Lone Wolf

Chapter Eleven

"Morning mommy." Athena told me.

"Morning, sweetheart." I told her.

Soon, the other two woke up and together we went to the funeral.

"Dale---Dale could get under your skin. He sure could get under mine. Cause he wasn't afraid to tell exactly what he thought. How he felt. That kind of honesty is rare. And brave. Whenever I make a decision, I look at Dale and he'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us, the truth, who we really are. In the end he talked about us losing our humanity. That this group was broken. the best way to honor is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety, our future. We're not broken, we're going to prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." Rick spoke.

I couldn't help but nod in agreement. No more fighting. I looked down at his grave and I could smell regret and blame coming from Carl for some reason. I glanced at him and couldn't help but worry.

After the funeral was over, we all started packing, moving into the house.

"Gonna be tight, 18 people in one house." Rick said.

"Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening the creek drying up... with 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well ring the damn dinner bell." Maggie said.

"She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago." Hershel agreed.

"All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the doors facing out toward the road. We'll build a lookout in the windmill, Another in the barn loft. That should give us sightlines both sides of the property. T-dog, you take perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going." Rick told us as people moved to move the cars.

"What about standing guard?" T-dog

"I need you and Daryl on double duty." Rick told him.

"Gotcha." T-dog said as he and Daryl moved.

Together the kids and I packed all our belonging, putting it in the truck. I drove us near the farm, before we took down our blanket and pillow. I saw Athena going for her bag. 

"Keep it in the truck." I told her. I have a weird feeling.

After they grabbed everything, I drove the truck near the exit but still blocking the house.

"Stella, you can have my bedroom. I'll be bunking with Maggie." Beth told me.

"Are you sure? The kids and I can sleep out here." I told her.

"No, it's fine. I have the second biggest bed in the house. I would like it if the kids had somewhere comfortable to sleep." She told me.

"Thank you." I told her.

She nodded and the kids and I went to her room.

"Mom, what's going on?" Alec asked me.

"Winter is coming and Hershel is allowing us to stay in here. It'll be cramped, but we can handle it. I want y'all to keep your knife on you at all times and never get far from me. You stay close. " I told them.

They nodded and I moved my comforter back to my truck. We didn't need it anymore, since Beth had blankets in here.

"Stella." I heard. I turned around and saw Carl a few feet away.

"What's up, Carl?" I asked him.

"If I tell you something, can you promise not to tell my mom and dad?" He asked me.