In The Bird Song | TWD

chapter 1 - first impressions

Pov: carl

There is a hopeful buzz in the air as the group chats around the fire and everyone seems to be benefiting from today's moral boost. After what must have been at least eight months of being on the road we finally found a place with the potential to become a home for a while. The prison has fences that can keep the dead outside however we have to finish clearing away the walkers that lived inside the compound.

It took a while but today we managed to clear the courtyard of the prison and dad's hopeful that we will be able to clear a cell block tomorrow at the very least. Despite the idea of living in a prison not being the most appealing, I'm grateful we found this place because mums due to give birth any day now and it would be a death sentence to have a screaming infant out on the road.

Everyone seems relaxed talking about plans they have for this place but I still can't shake the nauseous feeling I've had ever since I got a good look at the walkers sporting prison uniforms. it's not the smell or rotting flesh that bothers me it's the fact that all the ex-prisoners looked to be my age or a couple years older making it hard not to imagine myself in their place.

If it wasn't for my mom and Shane, I could have died just like them and I would have been condemned to walk the earth a shell of myself forever. Except the people that lived here weren't really like me at all if I think about it. they were prisoners, the bad guys, the people my dad and Shane worked hard to put away. I don't think I could have ever turned bad like they did, my dad is one of the good guys and so am I. despite feeling guilty for thinking it, I can't help but wonder if it's a good thing these criminals died early on and therefore can't terrorise the innocent people that are still alive.

Dad and the rest of the group seem positive that they can turn this place into our permanent home but I know that's unlikely to happen. nothing lasts long in this world, not homes, not food, and definitely not lives. I suppose all we can really do these days is enjoy the time we have left and try forget about how it's bound to run out soon.

***

Pov: Harlow

I must finally be losing my mind I decide. I keep thinking I can hear voices speaking in the distance but as far as I know the dead don't talk and I'm the last one left in the prison. Unless somebody has somehow broke into the compound but I've long since given up on the idea of a recue team and any other random person would surly have been slaughter by the reanimated corpses. However just as I'm accepting my fate of slowly slipping into madness the carefully barricaded door to the cafeteria bursts open and the first living people I've seen in what must be almost a year barge in.

the group are carrying what could be the real-life Santa clause if only Santa was a fair bit skinnier and had given up baths. The dead are hot on there heals but before I have time to panic a young bald guy rushes to re-barricade the door effectively locking the rotting cannibals outside. Whilst the bald man works on the door a different bearded man who could also do with a bath undoes his belt and begins wrapping it around the Santa man's leg. then before I can prepare myself for what is about to happen the bearded man raises an axe and brings it down on the old guy's leg.

My hands fly to my ears as the old man releases a booming scream that sets my hair on end. However thankfully the screaming only lasts a couple brief seconds before the bleeding man passes out and I can breathe a sigh of relief. The strangers haven't spotted me yet and I debate if I should remain hidden or announce myself. On one hand they might be my ticket out of here but on the other hand one of them did just chop a man's leg of and if he were to turn that axe on me I only have a dull kitchen knife to defend myself.

However, before I can reach a decision a man with a crossbow spot's me and rather rudely points his weapon in my direction. He alerts the other members of his group to my presence and before I know it there are five sets of eyes on me looking like I have just threatened them at gunpoint.