We're The Ones Who Live | The Walking Dead (2)

Part 2 - New Beginning Again

Daryl drove up the dirt road ahead of the rest of the group, making sure the area was clear and they went past a road sign marked 'ROUTE B' in red spray paint. A walker emerged from the trees, and CJ passed Daryl the spear he kept on the bike. He launched the weapon at the corpse as he drove passed it, and the sharp point went through its eye, and the body dropped.

Daryl did a small U-turn back to the walker, and CJ pulled the spear out of its head, securing it onto the side of the bike. They saw the others started to appear over the dip in the road, and they went on ahead again.

CJ felt an itch under her bloodied bandage, and scratched without thinking, only to hiss when the sting shot through her arm.

"Hey, you good?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah," CJ replied. "Clean it, and I'll be fine."

"Sorry," Daryl said. "When I was pullin' you up, didn't realise."

"Don't apologise, it wasn't your fault," she assured him softly, shuffling closer and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. 

"Still," Daryl mumbled. "No more walkin' over broken glass for a while."

"Deal," CJ chuckled. "Don't worry about it now, okay? Shit happens. I'm good."

They heard the rumbling of an approaching engine, and Rosita appeared ahead of them on a quadbike. She stopped when she reached them and lifted the visor of her helmet.

"Problem up ahead?" CJ guessed.

"Could say that," Rosita replied. "Easier to show you."

They drove back up the road to where the others had slowed down, and Rosita got them all to follow her. They came to the bridge of Route B, to see it had completely collapsed. A huge gap resonated in the road, and the metal support beams were sticking up all over the place, making it impossible to cross the river.

"Two other herds merged into 'Silvia', so now it's even bigger," Rosita explained. "One of them came through here and the back end took down the bridge. Took the walkie repeater with it."

"What about Route A?" Daryl questioned. "That clear yet?"

"Still too close to the herd," she replied.

"We can get to Alexandria from this side," Michonne spoke up. "Stay there till it passes."

"No," Maggie replied quickly. "Route A has taken days to clear before. I need to get home to Hershel."

"We could take Route D," Carol said. "It's early enough in the day."

"Keep an eye on the trade road in case anyone else tries to move through," Rick instructed Rosita, who nodded in agreement. "Gabriel, y'all can head back to Alexandria through here. The rest of us, we can go to the Sanctuary or Hilltop; stay the night and head on from there. Take care and get home safe."

Gabriel and his group headed back to Alexandria, and the rest of them made their way back down the way they came until they reached the turning for Route D. 

They didn't get far before coming to a large patch of wet mud that covered the whole road for about twenty feet. CJ got off the bike whilst Daryl drove around the mud, leaving the bike on the other side before checking that the surrounding woods was clear.

"Rick, the horses can't pull the wagon through this mud," Michonne realised.

The horses were all starting to become restless, grunting and neighing in protest. "Maggie, I think they need a break," Ken said as he petted one of the horses.

"Maybe we should leave the supplies," Maggie suggested. "Send a group back in a day or two."

"That's a risk," CJ shook her head. "A herd comes through, we could lose all of it. We've seen ones that have destroyed much bigger things than this."