DISCLAIMER: READ CHAPTER 1.

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CHAPTER 10 - WELCOME TO THE 'SAFE HAVEN'

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They had to take a short break for the group to eat food and drink water to replenish their energy and it only took about a few minutes before Colt and Merle urgently ushered them inside into one of the prison buildings before the pack of Runners might return back soon.

They followed and obeyed them-even though Lori seemed to be the only one who protested over why they're following a redneck and a kid-since they trusted them as the two of them were the reason they've been saved before back in the farm and now from those mutated zombies.

At first, Lori almost demanded at Rick or Shane to take over their roles as they used to before when they were leading the group, but both men refused and scolded her to keep quiet because the two men knew they were out of their depths since they don't know much of the unknown and unexpected new dangers that they're facing now.

So they left the leadership mantle to Merle and his young companion Colt since they're also the ones who will lead them back to wherever safe community they had came from and they were grateful that it is somewhere safe out there that managed to survive and live through the zombie apocalypse.

Daryl was a bit surprised at this but he was still happy to be reunited with his brother and be by his side when he saw that he had completely changed from the man he was before, and it was thanks to Colt's people from wherever they came from.

Right now, they hurriedly parked their cars and they were directed by Merle to hide them directly out of sight in case they might encounter any hostile survivors that would be out there, then they grabbed their stuff and brought them inside with Merle, Colt, and Daryl taking the lead.

They managed to go through a hallway, safe and without any dangers hidden in the shadows and reached into a cellblock that is completely empty of anyone or anything-thanks to Colt's special (magic) skills.

They sighed with relief as they settled inside when Merle, Colt, and Daryl double-checked the area of the cell block and they announced that everything is all clear and safe.

Some of them started to sort their stuff out and others went to the cells to choose where they want to sleep in as Merle and Daryl moved to shut the cell doors of the block behind them.

Colt looked around as if to double-check the area again before he climbed up the stairs and went to look out through the windows to see if any of the Runners had come back.

When he saw nothing, he turned his head and almost smiled on seeing the little girl Sophia that he saved was talking animatedly happy with her mother inside the cell they chose to be in, as Carol felt the same while still holding her daughter in her arms and sitting on her lap as if afraid that she might disappear.

But then he frowned when he heard with his 'sharp' hearing as Sophia told her mother her story of what she's gone through when she was lost.

"...I was hiding in some small house and ate little sardines in a can and then had to run away from more Walkers that saw me, and I lost my doll when I almost fell into a pond and had to run in another direction when more Walkers came. But then I was suddenly saved by some strangers that saw me and they killed all the Walkers that were chasing me, Momma. The strangers were all guys, but something about them got me a little scared, like how you were with daddy Ed before…" Sophia said as she told her mother.

Colt and Carol both looked like they knew where this was going as Sophia went on with her story and Colt gave a dark grim look while Carol looked a bit worried over what her daughter might've gone through with the strange group of men.

Colt didn't notice that Merle and Daryl went to his side as the two men were about to have the boy join in the conversation they were about to have, but then they noticed that Colt was standing by and listening to what Sophia is saying so they listened in as well.

But what the two men are now hearing as well as Colt, did not make them happy at the very least.

Sophia continued, "…after they saved me, the guys said they will help me find my momma and the others back from where I'm from. But I knew that there was really something strange because some of them were looking at me weird and asked me some weird stuff."

Carol didn't dare to ask as she knew what kind of men her daughter was with as she hesitantly asked her child, "And what did they ask you, Sophia?"

"They said that they're surprised to see a little girl like me all alone and they asked me if there were more girls like me back in the group. I felt like not telling them that, so I lied to them that I'm the only one. But that got them acting more weird and strange to me, Momma." Sophia said, and she looked a little scared as she remembered this.

Carol's arms tightened a bit around her girl as if protecting her from the monsters. "What?"

"Those guys and I were camping in another house and was about to sleep there for the night. They gave me some water and food and then a sleeping bag for me to sleep in, but I didn't. I pretended to sleep and then they were talking weird about me like they wanted to have their 'fun' now and that they didn't want to help me find you and the others."

