Heart of Dixon
Chapter 2: Tanks and New People
So did anyone notice the new changes? If ya did, did ya like them? PM me and let me know. Thanks to my beta 0rchidd for editing everything and giving me wonderful ideas. As always you are the best muse.
Sorry guys for the offensive language, those are the actual Walking Dead lines. I'm apologizing because I felt really bad copying them.
Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead, just Robin.
My days haven't really improved nor has my luck improved. Being stuck in a tank with my ears ringing while the dead were trying to get in to eat my face was definitely high on the list of 'someone upstairs really loves screwing with my life' list. Granted the journey to this point wasn't all that bad.
After we left the hospital, Rick and I walked to his house to find it abandoned. Rick's wife had taken every article of clothing and crumb along with her to where ever they went. My companion decided again that he was dreaming, so Rick smacked himself around repeating over and over to wake up. When he realized that it wasn't a dream he stormed outside. I let him go alone, thinking he needed a little time. That and I had no idea how to comfort people. I was normally really bad when it came to comforting or anything like it. I was going to give him several more minutes until I heard the gunshot.
"Rick!" I screamed without thinking and ran outside.
Outside, near the front of the lawn, Rick was sprawled unconscious. Standing over him was the source of the gunshot. An African-American man, who I later learned was Morgan, protecting his son Duane. Both were towering over the passed out Rick, when Morgan heard me run up he pointed his gun at me. He knew that several of those things, what he called walkers, would have heard that shot so he ushered us all inside. Then he tied Rick and I down onto a bed, asking me several questions about who we were and what Rick's wound was. Rick woke up sometime later prompting Morgan to threaten us at knife point, and then we had a charming dinner together.
Morgan helped explain all that happened, way better than I did. During dinner Morgan's zombiefied wife had shown up on the front porch. Morgan couldn't kill the thing that had his wife's face. I didn't blame him; I don't think I could have been able to do it either if it were my husband.
Afterwards we had time to talk more about the end of the world situation, "So it's all real then?" Rick asked while I was reading one of Duane's comic books.
I nodded, "I really wish it wasn't."
"Why?" He asked.
"I don't have the answer to that." I replied setting the book aside.
There was a moment of silence; I thought maybe we were done talking for now until he spoke up again, "Morgan is trying to make me give up looking." He stated looking me in the eyes with that intense stare of his.
I laughed sardonically, "So you're going to give up? We haven't even started looking yet."
"If there's no hope then why should I…?" He stopped himself. His voice filled with emotion and he couldn't make himself finish.
I leaned over and grasped his hand, "If you give up hope, then you die. In this world nowadays, what do you have to go on if you don't have hope? Hope for another day, to see a friendly face, or maybe a single second where you are not fearing for your life. Never give it up, Rick." I let go.
Wow, Robin that was pretty deep of you. I thought.
He nodded, "Thanks. I needed that." He smiled.
I nodded once with a smile, "You're welcome, Sherriff. Now go to sleep, you have Zombie Killing 101 tomorrow."
The next morning after Rick made his first zombie kill he led us to his old office where we had hot showers! Ok, that was the best thing that happened since this all started. I sang and danced under the hot water not even caring I was in the same room with two men and a child. They laughed and sang along with me.
"I guess you can say what can make me feel this way!" I sang while under the glorious spray.
Rick, Duane, and Morgan shouted, "My girl!"
"Every morning at dawn, we'll turn our radio on and contact you." Rick reminded. He was wearing his old Sherriff's deputy uniform which was so out of place in this new world. I kept the giggles back every time I saw his hat, but I'll admit I really wanted to wear it.
"You two take care of yourselves." Morgan said as we climbed into Rick's police car.
We drove several miles in silence, occasionally Rick would tell me some plan he had, but he let me read one of my books without much interruption.
After another hour, I felt hungry so I dug through my bag. I pulled out two protein bars, two fruit cups, and two bottles of water, "Here you go." I smiled handing Rick his.
"Thanks." He glanced back over to my bag, "What all do you have in that bag?"
I shrugged, "I have plenty of stuff. I have two changes of clothes, first aid kit, some snacks, a hoodie, a knife, a CD player with a bunch of batteries and CDS, some books, and other things I picked up here and there." I replied, "Oh and some rope." I added holding up some blue rope.
"Why do you have rope?" Rick cocked a brow.
"Rope has a lot of uses and they're always using it in the movies." I explained quite haughtily.
Rick chucked, "Well excuse me."
