𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

2.01 - highway to hell

it had been two weeks since the cdc blew up. the group had decided to leave atlanta, and go to the countryside where it would hopefully be less populated with walkers and there would be a quiet pace for them to stay for the foreseeable future. briar had moved from daryl's truck to the RV after the truck had been taking up too much fuel and daryl would instead use his brothers motorcycle that was strapped securely onto the back of the truck.

the group had been stuck on the highway for a few minutes, the RV and car being too big for them to fit into the small gaps that the abandoned cars had left behind, daryl weaving through the spaces to find a safe way for them to pass through. they found a way, the large van barely fitting through, before the engine began to splutter and smoke emerging from the overheating parts. dale sighed, getting out of the vehicle along with briar and glenn as they looked at the engine. it was too hot to move right now, and they needed to leave it for a few hours before they could even considering moving.

the group decided to use their time to the best of their abilities and check the cars that surrounded them, despite loris groaning and murmuring about how this was a graveyard and was a waste of time. briar was stood a few cars away from rick, searching through the car. she found a few cans of food, a large blanket, a first aid kit and a beanie. these would all be very useful, as the cold georgian winter was inching closer and the group was far from prepared. she got her body out of the car, balancing all of these things in her hands as she walked her way toward the RV where she would place all of the items she had collected, except from the beanie. it was comfortable and warm, but it stunk. she didn't mind though, it was better than being freezing.

she was making her way back toward the cars she had claimed as her own, before she felt a hand grab her waist and pull her down under a car. she turned around, her hand wielding one of her knives, before she leant it against the persons throat, rolling her eyes and pushing his hand away from her when she realised that it was rick grimes who was touching her.

"get your filthy mitts off of me," she whispered, before she heard the large growls of walkers that were coming toward them. her mouth clamped shut as she moved further toward the middle of the car, the smell of moldy flesh dancing around her nose. she refused to look at the man she loathed next to her, the woman's eyes fixated on the stumbling feet that migrated past the two. ricks eyes, however, stayed on her. he didn't know why, but they did.

the walkers feet reduced, eventually becoming a few straggling legs as they moved past. a harsh scream blew in the wind, briar and ricks bodies pushing themselves out of the bottom of the car and over to the fence where sophia had jumped over, the two doing the same and rolling down the hill inelegantly. they followed her to the creek, where sophia and seven walkers were. rick distracted the walkers while briar ran over and grabbed sophia, putting her into a small cave where she could hide.

"you'll be okay, honey, we'll be right back okay? keep your sun on your left shoulder," she encouraged, giving her a quick hug before running off to help rick with the walkers. they both led the seven creatures away, four following briar and three following rick. she unsheathed her knife, kicking two down and stabbing them in their heads and knocking one over into the other, the bottom walker colliding its head into a tree, briar quickly stabbing the other one. she looked over to rick, panting heavily as she wiped the blood off of her knife, walking back to the creak. she waded her way into the water, looking into the cave but to her surprise, sophia was gone. she turned back to rick, eyes panicky.

"she's not here anymore." rick looked in surprise as she put her hand on her forehead, eyes darting around the forest floor as she looked for tracks of her small sneakers. "go back, tell them we lost her and i'm out looking." rick was about to argue, but clamped his mouth shut as she walked away, her head moving around while looking at the floor. he made his way up to the highway, carol being held onto by lori, her face becoming more distraught at the sight of no sophia or briar.

"did you-did you find her?" rick sighed, looking to the floor. "no. briars out there looking for her now." carols heartbroken cries surrounded the group who were stricken with worry for the young girl.

briar returned to the group in the middle of the night empty handed. she sat on the railing, hoping, praying, that sophia would just randomly appear from the bushes, crying out for her mother. but she never did. the brunette woman sat there all night, barely blinking, afraid that if she did, the little girl would appear for a split second and she would miss it.

the group woke up early that morning, preparing to go out into the woods to search for sophia. t-dog, who had a nasty gash on his left arm, and dale, who was his temporary caretaker, stayed behind at the RV, the old man's concerns growing at the increasing inflammation of the wound. they used the first aid kit that briar had found to bandage the wound securely.

the group had been walking for a while, discovering a tent which had a man who had a gunshot to the head, his decomposing hand holding a note which read: got bit, fever hit, world gone to shit, might as well quit. these words resonated with briar. the topic of suicide had always been soft for the girl, the world before the apocalypse began making it that way.

all of a sudden, church bells rung throughout the near silent wooded area as the groups heads shot up, running in the direction of the sound. "that's got to be sophia!" rick exclaimed, breaths heavy as the group continued their journey through the woods, the roots of trees making them slower. they made it to the church, going inside as they spotted two walkers, dressed as a bride and groom. briar and daryl quickly took them down, looking around and shouting sophia's name throughout the hushed church.

they stood outside, giving carol, lori, and rick a moment of silence as they continued to look around. they found a box of machinery, indicating that the bells ringing were automatic and sophia was never there. rick and the two women re-emerged from the church, shane and rick deciding that they would go off on their own.

"no, i'm coming too. you two are dumber than rocks and can't track for shit." shane sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he considered his options, giving in. carl protested that they were friends, and he owed it to sophia to look for her. lori put her trust in the trio, making sure that they would keep him safe.

the group of four found themselves in a clearing, staring at a deer as carl grabbed onto briars hand, whispering a 'come on' to the woman as he pulled her slightly over to the large creature. its head whipped around, staring at briar with their doe eyes. she smiled, putting her hand out toward the deer. a feeling of heat embedded itself into her torso, her body falling backward, nearly on top of carl, as her mind slipped into unconsciousness.

———————

rick watched briar go down, carl yelling as he knelt down to his friend as her head hit the dirty floor, her unconscious frame remaining still as rick stood in shock, before shane ran over and picked her up, spotting a larger man running out from the shrubbery, yelling out that he had a farm, pointing in that direction. he took no time in running off, making a bee-line to the farm.

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gray speaks!

guys i hate myself so much i didn't want to make shane be the one to pick her up but rick already had one interaction with her this chapter and it's an enemies to lovers story so i need to calm myself DOWN. but thanks so much for the support recently, i appreciate it so so so much. love you guys to the moon and back <333333

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