Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Forty-nine.

Then we keep going.

Rick watches Iris, noticing her tears have stopped, and the woman's eyes are now empty, his heart sinks as he looks at his friend, his sister. Iris reaches up wiping her tears before walking away from everyone and to the truck, she climbs into the driver's seat and waits for everyone to join. Everybody climbs in, Abraham sitting at the front next to Iris, the man watches the woman as she starts the engine and drives, her eyes sticking to the road.

After driving some hours Iris finally looks away from the road, "shit" she mumbles, "what is it?" Abraham asks from next to her, gaining the attention of the others, "engins dead" she says as the truck rolls to a stop. Iris jumps out and opens the hood "can you fix it?" Rick asks, walking over to the woman, "no... we're gonna have to find another car or something" she says, moving back to the seats and grabbing her stuff, leading the group with Bear next to her.

Iris moves into the trees with Bear and leaves the others on the road, she reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a cigarette and her lighter, she looks down at her hands and freezes, Bear turning and watching as she stands there. Beth's blood stains her hands, her stomach turns into knotts, and bile rises in her throat, she quickly turns to the side and throws up on the floor, she stands straight and looks behind her, hearing a twig snap, "are you okay?" Abraham asks.

Iris doesn't answer, she turns away from the man and looks back down at her hands, Abraham walks closer to the woman, he follows her eyes to her shaking blood stained hands, Iris quickly lifts the cigarette to her mouth and lights it, feeling the smoke make its way into her lungs, she blows the smoke out and continues walking, Abraham following her.

........

Iris climbs into the driver's seat of a white van, closing the door and blocking the rest of the group out as she works, she quickly jumpstarts the van and everyone gets in, Tyrese sitting in the passenger seat next to her. The others cramped in the back of the van, after driving a little Iris pulls the van off the road into a hidden and secure area, everyone climbs out and starts setting up a small camp.

A few of them stand next to the van and listen to Rick's plan of taking them to Noah's old home "It was secure. It has a wall, homes, 20 people. Beth wanted to go with him. She wanted to get him there." Rick explains, Iris looks down at her feet at the mention of the girl. "It's a long trip, but if it works out, it's the last long trip we have to make." Rick adds "And what if it isn't around anymore?" Glenn asks "Then we keep going." Rick answers "Then we find a new place." Michonne says.

Iris climbs into the very back seat next to Glenn, Rick and Michonne sitting in front of them with Tyrese driving and Noah next to him, giving him directions, Iris doesn't listen to the conversation going on, she just keeps her gaze on the world as it quickly passes by her window, feeling too guilty to look at Glenn as he sits next to her.

They pull off onto the side of the road, hiding the van, Glenn opens the back door, climbing out and holding the door for Iris, she keeps her eyes to the ground and climbs out. "This is good. Through the trees, it might just look like part of the wreck." Rick says, as we all look around, Iris pulls out her gun, holding it tight as she follows behind the group.

"Your people do this?" Michonne asks, as we walk closer to wiring, "Wanted to. They must have." Noah says, they make their way through the wires and they continue making their way. Rick stops the group and turns to Noah "They have spotters? Snipers?" Rick asks, "We built a perch on a truck. Sometimes it's out front." Noah explains "Not today." Glenn says, looking at the walls.

They make their way back onto the road, Iris looks down at the grandfather clock laying in the middle of the road, gripping onto her gun tighter. Iris stops at the gate, watching as Noah bangs against the gate, she slides her gun back into her holster and watches as Glenn starts climbing up the fence, looking over the top, he turns back to the group, a disappointed look on his face as he shakes his head no.

Iris sighs, running her hands through her hair, frustrated. Noah climbs over the wall, everyone else following, Iris waits and climbs over last. On the other side of the wall is a neighbourhood, but the houses have been trashed, bodies lay on the grass and belongings thrown about. Noah runs off down the street, everyone else trying to catch up, he stops and looks around at the bodies of his friends, Iris watches as he starts crying, he falls to the floor and Iris has to look away.

She takes her gun out again and starts walking down the street, she turns to look behind her and see's Glenn walking behind her. They walk into one of the houses and start to sweep through, collecting anything useful, before they start walking down the empty street again.

Iris looks over next to her, and watches the man, the guilt making her feel bile start to rise again. "I'm really sorry Glenn... I should've protected her... it should have been me" Iris says looking down at her hands, still red from the blood, she turns and looks at Glenn when he stops walking.

The two stand there in silence, glancing at each other now and then, for the first time since that day, tears begin to fall from her eyes, "I'm so sorry" she cries out, looking up at the man, he watches the broken woman in front of him before moving and wrapping his arms around her. Together they cry and hold onto each other.