Complicated ✔

Ch. 8 - Attacked

KATHRYN’S POV

I was sitting by the RV, just a short amount of time after Glenn and Dad left with Daryl and T-Dog to go back to Atlanta to the department store to rescue Merle from that rooftop. I sat on the ground, my knees up to my chest as I just stared down the path they had left that leads back to the road and on to Atlanta. Most of the women in camp had gone down into the quarry itself to do laundry but I opted out and Lori was still in the main camp as well with me. “Kathryn have you seen your brother,” she asked walking up to me with what looked like a basket in her arms. I simply shrugged my shoulders before I heard Dale speak up from on top of the RV behind me. “Went down into the quarry with Shane,” he called down, “something about catching frogs.” “Thanks Dale,” she said before turning and heading down into the quarry in search of her son.

“Hey Kathryn,” Dale called down to me after a few minutes, “why don’t you come up here and help me keep watch while everyone else seems to be down in the quarry?” “Sure Dale,” I called back before standing to my feet and brushing off the dirt on the back of my pants. I climbed up onto the RV and he offered me the chair that had been placed up on top for whoever was the sentry to sit in if they got tired of standing for too long. “You know what you did earlier was maybe a stupid thing,” Dale said after a few minutes. “What was,” I asked confused by what he meant. “Getting in Daryl’s face like that and then threatening him too on top of it,” he said looking over at me, “I will say you’re about the only person in this camp that would’ve done that and not suffered some kind of backlash from Daryl.”

“Why is that,” I inquired as I continued to sit there while Dale watched around the camp. “Cause you’re about the only one who has ever been brave enough to speak to Daryl the way you did,” he said smiling down at me, “plus I’ve never seen Daryl lay a hand on a woman. I will definitely say you peak his curiosity more about you since doing that.” “Great that’s all I need,” I muttered, “someone else watching my every move.” “What do you mean Kathryn,” Dale asked turning his full attention on me. “I get the feeling of being watched,” I said shrugging, “it’s nothing new and I think I have a pretty good idea as to who it is. I just haven’t said anything to them yet. Don’t worry Dale I can take care of myself.” “I would say you can,” he said nodding, probably recalling yesterday when I pulled my gun on Shane.

Time had passed since Dale had asked me to climb up on the RV with him. Lori and Carl had since come back up to camp after she went to get him. I was beginning to worry as it was growing dark and our group that went out to get Merle had yet to return and we all knew it wasn’t safe to be so close to the city after dark. “They’ll be fine,” Amy said smiling at me as she stood by me where I was still watching the road leading up to camp, looking for any signs that they’d show up at any second. “I’d like to believe that,” I said smiling over at her before looking back out down the path, “but it still doesn’t stop me from worrying. Especially when they’re risking their lives for Merle.” “C’mon,” she said smiling at me, “fish is done anyway.” I smiled and looked to her before nodding and following behind her to the large campfire everyone was sitting around.

LORI’S POV

I watched as Kathryn and Amy came and join our little fish fry, Kathryn taking a seat between Carl and Sophia. “Feels like ages since I last had fish,” she commented as Dale handed her a plate with a piece of fish laying on it, “thanks Dale.” We ate our fish, enjoying the first bit of real food in a while since this all started. Kathryn was smiling and talking with Carl about God knows what with her. It still bothered me that she had a gun, what’s worse is Rick seemed to know about it as he wasn’t as shocked as the rest of us when she pulled it out on Shane. “I can’t get over how good this is,” Kathryn said as she sat back in the chair and took another big bite from her piece of fish. All of us around her began laughing as she had this huge smile on her face. I watched as she teased Carl, trying to steal a bite of his fish before laughing and grabbing the side of his head to pull it closer to her as she kissed his temple.

KATHRYN’S POV

I loved teasing my little brother with stuff like this, it reminded me to try and be normal in a world that was no longer normal. “Excuse me,” Amy said as she stood up from the group and headed towards the RV. “When do you think Dad will be back,” Carl asked looking up at me as everyone else around us went quiet. “Soon,” I said pulling him against me while he continued to eat on his fish, “soon.” Everyone around me looked at us and nodded in agreement. We all hoped the other members of our group returned to us soon, with or without Merle Dixon in tow. “We’re out of toilet paper,” I heard Amy shout back to us in question as she stepped out of the RV. I couldn’t help but laugh at that statement until I heard her blood curdling scream and turned around to see a walker taking a bite of flesh out of her arm that was holding onto the RV’s door.

I screamed just as everyone else did when we saw our camp was overrun with walkers. “Mom,” Carl screamed from beside me as I leapt over to him while Shane stood to his feet. “Lori,” Shane shouted, “get them down!” For once I didn’t argue against Lori for being so close to me like this as she covered our head while Shane shot above us. “To the RV,” Shane said as he grabbed ahold of Lori’s arm and pulled her up while she tugged Carl up. I stood still for a moment, just watching as there was complete chaos around me as members of my group were eaten alive. “Kathryn,” I heard Lori shout and when I looked over at her they were already at the RV. “Kathryn behind you,” Carl shouted as he pointed back over my shoulder. I looked back just in time to see a walker coming up right behind me.

I only had time enough to scream as the walker pushed me down onto the ground, trying to get a good bite on me. Using any and all the strength I had, I held it at bay the best I could but my arms were tiring and fast. Just as I felt my arms beginning to drop, an arrow pierced through the walker’s skull just before I couldn’t hold it any longer. It’s dead weight dropped onto my body as I felt tears start to fall down my face, coming so close to getting bit. It had grown silent around me, and once I pushed the walker off top of me I slowly sat up and looked around. “Kathryn,” I heard my dad’s voice before I looked over to see him running to me. “Daddy,” I cried, not moving from where I sat as he ran to me and wrapped his arms around me while I burst into tears. “It’s okay baby,” he whispered as he dropped the gun that had been in his hand and wrapped both arms around me.

“I couldn’t hold it back any longer,” I sobbed into his shoulder as he rocked back and forth, Carl coming to join us and wrapping his arms around me as well. “It’s okay Kathryn,” Dad said trying to calm me down, “you’re safe now. Nothing’s going to happen to you now. It’s okay.” Dad pulled away and I looked up to see Glenn making his way over to me. He knelt down in front of me after Dad walked off to Lori and wrapped his arms around my midsection while I wrapped mine around his neck and buried my face in his shoulder. After a few minutes, while still being held by Glenn, I lifted my eyes up to look back at Daryl who stood a ways off. The second I lifted my eyes, they locked with his and knowing he was the one who shot the walker attacking me all I could do was mouth back thank you.