In the same haughty tone I replied, "You're excused." Then shot him a playful smile.
My bad luck came back when our car ran out of gas. We walked to a small farm where an old couple had committed suicide. Amongst the chaos of the abandoned farm, we found a beautiful brown horse. The poor thing was frightened of us at first, but Rick calmed him down.
"Whoa Nessie!" I whispered under my breath as he whinnied loudly. Horses were another thing I wasn't really good at. I wasn't afraid of them, they were beautiful creatures, but I could not ride one if I tried.
"It's a boy, Robin." Rick laughed.
"Sorry, whoa Nelson!" I corrected with a sheepish smile.
"Nelson?" Rick questioned with smile.
"Yes, his name is Nelson. I've decided." I said firmly with a nod.
"Then Nelson is his name." Rick chuckled, "Now let's find his saddle."
I followed Rick to a closed barn. When Rick was about to swing open the door I stopped him, "Wait, what are you doing?"
He let out an irritated sigh, "Getting Nelson's saddle."
I huffed a laugh, "You can't just barge in somewhere without checking."
"I doubt there's a walker in the barn, Robin." He sighed again.
"You don't know that. You don't do anything without checking. You have to be careful. Have you been reading that book I gave you?" I questioned.
He rubbed his face, "Yes, Robin."
"And what does it say, my padawan?" I asked, I answered him before he could open his mouth, "Either A) Check a window or B) Listen." I went up to the door and knocked hard then stuck my ear to the door.
Rick watched me amused like I was pulling some sort of joke, but I was serious-or as serious as I could be.
I heard nothing so I pulled away, "You can go."
He smiled sarcastically and gave me a nod when he went inside. Inside was filled with farming equipment, an old tractor, and stuff for horses, but I didn't see a saddle anywhere. Rick pointed at a door he spotted and went over.
"Knock first." I instructed, but my padawan didn't listen. He threw open the door and the moment he did, a mummified walker fell out right on him.
Rick let out a yell, "Robin run!" He ordered as he fought the dead thing from biting him on the ground. Just as he finished his command, I jammed my crowbar right through its skull. Rick pushed it off and stared up at me from the ground.
In a stern voice I ordered, "Knock and listen first. Before you go into anywhere new." I smiled again, "You see there is a method to my madness."
Rick nodded and I helped him up. He grabbed the saddle then we went back to Nelson. After he was ready to ride, Rick and I climbed on and began our journey into the city. I felt anxious the entire trip, it may have had something to do with Nelson's jarring trot, or maybe the creepy abandoned city could have been the reason too.
Rick suddenly sped up leading us right into a large pack of walkers. My luck fucking sucks! Nelson threw us off with Rick landing on top of me. Though on the bright side, I landed on my backpack, bad news of that, it was left behind with Rick's guns and hat during our dash to get away from the horde of undead.
Rick pulled me up to my feet and shot any walkers that came in too close. Luckily they were mostly distracted devouring poor Nelson. Rick and I crawled under an abandoned tank. He shot several that reached for us and I stabbed them with my crowbar. I thought it was my final moments until I saw a hatch on the bottom of the tank. I crawled in with Rick following close behind.
We settled in the tank getting our breath back when a dead soldier turned to get Rick. I wasn't able to cover my ears in time before Rick shot it in the head. The bullet ricocheted but neither of us was hit. My ears rang painfully. I swear to God if I've become deaf from this, I'll kill Rick. Doesn't he know you shouldn't shoot a gun in an enclosed metal space?
Luckily my hearing was coming back, thank God, looks like Rick was going to see another day. That's if we get out of here first. I sent him a glare and Rick gave me an apologetic look in return. He searched around for something to help get us out. There was only the top and bottom hatch but the tank was still surrounded by walkers.
I stuck my head out of the tank where most of the walkers were too distracted to notice me. They were still eating Nelson, "Ah, poor Nelson." I frowned.
"He was a good horse." Rick said giving my back a sympathetic pat.
"Hey dumbasses!" We heard, turning to the radio, "Dumbasses in the tank, you alive in there."
"Ok, I think I'm may have finally lost it…do you hear a voice on the radio too?" I asked with hope.
"You haven't lost it, not yet, Robin." Rick replied ducking back in the tank.
I gave a nervous chuckle, "Good, because it wouldn't surprise me if I did."
"Hello? Hello!" Rick called out in the tank's walkie talkie.
"Ah, there you are. You had me wondering. What about the other, the girl?" The voice sounded like it belonged to a guy my age, never mind an angel more like.