Carol held back her horrified gasp when Sophia said about the men wanting to have 'fun' as she knew deep down what that meant and all three boys that were eavesdropping had darkened angry expressions like they wanted to hunt those men down and kill them with their bare hands.

"I got scared upon hearing that and I was really glad when one of them said that they're not going to 'play' with me that night and I waited as quiet like a little mouse when I listened to them all go to sleep. After I checked and made sure that they did, I sneaked out, grabbed whatever food and water I could carry with me and ran away far as I could away from them." Sophia said and looked as if she was happy to get away from there without being chased by them.

Carol was instantly relieved at this as well as the trio listening and then Sophia finished her tale. "Then I don't know how long I was lost, but I managed to get through with the food and water I have and then found some houses and hid myself to go to sleep during the nights, and making sure that the guys weren't following me or any Walkers that are there to catch me, while I was trying to find my way back all along the way. It was then that I was at my last bottle of water and few food crackers that I almost got caught by some Walkers and I was running until I bumped into Colt and Mr. Merle and they saved me and brought back to you, Momma."

Carol hugged her daughter in her arms almost tight as happy tears were in her eyes. "And I'm very glad they did. I'm so happy that you're here, Sophia." Sophia was happy too and didn't mind the tight squeezing as she hugged her mother back.

Colt sighed in a deep breath before he turned to Merle and Daryl as if he had already noticed that they were there. "So what's up?" he asked.

It almost took a long while for the two adult rednecks to snap out of their dark thoughts of planning and wanting to hunt down the group of men who wanted to hurt Sophia in the most sickening ways. Merle shook his head before he turned to Colt and said, "It looks like that this place is good enough to hold up for a while as our backup arrives. You better give the location and coordinates back at HQ to where we're at while they're trying to reach and find us."

Colt nodded as he took out the radio and went to a corner to privately call them. Then Daryl figured that he could use this chance to talk to Merle and ask him how much he's changed and why he hasn't come back and been looking for him.

"So what happened to you, Merle? How did you escape the city after losing your hand and almost bled to death?" Daryl asked.

Merle snorted as his eyes glazed a bit like he's remembering that time. "It was ironic, little brother. A cop was the one who cuffed me and when I got out, it was another cop who saved me and brought me to the boy's homeland. She works part-time as security for the runners that go outside Safe Haven and when she found me, she didn't hesitate to stop and ask me questions and just brought me back and got me all healed up. I was out of it at the time, but when I woke up and became clear-headed, they got me clean and sober of my drug addiction, had me go through rehab with a bit of force, and let me stay there and live with them, even though they knew that I was a former washed-out brash redneck and an ex-military guy. They didn't care a bit that I was rude and all that to them at first. They just took me in with all that sappy kindness that they have, but they're the toughest and strongest people you'd ever meet, Daryl. After I got sober and drug-free clean, the leader didn't hesitate to offer me positions into being part of the security force of their land and also offered to help me with finding you and bringing you back where I'm from."

"Damn…those people did all that?" Daryl said stunned as he couldn't believe that there's someone out there who would accept Merle like that with the kind of personality he had. Merle just shrugged and replied. "Yep, they did, little brother. And neither them nor me ever regretted it. I owe them for it. That's what got me here and then found you."

Daryl looked over to Colt as he spoke softly when a connection had patched through and he's relaying the coordinates of the location they're in. "You think these people will let us in?"

Merle snorted as if the idea that they won't be is outrageous. "Of course, they will! Ever since my time staying with them, I've been telling them lots and lots of stories about all of you. They know that you're good people, so they won't hesitate to let you in. Although…Officer Friendly on the other hand…"

Daryl understood as he and his older brother glanced towards Rick who was with his son Carl and his friend Shane, while Lori seemed to be doing something else as she's not with them.

Colt had finished and was walking back to tell Merle and Daryl that he told HQ of their location and that they're coming soon but as he got near them, he suddenly stopped and instantly froze in his steps like he felt something from his 'magic' sensors.

Colt's eyes narrowed suddenly as he slowly looked around the cell block and then he said. "Someone else is here."

