I am a New York woman born to rock you down
So want my lipstick all over your face
(Something), something, something about just knowing when it's right
So put your dreams up for Nebraska
For Nebraska, Nebraska, I love you

-Yoü and I; from Lady Gaga


The group was frozen in spot, unsure on how to continue. The firm knocking happened again, this time with a voice accompanying it. It was the soldiers; they were demanding to be let in, threatening force if their demands weren't met. Hailey looked at the others with wide, terrified eyes. She had no idea what to do, but she could tell they were just as confused and baffled as she was.

Who could've told the soldiers? she thought. How could they have known what was going on?

Swallowing thickly, Hailey, as quietly as possible, went over to where her backpack was and picked it up. She wanted to make sure she had her things with her in case a run had to ensue. Looking at Mandi and the others, Hailey motioned for them to get their belongings. They had to be as quick and quiet as possible, not wanting to draw anymore attention to themselves.

"Grab weapons," Hailey whispered, waving her hands around the kitchen.

Xavier looked particularly mortified at the statement, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. The others looked equally as bothered by it, too. What kinds of weapons could they use against trained soldiers? Xavier's kitchen had knives, the men outside had guns. Any fighting would be over before it even began.

Once everyone had their backpacks on, but before they had a chance to arm themselves, Rio stormed into the kitchen. He looked livid, his mouth set and his eyes blazing.

"What the hell is going on?" he snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. Everyone motioned for him to be quiet, but he wasn't listening. Growling in frustration, Rio went to the front door and opened it. In a matter of seconds, Mandi and her group were running out the backdoor. They could hear Rio giving out shouts of confusion and disbelief, but they could also hear the soldiers running throughout the house before discovering the exit.

Mandi and the others knew they weren't going to be able to outrun a bunch of soldiers, but they were hopeful the head start would give them an advantage. They couldn't afford to get captured.

"Where's the hole?" Josiah exclaimed, trying his best to keep up with everyone.

"This way!" Hailey cried, doing her best to take the lead. She was practically sprinting to get ahead.

God, I should've exercised more, she thought bitterly. Despite certain factors of her family life from before, Hailey wasn't particularly an active person before things went bad. Her father had been a marine, who taught all his children the importance of self-defense and exercise. Hailey seemed to be the only child who didn't take it seriously.

The small group could hear the footfalls of the soldiers behind them, and the cocking of guns being pointed in their direction. Hailey understood that in a split second, the soldiers would open fire. That was definitely a problem.

"Split up!" Hailey cried. "Go!" She waved at the others to go off in different directions, but she prayed they'd be able to meet her at the hole near the back of the gates. There were some brief protests before the first gunshot went off. It barely missed Josiah, and that was when everyone took the hint to split up.

...

Hailey chose to veer off sharply to the right. She had watched everyone else go in different directions, and a feeling of relief washed over her. She couldn't have been happier that they chose to listen. The only other problem Hailey faced were the other inhabitants. They all chose to come out and see the commotion. Seeing the soldiers chasing after a group of backpacked people must've been a horrifying sight, but also somewhat exhilarating. When was the last time anyone got any kind of action like that?

Skidding behind a large bush, Hailey knelt down and hoped that any soldiers who followed her kept going. It'd be nice if they did.

Hoping to control her breathing, Hailey put her hands over her mouth as she cowered in the bush. She wanted to move as little as possible, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself. If she could remain invisible in her hiding spot, then she'd be able to get out safely.

What about the others? Hailey thought. They don't know where the hole is. How will they know to escape?

Swallowing thickly, she lowered her hands from her mouth. Would it be better to wait by or outside the hole, at least until someone showed up? Would that be in everyone's best interest? Hailey had to keep in mind that she couldn't draw too much attention to herself. If she did, then she'd be putting herself in more of a risk.

...

The soldiers crept around the community, their guns cocked and their eyes alert. There was a strong sense of frustration in losing the group, but they would show up eventually. It couldn't be that hard to find a small handful of people. Besides, the soldiers were trained army men, they knew how to track enemies down.

They knew how to make a statement.

...

