A/N: I don't know if this is just a me thing or not, but when I read things I read them in a voice in my head. Sometimes the way I read things just makes me laugh.
I woke up with the worst headache I had ever had. I groaned and rolled over burying my head in the pillow. I finally turned and opened my eyes. Daryl was no longer in the room and I sat up remembering what I had done last night. I was embarrassed until I remembered that Daryl said he would kiss me again when I was sober then I blushed for a different reason.
I got up and dressed into the same shorts I wore yesterday with a different shirt. I hadn't packed a lot of extra clothes in my backpack. I then left it by the door and made my way back to the cafeteria and sat at the table as everyone looked over. They all started to poke fun at the hangover, but when Glenn walked in looking even worse they quickly switched targets.
T-Dog put some eggs in front of me and as I started to eat Glenn laid on the table. Jacqui rubbed his back as she walked by and T-Dog put some eggs on the plate near his head. Glenn slowly sat up and started to eat as Daryl sat in the chair next to mine. He started on his second helping of eggs and didn't awknowledge me. I then felt a hand on my leg and it squeezed just above my knee, then it was gone. I blushed and glanced over at Daryl , but he acted like nothing happened.
Once everyone had gathered Dale started the serious conversation asking Jenner what the disease was. Since we had finished eating he led us back to the computer lab we had passed through last night. He started the main computer and an image of a brain appeared. It then lit up with small blue sparks throughout it. Jenner explain that these signals are what made us unique.
As the computer scanned to the first event the lights slowly disappeared as the brain was invested by black. The second event showed the sparks beginning again, but only at the base of the brain. Finally a bullet went through the brain and the sparks disappeared once more.
"The human part. The part of the brain that's you that never comes back." I tuned back into the conversation as Jenner described the reanimation. I felt sad for my father again, but my dad had died long before the outbreak. I felt worse for us. They had no idea what this was or how to stop it.
"I hate to trouble you with more questions Doctor, but that clock. It's counting down. What happens when it gets to zero?" Jenner looked at Dale before responding.
"The main generators run out of fuel." He then turned and walked back towards the computer again.
"What happens then?" When Jenner didn't respond Rick directed the question at VI. Decontamination. That's what happens when the fuel runs out. The men quickly ran down to the basement to check on the generators. I quickly walked down the hall and found Carl, Sophia, Mom and Lori in the rec room. Lori was reaching towards the ceiling; apparently the AC had stopped.
"You guys better come." They followed me back to the computer lab and we got there as the men came back from the basement. Risk was furious.
"Lori, everyone get your stuff we're leaving." We quickly rushed back down the hall and grabbed what we wanted from our rooms. On the way back Sophia grabbed my hand as she clutched her doll. When we got back we started toward the exit when the door shut.
"Did you just lock us in? He just locked us in." We looked back at Jenner and he was sitting at a computer desk.
Rick asked what happened at decontamination and we all listened as VI described an explosion that set the air on fire. Jenner explained that it was the quickest, most painless death; especially in a world like this. Everyone broke into panic and I slowly slide down to the floor. My eyes started to fill with tears. Two months struggling to survive and only to die in an explosion.
Sophia latched on to me as Mom kneeled next to us and hugged us both. Everything sounded far away and underwater. I finally came back as I heard gunshots. My head snapped to the right and I saw Shane firing at the computers. I wrapped my arms around Sophia as Rick tried to convince Jenner to open the doors.
"Let us try! To keep going as long as we can!" Jenner finally opened the doors before saying: "The doors upstairs are still locked. I can't control those."
Everyone quickly rushed towards the exit I pulled Sophia along with me as I went. Daryl ran down the ramp grabbed Sophia like he had the night before pulling me behind him as he ran. When we got to the entrance of the building he left Sophia and I to try and break open a window. Nothing was working and it was when Shane fired at the window I remembered. The grenade. I rushed forward.
"Rick I think I have something that'll help." I dug threw my bag.
"I don't think a nail file is gonna do it Anna." I ignored Shane as I pulled out the grenade and handed it to Rick.
"I found it when I was washing your clothes. I'm sorry I forgot I still had it." Rick grabbed it and went to the window. I quickly ran back to hide with Mom and Sophia. The explosiom shattered the window and Daryl ran over and grabbed Sophia again. I quickly followed him as Mom ran ahead and opened the Cherokee. Daryl dropped Sophia off with Mom before continuing on to the truck. He pulled open the door and when I got close enough he grabbed me and shoved me in.
