Echos in the Dark

Chapter 48

"He's survived and is a hell of a fighter with a knife."

"You could get lost." Lori said.

"Or get ambushed." I looked at Daryl. Why won't he side with us. He knows about Castiel!I thought.

"They're right. We shouldn't put our own people at risk." I sighed.

"If you go through with it, how would you do it? Would he suffer?" Patricia asked.

"We could hang him, right? Just snap his neck."

"Oh my god, this isn't the 1930s!" I exclaimed in disbelief.

"I thought about that. Shooting him would be more humane." Rick said.

"And what about the body? Do we bury him?" T-dog asked.

"Hold on! Hold on! You're talking about this like it's already decided!"

"You've been talking all day, going around in circles. You just wanna go around in circles again?" Daryl asked.

"This is a young mans life! And if it is worth more than a five minute conversation! Is this what it's come to? We kill someone because we can't decide what else to do with him? You saved him! And now look at us. He's been tortured. He's gonna be executed!" Everyone stayed silent, so he continued. "How are we any better than those people that we're so afraid of?" It was silent once again as they took in Dale's words.

"We all know what needs to be done." Shane spoke up. I groaned loudly, annoyed.

"No, Dale, is right." Rick spoke up. "We can't leave any stone unturned here. We have a responsibility-"

"So what's the other solution-" Andrea cut him off only to be cut off by Lori.

"Let Rick finish."

"We haven't come up with a single viable option yet. I wish we could-" Andrea ignored her.

"So let's work on it!" Dale cut Andrea off this time.

"We are!" Rick shouted. I crossed my arms shaking my head. This is going nowhere. I thought.

"Stop it. Just stop it. I'm sick of everybody arguing and fighting." Carol spoke up. We all turned to her. "I didn't ask for this. You can't ask us to decide something like this. Please decide- either of you, both of you- but leave me out." She asked.

"Not speaking out- or killing him yourself- there's no difference!" Dale said.

"All right, that's enough! Anybody wants the floor, before we make a final decision has the chance." I stayed silent, waiting for anyone to speak. But I was disappointed. So were my brothers and Cass. No one spoke up.

"But if it were you, you'd ask to live." I spat. Silence once more. Until Dale spoke up.

"You once said that we don't kill the living."

"Well, that was before the living tired to kill us."

"And how is that any different to how it was before the end?" I asked.

"Daphne is right. Don't you see? If we do this- the people that we were - the world that we knew is dead! And this new world is ugly. It's ...harsh! It's-it's survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't want to live in. And I don't believe that any of you do! I can't! Please...Let's just do what's right." Dale pleaded once more. "It's there anybody else who's gonna stand with us?" I heard him tear up. Sam and I placed our hands on his back, comforting him while I glared at everyone in this room. I looked to Hershel who made eye contact with me. You of all people- of all people you won't save a child? A child- children who we fought to save before the world ended? He looked away in shame.

Dale teared up and shook his head in disappointment. "Are y'all gonna watch too? No, you'll go hide your heads in your tents and try to forget that we're slathering a human being." He shook his head again. "I won't be a party to it." Then he stopped by Daryl telling him that the group is broken. I scoffed and walked to the door and stopped, then turned to Shane and Rick.

"This isn't new to you two. You've killed innocents, even when you didn't know. It's all the same. You're all monsters. Your son, Rick, won't forget it. Children learn from their parents." I spat, glaring at everyone and at Daryl who frowned. I sighed and walked out the house, my brothers and Cass following behind.

-/-

I stared at the barn. Daryl, Rick, and Shane had just entered the Barn with Randell. I felt guilty, not doing anything. "We've saved people from monsters, how is this any different? I can't stand knowing a child is going to die!" I said to my brothers.

"Look, Daph, we hate this just as much as you do. But what can we do? This group is good for Ace."

"Do I really want my child in a group that killed a teenager? Rick has a son of his own, he has no second feelings. If it were his son, it would be different. He'd switch his life for their son. I would do the same for mine." I huffed in anger. Sam was sitting on the trunk of the Impala, Dean and I were standing, and Castiel was sitting in the backseat with Ace using him as a pillow. I had a mind to run to the barn and kidnap the kid, then have Cass transport him elsewhere.

I looked over to the barn, wondering why I haven't heard a gunshot. I was glad but I was also confused. Then I saw people walking out the barn. "They didn't do it. Why?" I muttered.