With Vernon gone the group had the privacy they needed to continue talking, now able to talk as a group without outside knowledge. Though the only topic left on everyone's mind was one no one wanted to bring up, no one felt comfortable enough to speak of it.

How do you bring up someone's impending death to a room full of people, while she is still in the room? How do you do so respectfully when the person in question hasn't brought it up first?

Ben, being generally oblivious to the severity of the situation, stood from his seat.

"Sit back down." Kenny ordered. "We ain't done talkin' yet, there's a few more things that uh. . . need to be said."

As Ben timidly sat back down Kenny stood up and took a step back to address the whole group, more specifically to Carley. Kenny didn't want to rip the band-aid though was prepared to do it, someone had to.

Sharon, however, is not ready to face the topic. "U-um." She sat up straight, hardly able to come up with a distraction to avoid speaking about Carley's bite just a little bit longer. "What are we going to do with Travis and Omid?"

Christa jumped at the chance to talk about Omid. "Vernon said they need to rest, we could risk their infection getting worse if we move them. They have to stay here."

"By themselves?" Ben asked.

"Yes." Kenny answered. "We can't risk them weighing us down."

Christa squinted at Kenny. "I wouldn't word it like that, but yeah, bringing them would slow us down and only hurt them more."

Ben scrunched his mouth.

"I don't like it either, but they have to stay here by themselves."

"Well, they won't be entirely alone." Lee said. "The kids will stay with them."

"What do you mean by that?" Kenny argued. "I'm not letting Duck out of my sight again."

"Kenny, you saw that barricade, there were kids on there!"

"Barricade?"

Lee avoided Christa's curiosity. "From what we've seen and what we've been told, bringing the kids along will only get them killed."

"And if we leave them here, what do you think's gonna happen? Just like last time they're gonna leave the house and search for us, but they won't be as lucky and no one will know they're gone."

Sharon spoke up. "Kenny they know better now."

"Are you confident about that?"

"No." Lee answered for her. "But if we get caught. . . I don't want to risk what Crawford will do to them."

"So, what, we leave them here defenseless with two half-dead men?"

"Don't say that." Christa snapped.

"It's true!"

"They're not going to die!"

"Fine, whatever you want to tell yourself- but I'm not letting my family out of my sight again!"

"Even if it will get them killed?"

"The last time I was separated from my wife-"

"KENNY." The argument ended with Carley's voice, no one dared to speak over her (which was a first.) "They won't be defenseless."

"What uh. . ." Lee stuttered. "What do you mean?"

"I won't last the night, so I can't stay here and protect them, someone else will."

"We need everybody to pull this off." Lee said. "Who are you suggesting stays?"

As Carley stared everyone else followed. "Sharon."

"What?" Sharon shook her head. "I have to go to Crawford."

"I. . ." Carley hesitated. "I know you want to help, but the kids need someone who can watch them."

"Lee just said we need everyone's help." Sharon crossed her arms.

"He did-" Kenny started.

"Kenny I can't stay here, I can be useful."

"But you haven't had a whole lot of experience out there-"

For all he knows. "Kenny, I saved Duck on the street and you offered for me to look at sheds around the neighborhood, why are you changing your mind now?"

"Sharon, I-"

"No." She sighed. "I've had more experience out there than Ben, and my crossbow is quieter than a gun. If you want someone to stay with the kids it should be him."

"NO." Lee cleared his throat, not fooling anyone that it was simply a scratchy throat that caused him to shout. "Not Ben."

Kenny continued. "Sharon I'm not saying you're not useful or that you won't be any help out there-"

"Do you want Duck to watch more people die?"

The whole room was in shock. Sharon was never the type to be outspoken, however now that she was backed in a corner she wasn't letting them hold her back.

"Jesus Christ." Kenny huffed. "I'm on YOUR side here. I don't want the kids to stay, but if you do then I'd be fine with it."

"What is best for the kids is to stay somewhere safe. To stay away from bullets, strangers, walkers, and Crawford." Sharon listed on her fingertips. "And I'm not staying."

