Leah Grimes

Chapter 112

Connie grabbed Magnas attention and signed something to her. Magna inspected my arm, "I know we're all hurt, but I think we should try to go back." I shook my head blinded by tears, and hopelessness, "go back where?" She shrugged, "back to the herd. Alphas gonna let them out at some point." I let out a small cry, "we don't know when she's gonna let them out." Magna forced me to sit up and I fell into her arms, and she let me sit there and cry. "It's worth trying isn't it? Think of Judith, and RJ." I tried to catch my breath wiping away all my tears. "I'm sorry," I whispered. She shook her head, brushing away her own tears, "we're gonna make it out, we have too." Connie extended her hand to me and I took it.

The three of us slowly made our way back to where we started. "Look," Magna whispered when we got to the herd. I squinted and saw a small light from the entrance. We found out way out. "Grab one," Magna said. I watched as she killed a walker, Connie and I did the same thing.

We cut the walkers open covering our entire bodies with walker guts. Then carefully I dragged my knife though this walkers face gagging as I pulled it's skin over my head. I flinched every time I lifted my shoulder. "You guys ready?" Magna asked. Slowly I dropped myself down onto the same level as the horde. "They're leading the walkers out," I whispered. The three of us pushed our way into the middle of the herd keeping our hands connected.

We stumbled out and I squinted immediately feeling faint as the light consumed my body. It took all the power in my body to keep moving with the herd to keep myself hidden. It felt as though every last drop of strength I had was being ripped from my body each step I took. I tried to keep holding onto their hands but as the horde pulled apart we were forced to let go of each other. I turned to look at Magna as she was slipping away and she gave me a small nod.

I had to remind myself countlessly who I was doing this for. It was terrifying, I was alone and I was doing everything in my power to keep from just falling onto my knees and giving up. I thought I was hearing things at first but the whispers grew louder, "We are the end of the world." Everyone began chanting it, and I mouthed the worlds in order to make sure no one noticed I was different.

We were headed towards Hilltop. I considered falling back and making a run for it, warning Hilltop. But there were too many whisperers they'd come after me. I did do my best to fall further back though, if there was a crossfire I didn't want Hilltop to kill me before they knew I was still alive.

As soon as it got dark I could tell by the surroundings we were close to Hilltop. Their first defence was an electric wire I could see the sparks all the way from the back. But that only held for the better half of five minutes. I started to hold myself back more trying to find a safe way inside but right now there wasn't one, which made me quietly continue to slip away. There must have been at least a thousand walkers in front of me giving me could coverage. I was ready to push my way back in a bit when a giant flame shot up from right behind me. The whisperers had grenades, the fire behind me was spreading I tried to keep myself calm. I was practicing bull shit breathing exercises, and then I decided to occupy myself some other way. I tried to think smart, and find Magna. She'd have a better idea on what to do next, because right now I could either sprint across an open field, which didn't seem like my best option. I could push forward more try and make it into Hilltop, or I could stay where I was and hope I didn't get burned to death.

I pulled my shirt up above my nose to keep myself from breathing in the smoke that was now blinding me. The only thing that was plainly visible was the bright orange flames that surrounded Hilltop and the crowd of walkers that were now getting trapped and tripping over each other directly in front of me.

I took a deep breath and took side to side steps humming a tune inside my head to keep myself from thinking about the explosions and fire surrounding me and burning down Hilltop. I tried to focus on surviving. When I saw my passage I took it. Carefully I made my way along the wall of Hilltop and when I double checked to make sure it was clear I pushed myself into the forest.