Ephemeral - Alia Dixon

31

We've left Alexandria. All of us and went to a place further away. One we can defend better. We've called Oceanside and now everyone that's left is here to help. Alden and Aaron stayed back to make out how many of them are out there and to make sure we've got the advantage this time. 

Apparently they're headed to Oceanside but my eyes widen as I see the herd approaching the hospital we've been in the past two days.
"You've got to be shitting me" I mutter. "They're here!" I say loudly, Gabriel's face going blank.
"What?" he asks, everyone looking at me.
"Yeah, they're here. I can spot Beta in the front" I say.
"Gabriel, what should we do?" someone asks him before everybody does, leaving him a little overwhelmed. 
"Get some blankets to hang infront of the windows and the rest of you get ready for a fight" I say before all of them run off to do their job. 

"I'm scared" I hear RJ say behind me and I turn to see the five year old look at me with teary eyes. Gracie is standing next to him with a stern expression.
I bend down to their height.
"I'm going to keep you safe, okay? Nothing is going to happen to you guys, I promise"
"We've seen how much are coming" Gracie states, making me sigh and take a deep breath.
"We've fought lots more than that. We can do anything as long as we hold together. Oceanside, Alexandria, Hilltop, the Kingdom and of course the ones that aren't here yet. Together, we are strong" I say. "Now, go over to the other kids and Gracie- make sure that none of the other kids look outside. Okay?" I say and she nods before they walk off.

"What are we going to do now?" Luke asks, everybody looking at me again. 
"We're going to make sure that none of the Whisperers make it to the top" I state.
"And how are we going to do it?" Carol asks.
"We could build some bombs. I've found some nails" Luke suggests and I nod.
"Yeah, I want them on every entrance and every stairwell" I say and Gabriel nods. 
"Our plan is the same, we lead the horde away just not from Oceanside as we had planned. Once the walkers are clear, we evacuate to Rendezvous Point B. Luke, we ready?" Gabriel asks.
"Yeah, yeah, uh, technically. So, these are the final pieces that we need to connect to the wagon. But in order for it to do the pied piper thing that we did for the cliff we gotta get from A to B, and I gotta plug and plug, and then we should be good to go" Luke says and I take a deep breath, folding my arms over my chest. We need to get to the wagon that Aaron and Alden placed there and in order for it to work we need every part of the thing Luke just built. 
"That wagon is on the other side of the horde" Magna states.
"So, someone has gotta get through it," Jerry says. "With skins in there"
"Two each. One carries the cargo, one protects. It's crucial that all the equipment makes it to the wagon" I say.
"We can make it through" Lydia says encouragingly. "I'll help"
"We're willing" Beatrice says before looking at Lydia. "But not if she goes"
"Now we know she's earned to trust with you but Oceanside isn't ready," Rachel says. "Not with this"
"That's fine. As it happens, Lydia's role is in here" Gabriel says.
"Look, we're not all gonna make it through. But this is the only way" my dad says.
"Hell, we're in" my brother says with a slight grin, holding out his fist for me. I shake my head with a tiny smile, bumping it and stepping forward. 
"If Daryl's going then so am I" Kelly states.
A few others chime in too, before we start getting ready for what's to come. 

I make sure that I've got all my knives and my machete before getting a few extra ones. I strap them to all over my body, making sure I have enough of them because I'm not willing to give up one of my knives. Not yet. They were a gift from Merle and I'll be damned if I loose one of them. Ever. 

"I'm sorry" Carol says behind me, making me turn and look at her. I haven't talked to her since I've found out that she was the one who let Negan out, what led to the downfall of Hilltop. 
"Don't be" I say and she looks at me sadly.
"Alia, be mad at me" she says, making me smile weakly.
"I can't. Carol, I get why you did what you did. It's fine. As long as you'll help me rebuilt it" I say with a smile, making her return it.
"Of course" she says, smiling now too before she gives me a hug. 
I give also a hug to Henry and a few others before moving over to RJ and Judith who look at me sadly.