What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

42 • Soldier

»Play: Soldier by Fleurie«

Alexa explained her theory to Daryl the whole way back to the farmhouse. Daryl now coming fully convinced by what she was saying before they walked inside the house. The group immediately perked up.

"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl quizzed, looking around the crowded living room.
"No," Lori answered.
"We heard a shot," Alexa confessed, she and Daryl sharing the same anxious look.
"Maybe they found Randall," Lori suggested.

"Nah, we found him," Daryl said. "He was a walker."
"Did ya find the walker that bit him?" Hershel quizzed.
"He wasn't bit," Alexa answered, getting everyone to look at her.

"His neck was broken," Daryl grumbled as he glanced at Alexa. "We have a theory, well Alexa does."
"I think everyone is infected," Alexa admitted, watching as the whole group fell into shock. "But we shouldn't worry about that right now." The girl added hastily. "We have to find Rick and Shane."

"How can you just shrug this off?" Carol quizzed angrily.
"Because it's not that crazy of an idea," Daryl growled in defense of the girl. "At least she's trying to figure this all out. Unlike you people."
"I don't care. Please just get back out there and find my husband." Lori pleaded.

Daryl nodded, tugging on Alexa's hand to lead her out of the house. The duo stepped onto the porch, Daryl quickly running down the steps but Alexa stayed as her eyes caught on something in the distance.

"Fuck." The girl mumbled as she observed the walker herd stumbling up the property. By now Daryl had noticed the problem as well, running back onto the porch he stood beside Alexa.
"Tell the others." The girl ordered.
Daryl nodded in response, rushing back inside he quickly came out accompanied by the group.

"What do we do?" Carol question. Alexa glared at the woman. First Carol was yelling at her, and now she was begging for advice.
"Patricia get the lights, Andrea guns," Alexa ordered. Taking charge of the situation before it got out of control.

The two women looked at the girl strangely for a second before scampering off to do what they were instructed.
"Maybe they're just passing like the herd on the highway," Glenn suggested. "Should we just go inside?"

"No. A herd that size will rip the house down." Alexa explained while the remaining group members sent her questioning looks. "Alright. Lori, Carol, find the boys. Make sure they're safe. Beth, Patricia go with them." The girl instructed.

The four women nodded before running away, just as Andrea came rushing back with both gun bags. Andrea deposited the bags on the ground. She, Maggie, and Hershel immediately reached in and began to hand them out.

"Alright, we find Rick and Shane. Get to the cars and get t'hell outta here." Alexa explained, what she hoped was a good plan.
"This is my farm." Hershel protested. "I'll die here."
"You ain't got the numbers," Daryl grumbled. "It's no use."
"You two can go if you want," Hershel suggested, looking between Alexa and Daryl.

"We don't have enough ammo." Alexa protested. "You'll run out before you make a dent."
"We have cars," Hershel stated.
"Kill as many as we can and then we'll use the cars to lead the rest of them away," Andrea suggested.

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked in disbelief.
"Like I said," Hershel responded. "I'll die here."
"All right." Daryl gave in. "It's as good a night as any." He said before jumping over the porch railing and landing on the grass with a thud. The group nodded to each other before leaving the porch. Each one running to get in separate cars.

"Seriously?" Alexa groaned to herself. The girl sighed as she kneeled over the gun bags. Shrugging off her pack she flipped it open. Stealing a few boxes of ammo, and two extra handguns she tossed them into her pack. Snatching her blue compound bow and arrows the girl threw them and her backpack over her shoulders. Her bow was tightly clutched in her hand.

Just as the girl was about to jump off the porch Lori came running out of the house. Tears prickled her eyes.
"I can't find the boys! They're not upstairs!"
Alexa's eyes widened at the news. Her gaze instantly glanced in the direction of the field where the others were now shooting off rounds and the barn was somehow on fire.

"Stay in the house, look for the boys!" Alexa commanded.
"Where are you going?" Lori wailed.
"They might've set that fire!" The girl responded before running away.

Chase had begged her not to go looking for Randall. But she did anyways. Perhaps he and Carl ran off to find her and maybe Rick. Maybe Rick had both boys and was trying to keep them safe. Maybe they started the fire. At least Alexa hopped. And if her assumption was correct then both boys would be at that fire.

Alexa's goal was to get to the barn. She put her bow on her back, pulling out her knife before she started plowing through walkers. Her only thought was finding her little brother. The only family she had left in this world.

The girl's knife stuck into every walker she could reach, covering her in blood and guts. Her arm got tired but she didn't care, she pushed forward, letting the dead corpses fall in a trail behind her. Calling out her brother's name occasionally to see if he would find her.

They just kept coming but Alexa didn't care. She would massacre the entire farm until she found her brother. The thought of Chase keeping her going.

By now the barn was collapsing. The girl's thoughts ran as she slowly started to back up. If Chase was alive he'd be back at the house. He was smart enough to fight his way there. Or escape with one of the cars Alexa watched leave. Maybe Lori had found him and Carl and they got out.

Either way, Alexa didn't care. All she hoped was that her brother was safe. And even with the dead circling around her, all she could think about was her brother's safety.

Alexa could hear someone screaming in the distance. She could hear the fading gunshots. She could hear the engines of cars. She could hear the roar of Daryl's motorcycle approaching. But she didn't care.

Her blade still sinking in and out of the walkers heads. Splashing the girl with waves of blood. Her hair flew all over the place. Her sleep-deprived body wasting away from under her. But she had to keep pushing herself.

Maybe past her breaking point if that's what it took. But she had to fight to protect her family. She had fought her whole life. How was this any different?

"Alexa! Com' on!"
The sound of Daryl's voice broke Alexa out of her bloodthirsty state. "Come on, I ain't got all day!" Daryl yelled, stopping his bike next to the girl.
"I have to find Chase!" Alexa yelled, stabbing the last walker. The rest only seconds away.

"He got out!" Daryl lied, hoping the girl would just come with him. The man watched as relief flickered across Alexa's face before she ran up to him. Straddling his motorcycle before he revved his engine.

"Hold on, speedy" Daryl called, taking off down the road. Alexa almost fell from the sudden movement before she clung to Daryl's waist for balance. The duo sped away from the burning-down farm. Leaving behind whatever didn't make it and not looking back.