Six Feet Under ➳ Rick Grimes

Beside the dying fire

A lump rises in my throat. "Hershel!" I shout. I hear his chair squeak and he walks to the front door. I look out to the forest and see Glenn and Daryl running back towards the house.

"Where's Rick and Shane?!" I panic. "I don't know, what're we gonna do?!" Daryl shouts. The walkers moans are loud and deafening. My eyes widen and I run into the house. "Carl!" I shout, no answer. I run upstairs where he said he'd be. "Carl!!" My voice scratches on the way out.

"I can't find Carl!" I say in panic when I get back to the porch. I see carol, beth and Maggie all huddled up. Hershel has his shotgun and Maggie has a gun too, which surprises me.

I get my gun and knife and start shooting into the horde. "We'll run out of fire power before we even make a dent." Daryl says. "We have to go." Beth cries from behind Patricia."We aren't leavin with Carl." I say, my heart pounds in my throat. "Of course not." Carol nods.

I raise my gun and begin to fire into the plethora of walkers. All of the bullets around my head ring in my ears. Glenn and Maggie jump into a car and try to get the walkers away from the house. "Janey we have to go! I'm sure Carl went out to find Rick!" Andrea shouts over the noise.

I nod and grab Beth's hand who is hooked onto Patricia. "Janey!" T-dog yells and pulls up in a pick up truck. "The barns on fire!" Beth cries. "That's gonna attract more!" I shout. "Come on, come on!" I shout loudly and pull at Beth.

"No!! No!!" Beth shouts. I turn around and see a walker attached to Patricia's neck. "Come on Beth! She's gone!" I shout and I hear her cry. "She won't let go!" She shouts and finally shakes Patricia's hand free and the walkers flood over her.

We get into the pick up and T-dog whizzes off. I breathe heavily and hold Beth in my arms. She sobs and I look behind us at the flaming farm.

"We gotta go to the highway!" I say as t-dog argues about going somewhere else. "That's where Rick will go." I say. "No." t says. "Then let me out." I demand. Tdog shakes his head and I put my hand on the door handle.

"T-dog." I breathe. "Damn it." T huffs and I pull the door back closed. He turns the truck around and I lean my temple against the window.

Everything we had, our food, our water, our clothes...gone. I don't even know if I'll see Carl and Rick again. I didn't see Andrea or Carol get out. I feel the tears well in my eyes and I hold Beth's arm as she cries. "How do you even know they'll still be there?" T-dog asks.

"It's the closest familiar checkpoint that we all know." I say and wipe the tears from my cheeks.

When we arrive to the highway, the sun has risen and is falling through the windows on to my pale skin. I perk up slowly and lean forward.

"Stop here." I say quietly the car comes to a halt. We all step out and walk in a crouch towards the place we left Sophia supplies. "Oh thank god." A wave of relief falls over me when I see ricks curly hair.

I run to him and throw my arms around his neck. Carl joins the hugs and I kiss ricks cheek and pet Carl's hair. "I was so worried." I whimper. Rick hugs me harder and I kiss behind his ear as I shove my face into him.

"Anyone else?" I ask and he nods behind him where I see Hershel. I let out a huff of breath and go over to hug him. I hear a set of wheels roll towards us and turn around. Maggie and Glenn step out of a car and Maggie runs to Beth and Hershel. I walk up to Glenn and hug him with one arm and put my other on Maggie's shoulder.

I hear the loud hum of Daryl's motorcycle and see him come towards us with Carol on the back. "Sh-Shane?" I ask and Rick looks at the ground. It feels like I swallowed a rock and I cover my mouth. "Andrea?" Rick asks. "She saved me and then I lost her." Carol says.

"Patricia? Jimmy?" Hershel asks and Beth shakes her head, wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry.." I whisper and kiss her head. "Well...what now?" I ask and Rick puts his hand on my back. "I don't know, but we gotta start going somewhere or that Hurd will come right back to us." He says and I lean into him.

We load back into our cars in complete silence. I sit in the passenger seat beside Rick who puts his hand on mine. In the back seats sits beth, Carl and Carol.

We drive in silence and I look out the window. The leaves have begun to fall. The clouds are high in the sky, covering the sun. As we drive I see a few walkers pass and I sigh.

"We lost some people today." I begin. "And I know that's sad, but we need to keep trying and keep fighting because I know we can do it. We can survive." I say and pick at my thumb. "She's right, we can do it, we can't lose hope now. Not yet." Rick agrees and looks in the rear view.

Who knows how long we'll be on the road. Who knows how long we'll be hungry, cold and in danger. Maybe we'll never be safe. We probably won't be, but at least we have each other.

(Sorry, short chapter.)