23

- Rick! Come down here. We need to talk.

The tension around us could be cut with a knife. I could feel the air getting heavy as I breathe, and I knew all of us were feeling the same. For the corner of my eye I noticed that Daryl had walked away from us. And while Rick approached the tank with a cautious manner, we just waited for this to not be a problem.

But what I'm saying? This was a big problem.

- It's not up to me. There's a council now. They run this place.

The Governor heard how Rick said that. And on his face a smug smirk grew.

- Is Hershel on the council? — Beth gasped in horror as someone took off the bag revealing Hershel, He was calm and looked at us — What about Michonne? She on the council, too?

- I don't make decisions anymore.

- You're making the decisions today, Rick. Come down here — He motioned to Rick — let's have that talk.

I felt someone grabbed at my arm and when I looked up and found Daryl handing me a rifle, I hesitated at first, but I understood. We were in the warpath and the only choice we had was fighting. He nodded at me, so I rolled my shotgun to my back and I grabbed the rifle, checked out the ammo immediately aimed at the people who were willing to attack us.

Rick walked closer to the tank, and he and the Governor started a conversation we couldn't listen properly for the distance between us and them. I was just wondering how all this would end. But deep down I knew that nothing good could happen if the Governor was here with a tank and an army in the first place. He came here to get rid of us. Maybe to take the prison, but with that entire people why would he want this place? And I wasn't willing to let them take it, this place had been our home for more than half a year and all I could think about is that I was going to fight if he wanted to fight.

They were talking again, and everyone around me was ready and aiming at those people, I had the rifle well pointed to the Governor's head. Any sudden move and he will be dead in a second. In that moment I realized that I wasn't afraid, all the pressure in my chest and the heavy breathing I had before just disappeared, and the only thing left was determination.

- I knew he'll be back — I heard Merle said behind me. I did not want to stop looking at my target.

- Where are the girls?

- In the backyard, waiting in the bus, Chinaman is getting them all there. — I had to stop looking as I turned my eyes to see the eldest Dixon. Merle had become a great member of the group, he eventually after the people from Woodbury came to live with us, Merle started to go on runs to find supplies, food and everything we needed here. I think for the first time since I met him I realized he just wanted to belong somewhere that the things he do were rewarded. The most important thing in Merle Dixon life was his brother so he'd do everything to keep his brother safe and with him.

- Are we leaving?

- Ya think there's another option? — I knew there wasn't another option, I shook my head — You're smart biscuit, this won't end good, so don't do any heroic shit today, just go.

Merle's words drummed in my mind for a brief second, he was right, we were not going to win this fight and our lives were more important. When I looked back to the field, the scenario was not what I expected to see.

The Governor had Michonne's sword in hands, and was swinging the weapon in the air. That wasn't the bad part; the thing that made me cringe was that he was aiming the thing to Hershel's neck, ready to cut.

- Oh fucking bastard — I aimed my rifle again.

- He's not gonna... — I heard how Beth whispered besides me and then everything happened too fast.

The Governor raised the sword; he moved his lips like he said something, something he was answering to Rick. Something we never got to know. Something that suddenly changed our lives. He looked at Rick, and with a swift swing the blade cut directly to Hershel's neck. I first heard the screaming and sobbing, but my fingers reacted before I could process what just happened. I pulled the trigger and a bullet flew out of the barrel and from the distance I saw that it pierced on the Governor, not in the head but I shot him.

I saw Rick running around and that was when I realized that the tank was moving. The sound of gunshots was everywhere, and I rapidly ran out of ammo. As I looked for more ammunition I watched horrified that Effy was still there and was shooting. She crouched behind a fence loading her gun again and I took that moment to walk right there.

- Eff! The hell you doing?! — When she looked up to me, her perfect blue eyes were filled with tears. Then it hit me, Hershel was dead.

- We have to fight! — She replied, standing up.

- No we don't! Get to the bus and wait there!

A detonation sounded and we almost stumbled across the floor. With the blood rushing in my veins and the gunshots drumming in my ears I grabbed my sister by the arm.

- What?

- Find Beth, Maggie, and Sophia and — another explosion boomed — And Judith! Go to the fucking bus! Now!

She squeeze my hand and nodded while the tears were falling down her eyes, she aimed her gun, looked one last time at me before making herself sure that she could run to the backyard and she left. Effy ran, and even though a bloody gunfire was happening around us, I felt relieved she wasn't fighting. I got out of my hidden spot and I almost fell backwards, the tank had made its way inside the prison, tearing apart the fences and shooting like we were in a battlefield. This was insane, but I needed to survive and I needed to find my people and go.

