Leah Grimes

Chapter 74

When I stepped out of the shower Maggie passed me some new clothes. "The saviours are coming Leah, I know you know that." I nodded, "I'm going to fight. I wouldn't leave you hanging in the middle of this." Maggie gave me a small smile, "I heard what Negan said to you, about it being your fault. Together, we're gonna kill him Leah." I bit my lip, "I'll be out in a minute Maggie."

I stepped outside at the same time I heard car horns set off in the distance. "They're coming," Jerry from the kingdom yelled. I squeezed my gun, closing my eyes. Maggie came by my side, "you ready for this?" I nodded, "this is where we end it."

I heard their trucks pull up as night fell upon the Hilltop. Michonne waved me over and I stood beside her holding my gun up. "This is for Carl, so we can make a better future," she whispered. I nodded and watched as the gates were opened for Daryl, and the rest of the lookouts. "Dads not there," I whispered panicked. Michonne pulled us down as people began firing, "he'll be back." I shook my head, "I can't lose them both." She pushed my arm up, "we're gonna find him, we just need to fight, we need to get out."

I fired at every saviour I saw, fighting until I heard Maggie's signal to fall back. "Tara." I yelled as I watched an arrow go through her back. "Leah, we have to fall back." I hesitantly stepped back not losing sight of Tara.

We all pulled back into the mansion and hid down underneath the windows making them think we ran. I grabbed my gun as I heard them whistling outside. As soon as a light was set off by Maggie I stood up firing at everyone outside. I pushed myself out of the window running towards the saviours who were beginning to retreat. I stationed myself behind a truck squinting to see if any were left.

I turned towards the gate dropping my gun when I saw Dad standing there beside Maggie. I began running over throwing my arms around him, sinking to the ground. "I'm fine, I'm fine Leah. Look at me I'm right here." I tried to steady my breathing, "I didn't think you were coming back." He nodded pushing my head into his shoulder, "I'm always coming back."

That night we were all in one room. Dad and
Michonne slept in the bed, Judith had her crib and I grabbed a pillow throwing it onto the floor. "There's room beside me Leah," Dad whispered. Michonne sat up, "stay with your dad tonight, you can't take the floor after everything." I shook my head, "I'm fine here." Dad got out of bed placing his pillow beside mine on the floor. "I'm sorry you thought I was gone. I saw Negan on the road and I just had to try to kill him. I had too." I nodded, "goodnight Dad."

A scream woke me up hours later. "You hear that?" Michonne asked me. I stood up, grabbing my gun. "Wake up Dad." He sat up coming alert as soon as we heard another scream. I kicked our door open holding my gun high. Slowly I looked over the top of the staircase, "there's walkers in here." I ran down the staircase grabbing my knife instead. I felt something latch onto my shoulder I turned around to see a walker close to biting into me. Slowly I put my hand up against its face, trying to hold it back. The walker moved its head and I screamed as my pinky finger slipped into its mouth.

I felt the bite and immediately threw my knife into its head. "What happened?" Daryl asked pulling me away. "GIVE ME YOUR KNIFE." He handed it to me and I put my hand flat against the floor closing my eyes. "Shit, let me do it kid." I screamed as I pushed the knife through the tip of my pinky.

Blood began pooling out of it. "We can't take you to the infirmary, it's got walkers all over it." I nodded, "we just need to wrap it for now." I squinted trying to maintain steady breathing. The pain was spreading to my entire hand and it made me feel sick looking down at it. Daryl cut off a piece of his shirt tying it tightly around my finger.

We heard a thud from upstairs, and I looked around me to see there were no more walkers around me. My finger felt as though it was on fire and I had to hold my knife in my other hand as we both ran up the stairs. We met Dad, Michonne, Maggie and Carol there. "You alright?" Daryl asked Carol. She nodded pointing down at the man on the ground. "This man wasn't bit. So how did he turn?"