"She's here…where are you? Outside? Can you see us right now?" Rick frantically asked.
"Yea, I can see you. You're surrounded by geeks, that's the bad news."
"There's good news?" Rick asked. I sat up straight with a more positive attitude until…
"No." The voice said sad. I slumped against the wall with a frown. I held my head in my heads and held back the need to cry. I didn't want to die in this tank of dehydration or starvation. What did I say to Rick before? Hope, I needed to have hope.
"Listen, whoever you are, I don't mind telling you I'm a little concerned in here." Rick said. I nearly laughed. I hadn't heard Rick use sarcasm before.
"Oh man, you should see it from over here. You'd be having a major freak out." The mystery dude's voice shook.
"That's not helping!" I called through my hands. He didn't hear me, but it kind of made me feel better to say it.
"Got any advice for us?" Rick asked.
"Yeah, I'd say make a run for it." The voice advised. I looked up from my hands and gazed at Rick. He seriously couldn't be thinking about what I think he was thinking about.
"That's it, 'make a run for it'?" Rick asked unconvinced. Good, he wasn't thinking about it. Good to know my padawan wasn't completely insane.
"My way isn't as dumb as it sounds. You've got eyes on the outside here. There's one geek still on the tank, the others have climbed down and joined the feeding frenzy where the horse went down. You with me so far?"
"So far." Rick confirmed.
"Okay, the street on the other side of the tank is less crowded. If you move now, while they're distracted, you stand a chance. Got ammo?"
"In that duffel bag I dropped, and guns. Can I get to it?" Rick asked.
"And my backpack?" I asked.
"Forget the bags. They're not an option." The voice hurried, "What do you have on you?"
"Hang on." Rick left the radio and searched the dead solider.
"I have my crowbar still." I said to Rick, "We can use it to kill the walker on the tank then use your gun to kill the rest."
Rick nodded at my plan then went back to the radio, "I've got a berretta with one clip, 15 rounds."
"Make 'em count. Jump off the right side of the tank, keep going in that direction. There's an alley up the street, maybe 50 yards. Be there." The voice said. I stood up waiting at the hatch ready to get out of there.
"Hey what's your name?" Rick asked. My jaw dropped, really? We have a small window of survival and you want to ask for his name.
"Have you been listening?! You're running out of time!" He snapped.
"Right." Rick said gathering his gun.
"You ready, Robin." Rick asked prepared to open the hatch.
"No, but we better do it now, before I chicken out." I said.
"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." He said giving my shoulder a squeeze.
"I'm holding you to that." I squeaked. He opened the hatch fast. The one walker on the tank was done in an instant with my crowbar. We jumped down side by side and took off to the right. Rick was shooting the walkers that closed in on us when the man from the radio appeared.
"Whoa, not dead!" Our savior was an Asian man a few years older than me, "Back Here!"
He led us down an alley way to a yellow ladder. I didn't have time to chicken out about heights, not with dozens of walkers descending upon us, I immediately started climbing
"We made it. We actually survived that." I mumbled looking down at the hoard of walkers. I felt like I was on the verge of hysterical giggles but I kept them in knowing Rick probably already doubted my sanity.
"Nice moves there, Clint Eastwood. You the new Sheriff come riding in to clean up the town?"
"It wasn't my intention." Rick panted.
"Yea, whatever. Yeehaw." He said, "You're still a dumbass, both of you."
Rick and I laughed. Rick held out his hand, "Rick, thanks. This here is Robin."
"Glenn, you're welcome." Glenn shook Rick hand then noticed something, "Oh no."
Both of us looked down, they were climbing up. Rick and Glenn looked at the second ladder, this one led to the roof thirty to fifty feet above us. Panic flooded me again, just when I thought it was all good, I had to climb again.
"The bright side: It will be the fall that kills us. I'm a glass half full kind of guy." Glenn said.
"Rick, I can't do that." I panicked.
"Robin, you can. You can do this. If you can jump out of a tank surrounded by walkers, you can climb this ladder." Rick encouraged.
I shook my head, "Nope, nope, I can't."
"Robin, look at me." I looked up into Rick's blue eyes.
"You can, you will for your brother." He said.
"You know sometimes, I really don't like you." I said then turned to the ladder.
"For Jacob." I said then began to climb. I was shaking something awful and my palms were super sweaty. To calm my nerves I started to hum Bohemian Rhapsody. It calmed me down but only the slightest.