Merle blinked confused at his unexpected sudden words. "Huh? What?"

Then he moved fast almost like lightning and then inspected each of the cells one by one as if trying to find something he had missed in the block.

Both Merle and Daryl were confused as he's doing this but Merle suddenly realized as he's the only one who knows about 'magic' and not his brother and the others yet and he hurriedly went forward to Colt as he kept on checking the inside of the cells. "What is it? What did you find out?" he demanded in a low whisper.

Colt didn't answer until he found what he was looking for and he seemed to be glaring fiercely at the empty cell which he felt that there was something in there. "Shit-someone else is really here. And they were in this cell."

"How can you tell?" Daryl asked as he approached them.

Colt cursed to himself mentally as he's forgotten that he was there but Merle instantly thought up an excuse that would be able to hide away Colt's 'special' abilities. "Look at the inside of the cell, little brother. Have you noticed how it's cleaner than the rest of them here in this block?"

It worked as Daryl's observant eyes noticed the differences and he tensed and then looked around sharply as if whatever unknown enemy might be hiding inside the block with them.

"Crap-if there were people here…" Daryl began in a low whisper as if to not scare the others that are in the hearing range.

Colt nodded grimly. "Then they're somewhere in this prison. We'll need to get out of this block and have the others stay here locked up while we look for them. How about the three of us go while the others hold the fort?"

Then Daryl had a thought and asked. "What are the chances that whoever's here might've already died? I mean-this prison also got Walkers roaming around inside."

Merle pointed out to his brother. "If there were obvious signs that is, but seeing the recent cleanliness of this cell…I'd say that they're still here and living for three days up to now." Colt nodded in agreement with him and Daryl nodded too as he didn't think of seeing it.

Then the three guys instantly went down and only told Rick and Shane that there are others inside the prison. They tensed but Merle and Colt reassured them that they'll check it out and deal with it, while the others will just stay inside the block and lock themselves in case whoever was there before might come back.

Rick and Shane looked like they wanted to go along but they decided to stay since Rick has his family and Shane wanted to prove himself that he's a good person still and stayed to protect them in the block.

The two men shut and locked the cell doors as Colt, Merle and Daryl left and they watched them go off into the darkness of the hallway. Then they prayed internally to themselves that they'll come back unscathed and alive.

OOOOO

"You sure you're going the right way, Colt?" Merle whispered like this is the same from last time back when Colt and Merle got lost and then found Sophia before.

Colt almost jumped visibly as he's in the lead and didn't turn around at Merle from behind. "Damn it, Merle! Quit whispering like that! It's annoying!" he snapped hissing at him while holding up and aiming his crossbow. Daryl is at the end and he was aiming his crossbow at the other end from their backs in case of anything that might come at them from behind.

Merle almost smirked under the dark as he teased the teenager. "Aw, what's the matter, boy? Scared of the dark?"

"I'm not-but your whispering ain't helping!" Colt snapped at him again, as he didn't want to reveal the truth that Merle's whispers sounded almost creepy while they quietly trek through the shadowy dark hallway. Merle grinned knowingly as if he knew that Colt's scared but then he became serious as they reached the end and went into another cell block that's also empty. However, they knew that appearances can be deceiving.

Slowly, they split up and checked around the cell block they're now in and they made sure they were still quiet as they looked around and checked if the unknown living occupants are there. Daryl and Merle looked around on the lower floor while Colt carefully and silently went up the stairs to check the upper floor.

Colt was slow and quiet in his movements and checked each of the cells despite the low sunlight from the windows and the cells are still shadowed in darkness, but he didn't use a flashlight or anything to light it up so that he wouldn't spook whoever or whatever might be hiding. He tried to heighten the senses of his eyesight and hearing as he's on guard against whatever might come at him while he checks on all of the cells above the floor.

When he didn't seem to find anything, he turned around to look down to see if Merle or Daryl had found anything. Colt didn't realize that he just made a mistake to himself when he turned his back at one of the empty cells and looked down over the railing.

As Colt also made another mistake on lowering his weapon and his guard, the figure that was hiding in shadows, instantly came out and ran right at Colt from behind, body-shoving him over the railing once he dropped his guard slightly.