Daryl climbed in on top of me and yanked the door shut. Seconds later there was a huge explosion and the truck rocked. It lasted longer than I expected before the noise ended and the truck stopped shaking. Daryl slowly sat up and looked out the window before allowing me to do the same. I saw Dale and Andrea quickly run to the Rv from the courtyard. Slowly each vehicle pulled away from the flaming rubble of what was left of the CDC. I slowly leaned back in my seat and let the tears I had been holding in fall.
We drove for a few hours before stopping and taking the gas from Daryl's truck and Shane's jeep for the Rv and car. That was when I noticed that Jacqui was missing. We moved the baggage into the Rv and Shane joined it. Daryl got Merle's motorcycle out of the truck bed. I watched nervously as he rolled it to the front. If we ran into walkers he would be out in the open. He then walked back to me as I stood by the car door. He kissed me once, hard, before going back to the bike.
I got in the car leaned my head against the window. Sophia leaned against me and I wrapped an arm around her. We slowly started up again and drove on down the road. We drove for a few hours before we came across an abandoned traffic jam. Daryl was able to lead us threw for a ways before the Rv's hose gave out again. We all got out scanvenge for supplies while Dale kept watch.
I walked with Daryl ahead of the group as we searched through cars. I found a blue shirt that was about my size and stuffed it in my bag. I was about to go through the ready of the car when Daryl grabbed me and shoved me beneath it. He held his hand over my mouth as we laid on the pavement.
Suddenly I heard it. Walkers, tons of them, were walking down the highway. I started to shake and turned to look at Daryl. He held his finger to his lips before rolling out from under the car and disappearing around another. I was terrified to be by myself, but kept quiet. Finally the noises stopped and I couldn't see anymore feet.
I could hear screaming from back towards the Rv and instantly recognized it as Sophia. I crawled out from under the car and looked over the guardrail in time to see Sophia running into the woods followed by two walkers. Shortly after Rick also went into the woods. I quickly climbed over the rail and started down the hill when something pulled me and I slide down and fell onto another body.
I turned and I saw Daryl crossbow in one hand the other arm wrapped around my waist holding me. He quickly rolled to the side and stood before pulling me up with him. He then started pulling me towards the rest of the group. I struggled to get out of his hold to go after Sophia as I cried helplessly. When we had reached the rest of the group I saw Mom sobbing and holding her arms out to me. Daryl shoved me up and into her arms.
I held onto her desperately as I cried before turning to see Daryl loading his crossbow. He then started down the hill and when he got to the bottom turned and looked back up at us. He threw his hands out to the side.
"Well come on people." He then turned and started towards the woods again.
"Glenn and I will go with him everybody else stay here." Shane and Glenn quickly started down the hill to catch up with Daryl.
We all stood by the guardrail and waited. After a while Shane and Glenn came back saying that Daryl had found Sophia's trail and he and Rick were tracking her. We waited some more. Eventually Lori started to comfort my mom again and I sat on the ground and hugged my knees. And waited. It felt like hours had hone by when Rick and Daryl started coming up the hill again.
Sophia wasn't with them. I stood up and rubbed my hands over my face as Mom held me from behind. Daryl came to stand in front of me as Rick stood next to him.
"You didn't find her." Mom asked from behind me.
"Her trail went cold." Rick said and I looked down. Daryl stepped closer to me.
"We'll start fresh in the morning." Rick spoke again and I glanced at him. His eyes were rimmed red and I looked back down.
"She's just a little girl. She can't be out in the woods alone at night." Mom was desperate.
"We'll go out again first thing tomorrow and find her. She's smart. She'll be fine for a night." As I focused on Dasryl's voice I really looked at what was in front of me. I saw red on Daryl's pants. Blood.
"Is that blood?" I was panicked. Daryl grabbed my hand.
"We rasn into a walker." I put my other hand over my mouth as I sobbed.
"It didn't get her." Rick held up his hands to assure us.
"How do you know?" Mom asked as she tried to get away from Lori.
"I cut the son of bitch open. Made sure." Daryl looked me right in the eyes.
I fell forward and he held for a few minutes while I cried. He then let Dale lead me and Mom away to the Rv. Dale got us as settled as he could in the bedroom before leaving us alone. Mom turned to the wall and sobbed into a pillow. I lied on my side staring down at the floor and crying. I was pretty much silent, only masking noise every once in a while.
The others came and eventually settled in around us. When Daryl came in he laid in the small walkway near my feet. Once he was settled I tried to relax a little bit. When he looked me earlier I knew he felt terrible about not finding Sophia tonight. At last I fell into a fitfull sleep plagued with nightmares.