in a dark meadow -- daryl dixon

you and me

word count: 4019

Avery thought their days of horror were behind them.

She'd been naive to think so, she'd admit that. She'd thought of this prison like a magic genie, granting them a safe, happily ever after in a finger-snap instant. That's not the way it worked. Tears dotted her eyes as she stared down at an unconscious Hershel, trying her best to blot running blood with dirted old bedsheets.

He'd been bitten.

It happened in the hallways. Their six-man fight crew had been reassembled the following morning, armed with weapons and their newfound police riot gear. Avery had started that day joking around, fitting a bullet-proof vest around her thin frame before dropping her hip, offering a model pose for Daryl. He rolled his eyes at her, but he could not resist the upward tilt of his lip. Only a few hours ago had they woken up, blinking the blurriness of the early morning from their eyes, entangled in one another. He had risen out of bed before her, letting her go back to sleep, while Daryl joined the others in exploring the prison courtyard. The armory had been raided and they took inventory of their new weapons.

T-dog examined some flash-bangs and stun grenades on the table in front of them, wondering out loud if they'd have any effect on the walkers. A bullet-proof vest was offered to Hershel, who would join their group today. Carl reached for a helmet with a protective visor.

"You won't be needing that," Rick moved the helmet out of his son's reach. "I need you to handle things here."

Carl scoffed. "Come on,"

"We don't know what's out there. Something could go wrong and you would be the last man standing. I need you here to protect the others."

Carl gave in easily, seeminging enticed by the idea of being labeled a protector of the group. "OK, sure."

Rick turned to their group. "Alright, let's go."

Their seven man group exited the cell block as Carl swiftly locked the gate after them. Rick led them in a tight formation through the common area, his flashlight becoming their guiding eye. Avery stayed behind him, followed by Daryl, while T-dog, Glenn, Maggie and Hershel took the rear. The prison was a labyrinth of dark tunnel, the hallways weaving through the compound in a disorienting manner. Glenn and Maggie kept track of the way they'd come from, marking hallways with spray-painted arrows.

Avery felt like she had been placed in a horror movie. Water dripped from the ceiling. Fallen prisoners littered the floors and slumped in the inky dark corners of the corridors, and Avery found herself holding her breath, expecting them to reanimate. None moved as she carefully stepped over them. She turned around to check on the others, only to run into an inattentive Maggie, the two women shrieking at the unexpected collision. Beams of light fell on them both as they quickly recovered and apologized for frightening the others. With a hand on her chest, the two let out a nervous laugh before falling into formation again. Everyone was on edge.

Careful footsteps continued until they reached a crux in the hallway, forcing them to go to the right or left. Avery heard the groaning as they rounded the corner. Her stomach dropped.

"Get back! Get back!" Rick hissed, his flashlight briefly illuminating the group of walkers that clogged the hallway in front of them. They shuffled backwards, hoping to remain undetected, but the mob of biters had spotted their group. Panic slowly took hold of Avery as they struggled to pick their new route, uncertain if more walkers were hidden within the other hallways, or if they should retreat back to their cell block.

They ran in the opposite direction, abandoning stealth and spray-painting. Now it was about escaping. Avery's breath was short and fast as she somehow found herself blindly leading them down a new tunnel. A boney arm shot out from the shadows, reaching for her, but someone forcefully pulled Avery back out of reach. Several more walkers emerged from the hallway, using the dark to shadow their presence, and Avery turned to run.