div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"CHAPTER 15 /p
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p style="margin: 0px;" /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"NICOLETTE /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"The walk from the barn had been full with heavy silence. Glenn's revelation had shocked everyone. Some more than others, that was for sure. Nicolette kept repeating what had happened before her eyes over and over. Mostly Shane outburst. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"She wasn't scared. Nor that surprised. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette had been watching Shane from quite some time, noticing something shift in the man. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"She still remembered his first outburst against Ed Peletier, Carol's dead husband. At that time Nicolette hadn't thought much about that, since Ed was an asshole and he deserved everything that had happened to him. But then she had been thinking about that morning inside the CDC, before they figured out that Jenner wanted to blow them all up with him, and those strange marks on Shane's neck. He did it to himself in his sleep, he said. Not very convincing for Nicki. Anyway, after everything that happened, she hadn't honestly been thinking about it anymore. Then he became very jumpy and nervous. Avoiding Lori most of any. It was hard not to notice, since they had been almost inseparable before Rick's arrive. And then Carl had been shot, and he went with Otis. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Yes, that was what got Nicolette curious most. Him coming back, with that sad story and with a gun that didn't belong to them. For some time, Nicolette thought of having become crazy, since no one else seemed to notice it. But then she had spoken to the only person honest enough to understand that she wasn't alone. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So ya noticed?" Daryl had said one of those past mornings, sitting on his chair while she practised like he told her to do. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;" "Noticed what?" Nicolette asked wanting to hear it from Daryl "I only asked about a gun." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Don act dumb and stay still" he said making her adjust her posture, before releasing the arrow, that hit the moving can. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""That's not Shane's, right?" she asked turning to the man. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Nah" he answered taking a breath. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So?" /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""So what?" Daryl asked with a frown. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""What does it mean?" Nicolette asked feeling a bit nervous. She needed to know what it meant, and she hoped to be wrong. Shane had kept them safe for long, so it worried her that someone that could be that trustworthy could change so quickly. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Ya don have ta worry" Daryl said. Nicolette observed him. He didn't trust Shane either. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I've seen how he glares at Rick" Nicki said kicking the dirt beneath her foot "Honestly everything he is doing does not reassure me. I don't trust him anymore." /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette was feeling that way more than ever as she set down next to Carl on a bench, waiting for Lori to bring back some books to make them do some homework. Nicki usually ran away from that, but she didn't feel like wanting to be alone in that moment. She had too many thoughts on her mind. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Do you think she is dead?" asked Carl pensively. Nicki had to turn towards him to realize that he was talking with her. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""That's what Shane seems to think" Nicolette said. Another outburst that she hadn't seen coming, hitting her hard. She wanted for Sophia to be safe, she had to be. And she naively thought that all of them were thinking the same thing. But clearly, she was wrong. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I didn't ask you that" Carl argued back staring at her "I asked what you think" She observed him, he didn't seem scared, of nervous. He just wanted to know what she was thinking, not for reassurance. Just to know. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I think she is been out there for long" Nicki said "But that doesn't mean anything. She is out there. We are strong kids." She had seen Carl being shot in the stomach and surviving, why Sophia should be any different? /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki knew that if she had the chance to see her mother again, she would have fought with all her strength to get back to her. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Sophia had everything to fight for. She had to be safe. She had to. Nicki wouldn't accept any other thought. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So, this wasn't a stupid question" Carl said making her turn to him with a frown "You answered for once" at his answer she snorted, shaking her head. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""We were having an interesting conversation for once" she said "Why do you always have to ruin everything?" Carl chuckled a bit before looking down. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I want to find her" he said after a moment of silence. He wasn't unsure, he wasn't scared. He just stated it. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki nodded her head "We will." /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Carl turned to her, observing her face once again, before nodding his head too. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Not after long Lori arrived with some exercise books. Those surely were Carl's. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Pretty easy these ones" she teased before he nudged her with his shoulder. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You're in middle school" he argued "Of course they're easy for you" Nicki chuckled before going through some problems. She remembered being set with Sarah, in Nicki's room, doing homework. Sometimes their father would knock to see how it was going. That usually happened on Sunday, when Sarah hadn't left for college yet. Nicki hated doing homework. It was silly how she was missing even that routine. She didn't bring anything with her from school. She wasn't supposed to study during three days in Atlanta, and that was something that was getting Sarah crazy. She wanted for her sister to study, but with everything that was happening it was no the right time to search for books, so sometimes, Nicki would read the only book she had found, that day on the highway, just to make Sarah happy. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She wondered where her sister could be in that moment. How she was feeling. She had seen Glenn going to her, maybe they were spending some time together. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Does Shane think Sophia's dead?" Carl asked suddenly, making Nicki look at him from the corner of her eyes, as Lori seemed to try and find the right words to say yes, probably. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Shane's just scared." Lori answered and Nicki took a breath. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Of the walkers in the barn?" Carl asked again and Lori nodded her head. Nicolette observed him, thinking about what his mother had just told him. He always observed and listened, to the point of being annoying. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Mom" he spoke again "I'm not leaving until we find Sophia. And I don't want to go even after that." Nicki nodded her head before looking at Lori. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I can't believe, I'm saying this, but his right" Nicolette said as Carl turned towards her "We're safe, for once" Lori's eyes moved from her to her son, observing their determination. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Well, we are not leaving" she stated before turning to the books "You finish those problems." Carl nodded his head as Nicki look down starting reading again. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I just think she's gonna like it here" she stopped reading when she heard Carl again "This place, it could be a home." /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Home. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette hadn't thought that a safe place could even exist anymore. A place where she could sleep without worry and have a silent safe walk. Having people to hang out with, and not being afraid for their lives. But Hershel's farm had come close to that. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Home. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"They had found it. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"But Sophia didn't even get a chance to live like that, her world was still full of dangers and fears. That wasn't right. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"emI should have run in those woods too,/em she thought as she was walking towards her practice camp. She should have and maybe Sophia would have known that place too. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette turned to see Shane talking with Andrea in the distance. Sophia was just a dead girl to him. He had looked for her, but not as much as Daryl did. And he had made clear that Dixon had just lost his time in the task. Just a dead girl. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Not for her. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette took her bow and put the quiver behind her back, before starting to walk towards the fences. She hadn't been there since she had brought Glenn and T-Dog at the farm. Nicki felt nervous and afraid, knowing that once she had crossed that log, she would have been in the woods. Alone. Another lost girl? /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"No. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"She looked around to be sure that no one had seen her, and climbed up the fence, to hop to the other side. Nicolette took a breath, before adjusting the quiver over her shoulder and starting to walk. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She walked through the woods, slowly, looking around. Trying to be prepared for any movement. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Sophia" she called. She wasn't sure of what she was doing, but she hadn't seen anyone wanting to go out that day to search for her, so she would have tried. This time, she would have tried. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A rustling noise made her turn. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Sophia?" Nicki called again, but breath got caught in her throat when she saw a walker approach. It was one and he was moving. Nicolette took a breath. With her right hand she took one of her arrows and nocked it in the bow. The walker was moving, growling towards her, but he was slow. Was it slower than the others? Could it be? /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"She pulled the arrow, brushing her lips with the end of it. Taking the aim. It was moving, but she didn't have to think about it. Like Daryl has been telling her. She had focus on the speed. She had to try and figure what its next move would have been. What if she missed though? /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"I could run, I'm faster than them. Like Daryl said. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki took a breath and moving her aim slightly to the left side of the walker's head, she released the arrow. It took a second, but it flew straight on to the monster's scull. It went limp on the ground. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I did it." she muttered not believing it "I did it." she found herself smiling, before walking towards the dead corps and taking back her arrow. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I did it" she said proudly, before starting to walk again in the woods. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette walked around for two hours. But there had not been sign of Sophia. Nothing. Maybe she would have tried again before it got too dark. She got pass the fences once again and hopped on the side of the farm. She took a breath before starting to walk towards her and Sarah's tent. She walked inside and put her bow and arrows on the ground. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You think I didn't notice?" her sister's voice came from behind her, making Nicki take a breath. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I hoped you didn't" she answered with honesty. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Where have you been?" Sarah asked walking closer, with worried eyes. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I've been looking for Sophia" at her words Sarah laughed nervously. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You've been out?" she asked "Alone" Nicolette nodded her head, ready for the next outburst. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Are you out of your mind?" Sarah said pacing back and forth, with her head in her hands "It was not enough everything that has happened this morning?!" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""At least those walkers are locked up" /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""This is not funny, Nicolette" Sarah said making Nicki turn. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Nobody went out today" she stated simply "Nobody" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So, you think it's smart for you to go outside?" Sarah argued back. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""It was the right thing to do!" Nicki replied, maybe harsher than she intended to. Nicolette took a breath. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I didn't want to make you worry" she said "But I did what I thought was right." /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Anything could have happened out there" Sarah insisted, but Nicki didn't back down. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I've never tried to look for her" Nicolette explained "I didn't run after her when I could have" at that Sarah took a breath. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We've talked about it" she said calmer, walking towards her "What happened to Sophia is not your fault." but Nicolette shook her head. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, but..." she took a breath "I can't convince myself. No matter what." she could feel her eyes get blurry, so she tried to look at anywhere but her sister, that took a breath before hugging her. Nicolette left out a sob, that she was holding inside for so long, and then hugged her sister back. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We are going to find her" Sarah said softly. Nicki bit her lip before nodding her head. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah" she said moving away "Yeah." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Do you want to take a walk?" asked Sarah searching her gaze with her eyes "Just for a bit?" Nicki licked her lips, putting her hands on her hips, still trying to not let her emotions out. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Alright" she finally said. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The two of them walked for some time, talking about nothing in particular. But it wasn't awkward. When Nicki got anxious, the two of them liked to stay a bit alone, even in silence. It was all it took, to make Nicki feel better. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I thought you were with Glenn" Nicki said, making Sarah snort. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We had..." she took a breath "Some kind of a fight" that made Nicolette turn with wide eyes. Sarah and Glenn had a fight? /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Really?" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Actually, I screamed a lot" Sarah said a bit embarrassed "I just... It makes me sad that he had a secret with me and that when he needed to talk, he went to Dale" Nicki had noticed the two of them not spending much time together in the last few days. But Nicki didn't find it unforgivable. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Maybe he thought he was protecting you" Nicolette tried, making Sarah turn to her with a little frown. Nicki shrugged her shoulders. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I think is something Glenn would do" she said. Sarah observed her before her lips moved up in a little smile. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, he would" she said before taking a breath "That means that I have to apologize" but Nicki just scoffed. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, like you two need it" she said shaking her head "Next time you'll talk, it's going to be like nothing happened" at that Sarah chuckled. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"As they kept walking Nicki spotted Carol and Daryl going towards their direction. The two of them were starting to get along. Nicolette remembered that the night Daryl got hurt, she had been the one to bring him dinner. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Hey" she said catching their attention. Carol turned with a small smile, like always, while Daryl observed her first and then Sarah, who had gotten stiff suddenly. That made Nicki frown, but she decided to ignore it. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""What are you two up to?" asked Carol. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Just a walk" Nicki answered shrugging her shoulders, making the woman nod her head. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""It's almost sunset" she said "We should start making dinner. Would you like to help me?" Carol asked. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""It's either that or read" Nicolette asked making the woman smile, before turning to Sarah. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Sarah?" her sister seemed almost startled before focusing on Carol and nodding her head. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Alright" Carol said "Let's go." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"They started to walk. Nicki next to Carol and a few feet behind Sarah and Daryl silently following. Nicolette had witnessed them arguing with each other, but it had been a while now. And she was sure that they were talking a lot more. Now it seemed to be back at just before the CDC. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Hey" she heard Daryl spoke quietly. But it was so low that she wasn't even sure that he had said anything at all. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Mm" muttered her sister, that was walking with crossed arms. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""Y'alright?" Nicki frowned at his tone. Sarah didn't answer immediately, and Nicki looked back to see her observing the man, with her big brown eyes, before nodding her head. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I am" she said softly. Daryl was chewing his bottom lip as he kept walking, but he turned to Sarah with a surprised expression when she asked. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""You?" at that point Nicki frown deepened when she saw him hid a little smile. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""M'fine" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"What strange people those two were. She took a breath turning to her sister, when she heard her talking again, lightly. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I wonder if Rick has spoken with Hershel" she said. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Well, I don see 'em packin'" Daryl said pointing at the others sitting just outside Hershel house. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""I don't see Rick" said Carol and that made Daryl frown. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I see Andrea" he hissed. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""She and Rick shouldn't be outside to look for Sophia?" asked Carol as Sarah turn towards Daryl, that sharing a glace with her started to walk to the house. Nicki followed his tracks wanting to know what was happening. If they had to go out, why was Andrea there? /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You haven't seen Rick?" they heard Glenn getting up from next to Maggie. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""He went off with Hershel" Andrea said "We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, you were." Daryl said "What the hell?" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Daryl" tried Sarah, but he was glaring at everyone. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Damn it." he exclaimed "Isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail." as he was gesturing something caught Nicolette's eyes; she turned to the side to notice Shane walking towards them with the bag full of weapons. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"What the hell, she thought as he came closer. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What's all this?" asked Daryl pointing at the riffle in Shane's hand. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You with me, man?" he answered handing the weapon that Daryl accepted following him that continued with his fast pace towards the house. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Time to grow up." he said before turning to Andrea "You already got yours?" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah." Andrea answered confused "Where's Dale?" br /"He's on his way" Shane answered before turning to Sarah "Here" and he pushed in her hands a gun. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Are you kidding?" Sarah asked just before T-Dog spoke. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Thought we couldn't carry." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We can and we have to." Shane said giving a gun to him too "You got your bow, alright" he said looking at Nicki that was observing him with wide eyes. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What are you doing?" asked Nicki as Shane passed next to her, ignoring her. br /"Look" Shane said with strong voice "It was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"What the hell was happening? What he wanted to do? /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""How about you, man?" he continued handing a riffle at Glenn "You gonna protect yours?" the young man seemed unsure and he looked at Maggie, before taking the weapon. Shane then turned to the girl. br /"Can you shoot?" br /"Can you stop?" Maggie said with loud voice "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"That thought made Nicki shiver. She didn't want to leave. They couldn't leave. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We have to stay, Shane." Carl, who was on the porch, started to walk towards the man. /p
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p style="margin: 0px;""What is this?" Nicki felt relieved when she saw Lori walking out of the house, confused at what was happening. br /"We ain't going anywhere, okay?" Shane kept saying ignoring even the woman "Now look, Hershel, he's just gonna understand. Okay? Well, he's gonna have to." he then walked towards Carl kneeling in front of him "Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right?" /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Liar, Nicolette thought. He didn't believe she was alive. He had said it that morning. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Her eyes widened when she saw him handing Carl a gun. br /"Now I want you to take this" Shane kept saying, but Carl didn't move "You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it." Lori ran to her son, pushing him behind her back. br /"Rick said no guns. This is not your call." she said angrily "This is not your decision to make." /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Can we all just calm down?" said Sarah just before hearing T-Dog gasp. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Oh shit!" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki turned towards whatever T-Dog had seen and she noticed Rick, Hershel and Jimmy leading two walkers by some kind of leash. What were they doing? /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What is that?" Shane roared before starting to run towards the barn. Nicki turned to her sister that looked at her for a moment before starting to follow the others. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane!" Lori yelled, but he was already far. Soon only Nicki, Lori and Carl stood behind. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""He is crazy" Nicki muttered before making her way to the others. Carl and Lori were slower since the boy was still holding his side, because of the bullet wound. /p
