What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

32 • A world without

Alone, Alexa sat near Sophia's grave for a long time. The rest of the farm had gone completely silent and everybody was off doing their own things by now. But Alexa didn't care. She was too caught up in her miscellaneous thoughts to care. It wasn't until the girl decided she should check on her brother that she finally moved.

Scurrying up the RV steps, the girl discovered the absence of Carol. She didn't pay the woman's disappearance any attention as she walked to the back of the RV. Chase was by now sound asleep and Alexa didn't dare disturb him. Instead, she snatched her pack from the ground and walked back outside.

As the girl stepped out of the trailer she noticed a few missing details about the camp. First, Daryl's tent was gone and all that remained now was his motorcycle. Second, a few cars were missing. And finally, the camp was deserted. Alexa assumed everyone must have been up at the house so she didn't think too much of it.

But Alexa didn't know what to think about Daryl's belongs being missing. But then again that was just how he was. He was a come-and-go type of person. Alexa noticed that about him. He would rather be alone than with a larger group.

Alexa sighed as she pushed the thoughts out of her head. She sat on the log by the firepit, shrugging off her backpack she dug out her nail file and took her throwing knives out of her boots. Aimlessly she began to sharpen them, watching from the corner of her eye as the sun being to set. Leaving the sky full of orange, pink, and blue streaks.

"Hi..." An unfamiliar voice called. Alexa looked up from her knives to see Jimmy jogging toward her. A worried look etched into his face. "Alexa, right?"
"Uh... yeah. Why?" Alexa responded, confusion evident in her tone.

The boy awkwardly stood there, looking at the girl as he contemplated what to say.
"Uh. Beth collapsed." Jimmy confessed. "A-and we can't find Hershel, so Maggie was wondering if-"

Alexa didn't need to hear any more of the boy's awkward ramble. She already knew what he was asking. So the girl stood, putting away her things and slinging her bag over her shoulder before she started her hike up to the farmhouse. Jimmy following closely behind.

Walking inside the house Alexa instantly spotted the family hovering over Beth in the room next to the front door. Alexa walked inside, setting her bag by the door before she sat on the edge of Beth's bed.

"How is she?" Alexa quizzed, looking at Maggie and Patricia for answers.
"Dehydrated," Patricia answered sadly, "I'll set up an I.V., it's the best I can do without Hershel." She sighed before exiting the room. Leaving Alexa and Maggie alone.

"Where's everyone?" Alexa asked, noticing the absence of people.
"Rick and Glenn went to go find my dad," Maggie said sadly, clearly on the verge of tears. Alexa nodded, not wanting to push the girl any further.
"Are you alright?"

Maggie nodded, her hand curling around Beth's limp one.
"I just wish my dad was here." The girl confessed, brushing stray whisps of hair out of her sister's face. "I was just reminding her about-" Maggie hesitated. "Never mind."

Alexa knew Maggie wanted to tell a story, probably to try and take her mind off everything that was happening.
"No, no. Go on." Alexa said quietly. "I'm all ears."

"My dad would die if he heard this." Maggie smiled wearily. "My first summer back from college, I drove home, dumped my stuff off, and went straight out to the stable for a ride." She explained, smiling as she remembered the happy day. "My family Comes back from church and Beth grabs my things and starts unpacking my stuff upstairs."

Alexa nodded along as she tried to pay attention to Maggie's story.
"She starts rifling through my backpack and finds this little plastic container with these pink and green candies inside." Alexa couldn't help but smile when Maggie did. It was funny to think this kinda stuff used to happen.

"She didn't even know I was on the pill." Maggie continued. "She was so freaked out by the idea of me and boys and sex that she runs outside and chucks them in the duck pond." Maggie smiled, getting more into her story. "And I ride up, I see this, I'm screaming. She crying and Shawn runs outside, and thinks one of us is drowning."

