"Thanks for that Maggie. You've just saved my life." I smiled, handing over an empty tea cup.
"You should have mentioned you wanted tea! We've got lots of it. None of us really like it - it was only for guests that came over." She shrugged.
My eyes bulged and my smile grew into a grin. Tea. They're going to give me tea!
She turned back to the kitchen and I began walking out of the house, my heart considerably lighter. Tea!
Everyone was sitting on the porch, apparently waiting for something. I frowned.
"What's up?" I asked, looking round at the group.
"Dunno. Shane said something about a group meeting." T-Dog shrugged.
"Oh." Well this can't be good. I walked down the steps and crouched in front of Helena. She looked a little lost.
I held her hands as I looked round the group. Almost everyone was here.
"Where's Rick?" I asked, but no one went to answer. Andrea shrugged and Daryl just stared. I stared back, and he recoiled, but his gaze did keep flicking back. I sighed.
Over my shoulder I heard grunts and I knew it was Shane. I span back and saw him with a bag of guns over his shoulder. Oh-
"This is enough! We're not living in fear now. This is our land too. We've gone through shit to get here, lost loved ones, only to find those sons of bitches right on us! Well not this time. We're taking this place back." Shane growled, his voice totally different. Unnatural.
He handed out guns to most of the group, missing out me. I wasn't surprised, but my concern was mounting.
He even gave Daryl a gun, and they nodded as if in mutual agreement. I felt my blood boil, and that was heightened by both men glancing warily at me. Shane almost daring. Daryl imploring. His gaze almost sidetracked me from the whole situation, but I pulled myself together.
Helena got up an huddled into Alex and I stood straight and balled my fist, running through things I could say to stop this martial law Shane was trying to use.
"Is that Rick?" T-Dog shouted, pointing.
I followed his finger and saw a group of figures all gathered by the barn. Rick and Hershel were obviously there, but I couldn't make out the other writhing figures. Wait, what?
I heard Shane swear, and like flood gates opening, we all began to run. Shane tore off first, and I followed quickly after. He wasn't going to start trouble. He can't.
I ignored the burning in my ribs as I ran faster than I ever had, the others falling behind me. Glenn and Daryl kept pace, and a quick glance at both told me about Glenn's frantic worry and whatever Daryl was feeling. I couldn't tell.
We got to Rick in no time, and at once, Shane was shouting and growling. His voice was cruel and cold. There was nothing human about him. He was just a primitive form. Uncaring as to anything but himself and his way. And we were all going to suffer for it.
He raised his gun and began firing at the walkers. I screamed his name, but he still carried on trying to prove his point to Hershel about the walkers. I watched as Hershel's world came crashing down. His face changed and his chest began to heave. His eyes looked lost, glazed.
Shane then turned to the barn. I snapped my gaze away from Hershel's crumbling body to look at Shane while the group continued to stare in a scared silence.
"Enough!" Shane cried, storming towards the barn.
"Shane!" I shouted, my voice harsh.
"Brother!" Rick called helplessly. I looked at Rick's crestfallen face as he stared desperately at his comrade.
Shane isn't human. This is monstrous.
With a smash, the barn doors had opened. My eyes shot towards it as I grabbed Helena and gripped her close to me.
I shrank to my knees and held her as walkers began to pour out. The firing squad stepped forward and began pumping bullets into the walkers that flowed out.
"Adam!" Alex cried out, stumbling forward. I slipped Helena from my arms and jumped forward, wrapping my arms around his waist and pulling him back to the ground.
His arms snaked round my shoulder and he buried his head in the crook of my neck, sobbing. I threw my arms around his neck, my eyes fixing soullessly on the barn.
Walker after walker poured out the barn, the trail never ending. Helena had crawled between me and Alex, crying and shaking.
I stared desperately as the shooters, but they looked engrossed. I was horrified.
I could hear crying behind me, and I knew it was the Greene's. They had loved ones in there. They were sheltered from all of this. Oh god. What has Shane done?
After what had felt like hours, the gunfire stopped. Slowly, I bought my head up to the barn.
There were bodies everywhere. Sprawled with blood littering everything. I didn't know where to look as I felt my face blanching.
Alex had lifted his head and had stopped sobbing, his red eyes scanning the carnage. I dragged my eyes away and looked at the group.
Hershel's family were buried deep within themselves, huddled and crying. The firing line had lowered their weapons and they too were scanning the place. Daryl flashed me a glance and so did Andrea. I glared at them, defiantly showing how I felt about this. Daryl stared long and hard before stepping back. Andrea looked away quickly. Everyone else had huddled together. Shocked, scared, petrified.
Now walkers weren't the threat. Shane was.
Shane daren't meet my eyes as my fury with him was evident. He'd just ruined everything for us. Everything.
I didn't really know what I was feeling. Anguish, fear, fury. I guess it didn't matter. But I did think ahead, and I knew that Hershel would never let us stay here anymore. 'We' betrayed his trust. Shane was a total-
I thought I heard something else from the barn. I wasn't the only one. Sobbing had stopped as all attention focused back on the barn.
