RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

live a little

WILLOW FELT A SLIGHT NUDGE against her shoulder. Her eyes flickered open, immediately looking down at Sienna in her lap who was still sound asleep. The truck was quiet compared to how it was before. Daryl had started the trip with loud music that she couldn't stand, but now the music was gone and all that was left to hear was the tumbling of the wheels against the road. She looked over at Daryl who had put the truck in park.

"We're here." He flung his door open, stepping out of the truck and gently closing the door.

She looked out the window at everyone ahead of them, outside of their vehicles, some stretching their legs while the others looked around, guns raised. The sky was dim now as the sun started to set. As gently as possible, Willow wrapped Sienna against her chest to free up her hands, stepping out with her pistol. She took a moment to look at everything. Road blockades were everywhere, flies were buzzing around hundreds of dead bodies that occupied the streets.

"Okay, keep moving. Stay together." Rick said in a hushed voice, looking down his shotgun as they approached the doors to the CDC. The women coughed at the putrid stench that came from the bodies, Andrea gagging to the side. They maneuvered their way around abandoned army vehicles and a few large tanks. At the sight of it, Willow didn't get her hopes up.

Shane pounded on one of the doors, the metal rattling.

"There's nobody here." T-Dog was the first to say.

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick paced around, holding tightly to his shotgun.

"Walkers!" Daryl yelled out in a husky voice.

Carl immediately started crying, Lori holding him close.

Daryl fired his crossbow at the stray walker that was making its way towards them. "You led us into a graveyard!"

"He made a call!" Shane added, taking down another walker.

"It was the wrong damn call!"

"Shut up!" Shane shoved Daryl back.

Willow pulled out her knife as a couple more walkers came into view, slashing one in the throat before plunging it between the eyes.

"Rick this was a dead end." Willow called out over her shoulder, slicing through another walker.

"Where are we gonna go?" Carol cried, her hands shaking against Sophia.

"She's right, we can't be here this close to the city after dark." Lori stepped beside Rick, a firm hand still on Carl.

"Fort Benning, Rick. Still an option."

"There's more coming!" Willow stepped back to the group as more and more walkers began to appear, too many for her to take on.

"We've got no food, no fuel. That's 100 miles."

"125. I checked the map." Glenn spoke frantically.

"Forget Fort Benning, we need answers tonight. Now!" Lori tugged at Rick's shirt.

Rick held up his hand. "We'll think of something." His voice, too, was full of lost hope and worry.

"Let's go, come on." Shane began to shove everyone back to the vehicles, but Rick stood still.

"The camera, it moved!" He yelled, staring at the camera.

"You imagined it." Dale continued on with everyone.

"It moved."

"It's an automated device, man. It's gears, okay?" Shane was desperate to get Rick to come with him, but he started yelling.