Colt yelled as he got pushed but he reacted quicker and grab the railing with both hands before he was about to fall over into the darkness. Colt's crossbow is the only thing that fell and it gave a sound clatter on the ground below.

When the figure revealed itself, he was clad completely in dark black clothes and had a gas mask on. Also, the dark-clothed figure was shaped to be a male of sorts, considering his body shape.

"HEY!"

The attacker's head turned at the directions of the shouts and he saw Daryl and Merle running at him after they ran up the stairs, and he instantly ran away in another direction while Daryl went to help Colt up and Merle chased after the attacker.

"Don't worry, I got you, kid!" Daryl said as he reached down both hands to grab at Colt.

"DARYL! BEHIND YOU!"

He instantly reacted at Colt's yells, turned around and instantly aimed his crossbow right at another attacker that was pointing a gun at him from behind and he had been hiding in another dark cell-like the other one. They were at a stalemate considering they're both aiming at each other's heads while Colt strained to climb himself up the railing.

The other attacker is also masked just like the previous one but this looked to be a chubby fat figure. The fat one started stuttering while trying to act brave and the gun he's holding is a little shaky in his grip. "D-Don't make any sudden funny m-moves! You hear me?"

Daryl grunted at him in response as he didn't want to take the risky chances to shoot first, considering the way the other one seemed to be shaking in his boots at his intimidating presence, and he might get himself shot if he did. Then he could hear yells and pained shouts as Merle had caught up with the attacker that pushed Colt.

"GOT YA, YOU LITTLE BASTARD! Trying to push my buddy over, huh?!" Merle growled as he got the masked male in a tight chokehold.

The masked attacker tried to fight back by getting a knife out from one of the hidden sheaths but Merle instantly anticipated the attack and blocked it and then made him drop the knife by twisting the hand holding it in a painful twist.

The attacker gave out a pained cry beneath the gas mask and dropped his knife and Merle tightened his chokehold with one arm that had the metal prosthetic while he reached his free hand that blocked the knife and remove the mask.

Then Merle blinked in shock as if he recognizes the person when he unmasked him. "Galley?!"

A young male teenager that's named 'Galley' grunted as he tried to break away from his grip. "Yeah, it's me-now let go, Merle!"

Merle instantly let go but he quickly grabbed the dropped knife before this one might get any ideas.

Galley gasped as if taking a breath before he shouted out to the masked fat one. "Hey, Sergey, it's alright! Turns out it's my friends, so put your gun down!"

The fat one who's called 'Sergey' turned his head slightly to look at Galley before looking back at Daryl as they still pointed weapons at each other. "Are you sure? They don't look very friendly," he said in a feeble nervous voice.

Galley sighed as if expecting that and reassured him while rubbing his bruised neck. "I'm sure, now put it down Sergey before you hurt somebody."

Sergey slowly lowered his gun and Daryl did the same though the redneck just kept glaring pointedly at the chubby guy as if daring him to try anything but then their staring contest was broken when Colt cried out and they remembered that he's still trying to hold on the railing while hanging and instantly went to help him up.

Merle laughed as he slapped a hand to Galley's back, making him jump slightly at the action. "Never thought I'd see you here. What are you doing here anyway? You the backup we've been waiting for?"

Galley snorted. "You wish. No, I came here on my own and I found Sergey on the way and-"

"AND I GOT HALF A MIND TO BEAT YOU UP BLACK AND BLUE FOR SHOVING ME OVER, GALLEY!" Colt yelled angrily as he has pulled up safely thanks to Daryl and Sergey's help, and he was marching straight at Galley who was the one that pushed him over the railing and almost made him fall to his death.

Instantly he was stopped by Merle and Colt struggled to go at Galley with fists flying but he was held back. "Damn it, Merle, let me go! I'm gonna give him a piece of my bloody knuckle sandwich!" Colt yelled angrily as Galley just grinned at him and backed away a bit.

"Hey, hey, calm down boy! Let's not have ourselves a cock-fight right here and now, and there might be Walkers about inside this prison that's gonna hear the noise! So stop!" Merle said to him. And it worked as Colt instantly calmed down at his words but he still glared at Galley as if promising death if he tries it again.