"Alright, but what if a walker busts down the door? What if Travis or Omid turns? What then?" Kenny said. "They'd be defenseless."

Sharon opened her mouth. . . what then?

"Clementine knows how to shoot." Carley said quickly.

Sharon and Kenny were taken aback.

"Wait, you ain't serious." Kenny shook his head. "No way in hell am I letting a little girl-"

"You're not suggesting Clementine should kill Omid or Travis if they turn?" Christa crossed her arms. "You are NOT putting a little girl through that."

"When did you teach her to shoot?" Sharon asked.

Lee and Carley exchanged glances. "When we first met Omid and Christa, I taught her in that side building, the one with the blowtorch." Lee mumbled. "Look, I don't know if giving her a gun would be a good idea or not, but you can't think that bringing them to a place like Crawford. . ."

"Okay! Fine!" Kenny rolled his eyes. "The kids stay, but once we get there, none of this everyone-against-Kenny shit."

"I. . ." Carley cleared her throat. "There's one more thing."

Kenny almost snapped at her until he saw her pale face, reminded of the real reason why they waited for Vernon to leave.

"We all know I won't be able to stick around and watch the kids, but I can lure walkers away from the mansion."

Lee slowly turned to face the short woman. "Carley. . . what do you mean?"

Carley didn't respond or even look in his direction, instead focusing on the teen that was leaning against the windows. "Molly. . . do you know where the nearest church is?"

"Uh, yeah? The one I rang that got you bit in the first place." The two exchanged a look, then it dawned on her what Carley was really asking. "-But it's too close." Molly quickly walked away from the window and pointed on the map, just a few blocks from where they are now. "There is a better one here, close enough to get nerds out of our hair and far enough so they won't wander right back once the bells quiet down."

Lee looked between the girls. "Wait, you aren't seriously suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"

"What other choice do I have?" Carley crossed her arms.

"What's going on?" Ben asked. "I don't get it."

"I'm going to use Molly's trick with the bells to lure the walkers away from here." Carley answered, her eyes never leaving Lee's. "I would have to leave soon."

"Carley. . ." Sharon whispered, speaking louder when she continued. "Are you sure you want to do this? No one will be there to. . . make sure you don't turn. You'll be alone."

Carley hesitated, eyes scanning the room. "This is what I have to do."

"You don't HAVE to do anything."

"I'd rather do something than just wait around to die."

"That's. . ." Kenny spoke up, his voice somber compared to the anger from before. "That's very noble of you Carley."

"Thank you."

The room took a moment of silence, fully absorbing that tonight will be the last they see of Carley. She'll be making a sacrifice for the better of the group.

Tonight they will all be risking their lives for medicine, food, and parts for a boat, unsure if they will make it out alive or intact. Sharon will be risking her life and the children's safety to search for signs of Lisa.

Is the risk worth it?

Christa ended the silence. "I suppose we should all clear our bags out." She sighed, as that would mean undoing all of her work. "We need to take all we can carry from Crawford."

Carley shrugged. "I won't be needing mine anymore."

"Right, I'll. . . we'll leave it for the kids then, in case they get hungry."

Kenny nodded. "Meanwhile, we need to sort out weapons. Lee and I can take any walkers that we come across-"

Molly cleared her throat. "Just because you're strong men doesn't mean women can't take care of themselves."

"I- alright fine, the three of us can take any walkers, how's that sound?"

"Good to me." Molly grinned.

Christa squinted. "Why are you even still here?"

"Hey, if you guys can get that boat working, you're taking me with you as payment for saving their asses out by the river, along with protection in and out of Crawford. I figure that's fair enough, don't you?"

"Anyway." Kenny continued. "Lee, you and I should look through the shed, get an axe or something to deal with walkers."

"Screwdrivers are best." Sharon mumbled, when the room went quiet she continued. "They slip in and out, there's nothing to get caught on."

"Right, but if we come across people, a screwdriver ain't gonna help. Lee, I trust you didn't lose your gun in the sewers. Still loaded?"

