A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S9Pt24 - The Whispering Dead

The road-trip was finally over and i knew the road we were driving on. In the distance I saw it... the Hilltop. The main building peaked over the wooden fence, and I stared through its windows. The front gates got closer, and I stared at its hinges. Everything was becoming a blur as we got closer to my past. I remembered all the battles and war fought over this place or at this place, and it was all too familiar. Like it happened yesterday.
Daryl pulled the car into the Hilltop and put it in park. He left his hands on the wheels as he looked at all of us.
"We're here." Daryl said and looked at the kids. "Let's go get your stuff."
The kids nodded and got out of the car leaving me alone in it. After taking a minute to myself, I kick open the car door and my boots hit the loose gravel. I made sure my gun was holstered by grabbing it as I made my entrance in the Hilltop. The next thing I knew, things began moving and the blur went away.
"Rosita is doing better but she's weak. She got into it bad." Aaron said.
"She'll be alright though. I see you found our friends." I heard Jesus say.
"Yeah, I found my family." I then heard Daryl say.
I personally was a bit guarded seeing everyone again. I was here to help them, that didn't mean I wanted to be here though. I rather be back at home. No matter how much I help them, I'll be sure to make it clear that I'm not here to stay. I plan on going back to Westwood.
"Kelley. It's so good to see you." Aaron said and I focused on him as he approached. He tried for a hug but i just held up my hand.
"Where's Rosita. We need to talk to her." I said.
Aaron took a step back and tried his hardest not to look upset by my rejection. But I didn't care. The way I saw things is that I had a job to do, then I get to go home.
"She's inside." Jesus said. "I'll take you to her. Come on."
I told the kids to wait outside as Daryl and I followed Aaron and Jesus. I couldn't help but to think to myself that it's been three years since I've been gone, and coming back I saw how many things have changed. They can also see how much I've changed too. Sure I may have come back to help Daryl, but that doesn't mean I'm the same Kelley that left here years ago. It was different now. It'd always been different from now on.
Once inside he led us upstairs into a room where Rosita was laying in the middle of a bed. She was talking to Saddiq and Michonne I saw, but stopped talking once she saw Daryl, then me.
"Kelley." She said, her voice faint. "That you?"
I stepped out from behind Daryl and looked at Rosita. She didn't look good. But that's why I was here, to help.
"Kelley." She said.
"Yeah. I'm here." I said.
"I thought you were gone?" She said, seeming confused.
"I was. But Daryl said my help was needed... so here I am." I said, trying to sound positive.
She nodded and sat up in bed, and I saw she had a sense of urgency now. Michonne and Saddiq tried to calm her down, but she wasn't having it.
"No you don't understand." She said and tried to get off the bed. "Eugene, he's still out there."
"We know. We're going to send out a group to find him." Michonne said.
"I know where he is. I'll take you to him." She said and tried again.
"Rosita stop." Saddiq urged. "Whatever's going on they can handle it."
"No they can't!" Rosita said. "They have no idea what they're dealing with."
"What exactly are we dealing with then Rosita?" I asked.
She paused as she held her breath, and the only thing I could see was fear in her eyes. She took a big gulp and then shook her head sadly.
"I don't— I don't know. I don't remember what happened, but Eugene and I... we heard them— the walkers. Talking. Whispering. To each other."
Michonne sat back in her chair and then turned around to look at Daryl and I. I then looked Michonne in the eyes and we nodded at each other. I looked back at Daryl, and he nodded his head back at me.
"Good, we're all on the same page." I thought.
I then said my goodbyes and turned around to leave the room. We had to leave now if we wanted to beat the sunset. There was a sense of urgency like nothing before. If the walkers were talking, like Rosita claimed, then that means everything was going to change.

~~~~~~~~~~

The kids were safe back at the Hilltop with Michonne, so I knew it was okay for me to leave. Daryl was walking by my side, and Jesus and Aaron were ahead of us. Dog was glued to Daryl's side and sniffing the grass the entire way.
All of the sudden, the wind started to pick up. Daryl stopped and Dog sat down immediately. Daryl held up his finger as the wind blew stronger, and then we heard it.
The moans of the dead.
"A herd." Daryl said. "It's coming for us. The wind is carrying the sound."
"I got it." I said and Daryl handed me a timer. I wound it up a ton and threw it into the distance, creating a noise the walkers would follow. "Come on. Let's put some ground between us and them."
"Yeah." Aaron said and we all continued on.
We ran into the tree line and hiked up through the woods. An hour had passed now and we heard the growls of the dead again. We paused at the top of a hill and looked down to see walkers flooding the valley. Jesus pulled out his binoculars and watched the herd.
"You put that herd around 140, right?" Jesus said.
"Yeah." Daryl said.
"Looks more like double that now." I said.
"Could be a different herd." Aaron said. "Or it merged with another one."
"Ain't gone be there for very long." Daryl then said.
"It doesn't matter how big it is." I added. "Just as long as it's going the other way."
"Come on." Daryl looked at me and said.
I nodded and the rest followed. The search was still on.