"Fine…" Colt broke off from Merle and went to Daryl's side to cool off a bit but then he stopped when he spotted something behind Daryl and Sergey. "And who…are they?"

Daryl tensed and almost raised up his crossbow when he turned around and saw three more strangers that came out from the other cells at the back behind them.

This time, it looked to be the former prisoners of the fallen prison, but from the looks of these three guys, they don't look much like real criminals in the worst of ways.

"They're cool, Colt. The three guys have been here long before the prison fell and they've lived long enough until Sergey and me came here. I can vouch for them." Galley responded calmly as Sergey went to their side as if to defend them.

Colt glared at the three former 'prisoners' suspiciously with eyes narrowed before he asked, "You sure these guys are trustworthy, Galley? Coz I'm pretty sure that I remember the last time you made a mistake on trusting these kinds of people before."

Galley sighed. "I'm sure. I learned my lesson the hard way from last time, Colt. I'm not that stupid enough to do it again, even by knowing them for the first time or something."

"What were they in for?" Merle asked curiously, watching vigilantly at the three men as they just stood by with Sergey and stared back at them.

"One was falsely accused of manslaughter while holding a toy gun, the other was caught for robbery, and the last one got caught in a wrong place at the wrong time and got himself charged for it without being given a chance to prove his innocence," Sergey responded the question for Merle.

"Damn…This is one of the reasons I'm glad that the system doesn't exist anymore when the apocalypse hit," Merle said, looking at the three prisoners with a bit of sympathy as if he feels how they felt on being imprisoned with false charges and something like that.

Colt and Daryl agreed as well at Merle's statement and then Daryl noticed someone else, as he saw a slightly tall and lithe slender figure hovering protectively at a smaller figure hiding behind the tall one inside another dark cell, nearby the four guys.

"And who's that?" he asked.

Colt and Merle looked over to see what Daryl's looking at and saw them as they tried to hide deeper underneath the dark cover of the shadows when they realized that they've been seen.

Galley turns to look over what the three guys were looking at and then nodded as if the two hidden shadows don't bother him as he replied. "That's Siren and the little one is Mika. I found those two were running lost and trying to outrun a herd of Walkers chasing them after Sergey and I had found the living prisoners in the prison and then saved them and brought them here. Mika's a little shy but she'll soon grow to accept you like the cute kid she is. It's Siren you need to watch out for."

Colt instantly looked at Galley as if he said that Siren is the dangerous type. "Why?" he said in a slightly demanding tone.

Galley ignored it as he continued, "Siren's been looking out and caring for Mika ever since she lost her older sister and then Siren found her. She's really overprotective with her charge, so watch out if you try anything funny with the little one. She'll snap at you like how an angry Mama Bear goes if you mess with her cub."

Colt nodded at his warning and looked at Siren who is clad in fitted dark black clothing and she had a bandanna tied over her lower face. The only thing visible that shows her feminine appearance was her low cut boyish blonde hair, blue eyes, and female-shaped body figure. The little girl Mika was still hiding behind Siren's legs as if scared of them instead of shy.

"Hey, what kind of name is 'Siren' anyway? Is that some kind of stage name or was she a singer or something?" Merle asked.

Galley glared at him instantly as if he said something offensive. "Do not go there, Merle. Trust me when I say that you should not ask why her name's like that. I know, coz I almost experienced it first hand on what she can really do and how lethal she can be when it comes to what she perceives as a threat or enemy." he warned him.

"Hey, we need to get back to the others. They might worry and bring in the calvary if we're gone too long." Daryl points out, knowing that Rick or Shane might decide to follow after them as he said. Both Colt and Merle nodded in understanding and they looked to Galley. Colt said. "Hey, Galley. We also got a group of survivors in another cell block. You don't mind sharing space with us?"

Galley just shrugged in a nonchalant way. "I don't mind as long as the others here would like to get along with new people. They could use it since they've been a bit isolated for long when I came here."

