Raising Dead

Chapter Five: Walk Unafraid

AN: I know it's been a long time since I last posted, but here's chapter 5. The next chapter should be up soon. This is a sad chapter. everyone knows what's about to happen. From here I won't be following the episodes so closely.

I sat in my chair atop the RV with Dale's gun in hand, while looking at the darkness around the camp. The only light to be seen was from the campfires, but the people around them cast long shadows that made it a bit hard to distinguish whether anything was really moving in the woods. If it weren't for the fact that I didn't hear anything moving I would have sounded the alarm long ago.

I listened to the group as they talked and moved about below me. It seemed they were having a great time eating the fish Andrea and Amy had caught. I could hear talk of what Jim had done all day and how he had scared everyone with his grave digging. Personally, I didn't care. What bothered me is the fact that he almost killed himself in the heat. It made me wonder why he did it. What had driven him to do it.

I sat contemplating it a while longer before giving up and leaning back in my chair. The stars had become so much brighter since the mass loss of electricity. It was almost warming to know that I had almost the same view here that I'd had back home years ago when the power had gone out during a brown out in Montgomery. The heat had melted most of the power lines in the city and even though I lived down the road from the city's only airport, the view of the stars had been amazing that night.

The next thought to come to my mind was a word that had no place in the word now. Safe. These people thought they were safe here. I knew better. Well, they had thought they were safe until the walker had showed up on their little mountain. It had been a sad loss of a deer from what I had heard, but that didn't mean much to me.

My thoughts were uninterrupted by Ayla climbing up the latter. She was the last person I expected to find her way up there.

"You know," Ayla paused to think over what she wanted to say. "I've been thinking about the way we've both been acting lately. I've decided that you're right. I don't need to go into the city. I do need to watch my back here. This place isn't safe no matter what."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where did that come from?" I asked, shocked. "Last I checked you didn't want to talk to me. I was ruining your life and standing in your way." I was genuinely confused.

"I said I thought about it. You've never been wrong, so why would you start now?" She looked sad, like something else was eating at her. I knew exactly what it was.

"I miss my family too. Every night I sit up here and I wonder if they're ok. I've even wonder if we made the right choice in coming here. In leaving our little slightly safe area. I wonder if your parents made their way back only to find you gone. It sucks to have all that on my mind." I sighed the last few words.

"If you hadn't come and got me I'd be dead by now. You remember what we saw at the airport. There's no way they could have survived that. Not with how many walkers were there. I'm better off with you and you know that. I would have run out of food before now. Don't discredit yourself and don't over think your choices. You did the right thing and I know I may not be the easiest person to look after, but I'm with you all the way. I won't question you again because I know you're right." Ayla leaned over and gave me a hug. "You're like the older sister I never had. You might piss me off, but in the end you're just looking out for me."

"I'm glad you're finally seeing things in my perspective. I didn't want things to come down to another fight." I smiled and leaned back in my chair. "What else is on your mind. I know that's not the only reason you came up here."

Ayla frowned. "I'm worried about Glen and the others."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about the wisdom behind going back after that jackass. I don't like the looks of him. I'm hoping the walkers got him." I snorted.

"Erin! That's mean." She paused. "I guess I'm mean too."

I sighed before propping my feet up on a bucket Dale had put up there for that very reason. "No sense in worrying about it now. Thoughts can't be taken back any better than words can. I meant it though. He's bad for the group. He's a supply hog. Apparently we have several of those in the group."

"You mean Ed." It wasn't a question. She'd heard what happened.

"Yeah, and he's just one of them. Let's not get into that though. They could easily say the same about us. Although we do our share of work around here I'm sure someone thinks we don't do enough. Or, at least, that I don't do enough." I laughed. I was by no means secure in my position in the group. Chances were that I never would be.

I could hear Dale reciting some obscure quote or another. "Well said Dale!" I yelled before hearing laughter and being told that Dale and I were weird. Before long I could hear someone walking to the RV and poked my head over to see Amy making her way in. I sat back and sighed at the silence. Something seemed off. In some way abnormal. No bugs, no nothing. I froze as I was about to reach for my water.

"We're out of toilet paper?" I heard Amy say. But that wasn't it. Something was very, very wrong. Then I heard the moans.

I stood up too fast and almost fell. "Shit!" I yelled, just as I heard Amy scream. She was bitten. "Ayla, do you have your gun?" I was moving to the side of the RV, but I made no move to go down the latter.

"Yes." I heard her whimper.

