Without A Voice

Chapter 23: Saved

~word count: 1660~

I felt someone grab me, shaking my arms. I opened my eyes to Rick kneeling in front of me. Carl was standing beside him. Shane was laying on the grass. Lifeless. When my brain finally registered what had happened I grabbed Rick, pulling him into a hug and sobbing. He held me and stroked the back of my head.

Carl walked over to me, "You bit too?"

I shook my head, "Shane was." He looked over at his body on the ground.

"That wasn't Shane. You know that." Rick held Carl's shoulder.

I noticed he was holding Daryl's gun, "Used to be."

"How did Shane die?" The boy looked up at Rick.

Thats when I noticed the hoard. Hundreds of walkers coming towards us. I could smell their rotting bodies as they grew closer.

"Oh my god." Rick noticed them too, "Carl stay close!"

We were running as fast as our legs would take us. I was next to Carl, watching him to catch him in case he fell. So was Rick. We knew we had to get to the house and tell the others. It was all a blur.

My chest was tight as Rick devised a plan, "We'll stop some of them from reaching the house and distract the others so at least we'll have a chance. Hey, hey, hey, look at me. You can do this. Carl, I love you."

Next thing I knew the barn was on fire. We were standing on the second story as the walkers stumbled around unfazed by the flames. Rick grabbed Carl and I looked down. Jimmy was there with the RV. We had to jump but the walkers were still coming.

I tapped Rick, "Go! Take Carl and go! I will cover you!" I pushed my voice as hard as I could so he would hear it. There was no time to sign.

"No!" He shook his head violently, "I'm not leaving you!"

I pulled out Dale's gun, "There's no time. Just go!"

He hesitated before pulling me into a hug. I watched as Rick helped Carl down and ran into the woods. Jimmy was being eaten alive. The flames were getting closer, the heat creeping up my spine. One. Two. I shot the walkers trying to get to them. Three. Four. Five. The fire grew larger and larger. Six. Click. Click. No more bullets.

~ Authors POV ~

T-Dog looked around, "Where's the rest of us?"

"We're the only ones who made it so far." Rick glanced around at the group.

Lori perked up, "Shane?"

Rick couldn't respond. All he could do was shake his head. It made him uneasy. Lori and Carl held each other as they cried.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked.

Carol was filled with guilt, "She saved me then, I lost her."

"We saw her go down." T-Dog added.

Daryl gazed at Rick, "Where's Jane?"

Everyone stayed silent, including Rick, who just stared off into the forest.

"Where is she!?" Carol yelled at him.

"I don't know." Rick admitted.

Daryl held Carol while she cried, "What do you mean you don't know?" Glenn asked with a shaky voice.

"She covered us while the barn was burning. She stayed up there. I don't know what happened to her." Rick confessed with tears in his eyes.

Hershel let out a deep sigh, "Patricia?"