Lee easily ejected the magazine from his gun. "About a dozen shots left."

Kenny nods, looking to the rifle they had taken from Lilly, now propped against the fireplace. "The rifle doesn't have a lot, we can wave it around as a threat if need be."

Ben looked between the two adults. "We're not. . . we're not going to kill people, are we?"

"Not unless we have to." Lee said.

"The plan is to sneak in and out, but things can change."

"Kenny."

He scoffed. "Those fuckers threw their sick and young in a pile and left them to die, I'm not going guns-a-blazing but if any single one of them gets in my way- I won't hesitate."

"Ben, YOU don't have to kill anyone." Carley assured. "How many shots do you have left?"

Ben hesitated, patting down his jacket in random spots until he remembered which pocket he had left his gun in. "Um. . ." He struggled to take out the clip. "It's full."

"Mind if we trade, then?" Christa asked, holding up her gun. "I only got three left."

Ben nodded, trading his gun for one with only three bullets. Three bullets means he'll need to ration his shots, he won't need to fire as often.

"I can handle shooting someone who's a threat." Christa said, easing Ben's nerves.

"If you're too scared to put up a fight, then keep it that way." Kenny said, making Ben feel uneasy again just by the tone of voice. "Just to be safe, everyone should pick something from the shed to protect yourselves with. Sharon, since you lost yours this morning you should get a new screwdriver."

Sharon didn't reply, her gaze stuck a thousand miles away.

"So, everyone understand the plan?"

"I don't want to say goodbye."

Lee looked around, though the wind and rustling trees muffled her voice he was still unsure if anyone inside had heard her say that before the door was able to shut.

He sighed, leaning on the door frame. "Are you sure?"

"That way it's like I'm not dead." Carley said. "It's like I'm just not there, that I could come back soon. . . like I'm in the other room."

"You can have an 'Irish goodbye,' that's not the problem. I meant: are you sure you want to do this?" Lee pushed himself off the house. "Like Sharon said, you'll be alone, no one will stop you from turning."

"I know, but I don't see any other option."

"There are other options."

"And what are those? Stay here and you bury me over there in the garden with the kid and the dog? Someone comes with me to the bell tower? I come with and die in a sewer?"

"There has to be. . . something."

"I know, Lee." Carley took a step closer. "You're really good at pretending you know what you're doing, but this isn't something you can improvise your way through."

"I. . . You don't deserve this Carley." Lee hung his head. "You deserve better."

Carley hummed, slowly lifting her hands to pull Lee into an embrace, unsure if this was to comfort herself or Lee. "I don't want to die knowing somebody else has to watch." She said once Lee returned the hug. "No one deserves to kill someone they love."

Lee sighed, out of ways to convince Carley to stay. "What kind of world are we living in?"

"One where we're all murderers." Carley mumbled.

Lee pressed his lips together.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted. . . back at the RV. I guess I wasn't prepared for how quickly things were changing."

Lee shrugged. "I'm sorry I wasn't thinking about how you felt about it. It's not fun being a murderer, I think about it all the time."

Carley pulled away. "But how was this different than the bandits? When they'd attack we killed some of them, it was like they weren't even human. Why don't I feel bad about that?"

"You knew Lilly, we struggled to survive together." Lee pulled her back in the hug. "She was a friend, but she was going to kill Sharon. You didn't have a choice. You have that over me, at least."

Carley nodded, Lee's murder wasn't for defense, it was from anger. Carley had to do what she did. Knowing they had forgiven each other for what was said on the RV made her feel more at peace.

Carley pulled away to Look Lee in the eyes. ". . . Are you really going to leave Clementine here?"

"Carley, there was. . ." Lee pulled himself away from her and paced toward the fountain, his back facing her. "It looked like they gathered everyone who lived in Savannah and left them to die in one big pile full of spikes. Kids, sick, people they didn't like. . ."

"Oh my god."

"Didn't even bother to, y'know-" Lee faced her again, placing his index and middle finger to his temple. "Pretty sure they were alive when they were stuck on the wall."

