"Alright everybody, listen up." Shane called to the camp.
We had packed up the tents and what little belongings we had left, stuffing everything into a van or jeep. The time had come for us to go to the CDC.
I couldn't help but feel anxious, the quarry had become our little settling place, although since the walker raid on us the other night it didn't feel so safe around here anymore.
When Carl or Sophia ran off to play I could see Mom, Dad and Carol craning their necks to see where the kids had gone. Some days they didn't get to leave the surrounding of the fire at all and I didn't want my little brother growing up like that.
Kids needed to be outside running around and playing, not worrying about some monster creeping out of the bush and eating them alive.
"Those of you with CBs we're gonna be on channel forty," Shane was saying, Dad stood by his side. "Let's keep the chatter down okay? Now, if you got a problem, don't have a CB, can't get a signal, anything at all, you're gonna hit your horn one time, that'll stop the caravan. Any questions?"
I looked around the group, everyone else seemed to be filled with worry to what might lie ahead, how smoothly would our trip to the CDC even go?
"We're not going," Morales spoke up, hesitantly. My forehead creased into a frown as I watched him and his family. Morales was one of our best fighters whenever there was trouble. That and he had young kids, why would they want to split up from the group?
"We have family in Birmingham," His wife explained as the camp filled with silence. "We wanna be with our people."
"You're out there on your own you won't have anyone to watch your back." Shane clarified, studying the family carefully.
"We'll take the chance," Morales shrugged. "I'll do what's best for my family."
"You sure?" Dad asked as Shane looked to the ground, sighing.
"We've talked about it. We're sure."
I watched as Dad sunk onto his hunkers, opening the bag that contained the guns. He began picking some of the firearms and ammo out before walking to Morales.
"The box is half full." Shane explained as he handed over the ammo, Morales taking the gun from my dad.
An impatient noise made me glance over to where Daryl Dixon stood, he was previously chewing on his nails, looking quite bored but seeing Dad and Shane hand over the ammo set him off pacing again.
I moved forward to hug Morales and his family, Mom following my lead. They had been with us from the start and had helped keep us alive. I found myself praying again to whoever was up there to help them keep safe.
"What makes you think our odds are any better?" Shane asked as Morales and his family walked towards their car.
"Jeez Shane, you're such a ray of sunshine." I rolled my eyes playfully as I glanced towards him.
"Just stating the obvious, kid." He said, clapping me on the back as he called for everyone to move to their respective cars.
"Don't listen to him, I trust you." I reassured my Dad as I linked my arm around his, walking to our car where Mom and Carl were already waiting. I couldn't help but notice that my words seemed to trouble Dad even more.
I called shotgun, racing to the passenger door of the car before Mom could reach for the handle. She smiled at me gently, rolling her eyes as she moved to the back.
The act was something that regularly happened before when we'd go away on family trips together. Once I got old enough to ride in the front I'd do anything to not have to sit in the back with Carl.
After what felt like an hour of following Dale in the caravan we suddenly began to slow down.
"What's happening?" I muttered to Dad, having previously been in a daze.
"I dunno." He answered simply before bringing the car to a stop and walking towards the caravan. I watched as he approached the vehicle containing Dale, Glenn, Jacqui and a very sick Jim.
After a while curiosity got the better of me and I made to get out of the car.
"I'd prefer if you stayed here." Mom asked gently from the back.
"I'll be right beside Dad, I'll be fine." I told her before getting out of the car.
"She never listens." I heard Carl whispering to Sophia before I slammed the door closed.
As I walked towards the caravan I saw steam coming from the front, Dale and Dad were studying it, pitying looks on their faces.
"I told you we'd never get far on that hose." Dale said matter-of-factly. "All it's been so far is more duct tape than hose."
"I see something up ahead," Shane had also exited his jeep to see what was going on. He was now standing in front of the line of cars holding Dales binoculars to his eyes. "Gas station if we're lucky."
The sound of running footsteps made us turn towards the caravan, Jacqui soon appeared from the door.
"It's Jim, he's bad, I don't think he can take anymore." She told us, panic in her voice as she searched each face for some reassurance.
After Shane and Dale had decided to head to the gas station and Dad went in to check on Jim I went to go lean on the hood of the truck behind the caravan which happened to be T-Dog and Andreas.
"How long more do we have to wait around for?" Andrea asked, glancing from car to car.
"Jacqui said Jim's not doing too well so Dads gone to check on him." I sighed, folding my arms.
"Great." She muttered impatiently.
"Sorry is Jim's dying getting in the way of an appointment you had?" I asked sarcastically, my eyes narrowing at her.
"Well I don't really feel like sitting around here like walker bait." Andrea fired back.
"Jim is dying, Andrea." I stressed, stepping towards her. "He's in a lot of pain right now, he might even be dead as we speak."
"Girls, can we not do this now?" T-Dog sighed, stepping up to me and Andrea. I felt Andreas glare boring into my back as I walked towards the caravan. Before I could blow off any steam Dad had emerged from the vehicle. The look on his face made my anger vanish almost instantly, he looked to me and shook his head slowly, fresh beads of sweat forming on his head.
After the rest of the camp had come together Dad took the time to repeat what Jim had told him inside the caravan. How he wanted us to just let him die, that he was ready.
