Chapter 14
~Charlotte~
It's a long walk from the house to the well which I see Dale and T-Dog at. I decided that they might need some help getting the water, so I make I way over there, walking on the rough pathway. T-Dog is pumping the water and Dale is standing by him. It's obvious that they are talking to each other and I hope it's something they can still discuss whilst I'm there.
I always feel bad about intruding, but the more I get to know people, the more comfortable I get with my actions. I get nearer and nearer to the two men. I mainly want to help them as there is nothing else to do and I want to be polite.
I need to talk to Maggie a lot more. In fact, I need to talk to everyone in the group a lot more. My conversations are normally with Glenn or Carol. I would talk to Glenn as he is nearer my age, but now that we are at the Greene house, the person who's nearer my age is Beth. I've spoken a few sentences with her, which consist of, "Hey" and "How are you?", but not an actual conversation yet.
A couple more feet and I'll be with Dale and T-Dog.
"Hey, guys!" I call out, to let them know about my arrival. They both look at me and say their hellos. I try to be more cheery and optimistic nowadays. Ever since Sophia went missing, I realised that I need to be more happy and bring a funner atmosphere to the group than be a shy and unsociable girl.
I stand next to T-Dog who fills up a bucket, "Need any help?" I ask.
T-Dog hesitates. "I think we are done now. Sorry."
"Oh." My mood decreases. I look at the back of Dale's hat as he walks to the well. I stand by T-Dog as I watch Dale with curiosity.
He bends down by the well and looks in. T stops pumping the water and stares at Dale too as he gets up and turns to look at us. T-Dog then picks up a ladle from the bucket of water and is about to drink, before Dale smacks it out of his hand.
"I wouldn't drink that if I were you."
I look at him, wondering what he means. What's wrong with the water?
"Why?" Dale looks at me and T-Dog stares at the well. He seems to realise as he stares at the well with his eyes wide open. I then run over to the well, to see what is wrong.
My mouth immediately drops open at the sight.
"Charlie, you're the fastest here. Run over and get the group here. Now." Dale tells me.
I nod my head. Still dazed and slightly confused, I start sprinting to the house. How did it get there? This walker looked different from any walker I've ever seen. It was fat, and grey and... I dunno how else to describe it.
I run as fast as I can. I was never good at sports and I was the worst at running, always getting one of the slowest times, but Dale chose me because I am the youngest and I am uninjured. Within ten seconds of running, I already feel exhausted and I feel pain everywhere in my legs. I run to the campsite, spotting Glenn and sprinting to him.
As I get nearer, he turns and look at me.
"Glenn!" I call.
He starts walking towards me, partially jogging.
"What? What is it? Is everything alright?!"
I immediately grasp onto him. "Holy shit... I hate running." I gasp for air, filling my lungs with oxygen. When I feel better, I realise what I was doing. I was really close to him, clinging onto his arms, my head was practically on his chest. I let go and blush.
"The... well. There's a walker. In the... water." I stutter.
His eyes widen. He turns around to the rest of the camp. "Guys!" He calls. People start turning around, wondering what's going on.
Glenn looks back at me, "Are you sure there is a walker in the well?"
"Yeah... It's really ugly... I think it's contaminated the water."
Lori is the first one to get to us, "What is it?"
"There's a walker in the well." I tell her.
She looks at me, confused. "How?" She asks.
"Got no idea."
The majority of the group jog to the well, wanting to see the walker and find out how to deal with the situation.
Everyone gathers in a circle and peers into the dark hole. You can just about see the monster in the light of the torch that Dale is holding. The walker is standing in the murky water, pieces of wood float by its side.
"Looks like we got ourselves a swimmer." Dale said.
The walker looks up at us and starts clawing at the wall, wanting to get to us. Being in the well for a long time would've made it hungry, so seeing a ton of people gathered above it would fill the walker with joy.
"We should cover off the well." Andrea says and we all nod in agreement.
It doesn't take long for the wood to come off and give us a better view of the beast below.
"How long has it been down there?" I ask.
"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea answers. "We can't leave it in there. God knows what it'll do to the water."
"Well, we gotta get it out." Shane says.
"Or, put a bullet in its head." T-Dog adds.
"Whoa, you guys. No." Maggie butts in.
"Why not?" Glenn asks. "It's a good plan."
"It's a stupid plan." Andrea tells him. "If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing its brains out will finish the job."
I stand on the edge of the well, crossing my arms and holding my balance.
"She's right. We can't risk it." Shane says, pulling me away from the well. I stumble backwards, almost tripping on my feet.
"How can we make it come out alive?" T-Dog questions.
Everyone looks at each other, thinking of what to do. I stare at the ground, wondering what we can do. If it were to contaminate the water, we would be screwed. No water. No living. But, as I try to be optimistic now, I think we can still survive without the water from the well, but it'll make life a whole lot more difficult than it already is.
After trying to get the walker out by using some meat (non-human), it then came to the conclusion that we would need live bait (human). At the moment when everyone realised that that had to be done, everyone looked at Glenn. He rolls his eyes.
"Why me?" He questions.
"Have I told you that I really like your new haircut?" Glenn asks Shane as he attaches a rope to Glenn's waist. "You have a nice shaped head."
I laugh at his comment.
"Hey, don't worry about it, bud. We're gonnna get you outta here in one piece." Shane tells him.