Maggie chuckled, whipping away a piece of her hair. "Soon as he figures out what's going on, the jerk bursts out laughing so loud that my horse rears up and gets mud all over the three of us." Maggie swallowed, glancing at Alexa as she finished.

"My dad comes out, "what the heck is going on out here?!" And Beth turns around, bats her eyelashes, and says, "we're just swimming, daddy." In her Sunday dress all covered in snot and mud." Maggie's voice trailed off as she finished, her eyes stayed glued to her sister.

"Rick and Glenn will get your dad back," Alexa spoke up, reaching out an arm and patting Maggie's shoulder. Maggie nodded, trying to hold back the tears that were forming in her eyes.
"Glenn's a good guy," Maggie stated, her eyes pulling away from Beth as she took Alexa's hand.

"I know you care about him," Alexa said understandingly, as she gently squeezed Maggie's hand. The girl blushed slightly, still holding Alexa's hand as she looked down at her little sister.
"Thank you." She said quietly.

Suddenly the bedroom door flung open to reveal Carol on the other side.
"Have either of you seen Lori?" The woman asked frantically, a hand pressed to her chest. Maggie and Alexa glanced at each other.
"No," Alexa answered. "Why, you haven't seen her?"

Carol shook her head, a fearful expression on her face. Alexa had last remembered seeing the woman at Sophia's funeral that afternoon. But she didn't recall seeing her after. Shit. Alexa thought, realizing that Lori must have left to find her husband.

"Stay with Beth," Alexa told Maggie, hopping off the bed as she grabbed her pack.
"Where are you going?" Carol questioned immediately as Alexa pushed past her.
"To get some answers," Alexa answered simply, walking out the front door and jumping down the porch steps.

Alexa knew Lori wouldn't go straight into town by herself. She'd probably ask someone to go for her instead. And Alexa's best guess was that the woman probably wouldn't go to Shane or T-dog for help. She would most likely go to someone more experienced in the matter of finding people. Lori would most likely go to Daryl for help.

At least Alexa hoped so as she sprinted across Hershel's fields. Spotting a glowing fire in the distance that she knew belonged to Daryl. Getting closer she indeed recognized the silhouette of Daryl leaning over a fire, by a stone structure. His tent and motorcycle had been set up nearby, as well as a line of dead rabbits and the ear necklaces the duo had worn so long ago.

"Where's Lori?" The girl interrogated as she skitted to a stop behind Daryl.
"That dumb bitch must've gone out lookin' for 'em," Daryl grumbled, poking at his fire with a stick.
"Course she did," Alexa mumbled before turning around to sprint back to the group.

"Why do you care?" Daryl asked, stopping the girl before she could take off running again. Alexa raised an eyebrow as she glanced over her shoulder at Daryl.
"She's gotta kid." She pointed out. "Carl shouldn't live in a world without his mom."

Daryl hummed in response, stopping what he was doing as he turned back to face the girl.
"You goin' after her."
Alexa shrugged, adjusting her backpack.
" 'Cause you gotta kid too. Chase shouldn't have to live in a world without his sister."

Alexa huffed at his comment.
"That's the difference between us," Alexa started as she began to walk away. "Lori doesn't care. I do."
Alexa's walk quickly turned into a sprint as she ran back up to camp.

Her legs got her there just in time to hear the group listing places they looked for the missing mother. "She went to look for her husband." Alexa blurted out, getting the group to look at her. The girl turned at the sound of Carl's whimper. She watched as he ran back toward the house just as Shane started interrogating Dale.

"Did you know about this?"
"No," Dale stated flatly, shaking his head.
"Look, just-" Shane started, dragging a hand across his face. "Did she take a gun?"
"I don't know," Dale stated so flatly it almost made Alexa laugh.

Shane huffed before spinning on his heel and walking straight for a random car. Jumping in he started the vehicle and quickly drove away. Leaving Dale, T-dog, Andrea, Carol, and Alexa standing by the campsite.