I thought I missed it first time round.
No- there's another moan.
But this wasn't like the others. It was weaker. And it didn't just make my blood run cold, but it made every single hair on my body stand on end.
Slowly I looked towards the barn and saw the slightest figure move from the shadows.
I watched as it got further away from the barn and closer to us, an uneasy feeling in my stomach as I studied the walker. Something wasn't right.
"Oh my god." I whispered, choking on my words.
There was an unearthly silence as Sophia staggered forward.
Carol shouted and cried, and I watched helplessly as she ran forward towards her baby. Daryl grabbed her and they fell to the floor as he whispered something too her. I looked away quickly, my watery eyes fixing on Sophia.
Helena trembled in my arms as she began crying again, and I pulled her to my chest as tears began falling from my face into her hair.
I could hear more muffled cries and voices, but I couldn't look away from Sophia.
She was here. She was always right here. We went out everyday to look for her. We risked out lives, Daryl and I even getting seriously hurt. All for her to be right here.
I wish it didn't have to be like this.
I thought we'd find her alive.
The first movement in a long time moves past the group, and through my hazy vision I could see Rick aiming point blank at Sophia.
I cradled Helena's head and waited for the impact. Alex wrapped himself around us and eventually we heard the inevitable shot.
The echoes of the gunshot subsided, and was replaced by crying. Almost everyone was doing it.
The most prominent was Carol, but I felt stupid for thinking that. Of course she'd be crying most - she's lost her daughter in one of the worst possible ways.
I slowly moved my eyes around to look at the group. It hurt to see every one of them in so much pain and anguish. It hurt to lose another member of our family. It hurt to lose hope.
Carol fought out of Daryl's grip and stormed away, heading back up to camp. I watched her go, new tears burning at my eyes.
I looked back at Daryl who stared after her, his face crestfallen.
Ignoring the crushing feeling I felt in both my chest and my stomach, I wiped furiously at my eyes.
There was a commotion going on ahead, but I couldn't look. I wouldn't.
I slipped Helena on to Alex's lap and stood as the group slowly began to separate. Some didn't leave, others couldn't have gotten away from the barn fast enough.
I walked behind Shane and Hershel, jogging to catch up with Rick.
"Are you alright?" I rasped stupidly.
"It's not me I'm worried about." He said, his voice cracking as his watery eyes stayed stuck to Shane.
Shane had started shouting and I swore to myself as I jogged alongside Rick, wiping the remaining tears from my eyes.
"... But you knew. You knew along she was there. Are you just stupid or couldn't give a damn?" Shane shouted as Hershel tried to get his family inside his property.
"Otis must have done it. Before he died... he always rounded up a few stragglers." Hershel sighed, exasperated and hurt.
"Bullshit. You knew we were looking for a girl, old man. Those walkers wouldn't killed you, get that into your goddamn skull!"
"Shane! Learn when to shut the hell up." I snapped, my voice dangerously low.
"Shut up Sam. This is all your fault Hershel. You had it coming. You knew she was there. You're just a deranged old man with family issues and can't see the real world!"
"Shane, walk away, now." Rick ordered, stepping forward to get hold of Shane.
Maggie got to Shane first though, and slapped him hard. I even recoiled at the impact.
"I want you people off my property. Now." Hershel shouted, and with that, turned to his house, followed by it's residents.
Shane and Rick began arguing, but I couldn't stay there any longer. I turned on my heels and sped away, my heard racing at a thousand miles an hour.
I would never admit it to anyone, but I was scared. Completely and utterly frightened about having to risk the world again.
I got down to camp and slumped in one of the chairs, head in my hands. I heard crying, and I lifted my head up in the direction of the RV. Oh Carol.
Out from behind the RV walked Daryl. He knocked on the door and gently called out, and I watched through puffy eyes as Daryl entered and cooed to Carol. I heard her soft words, and eventually silence.
In that instant, something clicked. Something that hurt more than it should have. Something that in my state seemed absolutely rational.
Maybe Daryl and Carol should be together.
I mean, they're both victims. Merle's treatment of his little brother and Daryl's hardened persona was enough proof of that. So was Ed. They both need nurturing through all their losses, so why not each other? I've seen the way he always goes to her.
It's not like I was thinking about being with Daryl or anything. No. But this seems right for them. They need each other.
The thought sent an ache coursing through me. It struck me hard, right across the heart. It festered there, plaguing me like a damn chest pain.
Heavy chapter, I know.
And just to say, there's nothing remotely Caryl in this fic. This is just Sam's irrational upset state talking. Have no fear, friends!
As you know, this isn't a just a romance, so I'll be teasing you for a little while longer. Yeah.
Also, I know I've kind of been running along the main story line for a while. This will continue for a bit before I'll leave it for a while. I just like integrating Sam into everything, haha. So yeah, a few more chapters and then we'll get right into the good stuff! ;]
Have a brilliant Christmas! And if you don't celebrate Christmas, just have a brilliant week. :)
- Loré. X