"It's fine, but…I think that those three should change their clothes. There are two certain people among our group who won't react kindly once they take a first glance at what they're wearing now." Merle said and pointedly look at the three guys in prison clothes, who gave confused looks at his statement.

The guy Galley was also confused but Colt answered for him. "In our group, there are two former cops among them."

With that, he nodded in understanding and then gestured at Siren and Sergey to do that and they nodded as they led the three men to change their clothes.

It didn't take long for them to come back to the others of the group and Rick and Shane were the ones standing guard by the cell doors and almost stood in alert when they saw them and the new people approaching.

Rick looked at the newcomers suspiciously while Shane gave a questioning look towards Colt, Merle, and Daryl. Colt nodded back to the others. "I know one of them, he's another runner like me and Merle. He found and saved these groups of survivors and they were holding up here in the prison before we arrived. Apparently, they're the ones who were here first and they were at another block when we came in."

"So they're good people?" Rick asked.

Merle nodded and said. "Don't worry about it, Officer Friendly. I can vouch for all of them. They were also looking for a safe place to stay and our buddy Galley over there had to bring them here but couldn't find a way to contact back because he forgot to bring his radio at the time when he left." What Merle said was true during the earlier conversation he, Colt and Galley had when they talked quickly and private over why Galley had gone out of Safe Haven alone. Apparently, Galley wanted to go out on his own to look for whatever family he had left that was still lost in the apocalypse. But on the way, he had stumbled into Sergey, then the prison with its last ex-convicts, and lastly Siren and Mika.

Rick and Shane took almost a tense moment before they believed them and then they let them all in. Daryl grunted and went in first before the others followed, coming inside the cell block. Lori and the others of the group went out of their cells to take a look at the new people that the three guys had found.

"Hey," Beth greeted Mika when she saw her, and she smiled slightly amused when the little girl reacted cutely by hiding behind Siren again and trying to bury her face against her legs to hide more.

Siren just looked down at the child with warm eyes before she nodded in a gesture to Maggie as if trying to make her understand that Mika's a little shy right now.

Colt nodded to Galley as if starting introductions and he did. Galley stepped forward and took over to tell the others who they are. "I'm Galley. I'm from the safe place same where Colt and Merle were from. I was out on my own alone, trying to find somebody when I stumbled into these survivors." Then he nodded to each of them in turn and said, "This is Sergey (fat Asian teenage boy waves hand nervously in greeting), Siren (blonde mask girl just nods), Mika (little girl keeps hiding behind Siren), Oscar (black man), Axel (mustache-bearded pale man), and Big Tiny (the tallest big black man). Oh, that's really his name-his nickname that he knows. He doesn't know his real one because he lost his memory one time when he almost got caught by Walkers and hit his head by accident." Galley had discussed early to the ex-convicts to play along at his lead so that the others wouldn't know that they were former surviving prisoners in the prison and the three men agreed and followed his orders, trusting him.

To sweeten the deal in a way, Colt chimed in as he gestured a hand at the new people. "They also have lots of food and water they had found earlier when they were here first at the prison. Anyone willing to share nicely, come around and get some. There's plenty for everybody."

At the mention of more food and water, they gathered around with Carl Grimes and Sophia being the first to bravely come forward to greet the newcomers, especially to the shy Mika and the others soon followed, exchanging pleasant conversation, including Rick and Shane. The only one left standing by and was still looking and almost glaring suspiciously was just Lori. Daryl seemed to notice this but he ignored the 'queen bitch' as he smiled at seeing his brother Merle chatting comfortably with Hershel and saw Colt reassuring the wary Siren to have Hershel greet and talk to her.

It was a few hours later as they were all staying in the cell block, eating their meals with Carol, Siren, and Colt as the cooks. Then when they were drinking their water, they suddenly heard heart-stopping familiar sounds that they wished they didn't come back.

Loud roars from the Runners again and instantly the Dixon brothers and Colt reacted into action with Galley and Siren coming along as well. The others, namely Rick and Shane, they went to try to hide back inside their chosen respective cells and lock themselves in for a safety in case they might barge in and invade inside the prison.

