Flower of Blood | TWD

023 | Passing Time.

The group had been on the road for three long months now, and as things changed drastically, they also got harder. Luckily, in result of the countless scavenging and searching— they had been able to secure more weapons, and silencers for a few guns.

Maisie still wasn't all confident with her gun, but since she was gifted a silencer by Daryl, she had been able to practise much more and was getting the hang of it.

The weather was much less cold now, thankfully. Everybody was dangerously weak and hungry, and the weather circumstances hadn't helped that situation. It got down to the point that they would have to eat cans of dog food sometimes, which Maisie did not like and usually refused to eat.

Nobody was angry at her for it, just concerned for her health. Maisie made it clear she had no problem with eating, it just depended what she had to eat. And in this case, dog food was a really big no.

"I found this." Maisie quipped as she held out a small granola bar to her mother, who was much further along her pregnancy.

"No, baby, you gotta eat." Lori shook her head, pushing the young girls hand away gently as walked by her side.

"Mom, you need it more." Maisie insisted, raising her eyebrows expectantly as she held out the granola bar again, she wasn't going to take food from her pregnant mother. "And I don't want my little sister or brother having missing legs or two heads."

The rewarded a small laugh from Lori, followed by her taking the granola bar despite feeling awful. Maisie was already malnourished, just like everybody else. However, she was a much more picky eater, and her body would throw up foods she did not like. So, her bones were nearly showing on some parts of her body, and it was clear they couldn't keep going on like this. "Yeah," Lori hummed, "I'd hope not."

Maisie nodded and continued walking by her side. They were in a messy line formation, which was decided the safest way to travel. Rick, being the leader, stood up the front with his son by his side.

They hadn't seen anything for days, and living off the few occasional squirrels that Daryl caught was good but not good enough, it was clear members were loosing hope and energy the more they pushed on.

Maisie's eyes drifted occasionally over towards the trees that scathed the road they travelled on, looking for anything in the woods; or just clearings to hold up in. She usually had no luck, but knowing she at least kept an eye out made her feel like she wasn't missing anything.

"Walker!" Maisie announced as three walkers came stumbling out the tree-line. Immediately, Daryl raised his crossbow and put one down, T-dog doing the next with his cleaver. Keen to help, Maisie pulled her pistol out of her sheath and shot it two times, the first bullet landing in its shoulder before the second drove a hole through its skull.

Lori grimaced, the smells upset her much more as the pregnancy heightened her scenes, making her more sensitive to nasty smells or flavours. She also still didn't love that her children had to carry around guns, but she knew it was necessary and could keep them somewhat safe.

"Let's keep going, we can push until sundown, see if we find anywhere to hole up." Rick instructed the group.

"What if we don't find anywhere? We can't keep sleeping on the hard group— especially not Lori and the baby." Carol spoke up with an unsure expression.

Rick huffed, he was still obviously angry with Lori, and on edge because of everything else. The last thing he needed was questions he didn't have a soluble answer for. "We keep moving." He said firmly before continuing his march.