Take On The World

29. Always

       I wake up to a rooster crowing it's gotta be early. It's still dark out. I run my tired eyes and stumble out of bed. Wait where is Carl? I was so tired after the comic books last night I fell asleep in Carl's cell. But he's nowhere to be seen. He's not exactly a morning person, usually Rick has to wake him up. My dog isn't even here, I'm just sure he was laying right at my feet half sleeping half guarding the door. As he has every night since the new people came.

I feel like death has warmed over. No migraine though and that is definitely new. Maybe Carl got up already. I step outside the cell and something isn't right. It is absolutely silent. Usually there are meaningless conversations going on everywhere. It is early so maybe people are asleep.

I go into the cell that is supposed to be Glenn and Maggie's but they aren't there... big surprise. As I venture further into the cell block I notice everyone is gone.
"Mason!" I hear Someone from the tombs, and I start to walk towards the voice.
"Hello?"
"Mason, over here!" I don't recognize the voice but there are a lot of people I don't know.
"Mason?"

    When I finally get to where the voice was calling me there is no one there. I venture through the empty door to the tombs knowing I probably shouldn't but my feet are moving without my approval.

    "Hello? Daryl? Carl? Rick? Merle?"
Wait Merle where did that come from?
 
"Sophia? Lori? Amy? Andrea? Jacki?" I want to stop saying names but I can't they just keep coming all the dead are coming back.
"Jim? T-dog? Dale?"

    I then see the face and know exactly whose voice it is.

"Hey there stranger."

"Shane?"

     He gives a smirk, but not a nice one. Out of nowhere he has a gaping hole in his head and I gasp and stumble back. And out of the darkness starts the real nightmare.
  
     Sophia, Dale, T, Merle... Lori. Everyone starts stumbling out and they are all walkers. I let out a scream that could wake the dead.

    I turn to sprint back to the safety of the cell block. Still screaming but this time for my guardian.

"Daryl! Daryl! Rick! Maggie! Somebody! Help me! Daryl!"

    I ram straight into someone's arms.
"Daryl!" I say in relief that my voice goes out half way through his name, but quickly realize it's not him

    "It's your fault Penny." This time I recognize the dark voice instantly. I try to kick him, but he deflects it.

    It gives me time to get a good hit to his jaw. He grabs my arms so I kick again, but he lets go to block it.

"Mason." He says in an empty voice.

    Mason? What happened to Penny?

     I hit at him over and over, but he grabs my wrists so I resort back to kicking again and he has to let go of one hand to block my foot enabling me to dig my nails down his repulsive face that tends to haunt me most nights. He lets out a growl and grabs my biceps in a way that I can't hit anymore and starts shaking me. Which has a paralyzing affect on me.

    "Mason?!" He says with a voice of almost fear.

"Let me go! No! No! Get off me! Daryl! Please help me!"

    I try to kick but it's like someone has a hold of my legs and I can't move them and that's when I realize I'm not even on the ground I'm a few inches off of it.