VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴36

Ellie always liked the color green.

Green reminded her of her last name. The color of Hershel's father's eyes- her great grandfather. The first guitar pick that Matt gave her. Her Irish descent. The healthy crops back on the farm.

She leans over, hands on her knees as she catched her breath under the green balloons.

She'd been running ever since seeing Rick. He was faster than her, but he hadn't caught up yet. Ellie could only hope that meant he was on his way back to Alexandria despite her actions.

She was really getting tired of running. But, she gives one more look to the green balloons before taking off once again.

--

Anna was getting used to being dragged around.

Josh dragged her behind him their whole childhood, then the dead started walking and she dragged herself around, Ellie dragged her to follow her earlier, and now Rick was dragging her as they ran from the herd.

Rick yells to open the gates when they come into view. Michonne and Maggie are the first two people she sees despite everyone else around.

Rick pulls Anna in front of him, getting her to safety first. Exhausted, Anna falls to her knees as the group close thegate just before the dozens of walkers get inside.

"Anna!" Josh gasps, dropping beside her.

Anna heaves shallow breaths, choking as the air couldn't reach her lungs.

"You're.. here.." Anna notes, coughing.

"Tobin made me come back.. I didn't have much of a choice. Are you okay?"

Anna nods, gripping her brother's shirt.

"Anna.." Maggie calls, hesitantly walking over. "Where.. Is.. Did.."

Maggie was panicking, unable to get the words out.

"You.." Anna weakly punches Josh's shoulder. "Told her?"

"Ellie.." Maggie nearly breaks. Rick grabs her arms and Maggie's hands rest on his chest as she tries to not cry. "Where- Rick, where's Ellie?"

"She kept running. I tried to stop her. Maggie, I tried. I'm sorry," Rick attempts to calm her down. "She wants to find Glenn. She didn't give me a chance."

Maggie's legs shake under her. "Glenn.. Michonne said Glenn was still out there. His signal never went up. Rick-"

Rick tugs Maggie into a gentle hug, patting the back of her head as she cries on her leader's shoulder.

--

Ellie was running out of options.

She knew from all the training that her new idea was stupid. But, she was lost and afraid. Glenn said he was setting a fire, yet Ellie didn't see any resemblance of flames or smoke.

"Glenn!" she screams, hands cupped around her mouth. "Glenn!"

She spins in circles. She'd made it to a little town, but she had no clue if it was the right one. Did she even go east? Where was the fire?

"Glenn!" she shrieks at the top of her lungs.

Ellie returns to running, screaming his name the whole way.

After awhile, she stumbles to a stop as a horrible stench slaps her in the face. It was the familiar smell of walkers. But, Ellie hadn't experienced it that strong since.. since the prison was attacked by that lone prisoner? Hershel, Beth, and Ellie had locked themselves in one of the cages, all they could do was stand by and watch the hundreds of walkers pass by.

She walks slower, one arm bracing under her other as she kept her gun up in alarm.

"G- Glenn?" she calls, voice shaking.

A high pitched yelp leaves her mouth as a walker suddenly grabs her from behind. Ellie hardly fights back, she more so trips and falls away from it's grasp. They both fall to the ground. Ellie rolls a few times before getting to her knees and shooting the walker deader.

As Ellie gets back to her feet, she sorts herself back out and catches her breath. More walkers begin to turn a corner, drawn by the sound of the gunshot.

Ellie's mind races as she tries to think of what Glenn would do. Her eyes dart around until she sees a ripped awning over a store. She holsters her gun and runs to it. She tugs a few times to make sure it'll carry her weight before climbing the fabric like a school gym rope. At the top, she throws herself over the concrete border. She falls on the roof of the building, wind knocking out of her lungs from the impact on her back.

Her hands were burning. She pulls herself up to lean against the half wall, knees bent as she looks at her bleeding hands.

She wrings her hands and blood splatters on the concrete.

She hears commotion further down and forces herself up. She walks along the edge of the roof, looking down to the dozens upon dozens of walkers stashed in an alleyway. It was like the same number of walkers that attacked the farm were stuck in one strip of land.

They were huddled over something. Ellie jogs back to the corner of the roof and fires her gun into the air. The walkers that weren't surrounding a dumpster make their way to the noise. When it's clear enough, Ellie sneaks back to the sight of thr crime.

The first thing she's able to see is a broken flare gun- the bright orange pieces stuck out in the darkness of rot and bodies.

A lump forms in her throat.

Then, she saw a body that had been ripped apart at the stomach.. She leans forward.

Nicholas.

A walker trips over Nicholas' dead body and Ellie panics.

Her hands rest on the concrete. She was too afraid and disoriented to even feel the wounds on her hand ripping more.

Nicholas was dead. The flare was out.

Glenn still had to be alive, though.. right?

Ellie's legs grow weak and her head spins.

Glenn's gun was on the ground, covered in blood.

Ellie falls to her knees. She covers her mouth with her hand as she sobs.

She came out here to help him. To save him because she had a bad feeling about Nicholas.

Glenn was already dead. Ellie wasn't fast enough.