"What are you humming?" Rick asked.
"Shut Up!" I called out. I needed to concentrate on the song, "I see a little silhouette of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?"
Glenn and Rick burst out in laughter when I sang in a deeper voice, "Thunderbolt and lightening…"
I wondered how far we've gone and I looked down. I squeaked out, "Very, very frightening!"
"Don't look down, Robin!" Rick called. I looked back up and continued the song.
Finally I made to the top and fell to the gravel. My body began to ache with adrenaline. I felt like someone poured a bucket of cold water on me.
"Come on, Robin, we need to get out of here." Rick laughed.
"Are there any more ladders?" I asked.
"Just one more." Glenn said.
"Just leave me here. Go on without me, leave me some water. Some chips if you have some." I said, but got up and followed them.
We walked from building top to building top, "You the one who barricaded the alley?"
"Somebody did-I guess when the city got overrun. Whoever did it was thinking, not many geeks could get through."
"Back at the tank, why'd you stick your neck out for us?" Rick asked helping Glenn lift a cover. There was another ladder down below. I couldn't see the bottom, but it must have not been far with the way Glenn threw his backpack down it.
"Call it foolish, naïve hope that if I'm ever that far up shit creek, somebody might do the same for me. Guess that makes me a bigger dumbass than you." He smiled up at us then began to climb down. I went behind him then Rick.
We ran through an abandoned office building then back outside to a small stairway into an alley. Glenn pulled out a walkie-talkie and started talking rapidly.
"I'm back, got two guests, plus four walkers in the alley." He said. We stopped at the bottom steps of the stairway as two walkers slowly began to limp towards us. Just then two men fully padded with bats burst out of the building and bashed the walkers. We ran in with them behind us.
Immediately upon walking in Rick was thrown against wooden crates by a very mad blonde with a gun, "You sons of bitches. We ought to kill you."
"That would be counterproductive, don't you think?" I mumbled next to Glenn. I'm glad no one shoved me against the wall. I wasn't too worried about Rick. The woman had forgotten to flip her safety off.
"I'm not afraid to shoot you too." The blonde snapped at me. I gripped my crowbar tighter, I'd never hurt a living person with it, but I would if I had to help Rick.
"Just chill out Andrea. Back off." One man said removing his padded armor. He was a Hispanic man.
"Come on, ease up." An African-American woman said near the blonde.
"Ease up! You've got to be kidding me, right?" She snapped, "We're dead because of these stupid assholes."
The Hispanic man neared her, "Andrea, I said back the hell off!" The blonde didn't move. She continued to glare daggers at Rick and I with her gun pointed straight at Rick the entire time.
"Well, pull the trigger." The man said to her. She finally backed away from Rick and fought herself not to cry.
"We're dead-all of us, because of you." She sobbed giving us a menacing glare.
"I don't understand." Rick asked. The Hispanic grabbed his arm with an African-American man pushing me from behind. I held my crowbar up threateningly to him so he stopped pushing.
"Look, we came into the city to scavenge supplies. You know what the key to scavenging is? Surviving!" he snapped, "You know what the key to surviving is? Sneaking in and out, tiptoeing."
"Hey, it's not Rick's fault!" I was tired of how they were just targeting him, "He's been in a coma. He didn't know what's been going on, he doesn't know about them! We're looking for our families. I'm looking for my brother! So you back the hell off!"
"It's ok Robin…" Rick said carefully
They led us into a shop filled with clothes, "Every geek for miles heard your boyfriend popping off rounds."
"You just rang the dinner bell." The blonde, Andrea, said.
Tons of walkers, maybe a hundred or so, pressed against the window. How were we going to get out of this one? I doubt these would just wonder off within time, they were riled up. They wouldn't give up until they had the taste of flesh.
I slumped unto the floor, "How will I find Jacob now?"
"Jacob? Wait, he called you Robin. You're Jacob's sister, we know Jacob!" the black man said.
I jumped up back onto my feet. That was the best news I've heard all day, "You know Jacob, he's alright? Alive?"
They were really quiet now, all looked away from me then. They wouldn't look at me. I felt my heart sink in my chest, my crowbar that was normally glued to my right hand fell clanking to the ground. I stopped breathing as my throat constricted with emotion.
"When did he die?" I whispered out.
"A few days after it all started, our group was going from place to place looking for somewhere safe." Glenn explained.