Carley looked down.

"I don't want her anywhere near that place."

"Earlier, when we were talking about what to do with Travis, the new guy, and the kids. . ." Carley hesitated. "Are you going to give Clementine a gun?"

"I don't know yet, I was hoping the decision would come to me when it's time."

"You know you can't do that for every hard decision, right?"

"It's worked so far." Lee shrugged, a hint of a smile on his face. "She doesn't have to use it if she doesn't want to, but it's there if she needs it."

Carley nodded, slowly reaching and pulling out her own pistol. "Well, when you make the decision, give her this."

"Wait." Lee stepped closer. "So you want to go out on your own to the bell tower without anything to protect yourself with?"

"I'm already bit, what else is there?"

"Carley-"

"I'm not going to be defenseless." She sighed. "I'm going to make a jacket, like the ones you and Kenny would take when you'd go out deep in Macon."

"But what if. . ."

"Lee." Carley pushed the gun closer to him. "I know it's hard but I've accepted that I'm going to die."

Lee unfolded his arms and brought his hands to his head.

"I've denied it, I grieved, and I got angry. It happened to Katjaa, and now it's going to happen to me."

Lee didn't respond.

"It's not fair. None of this is fair, but it wouldn't be fair to make my boyfriend stop me from turning."

Lee lowered his hands, his grief temporarily paused from confusion. "Boyfriend?" He blinked a few times and lowered his hands. "Y'know, I never officially asked you."

"Well, you're not going to let me die single, are you?"

He smiled, would have chuckled if the woman he had feelings for wasn't dying in front of his eyes.

"Are you?"

"It's not fair that you're trying to make me laugh in a time like this."

Carley finally lowered the gun, seeing as Lee didn't want to take it. "Lee, I have spent all these months at the motel moping about everyone I'd ever known being dead, and how if I had my purse closer to me at the drugstore that Doug would still be alive. I think. . . I think he would want me to spend the last moments of my life smiling- rather than crying like I want to."

Lee nodded, desperately trying to figure out what the hell he should say next. Only one thing came to mind.

"Well then. . ." He cleared his throat. "Carley. How would you like to go steady with me?"

"Oh, so you won't let me die single."

"Are you sure I can't go?"

Lee knelt down to meet at eye level with the little girl, his knee sucking up moisture from the grass as he did so, of course with the rest of the stains on his pants it didn't matter. "I'm sure."

"But we're a team, remember?"

"I do, but we need you here." Lee turned, watching as the group behind him busied themselves in the shed.

Molly had the map on the ground and was studying it intently. Christa was discussing with Sharon the best of their two tools would be for walkers. Ben and Duck preoccupied Kenny by asking questions about the boat and what parts they are going to need. The group is nearly ready, now they just need Vernon and his friend to lead the way.

Lee turned back to Clem. "I have a job for you, an important job."

"What do I have to do?"

"I need you to watch over the house, the boys, and our supplies."

"What should I do if something happens while you're gone?"

"Here." Slowly Lee reached behind himself, his hand hovering over his own gun, then he pulled out a different one. "I want you to take this."

Clementine looked to Carley's gun with wide eyes. "Me?"

"You remember how to use it, don't you? It's just like I showed you."

"I remember."

"It's a big responsibility, do you think you can handle that?"

"Um, I think so." She slowly reached both hands for the gun.

Lee pulled away just enough to give Clementine pause. "Only if you do not- under any circumstances- let Duck play with the gun. It's not a toy, he's never held one, and. . ."

"And I don't trust him with it."

"Um, yeah." Lee nodded, holding the gun closer to her. "I wouldn't say that out loud, but yeah, maybe try hiding it from him, if you can." Lee waited until the gun was in both of her hands. "Keep it close, you remember where the safety is?"

"Yes."

"Keep it on and don't point it at anyone unless you intend to shoot it."

Clem made sure the safety was on, then slowly and carefully put the gun in her sweatshirt pocket, being careful of the trigger even though she knew it wouldn't fire. "Anything else?"

