Echos in the Dark

Chapter 14

Andrea walked away from Dale and started heading towards the woods. I walked up to Dale and put a hand on his shoulder. "You did what was right. Although, she is somewhat right."

"She's like a daughter to me."

"I know. You remind me of my father figure."

"What happened to your father?"

"Another story for another time." I said before walking off with Ace besides me.

"You mean grandpa Bobby?"

"Yup."

"What happened to grandpa? Your dad." I sighed.

"He passed away, I told you." I said remembering my father's passing. I don't try to think much of it, it only bring me guilt. I wasn't really a follower like Dean but I also wasn't rebellious like Sam.

I went in front of the group along with Daryl since we were the hunting experts. Although our definition of hunting is very very different, but, it had a few similarities. Dad taught me to train my eyes in the dark and to see the smallest print on the ground and to listen to the small sounds.

I noticed very feint prints in the dirt. I tapped Daryl and pointed to it. It was about a couple weeks. The wind hadn't blown dirt on it and it hasn't rained. He nodded and we followed them until we spotted a single tent.

We motioned for the group to stop and we pointed out the tent. I narrowed my eyes. Due to the prints on the dirt and how feint it is, I'm pretty sure whoever lives there, doesn't live there anymore. Maybe Sophia could be there, and she came another way.

"She could be in there." Shane whispered.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there." Daryl said before standing up and making his way to the tent. Rick and Shane followed behind him. I stayed behind just in case.

"Is Sophia in there?" Ace asked me.

"Maybe." I said. I saw them inch closer and closer to the tent until Daryl went closer by himself with a knife. I saw him to to them a shrug. I looked to carol.

"Carol, go with them." She nodded and made her way towards the men. Some of them got closer to them while I stayed behind. I heard Carol calling out Sophia, but the tent didn't move. Rick and Shane joined Daryl as he opened the tent. I joined the others as Ace was next to Carl.

"Daryl?" Carol called out. No answer. "Daryl?" She called out again. Again, no answer. Seconds later he came out.

"It ain't her." I sighed.

"What's in there?"

"Some guy. Did what Jenner said. Opted out. Ain't that what he called it?" I nodded. Suddenly we am heard church bells ringing. I was so confused. Ace gripped onto my shirt. I pointed to the direction where I heard the bells echoing from. I pulled Ace's hand and we all ran towards the direction of the bells.

We came to a small clearing as the group stopped. "What direction?" Rick asked. I closed my eyes and listened closely before I opened them again and pointed to the direction.

"That way."

"How can you tell?"

"Listening. Now come on! If we can hear it so can Sophia!" I said.

"Maybe someone found her!" Glenn suggested. I nodded as we continued going to the direction of the church bells. I continued jogging and Ace kept up with me to some people's surprise. Ace and I used to go jogging in the evening at the park.

I noticed a building in view behind the trees and motioned for the others to follow me. We ducked under the leaves and looked around. A small building and a cemetery. Please no ghosts please no ghosts... then I noticed something strange.

"That can't be it. Got no steeple, no bells." Shane said.

"Rick-" Shane called to him but he walked off in the direction. I followed behind him towards the church. We ran and ran over the cemetery and made it to the church where we ran to the side and saw stairs.

"Ace stay behind." He didn't say anything and stayed with Carl. I took out my blade and held it in my hand ready to stab. Me, Rick, Shane, and Daryl got ready to attack. They opened the doors and what we found inside was pretty disturbing to me.