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div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What the hell are you doing?" yelled Shane br /"Shane, just back off." Rick answered trying to keep the walker as steady as he could. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Why do your people have guns?" Hershel said as Nicki arrived, stopping next to Beth. br /"Are you kidding me? You see?" Shane said turning to them "You see what they're br /holding onto?" br /"I see who I'm holding onto." Hershel argued back as he was leading another walker. br /Shane shook his head with fury. br /"No, man, you don't." br /What was he trying to accomplish like that? Did he want for them to be kicked out? br /"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk." Rick tried to reason with him but it was beyond that at that point. Shane wouldn't have listened. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What you want to talk about, Rick?" Shane yelled back putting himself between Rick and Hershel and the barn. br /"These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill!" that was true. Those things were dangerous, but Hershel didn't see them as such and that was not the right way of prove him wrong. br /"These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy." Nicki's eyes shot up to the man hearing Andrea's sister's name. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane, shut up!" Rick cried. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something." Shane said harshly taking out his gun "Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The gunshots echoed inside Nicki's chest, making her shiver as everyone instinctively tried to shield themselves from the bullet, that went straight into the walker's chest. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Oh my god" she heard Beth mutter with shaky voice. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?Why is it still coming?" Shane yelled again firing other three shots "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" and he fired again. Nicki's eyes fell on Hershel who was staring at the growling walker with wide eyes. He truly believed that those things were sick, and by the way he was frozen, Hershel was in shock. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane, enough!" Rick desperately yelled. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, you're right, man" Shane said walking towards the monster "That is enough." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A final gunshot got fired. Right at the centre of the forehead of the walker, that went limp on the ground just before Hershel, that kneeled on the ground. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A deadly silence fell between them and Nicki looked over Sarah who was covering her mouth with her hand from next to Daryl. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone!" Shane yelled making Carol gasp "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough!" then he glared at Rick "Rick, it ain't like it was before!" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"That was what he wanted then. All of this, just to get to Rick. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now." Shane yelled before running towards the barn. Nicki observed as Rick pleaded Hershel to take the other walkers, all to stop Shane. Then she looked at the others. No one was going to move. No one was going to do anything. Just staring or yelling. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"As Shane started to hit the door of the barn with a pick-axe, Nicki looked to Lori, who was hugging Carl, begging Rick to stop Shane. The others were frozen, not moving. All of them with wide eyes. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Don't do it!" Glenn yelled. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane, please!" Sarah cried looking around. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Rick!" Lori yelled too. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki's right hand moved before she could think and took one of the arrows behind her back. She started to walk towards the man as she heard Sarah yell her name, but as she pulled back the arrow, Shane managed to break the lock on the door. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"And soon the first walker come out. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Only in that moment she noticed that she was aiming at Shane. Nicki observed her left hand, the one that was holding the bow, shaking slightly. What was she about to do? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She turned to her left when she saw her sister running next to her with Daryl, both pointing their gun towards the growling walkers. On the other side Andrea and T- Dog that soon get joined by Glenn. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The walkers were moving, getting out. They were moving slowly, again. They were slow. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki forgot about Shane, focusing her all mind on the walkers. And she fired the first arrow, that went straight on one walker's head. As she took another arrow, she was hearing gunshots all around her. They were so loud, but one by one every walker that came out went down on the ground. Nicki looked at her sister, firing her gun with her lip between her lips. Nicki wondered if she was scared. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette had no idea how many arrows she shot and how many bullets had been fired but at some point; no walker walked out of the barn. She let out a shaky breath as she turned to see Maggie crying hugging her frozen father, while Beth was sobbing against Jimmy. Lori and Carl were on the ground a few feet from Rick and she wondered when did they got closer. And Nicki couldn't help but feel sad when she saw Dale walking towards them with a shocked expression. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"They had just scared those people that saved Carl's life. They had terrorized them. All of them. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Suddenly another growl could be heard. Nicolette turned slowly, feeling her heart beath fast in her chest. It wasn't loud, but it was there. She was sure. There were others. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"But what she saw was something that truly felt like someone had just hit her. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Sophia" Carol yelled crying. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette couldn't help but look at the small walker walking out of the barn. She was there. Her blond short hair, blue shirt with a rainbow on it. The same she wore when she got lost. On her neck there was a bite mark. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She had always been there. As a walker. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A tear rolled down Nicki's cheek. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"No one was moving. No one knew what to do. That was too much for all of them. But they couldn't leave her like that. They had to put her down, but who? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Only in that moment Nicolette realized that she had let her bow fall on the ground. She couldn't. She wouldn't. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Who could? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Suddenly she heard steps getting past her, just to see Rick stopping a few feet from Sophia, pointing his gun towards her. She was so small and so close. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She was just 10. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She just got lost. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A single gunshot was fired and Sophia fell on the floor. /p
