The Mini Badass

Chapter 19

The group stood still, not one person moving as we all stare at the sight before us. Some of these walkers were family others friends.

But now they're all dead.

Carol and Beth's sobs are the only sound any of us make. I stare at Sophia, her neck chewed open and her skin pale.

"Don't look, Ains." Maggie says, gently grabbing my head and turning it into her shoulder. I lock eyes with Beth who's still crying and I watch a switch flip.

She shoves Jimmy off of her before marching towards the dead walkers. My eyes follow her as she flips a walker off a female walker.

I can see it's still moving so I break free of Maggie, grabbing the axe Shane used to bust open the barn.

The second I grab the handle Beth shrieks followed by the sound of growling. I run up to her and the rest of the group follows.

I can't get a clear hit without harming Beth as the walker has a tight hold on her. I kick one of the walkers arms off and Rick manages to pull Beth away.

I bring the axe down, lodging it in the walkers head before falling to my knees next to it. Glenn's hand is quickly on my shoulder and I stand up, clutching onto his shoulders.

Maggie -with the help of Glenn and Rick- start leading me and Beth back to the house, Shane hot on our tails while the rest of the group offers to help clear the bodies.

"We've been out, we've been combing these woods looking for her and she was in there all along?" Shane ask, steam practically coming out of his ears. "You knew."

"Leave us alone." Maggie says, a comforting arm around her dad.

"Shane just stop man."

"You knew and you kept it from us." Shane says ignoring his friend.

"I didn't know." Hershel tells Shane as we reach the front porch. "That's bullshit, I think you all knew." Shane shoots back.

"We didn't know!" Maggie shouts at him her grip around me tightening.

"Why was she there?" Shane asks as Patricia leads Beth and I into the house, leaving the men to talk.

I sit down at the table but Beth runs upstairs and Patricia lets her go. I put my head in my hands only lifting it when I hear the door open.

Maggie and Hershel walk in and Maggie sits down next to me. She takes my hand but no one speaks, grief making the air thick.

Moments later Glenn come in, stopping in the doorway of the kitchen. "I have to ask, did you know?" He asks Maggie who just stands up and glares at him.

"You know, maybe this is for the best." He says, and I rest my head on the table. "At least we know and now we can move on." He continues and tears flow down my cheeks.

"Move on?" Maggie asks making me sniffle. 

"Yeah it's just like- it meant so much to everyone." Glenn tells her. "Finding her you know."

"And then-"

"So now you'll just move on?" Maggie asks again, after Glenn cuts himself off. "If we can." He tells her, his eyes burning a hole in the my head.

"I mean we've lost others." He sighs out before a small chuckle escapes his lips. "This is, this is Sophia."

"Out of everyone, this one was different."

"So what happens now?" I ask, lifting my head as my voice cracks. "We bury her." Glenn says crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"With your mom, and stepbrother." His eyes focusing back on Maggie. "And then." She asks.