"Christa left you Carley's bag, it has food in it in case you need it."

"Okay, got it."

"And-" Kenny walked up to them, Duck following by his side. "I want you guys to stay away from Omid and Travis' room, let them rest, don't make too much noise."

"What if they need something?" Duck asked.

"Unless they say they need help, don't go in there. If you here something break, or if they ain't saying words, leave them be."

"And what if they. . . turn?"

Clementine looked to her gun bulging in her pocket, suddenly scared of the object.

Lee broke the silence. "Then both of you go upstairs as fast as you can and close the door, push something over it to-"

"No!" Kenny cleared his throat, looking around to all that heard the sudden outburst, the sound of crickets helped muffle his voice, so he wasn't too worried about walkers hearing him. "I mean- uh, don't push something that's too heavy for you to move. Put a chair under the handle or. . . just make sure you don't trap yourselves in there."

"How long will you be gone?" Duck asked.

The group behind them stayed silent, making it painfully aware that no one really knew how long they would be gone or what they were truly getting themselves in to.

"We don't know, could be a few hours, all night, a few days."

"A few days?" Duck looked up to his father. "Dad what if you don't come back? What if we run out of food?"

"Now now, Duck, it's gonna be okay." Kenny knelt down. "What's left in your bag is just for dinner and breakfast, we're leaving behind all of our food. It will be a while before you run out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, and don't even think about touching what's on the table until you finish what's in the bag. Ration your food like we talked about, chew slowly."

Duck slumped.

"You'll be fine." Kenny shook his head. "Can Lee and I have a minute?"

The kids nodded, while Clementine walked away to join Sharon and Christa, Duck stayed put.

"A minute alone, Duck." Kenny rolled his eyes. "Meaning- we need to have an adult conversation."

"Oh." Duck blinked, turning on his heels to run after Clem.

"Anyway." Lee tried not to smirk. "What's up?"

"I took another look at the boat." Kenny whispered. "She's a 30-footer."

"So?"

"So- we're going to have a capacity problem." Kenny started pacing. "Assumin' everyone makes it alive, there ain't gonna be room for everyone and all of our supplies."

Lee squinted. "What are you trying to say?"

"Just giving you a heads-up, is all." Kenny squinted back, leaving the meaning of this conversation open-ended. "Thought you oughta know."

Before Lee could push further and make Kenny say what he was implying, the gate screeched open. In the dark Vernon appeared, behind him the woman he had mentioned at the meeting.

"Everybody," Vernon called out. "This is Brie."

Brie stepped forward, raising a hand in a curt wave. "Vernon told me the plan." She said as everyone gathered. "I was a student at the school where Crawford keeps their supplies, and as a plus I used to work with city development.

"Meaning?" Christa asked.

"Meaning with her help we're in and out faster." Vernon defended.

"I know the sewers well." Brie continued. "Sorry to bring this up- Vernon mentioned that there was someone bitten in your group?"

"Why'd you ask?" Kenny crossed his arms.

"Wait," Sharon stepped forward. "Where is she?"

Kenny dropped his arms and looked around, suddenly aware that nobody else knew where she had gone.

Lee sighed. "She left after the meeting."

"Without saying anything?"

"She couldn't say goodbye, it was too hard."

"Left?" Vernon asked. "Where did she go?"

"She's going to ring church bells to draw the walkers away from us." Lee answered. "Should keep the house safe and the roads clear, for the most part."

"And hopefully it won't alert Crawford." Vernon crossed his arms.

"Relax old man." Molly rolled her eyes. "I've been ringing those bells every week and haven't seen anyone come looking for me in a while. The church she's at is West, further away."

"So," Kenny said. "She should be pretty close by now, right?"

"Yeah." Christa nodded, returning her attention to Brie. "How long will the walk be?"

"Depends on how many dead are in the sewer." Brie shrugged. "Twenty minutes, maybe."

Vernon nodded. "We will walk for a bit before travelling in the sewers, it's going to be dark down there so I hope you brought some flashlights."

