Disclaimer: I do not own The Walking Dead.

Lost Hope: The Beginning

Chapter Twelve

I jumped up and banged on the door. The others looked on in horror. They were trapped in there. Jenner had locked them in

"Hey! Open the door!" I yelled to Jenner through the door. The others in the room started panicking and Daryl tried attacking Jenner but Shane held him back. The others were pleading with them to open the door. I looked at the clock; twenty-eight minutes left. I continued banging on the door.

Jenner told him it was better this way. I could hear him yelling through the doors. He told them that the place was going to blow and that there was no way out.

I felt tears begin to fall down my face. "Let them out!" I yelled. "Please, let them out."

Carl looked at me through the glass. I saw that he was crying too. Some of the others began to cry as well. Jenner told them that it was a painless way to die; a way to end all the sorrow and regret for them; a way out of what has become of this world. Daryl and Shane ran to the door and began banging on it with things they found in the room, but the glass would not break. They found axes and began beating on it with that, but they still had no success.

Jenner continued to try to tell the people that it was easier this way. He told them that this would be the best way to die and that out there they would be facing a much more agonizing death. He also told them that the doors were meant to withstand a rocket launcher. I knelt down in front of the door, continuing to cry.

Lori walked up to the door where I knelt down. "Erin, I want you to run. I want you to find a way out and save yourself. Don't wait here with us. You can go, so go." She told me.

I shook my head refusing to leave.

"Please go." Lori said starting to cry herself.

"I'm not leaving any of you!" I shouted.

Carl walked up to the glass by his mom. "Erin, go! Please go." He told me crying.

I looked at him and shook my head, more tears falling from my eyes. He put his hand up to the glass. "Please, Erin. Please go."

I put my hand up where he put his hand and continued to shake my head. I then backed away from the glass and pulled my gun out of the bag. I aimed it at the glass and shot it three times, but it did nothing.

"Erin, go." Lori instructed.

I shook my head one last time. "You guys are my family now. I can't leave my family behind. If I go, I lose my family; if I stay, I will be with them to the end." I said putting a smile on my teary face. I sat down in front of the door again. The others continued to plead Jenner to open the doors.

Shane began freaking out and aimed a shot gun at Jenner's head and then began shooting things around the room until Rick yanked the gun away from him. I leaned against the door and closed my eyes, waiting for the clock to hit zero. I backed away when Daryl began hitting the glass again, even though I knew it wouldn't break. I turned away for a second, but then I heard the door open. I jumped back around to see that they had talked Jenner into opening the doors for them. I felt the hope flood back into me. When Carl ran out I threw my arms around his neck. There is four minutes left on the clock. The others quickly ran to grab their stuff.

Once they got their stuff we ran to the front. The doors wouldn't open. He men began using things to bang on the glass, but it was just like the door. Carl grabbed my hand as Shane began to shoot the glass with a shot gun, but it didn't break.

"Rick I have something that might help." Carol said reaching through her bag.

"Carol I don't think a nail file is going to do it." Shane said.

Carol pulled out a grenade. "When I washed your uniform I found this in your pocket." She handed Rick the grenade nervously.

"Everyone get down!" T-Dog shouted and we got behind stuff and ducked. The grenade blew the glass open. We all ran outside and prepared for the bigger explosion about to take place. Carl was still holding my hand. We got into the R.V.

"Where are Andrea, Dale, and Jacqui?" I asked.

"Wait, they're coming." Lori said pointing at Dale and Andrea jumping out of the building and running over to us.

Rick looked at his watch and yelled for everyone to get down; then the explosion. The sound was so loud I thought my ear drums might burst. I could feel the heat from the explosion immediately; red hot flames. Then everything went silent. We looked up and there was no more CDC. The place that we once thought safe was nothing but a pile of ruins, and ashes.

"Get in, get in, get in!" I heard Glenn yell to Andrea and Dale gesturing towards the vehicles. We took a moment to catch our breaths. The anxiety inside of me was beginning to die down. I looked down a saw that Carl was still holding my hand. I gave his hand a small squeeze and smiled slightly. As we began to drive away from the city we could still see the flames from the explosion.

"Where is Jacqui? Did she make it?" I asked noticing that I had not seen her since the explosion.

"Jacqui chose to stay behind." Lori told me sadly.

I felt a tear fall down my face and I nodded sadly. We were on the road again. We were safe for now, but we were out in the open. We were once again exposed to the walker infested world, but I didn't feel so depressed by that. I was happy to be with the new family I made. I feel comfort and happiness when I am with them, even with everything going on. Being with them has helped me realized, that hope is never completely lost, and that in spite of everything that was going on; there is always hope.

A/N: Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed the first story of Lost Hope. I am working on the second story now, so if you like this story, get ready for more because I am nowhere near done. :D