Chapter 2: Chased Away
Maggie's POV
When I wake up, I can feel the hot moisture that filled the air. Glenn's bare torso is a lightly dabbled with sweat, but I don't mind. Best to enjoy the heat while we have it. Winter last year was brutal, and I'm definitely not looking forward to it this year. "Glenn." I whisper. "Glenn, you awake?" No answer. "Glenn." I say tapping his cheek with my hand. He stirs and lazily opens his eyes. "Good. You're awake."
"Yeah." He yawns and wipes his eyes. "Damn, it's hot."
"Mmm." I say in agreement. I take a deep breath and pull Glenn closer to me. He strokes my hair. "You scared the shit out of me, you know."
"What?"
"When you got sick. I was terrified."
"Everything worked out though." He props himself up. And I do the same. "Right?" I nod. He smiles and kisses me for the first time in weeks. His lips are a bit rough and they taste slightly salty. But I think it's the best kiss I've ever had. I grab a handful of his hair and pull is face closer to mine and he moans. He lifts me up and I wrap my legs around his waist. He pushes my back to wall and puts his hands all over my thighs and butt. As soon as I feel him harden, he stops everything. He puts me down and pulls away. He's out of breath. "We should get breakfast. " He said. I sigh and fix my hair.
"Yeah. Let's go." I say. He kisses my cheek and smiles. I smile back and we go down the trap door to join the others for breakfast.
Breakfast is normal. Glenn gets to sit with the healthy people and everything feels like it's back to normal. All of sudden, Michonne calls over and says that the fence is on the verge of being pushed over by all the walkers. Rick, Daryl, Tyreese, Sasha, Glenn and I all rush over to try to do something.
Everyone grabs a tool and tries to kill as many walkers leaning against the fence as possible. But we're not even making a dent. There is easily over a hundred pushing up against the chain link and more than a couple thousand surrounding the prison. This is one of those times that I'm really glad I'm not in command.
"What can we do?" Daryl asks Rick. Rick looks at all the walkers and then at the ground.
"We have to leave." He concludes after a second or two of contemplation. I look over at Glenn. He has his eyes closed tight in thought and his head is bowed with his hand across his mouth. He opens his eyes and exhales. He looks at me apologetically, as if it was his fault. "There's no other option. If we stay, these fences are gonna give and we die." He preaches. "But if we go, we can find somewhere else. We have a shot. It needs to be soon though. If we wait much longer, this really will be a prison." Everyone nods and we go back to the prison to collect our things and tell everyone else to do the same.
I tell Beth the news while Glenn packs up the tower and anything else. "Beth, I need to tell you something."
"What is it?" She asks picking Judith up after a nap.
"The prison is surrounded. We have to go. Everyone here has to leave and find somewhere else to live." She doesn't say anything, but she nods her head. "So you have to pack up whatever you need." She nods again. I leave to find my dad and break it to him, too.
I go to my dad's cell and find him reading his old battered copy of the bible. "Dad. We can't stay." He looks up at me and closes the book.
"I knew this wouldn't be permanent." He says. "Nothing is anymore."
"Dad, I'm scared. This is the safest place I can think of and it still wasn't enough." I hug him. His hugs make me feel like a child again.
"It's alright, Maggie dear." He speaks softly. "We'll get through this." I nod and he kisses my forehead before I leave.
Daryl and Michonne are out looking for a place we can hold up in until we can find a place that's more permanent. Well, as permanent you can get these days. And I go and help Lizzie and Mika get their things packed. When Carol left, Lizzie and Mika sort of started to look at me and Glenn as parental figures. I feel so badly for them that I can't push them away. When Glenn and Lizzie were both sick, they really connected. She even called him Dad once on accident. It broke my heart. But they're such sweethearts.
"Maggie? Where will we go?" Lizzie asks me while stuffing some clothes in a large duffle bag.
"I don't know, honey." I say, giving her hair a small stroke. "Daryl and Michonne are out looking for a place that will keep us safe."
"I don't want to leave. This is where my dad is buried." You can hear the tears she's choking back. I kneel down to her level and hug her.
"I don't want to go either. I don't think anyone does."
"Are we gonna make it?" She asks. This question really surprises me. Why would she ask me such a question? How can I answer? I can't look her in the eye and tell her that I have no goddamn idea if we'll even live to see tomorrow.
"I think so." That's the best I can do. Do I really think we're gonna make it? I don't know. Not long after Glenn walks in and Mika jumps into his arms and help picks her up and holds her.
"Hey guys. What's up?" He says cheerfully, definitely lightening the mood.
"We're just packin'." I say and smile. He nods.
"Lizzie, Mika, why don't you guys see if Beth needs any help and we'll finish up here?" Glenn tells the girls. They nod and leave us alone.
"Something wrong?" I ask him.