"I got this." Kenny lifted a bright yellow light similar to the one Ben broke and Sharon took the blame for back at the inn.

Molly held out her own, using it to blind Ben for a split second before turning it off. Sharon reached behind her and pulled a red flashlight from her newly-emptied backpack, this one a lot better than the key chain sized one she used to take with her when she'd leave the inn.

Brie looked to Kenny. "If you don't mind, we should use the big one up front."

"Alright." Kenny held out the flashlight for Brie to take. "I want one person in the back with a light. Sharon, you up to it?"

"I can do that."

"When we get inside Crawford we will have to improvise." Brie said, testing the brightness of the light on the ground for a second before continuing. "They keep all their supplies in or around the school, so we'll be sticking close to that."

"What if we get caught?" Ben asked.

"We don't." Christa said. "Should we go now or wait for the bells?"

"We shouldn't wait." Vernon uncrossed his arms. "If we want to wait until it gets darker, we'll do it once we're underground and ready."

"Let's get moving." Molly pulled up her hood.

"Wait." Kenny called. "Ben, turn off the lantern in the shed. Y'all; give me, Lee, and Sharon a second to say bye to the kids."

As Ben rushed inside the shed the group split, waiting at the gate for them to finish talking.

"Now," Kenny said as the five reached the back door. "I expect you two to be on your best behavior."

"This time is different then the last." Sharon knelt down, making sure Duck specifically is listening. "This time you absolutely cannot leave, do you understand?"

The kids nodded.

"This is dangerous. We don't know how long we will be gone, but no matter what, you don't go looking for us."

"We need everybody to stick to the plan." Lee said. "Including you."

"This feels like a superhero movie!" Duck exclaimed. "I'll protect the citizens, while you guys protect the town!"

"Duck, this ain't like a-"

"You're right, Duck." Sharon cut Kenny off. "Just be sure to stay inside, or the bad guys could see you."

"Yeah! And I won't make a noise."

"That would be a miracle." Kenny mumbled.

Duck's excitement quickly faded, before anyone could ask what was wrong he quickly rushed forward and hugged Sharon tight.

"Please don't die."

Sharon could feel tears pricking her eyes, as she hugged Duck back she felt every instinct aflame. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay and protect the kids, she wanted to make sure they are going to be okay and protected.

"I miss mom so much. I don't want you to go, too."

Unfortunately for both of them, she missed Lisa as much as he missed his mother. If there is any sign that Lisa made it here, it would be at Crawford.

If she isn't there, then that's it.

She's dead.

"We're not going to die." Kenny knelt down as well. "We got each other's backs, we ain't gonna let another person in our family die, alright?"

Duck nodded, quickly rubbing away his tears as he pulled away. "I'm going to go upstairs and- um. . . keep a lookout."

Sharon nodded. "If you get tired you can use that bed."

"I'm not going to bed, I have to keep everyone safe while you're gone." Duck heroically posed. "Dick Grayson won't let you down."

Kenny couldn't roll his eyes at that.

"Everyone stop." Brie whispered, turning to face the group behind her. "Our entrance is right there-" She pointed out to the street, just beyond the short hedges they had stopped behind. "Once we get inside our voices will echo."

Kenny nodded. "So no small talk."

"Only talk if it's important." Lee said.

"We should stay in a line if possible." Brie continued. "To keep from crowding."

"So the order we go down is the order we stay." Lee looked to Brie. "I'll stay up front and keep you safe from walkers."

Brie took off her backpack, pulling out a strange looking crowbar with handles. "Ready when you are."

Lee and Brie were the first to run out, first removing the manhole cover before gathering everyone out in the open.

With the cover off she turned on the large yellow flashlight and pointed it down inside, first checking for walkers at the bottom. When nothing presented itself Lee descended first.

"Sharon." Kenny whispered, rifling in his pockets. "Before we go down, I wanted to give this back to you."

Brie waved the rest of the group over.

As they walked to the cover Kenny held out a wooden handled pocket knife to Sharon, the metal gleamed from the moonlight. "I cleaned the blade while I was looking in the sheds."

