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

Part 20 - Ghosts

Fighting through the exhaustion in her bones, CJ lunged forwards and drove her knife through the head of what felt like the millionth walker she had killed in the past day. Blood was splattered on her face, up her hands and arms, and on her shirt. But she couldn't stop.

In retaliation for crossing the Whisperer's land the night of the satellite crash a few days ago, it seemed that Alpha was sending parts of her horde to the gates of Alexandria a few hundred at a time. People were taking shifts putting down the walkers by reaching over the low spike fence, trying not to exhaust themselves.

They were currently on Hour Forty-Four of the endless attack, and it was becoming more and more frustrating every time the next wave of walkers was spotted approaching the gates. It was dark out, late at night, and most hadn't slept in the two days since the first few waves arrived.

CJ had spent nearly the full two days out there, only taking small moments to step back when someone forced her to. She had unintentionally used the attack as a way of letting out the rage and anger she felt from the night at the border, which is where the walkers were coming from.

Though she had been doing better in recent weeks, the thought of Alpha being out there and sending attacks to Alexandria without actually showing herself made CJ angry. She ignored the way her muscles felt like they were burning. She ignored the smell of the rotting flesh of every walker she put down. She fought against the fire in her lungs as the muscles begged for a breather.

When they had finally dealt with the last of the most recent herd, CJ went around and drove a blade through the head of every walker on the ground that was still growling. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, feeling the layer of sweat which had built up there. Her eyes were stinging with tiredness and her vision was a little blurry. Her ears were ringing, and her head was pounding, but she couldn't seem to stop.

"CJ," Michonne caught her hand.

The redhead barely registered the voice and pulled her hand away, going over to deal with one more walker that was caught in the spikes of the fence.

"Hey," Michonne caught up to her and grabbed her hand again. "Hey, it's done. Come on, we can rest of a bit."

"More will be coming by the morning," CJ mumbled, panting as she caught her breath. "We gotta clear these."

"CJ," Michonne began firmly. "You've been out here for the best part of two days. Go home, take a shower and sleep."

Sleep. Michonne said that word like it was such an easy thing to do. It was hard enough for CJ to shut her eyes when Alpha was nowhere to be found. But know it was clear she was back, how was she meant to sleep?

Reluctantly, however, she agreed to go. Even she had to admit that she was in desperate need of a shower and a rest. Even if she didn't sleep, she knew she needed to stop. She was no good to anyone if she passed out from exhaustion.

The sun was already beginning to rise as she got to the house. It was still dark out with only a slither of sunlight seeping through the clouds. CJ took a moment to admire the dark blue tones of the cloudy sky before heading inside the house and kicking off her boots, leaving them on the porch to clean later.

As she went up the stairs, she paused outside of Carol's room. She had moved in with Daryl and CJ now that she was living at Alexandria again, and she rarely came out of the room. Lydia had also moved into another one of the spare rooms. CJ felt that after living in the house alone for so long before, it now always felt like there was people everywhere, even though it was only four of them plus Dog.

For a moment, CJ considered reaching out to knock on Carol's door, but decided against it and rushed to her own room. She was still working on getting more than just a few short sentences from Carol, desperate for her friend to talk to her, but she wasn't having much luck.