Hush Baby Im here

Chapter 6

"Nothing." I replied to Noah. Pushing past him and exiting the room. Not looking back.

I jogged across the hall, down the stairs, encountering four other dead male body's, and through the front door.

I tried to take deep breaths, but there was not enough oxygen to fill me.

So I decided to distract myself. I usually did that, and I realize that's what a coward does. Someone who doesn't even want to face themselves. I was a coward, and I was afraid, but that did not mean I wasn't strong, I am getting better.

There was two other vehicles on the property. One a large black Ford truck, decently new looking. The other a red minivan that was rusting on the fenders and bottom of the vehicle.

I pulled on the trucks door handle, satisfied that it opened easily, and peered inside. It had leather seats and smelled like stale cigarettes and alcohol mixed in with dust. I checked underneath the seats and the glove department, only to find a few bottles of water, and some maps. I left it all on the drivers seat and went to go check the trunk. I pulled on the handle, it was locked, but yet I pulled on it repetitively as if I would manage to unlock it that way some how. I sighed in annoyance. Someone screamed inside the house, a males voice and I fleeted inside. Sprinting up the stairs and into the bed room.

I was relieved to find that it was just the boy they had brought in that was howling in pain as Carol tried to bandage a cut on his arm, rather than one of our group.

Everyone stared at me oddly, confused as to why I had burst in the way I did.

I crossed the room confidently, and stood beside Maggie, who was leaning on Glenn's shoulder looking over tired.

"Who is he?" I leaned over and whispered. She just shook her head, not knowing much more than I do.

"You should rest." I told her, but I was more speaking to Glenn, telling him to get her out of here before she collapses. He nodded, understanding and our eyes locked before he guided her out the door, telling Daryl and Rick he'd help move the bodies after.

We sometimes went two or three days with little or no sleep, and Maggie had never looked this tired. Maybe she was getting a bit sick. It nagged on my brain, and I was worrying already, even if she wasn't.

Abraham was complaining about how no one saw them before they attacked, how we should have just shot them at first sight. Rosita stood beside him saying he was stupid.

Eugene was staring at the something only he could see. His dirty lips quivering once and a while as he talked him self through whatever was going on in his head.

Tara had left, and when I peered out the window I saw her and Sasha dragging a large body to the surrounding fields. It was difficult for them, I could see, after all they weren't that much bigger than me. And the body looked about the size of Tireese.

Carol was finished now, and the boy was panting and twitching.

"What's your name?" Rick asks, the boy doesn't answer just stares at the ceiling. We all waited, Rick repeated the question once more, still no answer.

"Are you going to kill me?" He asks, not making a move to look at us.

"Maybe," Rick pauses, "now what's your name?"

"Alex." He says, "Alex Joe Palmer."

"Who were those men you were with?"

"I was kidnapped, you saw me!" He was exasperated, "I was tied up and in the trunk of a truck, alone with..." he left the sentence afloat and started to cry. Rick looked over at me, so did Daryl and I was confused.

"Oh Kayla, I couldn't I-I-I c-couldn't sa-ve her, they slit her throat with barbed wire." He was shaking and sobbing and everyone stood and watched. Not shedding a tear for a women he must have loved, no one even spared a sympathetic look.

"Why?" My voice rose, the word just slipped out, "why did they kidnap you and kill her?" He stopped crying now and took a long deep breath.

"I come from a town, that's guarded by military forces, we have jets." Everyone exchanged looks about this, showing more interest.

"We take in people, but only people we know, this way no one can kill anyone or try to take over. I was on a supply run with a few people, looking for food when we were ambushed." He swallowed hard, " they heard us talking about how a tank also needed repairing so they knew we had strong defenses. They wanted me and Kayla to lead then to it and help them get in. We both refused, so they did it. Right there in f-front of m-me." he hiccuped. 

"How many people you got?" Daryl asked.

"There's about three hundred." Daryl nodded and looked towards Rick.

"We're not going to kill you." Rick stated, and simply left the room.

Most of the others left the room as well, and when Daryl left Carol put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. They spoke for a bit, but he just nodded lots, and left.

"Beth," Carol said, "thank you, for saving my life." she says the words softly, feeling obligation to thank me, but not wanting to put salt in old wounds.  I nodded, turning back to the boy. I heard her footsteps leave the room.

Then I got to work pulling the body out of the room. I grasped underneath his shoulders and tugged I managed to drag him quite a ways before Abraham and Rick took him from me. There was a thick steak of blood on the floor, trailing from his slain body.
Military care.. Tanks.. hundreds of people.

It sounded perfect. I know we'd make it there. I just knew.