Ellie Dixon

Gun Range

Rick had gone back to Crazytown. None of us were sure what was going on with him, but you couldn't talk to him about it. Rick had spent most of the day outside in the woods and with my dad gone, Glenn claimed that he was next in line to take charge. I wouldn't have been against Glenn being in charge, except for the fact that he was after vengeance. Me, Carl, Sophia and Glenn had gone down to the tombs to check out how much damage was there and it was pretty much overrun with walkers. Next, Glenn wanted to go to Woodbury and shoot the Governor himself, but Hershel talked him out of it. Hershel was really the one keeping things together. Maggie was traumatised and was spending most her time in her room, and we couldn't blame her. Glenn was on a warpath, and there was Hershel, the strong old man with one leg we were all relying on.

Me, Sophia, Beth and Carl had been in the yard with Carol and Axel. Rick and Hershel were talking through the two fences at the bottom of the field as Rick was in the forest. Carol and Axel were talking while me and the others were playing with a skipping rope. Carl looked miserable as he stood there making the skipping rope move, Sophia and Beth were jumping while I had the other side of the rope. I noticed Michonne walking down towards the bus.

Just as I noticed her, Beth messed up on the rope. We all laughed with her. "Carl, Ellie, it's your turn to jump." Beth smiled.

"I'll be right back. I'm gonna go talk to Michonne." I said, handing the rope to Sophia.

"Don't make me jump alone!" Carl called after me.

I laughed at him; he was totally secretly happy to be jumping. I ran after Michonne as we were approaching the bus. "Where ya going?" I asked.

"For a walk. I need some air." She responded, bluntly.

"I'll come with." I smiled.

"I wanted to be alone." Michonne told me.

"Now we can be alone together." I grinned.

"You scared I'm gonna do a runner?" Michonne asked.

I sighed. "Please, don't leave."

"I'll stay as long as Rick doesn't go crazy on us again." Michonne responded.

"He's grieving, it's not his-" I started but cut myself off when I heard the gun shot.

I looked up, Carol and Axel were on the floor while Sophia, Beth and Carl were running for cover. A couple seconds later, heavy gunfire started in Rick's direction. Michonne grabbed me and we hid behind the overturned bus. I looked back up to Carol and saw her moving Axel's body as a shield since she was being shot at.

Someone started firing at me and Michonne as well, so Michonne started shooting back with a machine gun she'd brought with her. Unfortunately, I only had my handgun. I couldn't help Michonne without exposing myself to the gun men, so I went to the other corner of the bus. There was a man in a watch tower, shooting at Carol who was stuck behind Axel's body. I tried shooting at him, I got him in the leg, so he fell to his knees. That was enough time for Carol to get up and run to Beth, Carl and Sophia. I saw Maggie come out of the prison with machine guns, handing them to the others in the yard before she went for better cover.

Everything went quiet. Nobody was shooting. However, that only lasted for about a minute before the man on the watchtower pulled himself together and started shooting at the people on the yard again. With this man starting again, everyone who was attacking us started shooting again. The shooting only lasted a couple more minutes before everything went silent and we could hear an engine approaching. It started off quiet and distant, but it got louder and louder. I peered round the bus and saw what looked like an orange, blue and white van approaching. 

I had to duck out of the way when the van drove straight through the front two gates and stopped in the middle of the gravel road that led up to the yard. Instead of a back door, it had a metal grate that fell down a few seconds after the van parked. Everyone was watching intensely; I shared a worried look with Michonne before looking back at the van. Walkers piled out of the van and onto the field. I looked over to Hershel who was ducking in the grass. He didn't have a gun on him. He could hide from the bullets, but he couldn't hide from the walkers. 

The walkers were fanning out and just by chance, most of them were heading towards Hershel. A man jumped out of the driver's seat with a gun and started coming towards me and Michonne. We had to go round the side of the bus that meant we were completley exposed to two of the shooters, but they were just watching us. I swear I could see a smile on... The Governor's face. I didn't think he would come out here and do his own dirty work. I thought he would've only sent his men. I hated his smile; I hated his face.

I ignored the Governor though as I started shooting the walkers heading towards Hershel. I wouldn't let him die. There were more walkers than I had bullets, but I still had to try and buy him time. "All of the gunmen are leaving." Michonne said to me, getting up as we ran into the field.

I ran straight towards Hershel as the others from the yard entered the field as well. Another car drove into the field, but I recognised it as the car Glenn took off in. As I got to Hershel, I'd run out of bullets. I helped him to his feet, and we started quickly approaching Glenn's car. Glenn and Michonne covered us while I got Hershel into the car safely. In the back there was a machine gun, so I stood on top of the car and started shooting every walker I could. 

I was pissed. These people had the audacity to attack us after we only went into their town to rescue our people which they'd kidnapped. It was like they were striking back to something which was self-defence. I let out my anger on the walkers. Anger from what happened to Glenn and Maggie, anger for getting Oscar killed, anger for the fact Axel was now dead and anger that was directed at my dad for leaving.

"Ellie, get in the car!" Michonne yelled.

I jumped down and got into the car next to Hershel. Glenn started driving up to the yard with Michonne in passenger. I got out, Carl locked the gate behind us as the walkers tried getting through it. "Are you okay?" Carol asked, cupping my cheeks with her hands.

"Fine, what about you? I saw Axel go down." I responded.

"I'm okay." Carol nodded.

"Ellie." Sophia let out before hugging me tightly, I hugged her back. "I was so worried about you."

"Don't be. I'm always okay. And you gotta admit, I looked pretty cool with the machine gun." I said, lifting the gun.

"Yea, maybe we should take that." Carol laughed, taking the gun from me.

"Awh." I said sadly. "Mum, why?" I asked before freezing. "I didn't-... Why did I... Uh-" I stuttered.

"It's okay, darling." Carol smiled, kissing my head. Sophia was smiling brightly at me.

"I just, uhm- okay- huh... Carl, how you doing, buddy?" I changed the subject, walking away from them to check on Carl.

"Guys, look." Carl pointed out into the field.

I saw three men running towards the gate. "Open the gate!" Rick's recognisable voice yelled.

They took out a couple walkers on the way and as they got closer, I recognised the other two. Dad and Uncle Merle. They took out a couple walkers around the gate as Carl opened it and closed it for them. I stood there in shock, staring at my dad.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Glenn yelled.

"He's not coming into the main cells, but Glenn we'll do this later." Rick responded, indicating to me who was just staring at my father. Glenn looked angry but nodded.

I didn't go close to him, so Carol hugged dad and so did Sophia. He hugged them back and they shared a few words I couldn't hear before they stepped away from him. "Hi, baby." Dad smiled at me.

"So, you came back." I deadpanned.

Dad nodded, his smile faltering slightly. "Are you gonna give me a hug?"

I just stared at him for a few seconds before shaking my head slightly. "We better get inside." I said to everyone before turning on my heal and walking away.