"It's what he says he wants." Dad shrugged, looking to the ground.
"And he's lucid?" Carol asked timidly.
"He seems to be, yes."
"Back at the camp when I said Daryl might be right and you shut me down," Dale spoke up, shaking his head slightly. "You misunderstood. I would never go along with callously killing a man, but Nikki did suggest that we ask Jim what he wants and I think now we have that answer."
"We just leave him here?" Shane asked quietly. "Take off? Man, I'm not sure that I could live with that."
I found myself blinking back tears at the thoughts of what we were discussing.
After coming to the agreement that Ed should be granted his wish we stood by and watched as Dad and Shane carried him to a nearby tree. Propping him up against the rough bark that contrasted horrifically with his now pale skin.
A light sheen of sweat covered his face and body as he closed his eyes, taking deep breaths. The journey from the caravan to this tree seemed to have taken the most out of him.
"Hey, another damn tree." He smirked, opening his eyes to peer up at the leaves.
"Jim, you know it doesn't need to be this," Shane explained, almost pleading with him.
"No, it's good. The breeze feels nice."
We took turns saying goodbye to Jim, I didn't know what to say to him only a quiet thank you. Thank you for the help around camp, thank you for the extra protection, it was the only thing that had come to my head before I kissed his burning cheek softly.
We slowly filed back to the cars, a dark cloud now hanging over all of us as our thoughts remained with Jim.
I turned to look back only to see Daryl, unmoved from his spot on the hill. He gave Jim one small nod before turning and walking back towards us.
I swiped at my eyes as Daryl walked by me, his forearm brushing off of mine gently as he passed. If it were anyone else I woulda just assumed it was an accident but coming from Daryl Dixon that was as good as a hug.
"We're here," Dad croaked after what felt like hours of silence. I looked up as each vehicle pulled up to the sidewalk before stopping. No one moved for a few minutes until Dad and Shanes doors both opened and the partners exited their respective cars.
I took a deep breath before following my Dads lead and getting out of the car. The CDC was up ahead of us, a circular built, modern style building. The building itself and everything surrounding it just looked gray. Even the leaves on the grass surrounding us seemed dull.
I smiled a quick thanks to Shane as he thrust a rifle into my hand. Everyone was now standing on the pavement, looking cautiously all around the building. Those who could shoot had firearms, Daryl had his crossbow. I made a mental note to thank my Dad for letting me try out the shooting range when I'd turned sixteen.
My nose wrinkled as I moved to stand beside Glenn who was wearing a similar expression. The sound of flies buzzing took over my ear drums.
The grounds around the CDC were littered with what looked to be dead bodies. Some covered, others left to rot out in the open.
As we slowly advanced on the building I couldn't help but look at the makeshift body bags as we passed. How many deaths had occurred here? How many bodies had reanimated and were now roaming freely?
I stopped walking as movement caught my eye, a body with a sheet draped over it was moving close by. Getting the butt of my rifle ready I nudged aside the corner of the tarp with the toe of my boot. Bile rose to my stomach as I saw nothing but a swarm of maggots underneath it.
I swallowed thickly, refusing to be the one that puked her guts up right now.
"Breath through your nose," A voice close to me growled in a whisper, causing me to jump. I turned to see Daryl standing feet away from me, his crossbow aimed at the same maggot-covered corpse I had been sickened by. "The smell will get better quicker."
Once we reached the shutters of the CDC I felt my heart sink as Dad and Shane failed to lift them. Darkness was falling on us quickly.
I turned my back to the building, deciding to keep watch for walkers instead.
"Walker." Glenn warned, I heard Carl and Sophias cries of terror as they looked on to the limping corpse coming towards us. The guns were only good right now as blunt force weapons, the noise would cause us to be swarmed so Glenn and I stood back as Daryl moved forward, an arrow protruding from the walkers skull soon after.
I grit my teeth as Daryl launched himself towards Dad, snarling at him for making the wrong call.
"Rick, this is a dead end." Shane muttered after telling Daryl to shut up. My eyes widened at the protruding walkers as the others argued over what we were going to do. Stress was building amid the camp and it was building fast.
"If we don't leave now, we're not gonna make it out of here." I called to whoever was listening, hopefully Dad or Shane. My heart thumped loudly in my chest as the sound of the others cocking their guns echoed around us.
"C'mon, let's get out here." Shane called, beginning to lead us back to the cars.
"The camera, it moved." Dad shouted, desperation clear in his voice.
"You imagined it." Dale shook his head as Dad moved back towards the shutters. I spun to where Shane was standing close by.
"Please get him to the cars." I begged as I continued circling around Mom and Carl, my gun raised.
Shane nodded and after that I could hardly hear anything over the thumping of my heart. I knew the kids were crying, I knew Shane was yelling at my Dad to move but I couldn't concentrate on anything but the walkers that were now creeping towards us, slinking out of the dark like the monsters from a nightmare.
I felt like I'd been blinded. The area around us was so gray and dark, shadows surrounding us when all of a sudden the bright light had appeared.
I stopped in my tracks. Everyone was at a standstill as we squinted towards the light that was now pouring out of the CDC.
Were we saved or was the old cliché right? Had I died and just seen the famous bright light?