Hailey could hear murmurs, occasional footfalls going by the bush before disappearing. It was scary, not knowing whether those people walking by were the soldiers. How much longer could she stay hidden before needing to leave? Mandi and the others were still out there, and it was only a matter of time before they managed to escape.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she peered her head over the bush, hoping to get a view on what was going on. The bush itself was relatively thick, so Hailey knew it'd take a lot of effort to get a good look beyond the branches and leaves. She couldn't get a good look, but from what she could tell, the soldiers weren't anywhere nearby. That was the important thing, right? So, taking a deep breath, Hailey slowly stood up from her hiding spot, looking around quickly. She didn't see any soldiers, but she did see a lot of civilians. They looked concerned, if not a little confused. Hailey could understand why. Things got out of hand relatively quickly.

Once she was at full height, she carefully stepped away from the bush and out onto the sidewalk. When she was in full view of everyone else, that was when Hailey started to get a little more anxious. They were looking at her, and it was only a matter of time before one of them — or all of them — went to find the soldiers.

"You're the one the soldiers are looking for." A young woman looked at Hailey with wide eyes, her body trembling a little. There was a brief pause as the two women looked at each other. They were both wide eyed, both breathing heavily. Neither knew what the other was planning, and it made everything seem unbearably overwhelming.

"Please don't get them," Hailey said quietly. "Please. I'm not going to do anything to you or anyone else. I just want to go."

The woman looked at Hailey for a moment longer, swallowing thickly as she pondered over the words. "Why would you want to leave?" she asked.

"Nothing good is coming out of this place," Hailey exclaimed. "How much longer are we going to last before things go completely haywire? The soldiers aren't helping us, not without us making big sacrifices for them."

"Things can change."

Shaking her head, Hailey sighed. "I thought that way, too," she replied. "Part of me still thinks that way. But it's time we start taking care of ourselves, and not rely on a bunch of power hungry bastards."

Hearing those words come out of her mouth was surprising, but it felt right. Those words were the truth, and it felt amazing to have them come out. That had to be Hailey's first step in her change — acknowledging, and accepting, everything that's wrong. She felt lighter.*

The woman stared Hailey down, as if she couldn't quite understand the claims that had been made. In that moment, a realization was made — time was being wasted. Hailey couldn't stand around and hope this person would come to some miraculous understanding. It wasn't going to happen. So she threw her arms up in surrender before turning and running away. All she had to do was find the hole in the gate and she'd be home free.

...

Mandi was having trouble. She still had the soldiers on her trail, and for some reason they weren't shooting at her. It was confusing, and a bit concerning, but she had to do something to get them off her. Mandi knew that, if they ever caught her, she'd be in big trouble.

Getting through the whole ordeal safely — alive — was her main goal. After that, it was finding Hailey and the others.

...

Hailey was able to sneak and maneuver her way through the community unseen. It was a miracle on her part, considering she was convinced soldiers would pop out at any given moment and kill her. When she found the hole in the gate, she never felt so much overwhelming comfort in her life. It was almost like a weight had been lifted off of her the second she spotted it.

The hole itself was located at the back left corner of the community. It wasn't too big, but there was probably enough room for people to fit through. Given Hailey's shorter stature, she'd be able to get in and out without a lot of difficulty. That was a miracle in and of itself.

Peering over her shoulders, Hailey wanted to make sure she wasn't being followed. She couldn't afford to have her cover blown when she was so close to escaping.

God help me through this, she silently prayed. Having the strength to be able to pull off such a big task was something Hailey never thought she'd be able to do. But she did find enough courage to do it.

Quickly making her way up to the hole, Hailey shrugged off her backpack and shoved it through the hole. The crossing wires scraped against her skin, agitating it. When her backpack thudded onto the ground, she let out a comforting breath and worked her way through the hole.* Her hair and clothes were snagged, and it took a lot of effort for Hailey to work herself out. But she did. And the freedom she felt once she made herself out was beyond words. The trees surrounding the gates were thick enough to keep her concealed for a little while. All Hailey had to do was wait for a bit, to hopefully see Mandi and the others show up safe and sound.

That was the only thing Hailey wanted.


(A/N):

First off, sorry for the wait. I know this chapter isn't necessarily the best, but I'd like some feedback anyway. So whatever constructive criticism you guys have would be greatly appreciated.

Nothing in TWD belonged to me. All I own are my OCs, my subplots, and the bamboo plants in my room. If you've got ideas for subplots or OCs, be sure to PM me or leave a review and I'll add them in as soon as I can.

Be sure to leave a random fact in the review section. It could be on something you've known for a while or on something you've recently learned. It's completely up to you guys!

Thanks a bunch, you guys.

Florida Mayers