Slightly Undead. || Glenn Rhee || DISCONTINUED

9.

// Jade //

"C'mon, Jade!" Daryl called for me. I laced my shoes up and walked out of the RV, strapping my machete on my back. I picked up my gun and walked outside, seeing everyone gathered around a car. I only caught half of the conversation, "Why should she get to keep a gun if I can't!" Andrea motioned to me. Oh, they were gonna have this conversation now? Greattt. So the only ones with guns we me, Daryl, Rick, Shane, and Dale. Andrea rolled her eyes and walked away. Everyone was now looking at me, probably expecting me to say something. I didn't, though, and walked away.

As we walked, Andrea's eyes burned holes in my back. You could feel the tension in the air as we went. After coming across an old campsite, heard Church bells. At the first sound of the bell, we ran toward it, "Which way?!" someone yelled, we were all bickering, "SHUT IT!" I yelled, giving the chance for Daryl and it to listen. Daryl and I pointed, "This way." Daryl and I said in unison, leading us out of the forest and to an old white church. As Rick broke down the door, I pulled my machete out and stormed inside, handing Glenn my gun to hold. I ran inside, and sliced one of the four walkers in the church. Everyone rushed in and I got my gun back front Glenn, placing it around my shoulder. I collapsed in the pew in the main back row, Glenn beside me. After a moment, I picked a Bible up from its place beside me and flipped through it. Glenn's eyes watched me carefully. I sat the Bible back in it's place for a moment, and traveled to the front of the room, "Where are you now?" I scoffed at the statue of Jesus on the cross. I stomped outside and sat on the church steps and let a few tears fall, not caring who watched me.
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Daryl, Carol, Lori, Andrea, Glenn, and I set off towards the creek bed while Rick, Shane, and Carl went an opposite direction. I walked with Daryl, the gun in my holster. We walked, dodging trees and branches. I took out my machete and sliced some stray branches away, "So this is it?" Carol asked, "This is the whole plan?" Carol sat down on a fallen log, forcing the rest of us to stop, "I guess the plan is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." I said, letting out a breathy laugh, "Carrying knives and pointy sticks," Andrea said sarcastically, "I see you two have a gun." Andrea looked at Lori and then me, rolling her eyes, "What, you want it?" Lori's voice carried a bit, "Here. Take it." Lori held it out to Andrea, her voice crude, "I'm sick of the looks your giving me." I smirked at this, knowing this was the reason I never had a problem with Lori. Andrea rolled her eyes again and jerked the gun away from Lori, "All of you, except one." Lori muttered, sitting back down on the log, "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through and I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Jade. It is in your face every time you look at her." Lori stood up for me, "She ran! She didn't hesitate, did she? Not for a second!" Lori's voice rose, and I felt Glenn's arm go around me, "I don't know any of us would've gone after her the way she did. Or made the hard decisions that she had to make or that anyone could have done it differently. Anybody?" Lori glanced around at us, then shook her head, "Y'all look to her and blame her when she's not perfect. You think you can do this without her, go ahead. No ones stopping you!" She paused to take a drink of her water. After she had stowed away her water, Andrea lowered the gun down to her. Lori looked at it for a moment and took it, placing it in her bag, "We should keep moving." Andrea said, her voice small. Everyone stood and began to walk, and I waited for Lori at the back, "Thanks, Lori." I said to her, "I really appreciate that." I paused to hug her, "Don't mention it. You did what no one else would've done, and they shouldn't penalize you for it." she smiled at me, "And, Hun, I see why Rick trust you with a gun more than Daryl." she whispered, causing me to laugh.

"You still worrying about it?" I ask Lori after the previous gun shot, "It was a gun shot." Lori said again, "We all heard it." Daryl said, as if it was obvious, "Why one. Why just one."Lori ask, "Maybe they took down a walker." Daryl shrugged, "Please don't patronized me; you know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Or Shane, they'd do it quietly." she looked back, "Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol said, speaking for once, "There's nothing we can do about it anyway." Daryl said, scanning the dense forest, "Can't run around these woods chasing echoes." I sighed, walking over to Lori, "So what do we do?" Lori spoke up, "Same as we've been; beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway." It was quiet for a moment, "I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV." I spoke to Lori, smiling a bit. Lori took one last glance behind us and continued forward. We took a few steps but stopped again due to Andrea and Carol, "I'm sorry for what you're going through." Andrea said, letting out a sigh, "I know how you feel," said Andrea once more, "I suppose you do." Carol smiling a little, "Thank you." Carol looked at me, "The thought of her out here by herself...." she started, "It's the not knowing that's killing me." she sounded as if she was gonna cry again, "I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy." the words froze in mid-air. Once Carol realized what she had said, she began apologizing, "Oh god. That's the worst thing I ever said!" Carol said, grabbing Andrea's hands. Andrea shook her head, a small smile tugged on her lips, "We're all hoping and praying with you." Andrea managed, "For what it's worth." then silence, "I'll tell you what it's worth-- Not a damn thing." Daryl said, walking over to them. I walked over to Glenn, letting him wrap me in his arms, "It's a waste of time; all this hoping and praying. 'Cause we're gonna locate that little girl, she's gonna be just fine." Daryl looked Carol in the eyes, "Am I the only one zen around here?" I smiled at this phrase, "Good lord." Daryl said, walking away. We all had a smile playing on our lips now as we walked.
We all stopped in a semi-straight line. Me and Glenn the only ones in the back row, "We'll lose the light before too long." Daryl spoke, "I think we should call it." I said, looking around, "Let's head back," Glenn said, putting his weight on one foot, "We'll pick it up again tomorrow?" Carol ask, "Yeah, we'll find her tomorrow." Lori said, smiling at her. Daryl whistled, signaling everyone to follow.

As we treaded through tall grass, Lori spoke, "How much farther?" I looked around, "Not much. Maybe a hundred yards." I guessed. We trudged on, all of our feet hurt. We dead stopped when we heard screaming. Andrea, I thought to myself as I ran back to where I'd last seen her. As we got to the scene, and I had my sword pulled, a women on a horse rode by, hitting the walker in the head with a baseball bat. Andrea, who was flat on her back, stopped screaming. The horse stopped and we all ran to it, "Lori? Lori Grimes?" the women was saying, "I'm Lori!" Lori spoke up, running up to the girl, "Rick sent me. You've got to come now!" the girl said, looking among us, "What?" Lori panted, "There's been an accident. Carl's been shot." My heart sunk at these words, "He's still alive but you've got to come now. Rick needs you, just come!" she said again. Lori took off her bag, and threw it down, "Whoa whoa whoa. We don't know this girl!" Daryl started as Lori climbed on, "You can't get on that horse!" Daryl's words rolled off her back as she climbed on the horse. I picked up her stuff off the ground, "Rick said you have others on the highway, that big traffic snarl?" she started, looking at me. I nodded, "Backtrack to Fairburn Road. Two miles down is our farm. Mailbox says Greene." And just like that, the mysterious girl and Lori were gone, leaving the rest of us behind. After a moment of silence, the walker began making a noise again, which got Daryl's attention in return. The walker rose from the ground, "Shut up." Daryl muttered, shooting an arrow through its skull. I walked over to Glenn, collapsing in his arms. Carl had been shot? It felt as if my heart was ripped out of my chest. I cared for both of these kids, and now they could both be gone from me. Glenn planted a kiss on my head and held me in his arms, "Never let me go, Glenn. Ever." I mumbled into his chest, "I won't, Jade. I won't." he whispered into my hair, holding me tighter.
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It's almost 2am, but I decided to update for you guys so here you go! thank you so much to everyone that's commented or voted, it means the world to me! 💕