/div
p style="margin: 0px;"CHAPTER 15 /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"NICOLETTE /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The walk from the barn had been full with heavy silence. Glenn's revelation had shocked everyone. Some more than others, that was for sure. Nicolette kept repeating what had happened before her eyes over and over. Mostly Shane outburst. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She wasn't scared. Nor that surprised. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette had been watching Shane from quite some time, noticing something shift in the man. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She still remembered his first outburst against Ed Peletier, Carol's dead husband. At that time Nicolette hadn't thought much about that, since Ed was an asshole and he deserved everything that had happened to him. But then she had been thinking about that morning inside the CDC, before they figured out that Jenner wanted to blow them all up with him, and those strange marks on Shane's neck. He did it to himself in his sleep, he said. Not very convincing for Nicki. Anyway, after everything that happened, she hadn't honestly been thinking about it anymore. Then he became very jumpy and nervous. Avoiding Lori most of any. It was hard not to notice, since they had been almost inseparable before Rick's arrive. And then Carl had been shot, and he went with Otis. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Yes, that was what got Nicolette curious most. Him coming back, with that sad story and with a gun that didn't belong to them. For some time, Nicolette thought of having become crazy, since no one else seemed to notice it. But then she had spoken to the only person honest enough to understand that she wasn't alone. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So ya noticed?" Daryl had said one of those past mornings, sitting on his chair while she practised like he told her to do. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;" "Noticed what?" Nicolette asked wanting to hear it from Daryl "I only asked about a gun." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Don act dumb and stay still" he said making her adjust her posture, before releasing the arrow, that hit the moving can. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""That's not Shane's, right?" she asked turning to the man. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Nah" he answered taking a breath. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So what?" Daryl asked with a frown. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What does it mean?" Nicolette asked feeling a bit nervous. She needed to know what it meant, and she hoped to be wrong. Shane had kept them safe for long, so it worried her that someone that could be that trustworthy could change so quickly. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Ya don have ta worry" Daryl said. Nicolette observed him. He didn't trust Shane either. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I've seen how he glares at Rick" Nicki said kicking the dirt beneath her foot "Honestly everything he is doing does not reassure me. I don't trust him anymore." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette was feeling that way more than ever as she set down next to Carl on a bench, waiting for Lori to bring back some books to make them do some homework. Nicki usually ran away from that, but she didn't feel like wanting to be alone in that moment. She had too many thoughts on her mind. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Do you think she is dead?" asked Carl pensively. Nicki had to turn towards him to realize that he was talking with her. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""That's what Shane seems to think" Nicolette said. Another outburst that she hadn't seen coming, hitting her hard. She wanted for Sophia to be safe, she had to be. And she naively thought that all of them were thinking the same thing. But clearly, she was wrong. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I didn't ask you that" Carl argued back staring at her "I asked what you think" She observed him, he didn't seem scared, of nervous. He just wanted to know what she was thinking, not for reassurance. Just to know. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I think she is been out there for long" Nicki said "But that doesn't mean anything. She is out there. We are strong kids." She had seen Carl being shot in the stomach and surviving, why Sophia should be any different? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki knew that if she had the chance to see her mother again, she would have fought with all her strength to get back to her. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Sophia had everything to fight for. She had to be safe. She had to. Nicki wouldn't accept any other thought. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So, this wasn't a stupid question" Carl said making her turn to him with a frown "You answered for once" at his answer she snorted, shaking her head. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We were having an interesting conversation for once" she said "Why do you always have to ruin everything?" Carl chuckled a bit before looking down. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I want to find her" he said after a moment of silence. He wasn't unsure, he wasn't scared. He just stated it. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki nodded her head "We will." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Carl turned to her, observing her face once again, before nodding his head too. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Not after long Lori arrived with some exercise books. Those surely were Carl's. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Pretty easy these ones" she teased before he nudged her with his shoulder. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You're in middle school" he argued "Of course they're easy for you" Nicki chuckled before going through some problems. She remembered being set with Sarah, in Nicki's room, doing homework. Sometimes their father would knock to see how it was going. That usually happened on Sunday, when Sarah hadn't left for college yet. Nicki hated doing homework. It was silly how she was missing even that routine. She didn't bring anything with her from school. She wasn't supposed to study during three days in Atlanta, and that was something that was getting Sarah crazy. She wanted for her sister to study, but with everything that was happening it was no the right time to search for books, so sometimes, Nicki would read the only book she had found, that day on the highway, just to make Sarah happy. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She wondered where her sister could be in that moment. How she was feeling. She had seen Glenn going to her, maybe they were spending some time together. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Does Shane think Sophia's dead?" Carl asked suddenly, making Nicki look at him from the corner of her eyes, as Lori seemed to try and find the right words to say yes, probably. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane's just scared." Lori answered and Nicki took a breath. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Of the walkers in the barn?" Carl asked again and Lori nodded her head. Nicolette observed him, thinking about what his mother had just told him. He always observed and listened, to the point of being annoying. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Mom" he spoke again "I'm not leaving until we find Sophia. And I don't want to go even after that." Nicki nodded her head before looking at Lori. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I can't believe, I'm saying this, but his right" Nicolette said as Carl turned towards her "We're safe, for once" Lori's eyes moved from her to her son, observing their determination. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Well, we are not leaving" she stated before turning to the books "You finish those problems." Carl nodded his head as Nicki look down starting reading again. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I just think she's gonna like it here" she stopped reading when she heard Carl again "This place, it could be a home." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Home. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette hadn't thought that a safe place could even exist anymore. A place where she could sleep without worry and have a silent safe walk. Having people to hang out with, and not being afraid for their lives. But Hershel's farm had come close to that. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Home. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"They had found it. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"But Sophia didn't even get a chance to live like that, her world was still full of dangers and fears. That wasn't right. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"emI should have run in those woods too,/em she thought as she was walking towards her practice camp. She should have and maybe Sophia would have known that place too. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette turned to see Shane talking with Andrea in the distance. Sophia was just a dead girl to him. He had looked for her, but not as much as Daryl did. And he had made clear that Dixon had just lost his time in the task. Just a dead girl. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Not for her. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette took her bow and put the quiver behind her back, before starting to walk towards the fences. She hadn't been there since she had brought Glenn and T-Dog at the farm. Nicki felt nervous and afraid, knowing that once she had crossed that log, she would have been in the woods. Alone. Another lost girl? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"No. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She looked around to be sure that no one had seen her, and climbed up the fence, to hop to the other side. Nicolette took a breath, before adjusting the quiver over her shoulder and starting to walk. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She walked through the woods, slowly, looking around. Trying to be prepared for any movement. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Sophia" she called. She wasn't sure of what she was doing, but she hadn't seen anyone wanting to go out that day to search for her, so she would have tried. This time, she would have tried. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A rustling noise made her turn. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Sophia?" Nicki called again, but breath got caught in her throat when she saw a walker approach. It was one and he was moving. Nicolette took a breath. With her right hand she took one of her arrows and nocked it in the bow. The walker was moving, growling towards her, but he was slow. Was it slower than the others? Could it be? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She pulled the arrow, brushing her lips with the end of it. Taking the aim. It was moving, but she didn't have to think about it. Like Daryl has been telling her. She had focus on the speed. She had to try and figure what its next move would have been. What if she missed though? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"I could run, I'm faster than them. Like Daryl said. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki took a breath and moving her aim slightly to the left side of the walker's head, she released the arrow. It took a second, but it flew straight on to the monster's scull. It went limp on the ground. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I did it." she muttered not believing it "I did it." she found herself smiling, before walking towards the dead corps and taking back her arrow. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I did it" she said proudly, before starting to walk again in the woods. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette walked around for two hours. But there had not been sign of Sophia. Nothing. Maybe she would have tried again before it got too dark. She got pass the fences once again and hopped on the side of the farm. She took a breath before starting to walk towards her and Sarah's tent. She walked inside and put her bow and arrows on the ground. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You think I didn't notice?" her sister's voice came from behind her, making Nicki take a breath. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I hoped you didn't" she answered with honesty. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Where have you been?" Sarah asked walking closer, with worried eyes. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I've been looking for Sophia" at her words Sarah laughed nervously. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You've been out?" she asked "Alone" Nicolette nodded her head, ready for the next outburst. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Are you out of your mind?" Sarah said pacing back and forth, with her head in her hands "It was not enough everything that has happened this morning?!" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""At least those walkers are locked up" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""This is not funny, Nicolette" Sarah said making Nicki turn. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Nobody went out today" she stated simply "Nobody" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""So, you think it's smart for you to go outside?" Sarah argued back. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""It was the right thing to do!" Nicki replied, maybe harsher than she intended to. Nicolette took a breath. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I didn't want to make you worry" she said "But I did what I thought was right." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Anything could have happened out there" Sarah insisted, but Nicki didn't back down. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I've never tried to look for her" Nicolette explained "I didn't run after her when I could have" at that Sarah took a breath. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We've talked about it" she said calmer, walking towards her "What happened to Sophia is not your fault." but Nicolette shook her head. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, but..." she took a breath "I can't convince myself. No matter what." she could feel her eyes get blurry, so she tried to look at anywhere but her sister, that took a breath before hugging her. Nicolette left out a sob, that she was holding inside for so long, and then hugged her sister back. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We are going to find her" Sarah said softly. Nicki bit her lip before nodding her head. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah" she said moving away "Yeah." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Do you want to take a walk?" asked Sarah searching her gaze with her eyes "Just for a bit?" Nicki licked her lips, putting her hands on her hips, still trying to not let her emotions out. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Alright" she finally said. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The two of them walked for some time, talking about nothing in particular. But it wasn't awkward. When Nicki got anxious, the two of them liked to stay a bit alone, even in silence. It was all it took, to make Nicki feel better. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I thought you were with Glenn" Nicki said, making Sarah snort. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We had..." she took a breath "Some kind of a fight" that made Nicolette turn with wide eyes. Sarah and Glenn had a fight? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Really?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Actually, I screamed a lot" Sarah said a bit embarrassed "I just... It makes me sad that he had a secret with me and that when he needed to talk, he went to Dale" Nicki had noticed the two of them not spending much time together in the last few days. But Nicki didn't find it unforgivable. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Maybe he thought he was protecting you" Nicolette tried, making Sarah turn to her with a little frown. Nicki shrugged her shoulders. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I think is something Glenn would do" she said. Sarah observed her before her lips moved up in a little smile. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, he would" she said before taking a breath "That means that I have to apologize" but Nicki just scoffed. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, like you two need it" she said shaking her head "Next time you'll talk, it's going to be like nothing happened" at that Sarah chuckled. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"As they kept walking Nicki spotted Carol and Daryl going towards their direction. The two of them were starting to get along. Nicolette remembered that the night Daryl got hurt, she had been the one to bring him dinner. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Hey" she said catching their attention. Carol turned with a small smile, like always, while Daryl observed her first and then Sarah, who had gotten stiff suddenly. That made Nicki frown, but she decided to ignore it. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What are you two up to?" asked Carol. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Just a walk" Nicki answered shrugging her shoulders, making the woman nod her head. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""It's almost sunset" she said "We should start making dinner. Would you like to help me?" Carol asked. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""It's either that or read" Nicolette asked making the woman smile, before turning to Sarah. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Sarah?" her sister seemed almost startled before focusing on Carol and nodding her head. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Alright" Carol said "Let's go." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"They started to walk. Nicki next to Carol and a few feet behind Sarah and Daryl silently following. Nicolette had witnessed them arguing with each other, but it had been a while now. And she was sure that they were talking a lot more. Now it seemed to be back at just before the CDC. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Hey" she heard Daryl spoke quietly. But it was so low that she wasn't even sure that he had said anything at all. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Mm" muttered her sister, that was walking with crossed arms. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Y'alright?" Nicki frowned at his tone. Sarah didn't answer immediately, and Nicki looked back to see her observing the man, with her big brown eyes, before nodding her head. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I am" she said softly. Daryl was chewing his bottom lip as he kept walking, but he turned to Sarah with a surprised expression when she asked. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You?" at that point Nicki frown deepened when she saw him hid a little smile. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""M'fine" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"What strange people those two were. She took a breath turning to her sister, when she heard her talking again, lightly. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I wonder if Rick has spoken with Hershel" she said. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Well, I don see 'em packin'" Daryl said pointing at the others sitting just outside Hershel house. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I don't see Rick" said Carol and that made Daryl frown. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""I see Andrea" he hissed. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""She and Rick shouldn't be outside to look for Sophia?" asked Carol as Sarah turn towards Daryl, that sharing a glace with her started to walk to the house. Nicki followed his tracks wanting to know what was happening. If they had to go out, why was Andrea there? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You haven't seen Rick?" they heard Glenn getting up from next to Maggie. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""He went off with Hershel" Andrea said "We were supposed to leave a couple hours ago." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, you were." Daryl said "What the hell?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Daryl" tried Sarah, but he was glaring at everyone. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Damn it." he exclaimed "Isn't anybody taking this seriously? We got us a damn trail." as he was gesturing something caught Nicolette's eyes; she turned to the side to notice Shane walking towards them with the bag full of weapons. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"What the hell, she thought as he came closer. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What's all this?" asked Daryl pointing at the riffle in Shane's hand. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""You with me, man?" he answered handing the weapon that Daryl accepted following him that continued with his fast pace towards the house. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Time to grow up." he said before turning to Andrea "You already got yours?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah." Andrea answered confused "Where's Dale?" br /"He's on his way" Shane answered before turning to Sarah "Here" and he pushed in her hands a gun. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Are you kidding?" Sarah asked just before T-Dog spoke. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Thought we couldn't carry." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We can and we have to." Shane said giving a gun to him too "You got your bow, alright" he said looking at Nicki that was observing him with wide eyes. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What are you doing?" asked Nicki as Shane passed next to her, ignoring her. br /"Look" Shane said with strong voice "It was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it ain't." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"What the hell was happening? What he wanted to do? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""How about you, man?" he continued handing a riffle at Glenn "You gonna protect yours?" the young man seemed unsure and he looked at Maggie, before taking the weapon. Shane then turned to the girl. br /"Can you shoot?" br /"Can you stop?" Maggie said with loud voice "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"That thought made Nicki shiver. She didn't want to leave. They couldn't leave. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""We have to stay, Shane." Carl, who was on the porch, started to walk towards the man. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What is this?" Nicki felt relieved when she saw Lori walking out of the house, confused at what was happening. br /"We ain't going anywhere, okay?" Shane kept saying ignoring even the woman "Now look, Hershel, he's just gonna understand. Okay? Well, he's gonna have to." he then walked towards Carl kneeling in front of him "Now we need to find Sophia. Am I right?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Liar, Nicolette thought. He didn't believe she was alive. He had said it that morning. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Her eyes widened when she saw him handing Carl a gun. br /"Now I want you to take this" Shane kept saying, but Carl didn't move "You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it." Lori ran to her son, pushing him behind her back. br /"Rick said no guns. This is not your call." she said angrily "This is not your decision to make." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Can we all just calm down?" said Sarah just before hearing T-Dog gasp. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Oh shit!" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki turned towards whatever T-Dog had seen and she noticed Rick, Hershel and Jimmy leading two walkers by some kind of leash. What were they doing? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What is that?" Shane roared before starting to run towards the barn. Nicki turned to her sister that looked at her for a moment before starting to follow the others. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane!" Lori yelled, but he was already far. Soon only Nicki, Lori and Carl stood behind. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""He is crazy" Nicki muttered before making her way to the others. Carl and Lori were slower since the boy was still holding his side, because of the bullet wound. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What the hell are you doing?" yelled Shane br /"Shane, just back off." Rick answered trying to keep the walker as steady as he could. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Why do your people have guns?" Hershel said as Nicki arrived, stopping next to Beth. br /"Are you kidding me? You see?" Shane said turning to them "You see what they're br /holding onto?" br /"I see who I'm holding onto." Hershel argued back as he was leading another walker. br /Shane shook his head with fury. br /"No, man, you don't." br /What was he trying to accomplish like that? Did he want for them to be kicked out? br /"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk." Rick tried to reason with him but it was beyond that at that point. Shane wouldn't have listened. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""What you want to talk about, Rick?" Shane yelled back putting himself between Rick and Hershel and the barn. br /"These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill!" that was true. Those things were dangerous, but Hershel didn't see them as such and that was not the right way of prove him wrong. br /"These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy." Nicki's eyes shot up to the man hearing Andrea's sister's name. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane, shut up!" Rick cried. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something." Shane said harshly taking out his gun "Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The gunshots echoed inside Nicki's chest, making her shiver as everyone instinctively tried to shield themselves from the bullet, that went straight into the walker's chest. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Oh my god" she heard Beth mutter with shaky voice. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""That's three rounds in the chest. Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?Why is it still coming?" Shane yelled again firing other three shots "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" and he fired again. Nicki's eyes fell on Hershel who was staring at the growling walker with wide eyes. He truly believed that those things were sick, and by the way he was frozen, Hershel was in shock. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane, enough!" Rick desperately yelled. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Yeah, you're right, man" Shane said walking towards the monster "That is enough." /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A final gunshot got fired. Right at the centre of the forehead of the walker, that went limp on the ground just before Hershel, that kneeled on the ground. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A deadly silence fell between them and Nicki looked over Sarah who was covering her mouth with her hand from next to Daryl. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone!" Shane yelled making Carol gasp "Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough!" then he glared at Rick "Rick, it ain't like it was before!" /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"That was what he wanted then. All of this, just to get to Rick. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now." Shane yelled before running towards the barn. Nicki observed as Rick pleaded Hershel to take the other walkers, all to stop Shane. Then she looked at the others. No one was going to move. No one was going to do anything. Just staring or yelling. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"As Shane started to hit the door of the barn with a pick-axe, Nicki looked to Lori, who was hugging Carl, begging Rick to stop Shane. The others were frozen, not moving. All of them with wide eyes. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Don't do it!" Glenn yelled. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Shane, please!" Sarah cried looking around. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Rick!" Lori yelled too. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki's right hand moved before she could think and took one of the arrows behind her back. She started to walk towards the man as she heard Sarah yell her name, but as she pulled back the arrow, Shane managed to break the lock on the door. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"And soon the first walker come out. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Only in that moment she noticed that she was aiming at Shane. Nicki observed her left hand, the one that was holding the bow, shaking slightly. What was she about to do? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She turned to her left when she saw her sister running next to her with Daryl, both pointing their gun towards the growling walkers. On the other side Andrea and T- Dog that soon get joined by Glenn. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"The walkers were moving, getting out. They were moving slowly, again. They were slow. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicki forgot about Shane, focusing her all mind on the walkers. And she fired the first arrow, that went straight on one walker's head. As she took another arrow, she was hearing gunshots all around her. They were so loud, but one by one every walker that came out went down on the ground. Nicki looked at her sister, firing her gun with her lip between her lips. Nicki wondered if she was scared. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette had no idea how many arrows she shot and how many bullets had been fired but at some point; no walker walked out of the barn. She let out a shaky breath as she turned to see Maggie crying hugging her frozen father, while Beth was sobbing against Jimmy. Lori and Carl were on the ground a few feet from Rick and she wondered when did they got closer. And Nicki couldn't help but feel sad when she saw Dale walking towards them with a shocked expression. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"They had just scared those people that saved Carl's life. They had terrorized them. All of them. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Suddenly another growl could be heard. Nicolette turned slowly, feeling her heart beath fast in her chest. It wasn't loud, but it was there. She was sure. There were others. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"But what she saw was something that truly felt like someone had just hit her. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;""Sophia" Carol yelled crying. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Nicolette couldn't help but look at the small walker walking out of the barn. She was there. Her blond short hair, blue shirt with a rainbow on it. The same she wore when she got lost. On her neck there was a bite mark. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She had always been there. As a walker. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A tear rolled down Nicki's cheek. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"No one was moving. No one knew what to do. That was too much for all of them. But they couldn't leave her like that. They had to put her down, but who? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Only in that moment Nicolette realized that she had let her bow fall on the ground. She couldn't. She wouldn't. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Who could? /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"Suddenly she heard steps getting past her, just to see Rick stopping a few feet from Sophia, pointing his gun towards her. She was so small and so close. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She was just 10. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"She just got lost. /p
/div
div style="margin: 0px;"
p style="margin: 0px;"A single gunshot was fired and Sophia fell on the floor. /p
/div