SKIN AND BONES | THE WALKING DEAD

Chapter Four: No Way Out

Jasper, Enid and Glenn finally made it back to Alexandria but their home had been in ruins. Jasper didn't think their plan failed this badly. He gazed over the fence at the hundreds of walkers roaming the streets.

"We need to give them a signal that we made it back." Glenn had said, the worst part that they weren't sure who was still alive. They released the balloons that Enid had found and had kept tied to her backpack. Jasper hoped that someone would get the message, that they were still alive. Maggie would know that it was Glenn. They barely managed to slip through the gates, Jasper and Glenn slashed through walkers on their way in and they only barely made it into Gabriel's church since it was the closest building. No one else was inside and Jasper didn't know if he was disappointed or relieved.

"Maybe when they searched this place they missed something. Depends if it was Aiden's or Heath's group who went through it." Glenn said as he closed the doors. Jasper stationed himself at one of the windows to keep watch.

"Look through the bibles. They could've hollowed out the pages." He told Enid, Jasper glanced back over at them as they went through stuff.

"We have two bullets, People holed up in here..people hide guns, ammo. Maybe something to start a fire." Glenn spewed off ideas as he walked through the church, trying to pick through different spots. His breathing was shallow, he needed to take a break but Jasper wasn't about to start another argument with him about it. Glenn listed off more things they could possibly use and Jasper wondered how they were supposed to get them while they were stuck here. He had turned back to the window, tuning Glenn out so he could keep his thoughts clear.

Alice thought that Rick and Michonne's plan to get through the walkers was insane. They wanted to get to the armory but Alice wasn't sure how they were all supposed to make it there through a hoard of walkers with Judith hiding underneath Gabriel's poncho. Carl had been holding her under his but as they stood outside of Jessie's house, Gabriel offered to take her to the church and Rick agreed with him for once. Jessie wanted Sam to go with him too but the boy insisted that he could still go on. He didn't want to leave his mom. Alice had gazed over at Ron while they were talking but the teenager still had a blank look on his face. He was probably worried about the walkers that surrounded them. Alice honestly thought he was a lost cause at this point. She was still pretty sure that he tried to kill Carl.

They parted ways with Gabriel and lined up behind each other to head to the armory. They couldn't move very fast, any wrong move could get them bit. The sun had gone down and the only sound around them was the low moans of the walkers. Alice gripped tightly onto Michonne and Ron's hands closer towards the back on the line while Rick led them at the front of the pack. Alice couldn't believe that it was actually working. It wasn't until Sam had stopped walking and Jessie tried to coax her son to keep moving. Even Rick and Ron had tried to speak to him but then Alice jumped in shock as walkers grabbed onto the boy's face and dragged him down. Jessie screamed with her son in horror and Carl tried to get her to move. Rick had began muttering no under his breath, not wanting to watch her get ripped apart but her hand was still gripping Carl's tightly and Alice backed up into Michonne as Rick held his machete up and sliced Jessie's hand off of his son.

Carl fell on the other side of the walkers as they tore her apart. It was hard to watch but Alice couldn't look away from them and then she heard the safety of Carl's gun click off. They all looked up as Ron aimed it at Rick. Michonne had moved away from her side and Alice heard the gun go off but Rick hadn't been shot. Ron's back arched and as he fell to his knees, Michonne pulled her sword out of his back and walkers moved to reach for Ron's body.

"Dad?" The three of them turned as Carl softly spoke and he slowly lifted his head up to look at Rick. Alice hadn't been able to see well from where she had been standing but she gasped as she saw the blood streaming down his face.