rag doll | TWD

[81] evolution

tainted love --- soft cell

♮♮♮[JJ]

Aaron, Jesus and I crouched behind a fallen tree, looking over a sea of walkers. Daryl stood behind us, his voice low, "It's about 130, 140 of them."

Jesus frowned, his brows knitting together in concern. "You ever see 'em do this before?"

Aaron shook his head. "No. Never."

I squinted, my gaze fixed on the walkers as they moved in a circular pattern. "I have," I said quietly, "After they destroyed Marcy's community. I didn't think much of it then, but now..."

Daryl's voice broke through the tension, bringing us back to the immediate problem. "Rosita's back trail cuts right through 'em. We should get the horses, circle around, then we'll pick it up on foot."

I glanced up at him, "What about them?" I gestured toward the walkers and their strange behavior. 

Daryl shrugged, "What about 'em?"

Jesus, still watching the unsettling scene, shook his head skeptically. "They're just milling around. That's not normal." 

"Nah, nah it ain't." He agreed, "We should go. There's a storm comin'. Dog!" 

We took the long way around, weaving through the tall grass that brushed against our legs with each step. I walked beside Daryl as we walked ahead of the others.

"So, you got a dog?" I asked, trying to break the silence that hung heavily between us. I couldn't help but smirk. "And named him Dog?"

Daryl glanced at me, a faint, surprised smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. Thought he looked like a Dog."

"Where'd you find him?" I asked.

"Woods." Daryl's answer was quick and blunt. He shifted the conversation, his gaze still focused ahead. "Where'd you go? People at Hilltop said you left."

"Yeah. There wasn't anything left for me there." I sighed, the memory of that day pressing down on me. "Figured if I helped find Rick, maybe things could go back to normal quicker."

I focused on my steps, refusing to look him in the eye, "after hearing you went East, I went West. Since you made it perfectly clear you needed to be on your own." I glanced over at him, a hint of defensiveness in my voice. "Met up with Marcy by accident, stayed with her community."

Daryl's eyes narrowed slightly. "What happened?"

I shrugged, trying to downplay the gravity of the situation. "A herd of walkers came through, destroyed it all. We barely made it out."

Daryl's expression darkened, concern flashing in his eyes.

"What is it?" I glanced over my shoulder.

He raised a hand, signaling us to stop. "Hold up." His gaze was intense, focused on the faint, disturbing sounds in the distance.

We froze, the only sound now the distant groans of the dead. 

"The herd. It's coming for us," Daryl announced, his voice steady but urgent. "The wind's carrying the sound." He set a timer threw it far into the field. 

"Come on, let's put some ground between us and them," Daryl urged, already moving with purpose.

Once we finally reached the tree line, we managed to find the herd again.

Jesus lowered his binoculars, his expression turning grim as he scanned the scene. "You put that herd at 140, right?"

"Yeah," Daryl confirmed.