𝐑𝐞𝐛𝐞𝐥《 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘺𝘭 𝘋𝘪𝘹𝘰𝘯 》

n i n e// L I F E

|{Act 2 finale}|

"When I went to meet with the Governor, he offered me a deal. He said he'd leave us alone if I gave him Michonne." Sheriff said. "I was gonna do that. Merle went to fulfil the deal and Smith stopped him, brought them both back home safe. I was wrong not to tell you... and I'm sorry. What I said last year- that first night after the farm- it can't be like that. What we do, what we're willing to do, who we are- It's not my call. I couldn't sacrifice one of us for the greater good, because we are the greater good. We're the reason we're still here, not me. This is life and death. How you live, how you survive, how you die... It isn't up to me. I'm not your Governor. We choose to go. We choose to stay. We stick together. We vote. We can stay and we can fight or we can go."
Rick knew all too well the risks of going, as well as the risks of staying. But he was willing to give that up. Give his people a choice to make the decisions for they were the owners of their lives too.

"You know Merle never did anything like that his whole life." Daryl spoke, sitting on the cement ground. Almost as if sensing her presence nearby.
He spoke without even looking behind. He just heard steps and knew it was her, just like that.
"He gave us a chance." Nova offered her hand as he gazed behind at her. He took the offer without hesitation and as he balanced on his feet, he stayed holding on to her hand. "He'll do great here."
Dixon nodded briefly as her hand slipped away from his touch. "Your things ready?"
"Yeah. Oh, actually, I think I left something up the guard tower last night."
"Go get it, then. Quick, it's time."

The group had decided together that they would stay and set their ground.
Smith proposed a trap. She said if they took their things, hid the cars and went into the tombs, that it would create a great distraction. Leaving the men questioning and confusing, it would give them time to shoot at them while they stayed wondering.
Everyone agreed it was the best plan and Rick followed up to it. He helped lay it out clear and assign positions to everybody.

Smith ran towards the guard tower as the sound of car engines echoed around. They were moving the cars outside and parking them behind the prison.
It was cold, chilly. Beth wore a purplish jacket to match with her white blouse of pink and purple flowers. She also wore a pair of white gloves and a white beanie to help with the freezing breeze. It was also early in the morning, the sun had come up no longer than 40 minutes ago. A perfect time for an unexpected attack...
Nova was still holding onto her summer clothes. This time, she wore her checked shirt the way it is supposed to be worn, buttoning up most of the buttons to provide what could be called the unescapable cold that she still managed to deny.
The door closed behind her, creating blackness and shutting out all light. Her eyes adjusted slowly to the dark void as she tried to make up the slim stairs ahead of her. It almost triggered her claustrophobia as she knew it was a tight and tall space and the fact that she had no light did not help one single bit but she shut it down with an immense force, trying only to focus on getting up there.
As she pushed the door open, she took a deep breath, allowing the growing panic to fade away in the relief.
Her eyes caught what she was looking for and something else. On the floor layed her empty gun belt, which she would need, her knife right on the side and three of Daryl's hand-crafted arrows from the night before.
They had stayed there all night keeping watch together. Well, mostly talking as they looked out the window, not really focused on any possible danger and a little after that, Daryl gave up and sat down, carving arrows for his crossbow as Smith smirked to herself.
She admired that in him. The way he was so ready for this world. The way he was able to be so autonomous, smartly calculated and self-made.
She shook her head, realising she had been staring at the arrows for four full minutes, recalling the prior night.
She grabbed the items and shut the door, being emerged in the darkness once more.
Just as she gripped the door handle at the bottom of the staircase, she felt herself fall to the ground whilst everything around her felt like slow motion and soundless.
She pulled the door with the strongest of her forces, falling flat on her knees. Cement and pieces of bricks fell from the sky as she looked up for an explanation. As the muffled sounds came back to their intensity with the high-pitching sound inside her mind fading, something else installed inside her ears. Shots. The sounds of guns cocking and bullets being fired.
They were here.
Good thing she was out of their sight, hidden behind the grand guard-tower.
She needed to get to the tombs... but how could she do it without being seen by the threat?
Smith waited for them to storm into cellblock C and, once they were inside, she ran towards A. Stumbling and holding a hand to her head, she kept pushing as she sprinted her way, hanging by a loose threat, keeping her consciousness. That was the bigger fight, the harder fight. To keep going. Keep alive.