FATHERS RIFLE • C.Grimes

ೀ⋆｡˚ CHAPTER 4 ೀ⋆｡˚

A FEW MOMENTS go by. the group walked along the trail in silence the only sounds that could be heard were twigs snapping and leaves crunching under their feet.

the silence didn't last for long due to a gunshot in the distance startling everyone "what the fuck." faye jumped. "language. it was probably nothin' " daryl muttered.

the group continued walking back to the highway only to stop again making faye roll her eyes. lori stopped in her tracks looking around the area. "you still worrying about it?" andrea spoke up.

"it was a gunshot." lori replied. "yeah, no shi-" faye began soon to be muted by daryl's hand covering her mouth. "we all heard it." daryl spoke up.

"why one? why just one gunshot?" fear consumed loris tone. "maybe they took down a walker." he suggested.

"please don't patronize me. you know rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. or shane they'd do it quietly." she insisted.

"shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" carol suggested nervously. "there's nothing we can do about it anyway. can't run around these woods chasing echoes." daryl shrugged.

"so what do we do?" loris voice slightly trembled

"same as we've been. beat the bush for sophia, work our way to the highway." daryl replied.

"i'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the highway." andrea tried her best to reassure and calm the woman's nerves.

-🐞-

FAYES LEGS dragged along the wooden ground. growing more tired and achy by the second. "how much farther" she broke the silence "not much. maybe 100 yards as the crow flies" daryl replied softly "what the hell does that mean!!?" she exclaimed

"too bad we're not crows." andrea muttered. the group walked for a few more minutes until a scream erupted from the woods. they all stopped, looking around and noticed andrea was gone. "andrea!?" carol yelled.

the group rushed to andrea's screams, finding her on the floor kicking away a walker while screaming bloody murder. before anyone could come to her rescue. a pretty brunette girl with a cowboy hat strided in on a horse hitting the walker with a bat.

"lori? lori grimes?" the mystery woman exclaimed catching her breath. "rick sent me you gotta come now. there's been an accident carls been shot." the lady explained quickly. "he's still alive but you gotta come now. rick needs you just come!"

lori hesitated before pulling the backpack off her back and climbing onto the random ladys horse. "whoa, whoa, whoa. we don't know this girl. you can't get on that horse!" daryl exclaimed.

"rick said that you have others on the highway, that big traffic snarl? back-track to fairburn road. two miles down is our farm. you'll see the mailbox. the name is greene." the lady announced before taking off on the horse.

the 4 stood there in shock, only being drawn out of the trance to the walker sitting up growling. "shut up." daryl shot the walker with his crossbow making faye giggle slightly.

-🍂-

"shot? what do you mean shot?" dale asked. the 4 had now arrived back to the highway and filled in dale and t-dog on their recent journey and encounter with the strange pretty lady on a horse.

"i don't know dale, i wasn't there. all i know is this chick rode out of nowhere like zorro on a horse and took lori." glenn explained catching his breath. "you let her?" dale raised his brows. "climbed down out my asshole, man. rick sent her. she knew carl and loris name." daryl replied walking off, faye soon joining him.

an hour went by of the group going back and fourth on debating on whether going to the mysterious lady on a horses house or staying on the highway waiting for sophia. faye knew what she'd choose but chose to stay quiet.

"what if she comes back? and we're not here?" carol croaked. "if sophia found her way back and we were gone. that would be awful." andrea added.

"okay. we gotta plan for this." daryl spoke up. "i say tomorrow morning is soon enough to pull up stakes. give us a chance to rig up a big sign, leave her some supplies. i'll hold here tonight, stay with the RV." he explained his thoughts.

"if the RV is staying, so am i." dale replied.

"i'm in" andrea raised her hand.

"well if you're all staying then i'm.." glenn began. "no not you glenn. you're going and taking faith and T-dog with you." dale interrupted.

" i don't wanna go without you." faye quietly spoke to her dad. "it's safer than out here. just for one night." he brushed stray hairs out his daughters face. "i'll find ya asoon as possible. i promise." he interlocked his pinky with hers. making the other group members smile, never seeing daryl so soft.

-🧟‍♀️-

faye sat in the back of the car, her knees up to her chest and her head resting against the window. in the front sat glenn and t-dog engaging in light chatter as they pulled up to the farmhouse.

they got out the car, nervously approaching the house. the cold nighttime breeze brushed against the girls legs sending shivers down her spine. on the steps up to the family farmhouse were splatters of blood presumably carls. faye felt sick just looking at it. realisation only just hit her that her bestfriend had been shot, and could die tonight.

"did you close the gate up the road when you came in?" the mystery pretty lady from earlier sat on a rocking chair on the porch. "uh hi.. yes we closed it. did the latch and everything" glenn awkwardly spoke.

"you're really pretty." faye mumbled nervously at the woman making the woman sit forward in her chair with a smile "thank you, you're very pretty yourself missy."

the woman stood up infront of the 3 looking down at the bandage on t-dogs arm. "it's not a bite, just cut myself real bad." he reassured her. "we'll have it looked at. i'll tell them you're here."

"we have some pain killers and other medicines. i already gave some to him but if carl needs any." glenn handed the lady the bag of medication.

"come on inside, ill make you something to eat." she gratefully took the meds and opened the front door.

RIRIS NOTES
the start of faye and maggies relationship🥹🥹. don't be mean or ill sob!! 31/8/24