𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬.

𝟏𝟕 | 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬.

Hershel didn't want anyone to notice his absence hence the walk. When the opportunity came to hitch a ride however, we both jumped at the chance.

The abandoned red truck was about on empty but whatever distance it could, I pushed it. It made our remaining walk only about fifteen minutes.

I wasn't a lucky guy lately so I didn't have high hopes but to my surprise the town seemed pretty quiet.
There weren't even any walkers in the bar.

Hershel has been planted in one of the stools at the L-shaped bar since we got here. Staring at the cyclone of brown smooth liquid as he moves the glass.

"Why were you leaving the farm?" He spoke after a solid forty minutes. I looked over my shoulder as I stood keeping watch at the front window. "Thought you'd be thrilled to get rid of one of us."

He didn't bother looking up from his glass. "I'd be more thrilled if you would've taken the rest of your group with you."

I scoffed as my chuckle caught his attention making him look over his shoulder at me. "Snappy comebacks for everything uh? I see where Maggie and Beth get it from." I stepped behind the bar to positioned myself across from him. Leaning my weight back I rested against the back counter.

"You didn't answer my question. Why were you leaving?" I crossed my arms over my chest thinking over my answer as he takes a sip. "I needed to be alone. You're not the only one who lost someone today."

"No, I'm not and I'm truly sorry for your loss. We had no idea she was in the barn but now that she's been found it's time that your group move on."  He polished off his glass.

"I'm sorry about your wife and step son. I'm also sorry about how things played out today but we can't leave."

I reached out taking the bottle from his side. Opening the jar I poured just a sip worth of liquor into his glass.
"One sip for every response you give. If you insist on drinking then considerate it an incentive."

"I've been more than fair to your people doing what I can to help. Opening my home to you. Helping Carl, Daryl and anyone else who needed medical assistance including you. All I asked is that you follow my rules."

"All due respect but your rules are not made for the world we now live in." I poured another sip into the glass and waited.

He didn't drink. Just kept talking letting the liquid fill little by little. "If you did respect me like you claim... you wouldn't have helped Shane lead the charge today. You're just as much to blame."

I sat the bottle down. My eyes narrowed as I tilted my head slightly. "Things got carried away. That's not how I would've handled it."

"And how would you have done any differently?" He downed the contents of his glass for the little joy he can find at the bottle of his cup.

"For starters I wouldn't have had your family there to witness it. I wouldn't have wasted the ammo that we did. I would've waited and come up with a plan. Done it the right way."

His feel became more hostile. "Ending a few dozen lives is an easy thing for you as long as you have a plan?"

I stood straight fixing my posture. "They were already dead. Tell me after everything you seen that you don't still believe that they are living?"