"We found a warehouse that we thought was safe, but it wasn't. Most of us knew about the geeks right away, but we had two guys who hadn't known. They'd been out hunting when things started. Our leader wanted to leave them, but Jake couldn't let that happen." The black man said.
"He was able to warn them in time. He saved one of them from getting overrun, but didn't realize he was being surrounded. He sacrificed himself for Daryl, the man he saved." The black woman finished.
I fell again to the ground, someone knelt on the floor beside me and pulled me against them but I didn't see who it was. I didn't care to look. The only person I had left was dead, I had no one now. What do I do now? All that I held hope for just vanished, and I couldn't make myself care.
Loud gunshots disturbed my desolation, who was shooting now? One of them had a clue, the blonde, Andrea asked, "Oh no, was that Dixon?"
"What is that maniac doing?" the Hispanic asked.
"Come on, let's go!" Glenn said pulling me up with him. We ran up several steps until we made it to the roof. A man with a rifle stood there target practicing on the walkers below. As we all piled on the roof, I stayed close to the door. I didn't want to be near the edge. My panic over heights returning.
"Hey Dixon, are you crazy!" The Hispanic yelled.
The man, Dixon, laughed out and shot several more walkers. He looked back after several more shots taking in our reaction. I felt myself not caring about the drama unfolding. I was still in shock over my brother. I was glad my brother's death had meaning. He died to save someone, our parents would have been proud, but I came all this way to find him.
"Hey. Ya'll ought to be polite to a man with a gun." He said swinging the rifle on his shoulder. He stepped away from the edge and took in all our faces. His gaze stopped on me and he frowned.
My curiosity peaked as I studied him and his body language. He held a rigid poise, slack jaw with a closed mouth, and wide eyes that held recognition. Somehow this redneck knew me and I was the last person he expected to see. His facial features and body relaxed, he didn't view me as a threat or with dislike.
"It's only common sense." He said smiling again at the others.
"Man, you're wasting bullets we ain't even got!" The black man yelled, "And you're bringing even more of them down on our ass! Man, just chill."
"Hey, it's bad enough I got this taco-bender on my ass all day." Dixon said to the black man, "Now I got to take orders from you. Yea, that would be the day."
Awesome, Dixon was a gun-toting, racist redneck. Awesome, totally freaking awesome.
"'That will be the day'? You got something you got to tell me?" He asked.
"Come on, T-dog, just let it go. It ain't worth it." The Hispanic said. "Now Merle, just relax. Ok, we've got enough trouble."
Merle looked ready to hit T-Dog, he turned his head like he was popping his neck. He gave T-Dog a condescending look antagonizing him. He turned his head back to me for a moment and winked. I felt my gag reflex working.
"You want to know the day?" He asked T-Dog.
"Yeah."
"I'll tell you the day, Mr. 'Yo.' It's the day I take orders from a nigger." Merle said.
T-Dog tried to hit Merle but Merle was far too fast. He hit T-Dog with the butt of his gun. Everyone tried to calm Merle down but Merle was on a roll hitting and kicking T-Dog. Rick tried to help but Merle just punched him too. He kicked T-Dog who was still laying on the ground some more. The Hispanic tried to help but Merle just punched him in the gut and continued on beating T-Dog. I had enough of this so I tried to help. Merle turned and pushed me onto my back, I was glad he didn't hit me. Looking back up, Merle pulled out a pistol and held it directly in T-Dog's face.
"No, no, no. Please, please." Andrea begged.
Merle looked at each of us, his gaze lingering on me. I still sat where I'd landed which was right at Glenn's feet. Merle looked away from my glare and he turned his attention back to T-Dog and spat on him. He rubbed his spittle into T-Dog's shirt.
"Yeah! Alright!" Merle stood up, "We're going to have ourselves a little Powwow, huh? Talk about who's in charge. I vote me. Anybody else?"
We dragged T-Dog over to us away from Merle. T-Dog was all beaten up and I regretted not doing anything else to help him earlier.
"Huh? Democracy time, ya'll. Show of hands! All in favor." Merle lifted his gun pointing it at each of us until they raised their hand. I didn't raise my hand, I wouldn't for him.
"Come on, Sweet cheeks, don't you want ole Merle to be the leader?" He asked me. He pointed his gun at me but I continued to glare at him. Why should I be scared? I had nothing to lose now.
"Now that means I'm the boss, right? Anybody else?" He asked. I saw Rick standing up behind him making no noise. What on earth was that man doing this whole fight?
