Self Inflicted

28

"Clifford the big red dog shit a brick," I scoff at Abraham who is trying to fix the fire truck that broke down on us again. He gives me a look and I turn around, walking over to Glenn to stand watch.

"I really wish we could've found some more clothes," I huff.

"Yeah, me too." A breeze picks up and I smell something awful, I cough slightly.

"You sure could've used it," I joke.

"Oh! What the hell is that?" he says loudly.

"What?" Maggie calls out appearing from the back of the truck.

"Wind is picking up, you'll smell it," I reply.

"Oh! What is that?" she groans.

"Whatever is making that stench, it ain't nothing nice," Abraham crawls out of the truck. "We're not stopping."

"Uh, we're stopped," Tara remarks but we all ignore it. We keep walking north, in the direction of that horrific smell. There is a hill ahead and when we reach the top, the smell magnifies and we see what it is. There is a farm and fences, trapping in what I can only assume is hundreds of walkers. The smell makes my stomach turn, Glenn angrily turns around and starts charging back.

"Abraham. Abraham, let's get out of here," Rosita calls to him.

"Hold up."

"We gotta go," Maggie says bluntly.

"No, no we don't."

"The hell we don't!" I snap back.

"They can't hear us and they can't see us, not from here. We're fine."

"Yeah, this is the definition of fine," Tara snarks.

"We need the map, there's got to be a detour," Glenn suggests.

"Not doing it, we detoured and detoured and detoured from Houston to Georgia. I'm not playing that game anymore."

"We are not going through this, okay? It isn't going to happen!" Glenn charges forward to Abraham throwing his hand in the direction of the herd.

"We got a shit storm behind door A and a storm of shit behind door B. If you're lucky, it's walkers or a shot-up truck. But sooner or later you get cornered, you wind up staying and you wind up killing. We don't go back. We can't go back!"

"I'm not talking about going back, just south a few miles!"

"No!" Eugene pipes in truthfully I stop listening, instead, I take in the sight before me of the uncanny amount of walkers herded on the farm.

"We hit them with the hose."

"The tank is empty."

"Then we floor it."

"Then they slow us down and they still stop us."

"I'm not saying we just go straight!" Abraham shouts.

"That's the way the road goes," Maggie doesn't mean it as a rude remark but it seems that way.

"We can get through! I know it! That means we are not going south, going around, or going back!"

"No, they're right," Rosita shakes her head at the man. Abraham lets her words sink in a moment and then charges south, grabbing Eugene roughly by the arm. We shout his name and catch up, Glenn yells at him saying he's done and Abraham throws him to the ground. Glenn gets back up, shouting, Rosita is shouting, I'm shouting. In the midst of it, all Eugene starts speaking up, turning into a yell.

"I'm not a scientist!" Abraham lets go of his arm and Eugene whimpers looking around at all of us. My mouth hangs open as I look at the man wishing he could make himself as small as a mouse at this moment. "I lied, I'm not a scientist. I don't know how to stop it, I'm not a scientist." I shake my head and breathe heavily, staring wide-eyed at the hope that is disappearing in front of my eyes.