Ephemeral - Alia Dixon

40

I walk around the place, trying to keep an eye out for anyone who doesn't belong here. I even spend time on watch with a few of the guys because I'm so bored. I wanted to go out and search for these guys but Pope wouldn't allow it.
I stare, watching the walkers walking around in the horizon.
"Should we trust your dad?" Fish asks me, making me look at him. A few others walk over to listen.
I take a deep breath. "I do"
"Yeah but you're his daughter" Walsh asks me and I roll my eyes.
"My dad would never betray me, I know that"
"But would he betray us?" Carver asks and I sigh.
"I don't know. I would like to think he wouldn't but I'm not sure. You're not really welcoming him here, of course he's not trusting you either. Trust is something you build"
"And what if he has changed in these past months?" Fish asks.
"Doesn't matter. My dad would do anything for me and I doubt that would ever change. He has since we've been kids and he has never even given me a chance to doubt his loyalty towards me and my brother. Look, my dad's a good man and he's definitely going to do the right thing"
"Are you sure?" Carver asks me and I nod.
"I know he's going to" I say, rather refraining to the last part of my speech. My dad's a good man. He has always been, Yeah, his morals have been a bit weird before all of this but he's changed since the world fell. He's a great man, willing to do everything for his people.
Yes, he has made mistakes before but they don't define him and he's always been sorry afterwards. Truly sorry.
There's no reason for me not to trust him.

Without saying anything further I turn around again. I've grown to like this place but knowing that my dad's protecting someone makes me wonder who. Maybe Rick's come back? Or Michonne? Though, I highly doubt that they're home so early. Maybe Maggie has come back or maybe Carol's here too? I know that my dad would go through hell for Carol. She's his best friend. I haven't seen Maggie either in a long time. I wonder how Hershel's doing. Or what's he look like. Maybe he looks exactly like Glenn.
Oh, Glenn.
I also wonder what's happened to Negan. Because if Maggie's back then he's as good as dead anyways. She's wanted to kill him before so I wouldn't know why she would spare him. That's just not the kind of woman she is.
"Hey! You see that?" Carver shouts and we all walk over to where he's guarding. Not very far away, walkers are walking around. A fucking herd of them. They're walking weirdly in circles as if someone's leading them. Quickly, I start thinking of the whisperers. But we've killed all of them. They are dead.
I suck in a short breath. Dad's trying to protect the people from back home. Only they could know about this tactic. No one else knows as far as I'm concerned since we're the first ones to actually survive them. I try to spot someone with a mask on but can't find anyone. I take the binoculars from Carv, trying to spot one but I can't. They're moving in such weird shapes and are too far away.
Fact is, my dad's protecting someone. Someone I'm almost certain I know.
"Have you guys ever seen something like that?" they ask and everyone shakes their heads.
"Alia?" Carver asks me and I shake my head.
"Nah, never seen them moving like that" I say, not even looking at Carv in the process.

We all stare at them, trying to make out why they're moving like that while I'm trying to see who's behind the masks but without any luck. Not much later my dad and Leah get back.
"Why are they moving like that?" she asks confusedly, while looking through the binoculars.
"No reason" Carver says.
"Wrong. There is reason for everything" Pope says before looking at my dad. "What about you, Dixon? You ever seen rotters move like that?"
"Yeah, yeah. I've seen that before. South of here. I don't know why it happens. They gather up a whole bunch of them and move on" my dad says.
"We could take them down" Carver suggests. "Like we did that hospital in Rockville. Easy"
"Till you almost bought it and I had to save you" Leah adds, making me chuckle.
"That was when things were getting fun" Carv says with a smile, causing Leah to smile back.
I shake my head at the two of them.
"I can lead them out about two miles, double back. Less work, less risk" my dad suggests.
"Yeah, less balls" Carver mutters quietly but still able for me to hear, causing me to smack him to the back of his head again. He mutters some sort of excuse as he brushes a hand through his hair clearly embarassed.
"We'll try it Dixon's way" Pope says and my dad gathers his things.
"All right" he says but stops as Pope tells Wells to do it.
"I can do it. I've done it before" my dad says.
"Wells can handle it" Pope says with a nod, dismissing my father.