𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐬 | 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝¹

EIGHT - fragmented

THE ACHE IN HER LUNGS AND LEGS HAD DISAPPEARED, BEING REPLACED WITH FEAR. adrenaline drove her to sprint for the camp, screams filled her ears as the dead infiltrated their safe space.

chorus's of bullets pierced the air when the five of them arrived back at camp, astrid shot one of them that was going for dale, but her hand was so shaky, the bullet embedded itself in its chest. after a second shot, the corpse fell to the floor in a heap. it didn't get dale.

she couldn't find rory. she weaved through the dead, stabbing the ones that drew too close with her knife. "rory!" she shouted, her eyes squinting in the dark for any sign of the ten year old. "rory!" she yelled again. she was on the edge of the forest now.

"i'm up here." a meek voice called out from above. astrid stepped into the tree-line and saw rory clinging to the branch of a tree. there was a walker trying to grab her ankles. it couldn't reach her. astrid killed it with no hesitation, kicking its body to the side so she could get closer to her.

the girl practically leapt out of the tree and landed roughly in astrids arms. by now, the adrenaline was wearing off and she felt everything. the twinge of pain everytime she moved, the pain on her face from where she had been punched. that didn't matter. rory was okay. that was all that mattered now.

the ten year old let out a strangled sob as astrids top grew wet with tears, "you're okay." she breathed, "i'm not gonna let anything hurt you, rory." she assured, pressing her lips to rorys scalp, rubbing her hand up and down her back.

"i- i couldn't kill him." she said, her voice trembling, "i know they aren't p-people no more, but i can't do it." she hiccuped.

"you won't have to, not when i'm here."

"but you weren't here." rory argued, breaking away from her aunt, "i-i thought i was gonna die. and you weren't here to help me." she stomped her foot in anger, but her bottom lip wobbled slightly.

"i know, and i'm sorry." she apologised, her hand cupping the girls cheek that had become puffy with tears. rory flinched slightly, but didn't pull away. "i love you, sleeping beauty." rorys dad always called her that. it was one of rorys favourite disney movies when she was very little, probably because she shared a name with the protagonist. he said he named her that because she was his princess.

"i love you too." rory mumbled, "just don't ever leave me again."

"i'll do everything i can to stay by your side, kiddo." she promised. she didn't want to lie to her niece, she couldn't make a promise that she might not be able to keep. "i promised you i'd always be with you." she reminded, pointing to the sun necklace that hung around her nieces neck. from the moment she had given her the jewellery, she had never seen her take it off. astrid hadn't taken hers off either. she wouldn't dream of it.

rory seemed content with the answer as she pulled herself back into astrids arms. the two stayed like that, for a while, until astrid decided they really should head back into camp.

"the hell ya been?" the gruff voice belonging to daryl dixon asked the second he laid his eyes on her. she was clutching her nieces hand tightly. "ya jus' disappeared." he swung his arm out in frustration. his face was hard set, but his watercolour eyes held a twinge of worry.

"were you worried about me, dixon?" she asked, trying to suppress the pink tint that danced across her features. 

"thought ya ran off." he stated, "glenn was worried." he shrugged. his eyes scanning her to check for any injuries. there weren't any aside from the few splatters of walker blood that had most definitely stained her clothes.