You Are The Wilderness

Chapter 19 - Found

Kiara's POV

It was already dark outside when I started to perceive the world around me again. My head was pounding and my throat was sore. I picked myself up and looked around. I had no idea which way was back to camp. I was able to follow Shane out here but that was in the day. In this darkness, I was lost. I heard footsteps and muttering and saw flashlights. I snatched my katana out of its sheath, hid behind the nearest tree and waited. I jumped out only to be confronted with Daryl and Glen who both looked freaked out.

"What the hell are you doin' out here by yourself?! Where the hell were you?!" Daryl barked at me, but the relief was evident on his face.

"Where's Rick?! Shane?! I need to find Rick!!!" I yelled, panic rising in my throat.

"Whoah, calm down Kiara!" Glenn grabbed me by my shoulders.

"It was all Shane," I explained. "He freed Randal, lured him into the woods and then snapped his neck. He even broke his own nose against the tree."

"That explains the blood we found," muttered Daryl, not seeming remotely surprised.

"I went to guard Randal and when I found he wasn't inside the shed I ran into the woods and saw it all happen," I said. "Shane saw me and tried to strangle me, but I guess he stopped too early for me to actually suffocate," I said.

"You okay?" Glenn asked concerned.

"Yeah, I guess," I rasped. "Where's Rick?"

"That crazy son of a bitch went off with Rick to search for Randal," Daryl said.

"Oh my god. How long since you parted?!" I asked trying not to think what might happen to him.

"'Bout two hours ago," Glenn said.

"Shit!" I yelled again. "Which way did they go?!"

"That way," Daryl pointed out.

"Let's go!" I started towards the direction but Daryl pinned me to a tree, covering my mouth with his hand. I struggled against him but then I followed his gaze and saw a lone Walker. Guys took care of him and discovered it was Randal. We checked him for bites and scratches but didn't find any. That was odd, but we decided to worry about that later.

"Maybe we should go back and check if they returned," Glenn suggested.

"No way!!!" I shot him down. "I'm tellin' you, Shane's going to kill Rick!" I insisted and the tears started to blur my vision.

"C'mon," Daryl supported me with his arm. "We need to get back and tell the others. We need more people," he reasoned.

"All right," I breathed in and out to calm myself down. "But hurry."

We were running towards the front porch when I heard Glenn mutter "Oh shit". I turned around and saw the biggest herd of Walkers making its way towards us. Glenn ran inside to warn the others and soon we were all standing on the front porch deciding what to do. We decided to defend the farm for as long as we could because Carl was missing and frankly I wasn't going to leave until I found out what happened to him or Rick.

We loaded our weapons and I took the car with Maggie and Glenn. He was shooting from the passenger's seat and I took the back seat while Maggie was driving.

"Look, the barn's on fire!" I yelled at Glenn and then whistled at Daryl who was nearby, shooting Walkers from his motorcycle. He motioned for Jimmy who was driving the RV to go and check it out. We were still circling the farm and shooting as many Walkers as we could, but we were running out of ammo way too quickly and there was more and more of them coming. We knew the farm was lost but none of us was willing to give up so easily. The fire burning in the barn gave me a little glimmer of hope that maybe it was Rick who started it. It had to be, the other alternative was simply out of question.