Colt looked through the windows and cursed internally when he saw the numbers of the Runners that are hurrying in inhuman dashes towards the prison. "SHIT! There's too many of them!" Merle cursed aloud as he knew that they only got a few bullets in their guns and a lesser amount of weapons they have to not be able to fight against that many of the Runner pack.

Daryl curses as well when he looked outside. "And we won't be able to run out and get away even with our cars-they'll be on us if we try to get a chance out there!"

"Damn it! Where's that-?!" Galley began but got instantly interrupted.

LOUD CONTINUOUS GUNSHOTS!

They were suddenly silent in surprise when numerous and continuous gunshots from guns came out of nowhere and then army-like or military-issued vehicles came swooping in with shooters going for the kill. Instantly, Merle, Colt, and Galley were relieved as they recognized who were the people that came to save the day-in a literal way-and heading towards the prison.

Colt sighed and relaxed his back against the wall side of the windows as if he's completely exhausted. "They made it!" he breathed with a soft sigh.

"And about time too!" Merle hollered as he watched their armed backup shoot at the Runners until they're all dead.

And to think…they almost thought that it was going to be their last day on earth when the massive pack of Runners came running until their backup came right on time to rescue them and transport them back to HQ.

OOOOO

Though there were some among the survivors that were hesitant to follow after their guides and transports to wherever the 'Safe Haven' is, they were convinced when more repeated reassurances were given from Merle Dixon and Colt Gunner. And also Daryl added in with the convincing as he trusted his brother's word that they'll be safe when they get there.

The trip was a bit long as it almost took half a day, though some of the people among the backup offered to take over driving in Dale's RV and Hershel's truck so that the others could rest during the driving trip.

The others were happy to take a break and rest, but Rick and Shane were the only ones awake, as well as Daryl as he rode with Merle and Colt again in their truck, during the ride.

The other survivors in Galley's side were riding in the other vehicle transports and all the vehicles went in a straight line, going towards the safe place and land they were heading to.

It was almost sunset as they got there and the light is still a bit bright as they were going through some sort of massive thick forest and when they were driving through it, it's like they're going through a difficult maze through the grand greenery that Rick, Shane, and Daryl couldn't be able to keep track on the path they're driving by.

Then they were all staring in stunned wonder and shock as they had gotten out the massive forest maze and were heading down the road towards the high-walled community and land they've just seen at an almost far away distance.

When they got closer, they had seen the truth on Colt's earlier words that the walls around the safe place were high stone and concrete thick ones. They could also see at the very tops and corner sides that there are set-up watch towers with people there posted as look-outs.

They entered through the thick metal gates that they figured is the only entrance and exits, as it opened and then it closed again in almost slow motion after the last vehicle of the parade had passed through.

Rick and Shane got out to wake the others after they had parked almost far away from the sole double-gates of the walled community and when the others awoke, they were almost in awe and wonder as they looked around at the new safe place they're in. Galley's survivors were also giving the same reactions when they arrived inside.

Then the others noticed-except Merle, Colt, and Galley-that there was a man coming towards them to greet them, and he looked to be the leader of the community, even though the other people he's walking with, also looked to be part of the leading council or something.

The man is British and with his almost shaggy black hair, bright green eyes and a slightly noticeable lightning-scar on his forehead, he just smiled in greeting to all of the new survivors in a gentle kind way that they believed that this community leader is a good leader.

"Hello, everyone. I am Hadrian Black. But you can call me Harry, as some of my friends called me." Harry said and smiled warmly to the group of newcomers. "Welcome to your new home, folks. Welcome...to the Safe Haven."

And so…another story begins, as the group of new survivors were taken in generously inside the safe community and fortified secured land they're in. And their lives will be changed into new turns and chances of their new lives that they wouldn't expect in the future.

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AUTHOR'S NOTES:

Another super-long chapter! I hope you like it!

They made it! They finally made it! And right on time too!

Now let's see what happens next on how the group of survivors fits in their new home and with its residents living in it-including the secretive 'magical' ones!

Stay tuned for the next chapters of the story!

There will be more, I promise! Enjoy Readers!

PLEASE REVIEW OR COMMENT!

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