"Yeah, me." Rick snarled then smashed the butt of Merle's rifle down on Merle's head. Merle went down easy and Rick handcuffed him to a piece of metal.
Rick gave Merle a whole speech about how the world was different. There was no more black and white, he said. I didn't exactly pay attention to what he said; I gazed down at the hoard below. I wondered if my brother became one of those things. Did the man he save at least shoot him in the head, or was there enough time. What if I ever came across my zombiefied brother? Would I be able to kill him, it?
"Robin, you alright?" Rick asked behind me.
"Peachy." I answered.
"I wasn't able to say my condolences about your brother, and I'm really sorry." He said.
"Thanks." I wasn't in the mood for talking. My way of mourning was just going off alone and becoming a hermit until the sadness went away. I couldn't do that here, not in this world.
"Don't worry, we'll get out of here. I'll get you out of here." Rick reassured.
"I'm not worried." I turned to him, "I don't care anymore."
"You do care." Rick said taking my shoulders again looking me in the eyes.
"No Rick, I don't. Jacob was why I fought to survive. I could have given up so long ago but I refused so I could see my brother again. Now he's dead, so what do I fight for?"
Rick stared at me for a moment then replied, "What was all that you said about having hope? Without it, you're dead?"
"Tell me a reason, Rick. Why should I fight to survive when I have nothing?"
"You have me. I'll be your brother." He said, "I will give you that hope back."
"Rick…" I started. I definitely wasn't expecting that. It touched me that he would say something like that. Rick and I barely knew each other, but we did fight together to survive. A bond formed between us while we were searching for our families.
"I've decided, you're now my little sister and I'm going to be your annoying older brother who tells you what to do. Will that be enough? Can you fight for me?" He gripped my shoulder again making me look into his blue eyes. From his back pocket, he pulled out my Zombie Survival Guide Jacob gave me and placed it in my hands.
"You know, sometimes I really don't like you." I smiled.
Rick attempted an escape through the sewers but that was a dead end. He came up with another plan to cover him and Glenn in walker mush to blend in with them to get to a van that would take us to freedom. I was on the roof as they mushed walkers. I nearly threw up twice just hearing his plan so they excused me and I went to the roof. I completely forgot about Merle until I got up there.
"Finally somebody." He said. I stepped where he could see me and he went quiet. I didn't really know this man, but I had a feeling that him being quiet was a rarity.
"What?" I asked. He didn't say anything, he just continued to stare.
"What is it? Why do you keep staring at me?"
"I knew your brother." He said making me gasp, "If it wasn't for him, my brother and I'd be dead."
"You were the one my brother died for." I felt angry at him. My brother gave his life for this man and he was an asshole!
"It was really my brother he died for. Of course, he wouldn't have died if it hadn't been for that pig, Shane. He didn't like us, ya see."
"But you're so friendly." Merle laughed at my sarcasm.
"Shane wanted the walkers to get Daryl and me, so he wouldn't let anyone warn us. He wanted us dead. Your brother warned us anyway, he came and helped us fight back to the group. My brother got surrounded by a dozen or so and I wasn't able to get to him in time. Jake ran over and helped him."
"And then they got him." I finished.
"They did, eventually, but not in the way you think." Merle grimaced, "Daryl, Jake, and I made it back to the group. Shane was so angry at Jake that he said Jake had to be the one to distract the walkers and then he could jump in a truck and follow us. The thing was the truck didn't have any gas in it. My brother remembered at the last minute and tried to warn him, but it was too late. Walker bit him."
"Did you…?" I couldn't finish.
"My brother did." Merle answered.
"How did you know I was his sister? You immediately knew when you saw me." I asked.
"We found pictures of you in Jake's things. We thought you were his girl until we found letters." Merle explained.
I nodded then sat down, "My brother, before this happened, used to love zombie movies. I hated them, they gave me nightmares. My last birthday he got me this book," I pulled out the Zombie Apocalypse Survival Guide, "He said it was so I'd be prepared if it ever happened and I wouldn't be scared of zombie movies. I had it in my bag when the dead came back. The book is actually how I survived alone from the beginning."
Merle and I stopped talking when the others came up on the roof. They watched from the edge as Rick carried out his crazy plan while Merle tried demanding to be un-handcuffed without any luck. Eventually Rick's plan worked prompting all of us to run off the roof and down the stairs. I hadn't noticed Merle wasn't with us until we piled into the truck and were making our get-away. That's when T-Dog explained how he dropped the key to Merle's cuffs. I bet his brother wouldn't be too happy about that.