Sharon slowly took the object from his hands, feeling the engraving with her finger tips. With this she carried a small part of Lisa, something to remind her of her goal. "Thank you."

Brie followed Lee down, bringing the flashlight down with her.

"Also, I wanted to ask you something." He hesitated. "Not really a question, but a promise I need you to make."

"Kenny, what do you-"

"We're all going through hard times right now, our family especially." He said, gesturing between them.

Molly pulled her mask over her face and took a deep breath before climbing down the ladder.

"I need you to promise me that you won't pull another stunt like you did on the train." He crossed his arms. "That can't happen anymore. Duck needs you, Clem needs you- shit we haven't even been able to talk to her about the crazy fucker on the radio."

Sharon's heart squeezed. How could she have forgotten about that? Has Lee tried talking to her about that? Was Lisa so important to her that she'd let a little girl get kidnapped?

Vernon cleared his throat, gesturing that the two talking should follow him down sooner rather than later.

"Please, can you promise me you won't do that again? That you'll do everything you can to stay alive?"

Sharon nodded. "Kenny, when I did that it felt like everything was weighing down on me, it was too much all at once, this whole day has been." She sighed. "I didn't want to come with to risk my life, I. . . I want to help, and I need to see if there's any sign of Lisa there."

Christa tried to let Ben go ahead, trying not to be obvious that she was listening, though Ben insisted she go ahead of him.

"I know it's a long shot and I know it's stupid, she was all I had, but now I have you and Duck." She smiled. "As long as Duck sees me as his older sister, I'm not going to do anything like that again, I promise."

With that Kenny finally descended down the manhole, a little more optimistic than before.

As Ben stood over the hole he looked to Sharon.

"Did you mean that?" Ben asked. "Are you not going to leave?"

Sharon frowned. "The whole reason I wanted to leave was to find Lisa, if she is really gone then. . . I don't have a reason to."

"Travis isn't going to be happy to hear that."

"Because I was too busy focusing on Lisa I never tried helping him be happier with our group, he'll change his mind." Sharon finally pocketed her new knife. "Are you ready?"

Ben shook his head, standing at the edge of the ladder.

"You and Travis survived escaping from the Save-lots bandits, you can survive this." Sharon found her flashlight and turned it on, pointing it down the hole. "Watch your step, I'll be right behind you."

Ben shuddered, hesitantly hanging his legs through the once dark abyss, now lit by Sharon's flashlight.

"Ugh, it stinks in-" Christa coughed, her arm covering her nose. "Oh god."

"You think you'd get used to bad smells." Lee grimaced. "What with the walkers, no showers, garbage everywhere. . ."

"Yeah but-" Christa pulled her shirt over her nose, her voice muffled. "Sewage isn't a smell I'm used to."

"Could be worse." Brie says, nearly unaffected by the smell. "Lot of what's down here is rainwater, the smell isn't too bad compared to when people were alive and using toilets."

Ben finally reached the bottom of the ladder, groaning as the odor finally hit him. "It smells like-"

"As thrilled as I am to talk about how bad it smells here," Vernon cut in. "We should be quiet."

"Right." Kenny whispered. "From here on out-"

The group flinched at the sounds of church bells in the distance, just loud enough that they could hear it from down here.

"Sharon!" Kenny loudly whispered, waving at her silhouette. "Get out of the streets!"

Sharon took one last look at the direction of the bells, a whispered prayer for Carley to be at peace gone in the wind. She carefully descended the ladder.

Lee and Brie started to lead the way once Sharon had shut the manhole cover behind her, safely securing them inside without the risk of a walker falling in. Kenny and Ben stayed behind to make sure she got to the bottom safely, even she couldn't stop herself from gagging.

"I think I can taste the air."

She shined the flashlight behind them to check for walkers, then nodded to the men in front of her to follow the group.

"Alright, you had your comment on how bad it stinks." Kenny whispered. "No more talking."

Everyone agreed.

Ben shuddered. "I think I just stepped on a dead rat."