"Yeah. The walkers broke down the outer fences and they're right outside the prison. I didn't want to scare them. But we need to go. Now."'
"By ourselves?" We've always been with the group. I don't know how good our chances are on our own.
"Unless everyone in the group leaves with us." He says. "I don't like it either. But we don't have long." I don't say anything. I'm running through everything that could happen over and over again in my head. He sits down next to me and puts a hand on my shoulder.
"You get a car ready and I'll finish packing the girls up." I say. I'm not sure if this is the best way to go, but Glenn is right. We don't have long and there aren't many options. I finish all the packing and take some food for the road. I find Lizzie and Mika playing with Carl in the library. "Girls, we need to talk." I say and I take them out in the hall. Carl doesn't need to know we're leaving yet. He'll just tell Rick and I don't need that right now. "We have to go. It's not safe anymore."
"We know. You already told us." Mika says.
"No honey. On our own. Just you, me, Glenn, and your sister." I explain. "We can't stay with the group."
"What? Why?" Lizzie asks.
"We don't have nearly as much time as everyone thinks. It will take too long to get out of here if we wait for everyone else. It could be too late by then." Just as I speak, I hear something coming from the D block. "Stay here. I'll be right back." I go to the cell block. The walkers broke into the prison and the cell block is being attacked. I run back to the girls and pick up all the bags. "Now! We have to go now!"
"What!? What's going on!?" Lizzie yells.
"The cell block is being attacked. The walkers broke in and we need to find Glenn and get out." We leave out the back door of the prison where Glenn is preparing a mid sized SUV. "Glenn, we gotta go now."
"What? What happened?"
"The walkers broke through to D block." I tell him.
"Alright, everyone in the car." Lizzie and Mika get in and Glenn goes around to the back and opens the truck for me and I shove all the bags in and slam the door. I get in the passenger's seat and Glenn gets in the driver's seat. "Here we go."
"What about Beth? And my dad?" I beg.
"Maggie, it's too late." He says. "I'm sorry." He outs the car in drive and the momentum pushes my back to the seat. I keep looking back at the prison, just to see if they show up. But all I see is walkers. Not even Rick is outside. And that worries me. Maybe C block was locked down and they made it? It's the not knowing that's killing me. Once the prison is out of sight, I stare out the window and let the tears fill my eyes and trail down my face.
After driving for a few hours, there is a sign for a hotel. Glenn suggests we check it out. It's safe and even has places to sleep. Glenn drives up to the hotel and takes off his seat belt. "Okay, I'm gonna go inside and check it out and you're gonna stay here." He says to all of us.
"No. I'm coming with you." I insist.
"You need to stay with them." I almost forget they were with us. They haven't made in sound since we left.
"Ok." I don't want to stay. But he's right. He gets out and runs up to the door and yanks it open and he disappears into the building. "Are you two alright." I twist around to look at them. Lizzie is asleep and Mika is staring at her lap.
"Yes." She didn't sound alright.
"Are you sure, sweetheart?" I ask. She sighs.
"I'm just-Is this place safe?" I wish they wouldn't ask me these kinds of questions.
"I really hope so." That's the only answer I can give that's true. We sit in the car for about 10 minutes until Glenn comes back. "So?"
"It's clear." Hearing those words are such a relief that it makes me feel a little light headed. "I don't think there were a whole lot of people checking into hotels when outbreak started. There are a lot of clean rooms to choose from."
"So we can go in now?" I ask. He nods and I take off my seat belt and so does Mika. Glenn opens Lizzie's door and picks her up, her arms lazily holding on to his neck. Mika and I get the few bags we packed and we all make our way to the door.
"There were two rooms next to each other that looked pretty good. Just on the third floor." Glenn says gently, careful not to wake Lizzie. It was true. The rooms were pretty nice. Definitely a step up from the prison cots. I could tell Mika was excited. I don't think she has stayed in many hotels. Not that she should think of this endeavor as a vacation. "So what you think?"
"It's pretty!" Mika answers. Glenn smiles and then looks at me for my answer.
"I like it. It's nice." He smiles again and lays Lizzie down on the still neatly made bed. It's only just getting dark out, so we eat before it gets too dark to see anything. It's just crackers, jerky, and water, but it's something. Once it get's totally dark, everyone just goes to bed. I tuck Mika into the queen sized bed that Glenn put Lizzie in and Glenn and I take the one in the adjoining room. I lay down, but I'm not really tired. But Glenn starts snoring only a few minutes after he lays down. I turn over and rest my face on his shoulder.
I wake up to Mika jostling me. I don't even remember falling asleep. "What? What is it?"
"Can I sleep with you?"
"What's wrong?"
"I just-I don't know. Nothing." She starts to walk away, but I skooch closer to Glenn and flip up the blankets.
"Come on. It's okay, honey." She gets in and grabs my hand and holds it. She falls asleep and then I do.