"Living piece." Glenn adds. "That living part is important."
I feel scared for him, about to be out in a dangerous situation. Paranoia runs through me as I think to myself, 'What if he doesn't come out?' And 'What if it bites him and he turns?'
I shake the thoughts out of my head. A long rope is attached to his waist. The rope trails across the ground and is wrapped around the pump. We hold the end of the rope to slowly pull him in.
"Nice and slow, please."
"We got you." Andrea assures him. I am the closest to him as I hold the end of the rope. Andrea is in front of me, holding a good grip on the rope.
"Oh, you people are crazy." Maggie says, arms crossed and standing to the side.
"You want to get it out of your well or not?" Shane asks her.
"Give us an eye there, Maggie." Dale says, pointing at the well. He then grabs the free part of the rope behind me.
Maggie walks over to the edge of the well and looks in.
At that moment, Glenn goes in. I can't see him and my heart is racing. I don't want the person that I am the most closest to, to die. We have already lost people. Amy. Jacqui, Jim and possibly Sophia. I couldn't stand losing another person in this growing family.
Maggie peers in, "Doing okay?"
"Yeah, doing great." he calls out.
My heart races faster as I hear the soft moans and snarls of the walker.
"Little lower. Little more." Maggie tells us. The rope is slowly moving forward in our hands, making Glenn descend even more into danger. The walker snarls louder and my hands shake.
Everyone holding the rope is looking at the well, to see if any dangers occur. Whilst everyone isn't paying attention, the pump that the rope is tied around falls, dangering Glenn.
"Get it! Get it! Grab it! Grab it!" We all call out. I hear Glenn screaming and yelling as the pump skids across the floor and closer to the well. I stumble forwards and fall on my knees, trying to still hold onto the rope.
"Get me out of here!" I hear him call.
T-Dog is holding onto the pump with all his strength, however it is real close to falling in the well. Everyone is either holding onto T-Dog on the pump, trying to not make it fall in, because if it does, Glenn will be trapped in a small space with a walker that's twice his size.
I cling onto a bit of free rope and we all pull as hard as we can.
We pull the pump back, further and further, everyone is screaming and shouting as we all try to violently pull the rope backwards.
"Glenn!" Lori screams.
"Pull him up! Pull him up!" T-Dog yells.
Glenn's head pokes out of the well and he clings onto the side to pull himself up. Shane pulls him out and we all run to him.
"Glenn? Glenn are you okay?" I ask, kneeling by his side. He nods his head and pants.
"Back to the drawing board." Dale murmurs.
Glenn gets to his feet and looks at Dale, a smile on his face and proudness in his eyes, "Says you." and hands Dale the rope before walking away.
The rope that Dale holds onto, tugs violently. Everyone walks to the well, except for T-Dog, who lies on the ground behind us, tired from puling Glenn out of the well.
We all see that Glenn managed to get the rope around the walker and I smile. He didn't die and he got the job done.
After a little break, everyone is at the well again, grasping onto the rope and trying to pull the walker out.
"C'mon, guys. Pull!" T-Dog tells us as he looks into the well. We pull the rope further back, signally that it is about to come out. "Almost there. Come on, pull, guys."
"C'mon!" Shane yells. The snarls get louder and louder. "C'mon y'all. Together!"
"Almost there. Keep it coming." T-Dog holds an axe in his hand to kill the walker.
The walker is halfway out the well, I can see its head and shoulders. I sweat in the heat. Doing all this running, and pulling in the heat is tiring me out.
"Nice and easy. Just a little more." T-Dog tells us. We all pull a little slower, because if we pull to fast than the walker might tear in half.
The walkers arms flail about, like it's reacting to the sun. It has been in the dark for ages, so the bright light might have a serious affect on it.
"You've got to pull it, guys. It's stuck! Come on." T-Dog tells us, so we all pull a bit harder. My arms burn, from both the heat and the pain of pulling a heavy walker out of the well. Everyone grunts as they pull.
Then, a ripping sound occurs and everyone is violently pulled back. I fly backwards, letting go of the rope and land on my back, grunting in pain. I slowly lift my head up and and see a red mess by the well. A loud sound erupts from inside the water. I get up with the help of Glenn and see that the walker is torn in half, its intestines hanging out. Everything below it's waist fell back into the well, which means a bloody mess has just contaminated the water.
The walker is still alive, throwing its arms about. T-Dog looks up from the mess and sighs. All that work, for nothing.
"We should seal off this well." Dale says.
"Yeah, might be a good idea." Shane said, scratching his head.
"So what do you do about-" Andrea is cut off by the sound of T-Dog, smashing the walkers head in with his axe, causing us all to jump.
He keeps on hitting it, making us groan by the mess. Maggie looks away in disgust and starts walking away.
"I'm glad we didn't do something stupid like put a bullet in its head."
"So, you're going to the pharmacy with Maggie?" I ask Glenn. It has been over an hour since the incident with the well. Glenn was going to the pharmacy to get antibiotics and other medical supplies.
"Yeah. I am."
"Well, don't die." he was currently getting ready for the supplies trip that he was about to go on. "Already been through a lot today."
"I won't die. I was close to dying in the well though."
"Glad you're not dead. Don't want to lose anymore people."
He chuckles, "Thanks." He swings his rucksack across his back, "Alright, I'm gonna go now. I'll be back soon."
"You better."
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