» Time Is Dancing « | » Carl Grimes «

» NO WAY OUT «

One Foot In the Door To Hell

I felt like I couldn't breathe as I was surrounded by so much death. The sun was beginning to set, making harsh shadows glide across my face every time a walker stumbled in front of me. There wasn't any room to panic, to feel afraid. Not while Rick kept his grip tight on my hand. Maybe it was to comfort me, maybe it was to make sure I was as safe as I could be. I felt a strange calmness being here. Like I knew now what it was like to be one of the dead without actually being them. I never let Carl's hand go, the feeling of his fingers around mine making me feel at ease despite the danger surrounding us.

We were making good progress when Rick veered to the right, directing us to a clear area. "All right, new plan. Flares from a few guns aren't enough. Too many walkers, too spread out. We're not going to the armoury, we need our vehicles back at the quarry. We'll need to round 'em up, we leave, we come back." He suggested in a hushed voice. It was the only plan I knew would work, so I nodded in agreement. But Rick knew Judith couldn't come with us all that way.

"I'll take her." Gabriel offered. "Keep her safe in my church until you all lead the walkers away."

I was surprised at his courage, something I had never seen from him before. But the urgency in his eyes told me he could do it. Carl subtly passed the baby over to him, covering her with the sheet.

"Take Sam." Jessie asked, holding her youngest son towards him, but he complained instantly. "Sam, it'll be safer." She insisted.

"I'm not leaving you. I'm not. I can keep going." He urged. "Please. Let's just go."

I watched as Gabriel cradled Judith, taking small steps in the direction of his church. It made me feel better that she was going to be inside, in safe hands and away from this.

"Rick, we gotta move." I tapped his hand, his gaze diverting from his daughter to me. He nodded, walking towards the gate with Sam in his grasp. Me and Michonne brought up the back, our hands linked together as we moved steadily.

I wondered where everyone else was right now. I had thought about Maggie a lot. I had no idea where she was, it was like she completely slipped through my fingers. I thanked God at least some of my family were outside the walls. Daryl, Glenn, Enid. Even Sasha and Abraham, I considered them family now. Tara and Rosita were nowhere to be seen, but I think I remembered them helping Tobin off the ground after the tower fell. I knew Carol wouldn't be sitting around doing nothing right now, and I hoped she was at least protected.

Boy, this would be a story to tell.

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I kept my eyes firmly in Ron in front of me, seeing as Carl was directly in front of him. I felt a certain anxiety now I couldn't feel his hand. We had been walking for hours, the sun finally setting. We had to hurry, but if we moved too fast it would blow our cover. The situation was much scarier at night.

I slightly stumbled when Ron stopped completely, peering around to see Sam frozen in his tracks. His fearful gaze was focused somewhere in the sea of bodies around us, his lower lip wobbling.

"Sam?" Jessie whispered, tugging on his hand. "Come on, come on." She encouraged, but his face just contorted in a whimper. "You can do it, Sam. Come on."

"Sam, you can do this. Just look at mom." Ron urged. We couldn't stay still like this for long, or the dead would start noticing. But Sam just shook his head.

"I want to." He whined. But his words were cut off by his own screams, two walkers pouncing on him and tearing him apart. I watched as his face turned red with blood, pouring out of the bite marks. I gripped Ron's hand tightly, trying to get his attention away from his dying brother. Jessie wailed at the sight, tearing quickly running down her face in pain. Her hand remained in her son's, not letting go even as the walkers turned on her. My eyes widened as she continued staring with her distant expression, like she could barely even feel the hands and teeth tearing at her flesh.