wasn't happy with Rick's decision.
Daryl stood up and took a drag. "You a cop again?"
Rick locked at me as if as if he wanted to talk to Daryl in private. Maybe the both of them needed to talk it out. I looked back at Merle who winked at me. "See you alter?!" I said to Daryl a bit unsure. Quality time was rare and at the moment I wanted nothing more than to sit with him alone. Daryl nodded and I jumped down to stand next to Merle who clapped.
"Nice." He grinned. "I'll show you something." He turned and walked away. I looked up to see Daryl again who examined Rick. When I followed Merle I watched the other houses. These people were damn lucky. And I wanted a taste of their luck. The streets were empty and only highlighted by the lights inside the houses. Lights … did they have a generator or did they have something like solar energy?
"Where are we going?" I asked Merle closing up to walk beside him.
"A quiet place." He chuckled and stopped next to the wall. "I went outside today." He nodded to the tree next to the wall on our side. I followed his finger when he secretly pointed to the tree and a limb, as if he told me to climb up and jump. "When you walk straight into the woods, there is one tree with an M carved in it." He went on in a whisper. I stared at him trying to figure out what he wanted to tell me and he started to laugh lowly. "You get it, an M …" He slapped his leg as if he told the best joke ever. And in the next moment he was serious again. "If anything happens in here, you'll find that tree. I buried some weapons next to it."
"Merle, when …"
"No, no. Now it's my time to shine." He laughed again. "Do you understand what I am saying?" I nodded. "Good girl."
"Does Daryl know?" I asked bluntly.
Merle chuckled. "Never let your guard down." He told me but his eyes were somewhere else. When I turned around Rick walked the streets with a smile. His shaven face with a smile was even more weird. This was a picture from the past and nothing like I remembered him at all.
"Is he letting down his guard?" I asked Merle.
"You really think he is suddenly all settling in – after what happened at the shed?" He grunted sarcastically. "You're not that blonde, hmm, badass?!"
Rick heard Merle's voice and looked our direction. What must he been thinking seeing us standing at the wall whispering like that? He just nodded towards us and walked on through the streets maybe attending to his new old job. "No, I am not dumb enough to believe anyone changes like that." Not Merle, not Rick, not Carol. I looked back to the house. Not Daryl … "But for once in our damn life, I want this to work." There was the sound of laughter and I turned around. There was light in the other houses to let us see a happy family dinner.
"Just remember my words!" I heard Merle saying but my eyes never let go of the happy picture. If Deanna was right and this place existed right from the beginning of zombimania, it meant intact families, friends, maybe even lovers were living here. A community, knowing each other since the outbreak. And suddenly it reminded me of my own damn life.
"What about your family?" I said bluntly staring at all the houses. I didn't want to be emotional but it hit me right there. I had never asked them about their families, about the life before we had met. I only remembered Daryl's words of his father's abuse.
"What was that?" Merle shifted and I finally looked at him.
"Is there a girlfriend, a mother … someone waiting somewhere?" Merle studied me with an unreadable glance. My cheeks burned when I thought about what I had just said. "Well, there was a life before 'shit hit the fan'!" I loved this quote from Daryl.
Suddenly Merle started to laugh. "Is this place already getting to ya?" I was a bit ashamed and all curious at the same time. When he didn't answer, I faced 'our house'. Rick was gone, I could join Daryl again. The moment I wanted to go back, Merle's voice stopped me. "No, there is no one waiting for me anywhere. I wish I could say a hot blonde is at home cocking naked, but I'm not gonna lie to ya." He laughed again, this time without sarcasm. I turned to face him. "Ya sure wanted to know about Darlynia, didn't ya?!" To be honest, I was thinking of them both and deep inside me I wanted to know if somebody was waiting for me to.
I am waiting for the right time … than we will be together again. That was not what I meant. Our parents had been to a Europe trip. The last time I heard of them was in the news, when I heard about an airplane crash in Italy. I have never heard of them again and felt alone ever since.
Merle punched my arm carefully pulling me out of my thoughts. "Ya zooning out again …" As if he knew …
"You coming?" I asked Merle when I attempted to walk back. But Merle shook his head and leaned on the wall.
"I got some stuff to do."
"Please don't do anything stupid." I smiled at him.
"Never did." He laughed back and I think I had never seen or heard him chuckle and laugh that often. "It has always been the others."
"Merle …" I started but he had already started to walk away. "Merle …" He was looking after me and Daryl, was already weighing all options. I went back to Daryl who still sat on the porch. Alone.
"Rick told us to 'settle in'." Daryl told me.
"Like get a room?" I asked and Daryl grunted with a smile. "Have you showered yet?" I asked Daryl and he shook his head wordlessly.
Any dirty thoughts?
Suppressing any pictures in my head Daryl stared at me as if he wanted to say something but didn't. Silence fell upon us, there was only the sound of laughter coming from a house nearby. I smiled and stepped closer to him. "This really is a fictional place …" I propped myself on the wood and Daryl joined me standing close. "Alexandria …" It was nothing like I had pictured it.
Well an Egyptian city right in America … sand, an obelisk, hot sun …
"Don't know what to make of this."
"Hm …." I agreed. The lights of the houses highlighted the street and sidewalk. Flowers slightly danced in the light evening breeze. Yawning I wondered where Rick might have gone to. Was he going to Deanna's?
"Come on." Daryl told me holding out his hand.
When I took his hand we walked into the house to find an empty living room. Everyone must have been informed that we would 'settle in'. Daryl let go off my hand to take his bag from next to the window where we had slept the last night. I took my backpack from the ground next to the couch. Daryl walked up the stairs and I followed to see closed doors. Following him we entered the room with all the comics.
"Thought ya might like this room." Daryl smiled and I entered the room to see a mattress now lying on the floor. "Ya remember the library at prison?"
Oh I did remember … "Yeah." I breathed. It had been not only a small library to fill my reading-needs. It had been the place where we first made out. I blushed but all thoughts were forgotten when Daryl closed the door. "So it is like really our own room?"
Daryl went to the window and looked outside. "Yeah." He breathed unsure as if he felt uncomfortable. I went over to him and leaned into his body, let my head rest on his shoulder and touched his hand to intertwine my fingers in his. Words were not needed at all.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know if you are still following or if I should just put an end to this story :)
Have a great day/night and hope to see you soon reading the next chapter.