"Get over here and start shooting. We've got company! What ever you do, don't get off the RV." I pulled Dale's gun over my shoulder and pulled my Beretta free of its holster, took aim, and started taking down walkers. It was pure chaos as people tried to run only to be bitten. I took out as many as I could before I heard the click I was dreading. "Shit! I left the rest of my ammo in the tent!"

"Erin, don't leave me!" Ayla screamed behind me as she took out another walker.

"I won't." I looked around at the hell that the camp had become. "EVERYONE GET TO THE RV!" I screamed as I saw them already making their way there. I pulled Dale's gun from my shoulder and started firing. I refused to stand idle while people died around me.

"Jake!" I heard Ayla scream as her clip ran out. I looked to see the older man trying to beat his way through the mass of corpses. Without a second thought I started killing the walkers around him. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if he died. He was like family to us and we to him. If I could help it, he WOULD survive.

I could hear the sound of Shane's shotgun firing. I could hear the sound of a bat crushing the walker's skulls. I could hear Jake's colt with each shot he took... and then I heard a new sound. Several of them. The others had returned and we were being rescued. I could hear myself scream as I jumped off the RV, ignoring the latter.

"Jake, Jake. Are you ok? Did they get you?" I could hear myself asking.

"I'm fine. It's ok. Those bastards didn't get me, but they got most of the group. There was nothing I could do. Is Ayla ok?" He was out of breath from running, but he still managed to answer.

"Yeah, she's fine. She was on top of the RV with me when it all started." I sighed with relief. He was ok. Everything was going to be ok.

"Good. She was in good hands. Lets find out what the hell is going on."

"I remember now. Why I dug the holes."

Dead. So many dead. So much crying. But I couldn't bring myself to cry for those that had died. They had found an escape from this world. One that I would never find because I didn't want it. Ayla stood beside me and Jake beside her. The three of us couldn't bring ourselves to shed a single tear. I dropped my head in mock sorrow. I couldn't let the rest of the group see just how dead my eyes were. I felt nothing for those that had died. There was no reason to.

For the rest of the night we changed watch every hour. No one could sleep and come morning no one even tried to. I helped burn the walkers when they asked. I listened when they talked about shooting Amy before she turned. I listened to Glen scream about our people being buried Tempers and emotions in general were running high and hot. I heard that Jim was bit. What good did it do to hassle him?

There was talk of killing Jim. Talk of the CDC. Talk of a fort I had no will to go to. Too much sadness and anger for me. I asked Ayla to come to the tent with me so we could talk and clean our guns. She saw it as the perfect escape and followed me there.

"Would anyone like to say some words?" Rick asked what was left of the group. Everyone stayed silent. It was like if they spoke something bad would happen to them all. I made my choice and spoke what came to mind.

"I walk unafraid in the shadows of death, so I may find my path.

I walk unafraid against the demons of the past, so I may find my path.

I walk unafraid through the waters of sorrow, so I may find my path.

I walk unafraid so that I may find my way home and let nothing hold me back."

I heard several 'Amen's' when I finished. Jake gave me a knowing look. It wasn't a prayer for the dead. It was a reminder for the living. Whatever home would become, we would find our way there.

Jake had already told us to pack our stuff. We started on the inside and moved to the outside. Jake told us the whole group would be leaving, we were just getting a head start on packing.

When it was almost time to go I heard Morales say his family was going to Birmingham. My hopes flew all at once.

"Morales, could you do me a favor when you get there? I asked him. Unsure if he'd help me.

"Sure kid. What do you need?" I could tell he was confused so I pulled my wallet out of my pack and removed a picture from it.

"If you see them, could you tell them I'm ok and that I've got Ayla with me? Could you also tell them where we're going? I miss my brother and his family and even though I can't tell them myself, I'd still like for them to know I'm ok. That we're ok." My eyes pleaded with him.

"Yeah, I'll tell them if I see them. Go on Bama girl. You've got places to go and walkers to kill." He grinned. I gave Morales and his wife a hug before heading for the truck. I didn't want to watch the tearful goodbye the others had with them. I just wanted to get on the road.

Once on the road it didn't last long. The radiator hose on the RV blew and we had to stop. I wasn't happy about it but we had no choice. I watched as Jim was carried up a hill and sat under a tree. I closed my eyes. I knew what this meant He was still alive, but he had made his choice. He wanted to be left behind. Another death among friends.

Soon we were moving again. Going where we needed. Doing what had to be done.