Destruction ||| Glenn Rhee x Reader (TWD X Reader)

Chapter 23) Alone

The group scavenges cars for weapons, food, clothes and supplies. Shane starts a car engine and something plays over the radio. Everybody rushes over to listen.

"The emergency alert system has been activated. The Office of Civil Defense has issued the following message: Normal broadcasting will cease immediately. This is a civil emergency."

"Is that a local signal?" Y/N asks.

"Has to be within 50 miles of here." Glenn replies.

The radio starts to repeat the same statement. Shane shuts the car off. "Asshole."

Dale sighs. "Ok. Let's get back to it."

Later, the sun starts to set and Daryl and Rick emerge from the woods. No Sophia.

Carol stands. "You didn't find her?"

Daryl shakes his head. "Trail went cold."

Rick looks at the grieving mother. "We'll pick it up first thing tomorrow."
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The night drags on. Nobody can sleep, with fear that another herd may pass through. Sophia runs through their minds. What if they don't find her?

T-Dog got his cut bandaged but without meds, it'll get infected.

Once light breaks over the horizon, the group is out onto the street near the trees. T and Dale stay back while everyone else goes off. After a while of searching, they come across a zipped tent.

"She could be in there." Shane says.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there." Daryl responds.

Carol calls out. "Sophia? Sophia, sweetie it's mommy. Are you in there? We're all here honey."

Daryl unzips the tent to find a decomposed man who shot himself in the head.

He comes back out and tells them what he saw.

Y/N sighs deeply. They had a lead and now it's gone. They stand for a moment when suddenly loud church bells ring through the trees. After a moment, the sound stops.

"Where did that come from?" Shane asks.

"Sounds like it was over there." Archer points in a direction.

"If we heard it, maybe Sophia did too." Y/N says.

"Someone is ringing those bells. Maybe calling others." Lori replies.

"Or signaling they found her." Andrea remarks.

Rick starts in the direction. "Hell, she could be ringing them herself."

They start running towards the noise. They come across a small church building with a cross on the roof. "That can't be it. No steeple." Shane points out.

Rick opens the door and calls out. "Sophia?"

Three walkers are inside. No Sophia.

Y/N sighs, taking out her knife. She takes down one while Daryl and Rick take down the others.

Daryl walks up to the Jesus statue on a cross. "Yo, J.C. You takin' requests?"

Rick still searches around the small church. Shane puts a hand on his shoulder. "Rick, i'm telling you its the wrong church."

Suddenly the bells start ringing again. Loudly. Almost like it's right on top of them. They rush outside and Glenn finds a small recorder attached to a wall.

"Timer. It's on a timer." He says ripping it off the wall and tossing it to the ground.

Carol wipes a tear from her eye. "I'm gonna go back in for a little bit."
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"Me and Shane are gonna keep searching for a bit. Y'all are gonna follow the creek bed back. Daryl's in charge." Rick tells the group who is now gathered outside the church.

"You're splittin' us up? You sure?" Archer asks.

Shane nods. "Yeah we'll catch up to you."

Carl steps forward. "I want to stay too. She's my friend." Rick looks at Lori who hesitantly nods. "Just be careful okay?" She says as she hugs him.

The group says their goodbyes and splits off into their designated areas. Y/N walks alongside Glenn.

Carol shakes her head and adjusts her sweater. "This is it? This is the whole plan?"

Daryl shrugs. "I guess."

Andrea looks to Y/N and Lori. "I see y'all have guns."

Lori scoffs. "Why? You want it? Here. Take it." She says handing it to a very confused Andrea.

"I'm sick of the looks you're giving me. All of you." She looks at Carol. "Honey, I can't imagine what you're going through. And I would do anything to stop it. But you have got to stop blaming Rick. It is in your face every time you look at him. When Sophia ran he didn't hesitate, did he? Not for a second." She turns back to the rest. "I don't know that any of us would have gone after her the way he did or made the hard decisions that he had to make or that anybody could have done it any differently. Anybody? Y'all look to him and then you blame him when he's not perfect. If you think you can do this without him, go right ahead. Nobody is stopping you."

Andrea hands the gun back to Lori. "We should keep moving."
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Meanwhile, a few miles away. Rick, Shane and Carl continue the search. A branch snaps and Carl whips his head around. It's a deer.

He steps closer, admiring it. He looks back at the guys smiling. They smile back and watch as the deer and Carl look at each other.

The moment is beautiful. Until it isn't.

A gunshot rings out. The deer falls to the ground. So does Carl.

Carl has been shot.
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