I felt bullets zooming near my ears and when I turned around there was someone trying to shoot at me.

Bad idea.

I was in complete rage, my heart was pounding in my chest and I could swear I felt my blood burn inside my veins. These fucking idiots thought they could get in here, destroy our home and get away with it? I was going to prove them how wrong they all were.

Taking the distraction of the detonations, I took that as an advantage and aimed my rifle, with one shot the person did not even noticed he was about to die before he was in the floor dead. Another one turned to find their friend dead, and that only gave me another chance to blow out a bullet through his head. As I tried to grab more ammo realized I ran out of it. So in my attempt to find more someone got in my way. It was a woman, young and with curly hair, she wasn't aiming at me and when she realize I was there I already had a knife in my hand, but when she noticed the knife, the blade was already stabbed in her neck.

Blood spilled on my jacket but I didn't care, I didn't care if I was taking lives as I walked, I didn't care about it. All I cared about was that I needed to find my way out of there with my sisters, my friends and Daryl.

I nearly jumped out of my skin, I needed to find Daryl. Walking again I saw how the bus was leaving. That meant that Effy and the girls were gone, at least they got to escape from the disaster. But I was still here, and I wasn't staying. And while another detonation exploded I started to run. I dropped the rifle in the process, carrying an empty weapon was no too smart, and I still had my beloved shotgun fully loaded in my back.

- Mary!

And I saw it. Walkers were coming from the woods, and some of it were already inside the yards. A hand grabbed mine and pushed me back to the floor. I looked up finding a sheriff's hat blocking my sight.

- Carl?

- I'm trying to find Dad and Judith — He crouched beside me and I noticed that he had a rifle in hands.

- We have to kill the walkers, and then we'll find Rick, okay? – Carl looked at me with doubt, he had the same grey eyes as Rick and now I felt like it was Rick the one looking at me without knowing what to do.

- Okay.

I realized something, while we killed the undead that had entered the prison's grounds I noticed the gunshots had stopped. There was no other detonation and I saw that we were the only ones who still were there. I checked all the bodies and I did not find anyone of us. Gladly I realized they could escape but Carl and I were still here and we couldn't stay longer, night will be over our heads soon and this place was going to be a shelter for walkers.

I knew by the expression in the kid's eyes that he was angry, and I could not blame him because I was mad too. Hershel was dead, and even though a part of my heart told me that the others were alive I couldn't tell if they were okay or if they were hurt. And we needed to find them.

- Daryl! – I called his name I don't know how many times that day. I was already getting anxious and worried, I needed to find him, I knew deep down he was alive, but not knowing if he was wounded or another thing, it was killing me.

- Judith's not here.

- She left with the kids in the bus; I'm ninety percent sure about it.

- We need to find her, we need to.

- We gotta. – Carl nodded with my response.

As Carl called for his dad and looked for Judith though I told him I had some certain she was okay. We heard something. Looking around I saw someone coming to us. Walking or limping, someone I could recognize no matter what.

- Rick!

I couldn't help but run at him, I saw the blood first and then how he was walking. Rick was nearly standing on his feet. He had half of his face bruised and his leg bloodied. He looked at me and gasped a name. Carl came right behind and hugged his dad. Before I could say anything Rick was pulling me into a hug all the way. I could not avoid the sob that escaped from my throat.

- Judith… Where is she? – Rick looked at his son but the kid glanced at me.

- She left in the bus I know that…

- We don't know that! – I widened my eyes when Carl snapped at me like that.

- We gotta find her. All of 'em – Rick sighed, he looked exhausted and was bleeding we needed to find a place to spend the night and take care of his wounds.

In our way leaving we saw Judith's chair, Carl ran frantically and then he all of a sudden aimed the rifle at the little crib.

- Carl!

And then I saw the little crib, it was empty and all painted in crimson, all splattered with blood. That only meant one thing and the thought of it made my stomach twist with the horrible image that came to my mind. I fell on my knees; I could not take it anymore. With the sound of Carl sobbing and watching Rick grabbing his son in an attempt to calm him, I exploded.

The first tear fell from my eye, then another and when I covered my face with my hands I was already crying uncontrollably. Sobs crashed in my throat and I felt my eyes burned with every tear that fell. The only thing that kept me steady from not let me fall completely on the ground was Rick's arms around me, he first hugged me from behind and said some words, that we needed to go and that we need to leave.

As he helped me to stand up and pulled me to walk again, we left the prison without looking back.

...

Mary escaped the prison with Rick and Carl. What's going to happen now?

Next chapter the next week!