The Hunter's Angel

Chapter 19

Seaira's POV

I wake up due to the storm. I look around and Daryl isn't in the stall with me. I quickly get up and grab my ice axe, leaving my compound bow on the blanket. I go out the stall and I see Daryl pacing by the door, every time lightning strikes you can see the opening in the door. Only locked my chains. Thunder louder now.

The rain and wind rattling the door causing it to swing open and close the little gap it has. I walk up closer and see Daryl put down his crossbow on the side and go to the door opening. He peeks out as I get behind him.

When the lightning strikes, we see a herd of walkers coming straight for the barn. I gasp and push my back against the door same time Daryl pushes it with his shoulder. We struggle to keep it closed due to the hundred walkers and the wind of the storm. Maggie quickly runs on Daryl's other side and pushes with her back.

Sasha coming next to my side. Everyone finally joins and help keep the door closed. My boots sliding in the wet mud and hay in the barn floor. All of us mustering up as much energy as we have left. If not. We can all die.

I don't remember falling asleep. I wake up an see everyone sprawled out in the barn. Most of us close to the barn door. I look and see Maggie walking up to Daryl. They sit and talk for a while. I sit up. I stretch my arms and pop my back. Making sure I don't wake anyone up.

Maggie gets up an comes over to me. She brings her hand down for me to grab. I smile and put my left hand in hers and she helps me up. She goes to Sasha and wake her up. Quietly and gently telling her to come on with a smile.

We three step outside together, seeing the damage and muddle the storm had made outside. trees fallen; walkers mangled in the carnage. some dead, some hanging in the trees unable to get unstuck from being impaled from the broken branches.

we walk around the trees and walkers, Sasha having her rifle in hand looking around. "Look at this, should've torn us apart." 

"It didn't." Maggie says softly as we go under a fallen tree trunk. We find a quiet side of the meadow near the barn, but far enough to not here the remaining growls of the trapped walkers. we sit on a tree trunk, Maggie in the middle and Sasha on her right side. I take the other side looking at the sunrise across the meadow.

For once it was peaceful, for once I could breathe for just a second. I have them next to me, we all lost something. I'm glad Maggie included me in this morning sit down. maybe she knew us three had to get away for a second. 

"Why are we here?" Sasha asks. I sigh quietly, she couldn't just enjoy the morning for a second. "For this," It's like Maggie had read my mind, she never looked away from the rising sun in the distance as she spoke. I notice she has something in her hands, a small box.

"I see it," Sasha starts, I just sit there and listen to her as I take in the calm morning. "Noah, that kid... He said he didn't know if he can make it. that's how I feel." Sasha admits. I remember when Noah had told her that. I was upset at what she told him, that he won't. but we have to be strong if not then we won't,

"Your gonna make it." Maggie quietly reassures. "The three of us, we will." she glances at me. tears threatening to spill, and I give her a small smile. I put a hand on her shoulder. 

"Thats the hard part," Maggie says looking back at the sunrise.

I speak up to them quietly, "My Dad use to tell me when I was little, that no matter what situation you get in you can always get out of it. even if you think there is no way out," I sniffled a bit thinking about him. "He was amazing growing up, but when this world hit, it changed him. then I kept remembering him telling me that. hopefully he got out of his own situation, I hope he is still out there, still with my mom." I paused looking down at my hands.

"How did it change him?" Sasha asks. I glance at her, "My mom had cancer, so when the world went to shit it was hard to find the medicine she needed, my dad would always go out and try to find some, the last time he went out him and my mom got into a fight, and I couldn't take being there. I left before he did, taking Sam with me. I don't know if she is better or if they are both alive." I finished looking back into the meadow.

 Maggie looks at me with sadness in her eyes. she sighs and looks down at the box in her hands. "Daryl fixed it." she says while opening it. It's a small jewelry box, with a small ballerina inside and a tiny mirror behind her. She slowly winds it up, and it makes a quiet crack noise. 

"You gotta be kidding me," she says and sits it down as we quietly laugh at the irony. 

"Hi, hey." we hear a man's voice and I quickly look up and a man is walking towards us. I grab my ice axe and hold it up as Sasha stands and raises her pistol along with Maggie and we stand there aiming at him. "I didn't mean to interrupt," The man has his hands up and slowly walks closer to us. I tilt my head in confusion, he was clean. clean shaved, clean clothes. 

"My name is Aaron," He smiles more, "I know, stranger danger. But um, I'm a friend." he stops walking but his hands still raised. "I'd like to talk to the person in charge. Rick, right?" he asks.

"How do you know-" Maggie starts "Why?" Sasha asks. "I have good news." Aaron states. 

as if on que, the music box starts playing, we all look at it as it plays.