Survivor - TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 38 - No Way Out

Nelly

The sound of the clock tower collapsing hasn't even fully echoed through Alexandria before the real nightmare begins. Walkers—hundreds of them—flood into the streets like an unstoppable wave of rotting flesh. Their snarls and growls grow deafening as they surge through the broken wall, relentless, filling every corner, every inch of space. There's no end to them. Limbs flail, jaws snap, the stench of decay permeates the air as they barrel forward, piling over each other in a sickening mass of death.

"Everyone, get back! Get into your houses, go!" Rick screams over the chaos, his voice hoarse as he fires into the horde. Bullets pierce the air, each shot taking down a walker, but it's like throwing pebbles into the ocean—the dead just keep coming, wave after wave, tumbling over their fallen as they lurch forward.

I raise my rifle, my hands steady despite the adrenaline surging through me. I squeeze the trigger, aiming for the heads, and the gun recoils in my hands. Walkers fall, their bodies collapsing into the dirt, but for every one I shoot, five more replace it. The horde pushes forward like a relentless tide, no space between them, just a wall of rotting flesh.

I back up slowly, my boots dragging against the pavement as I shoot. It's not enough. There's too many.

Suddenly, in the corner of my eye, I spot Maggie in the grass, struggling to get to her feet, her face pale with panic. Walkers are closing in on her fast.

I sprint towards her, shoving walkers out of my way, firing at anything that gets too close. The dead are nearly on her, fingers stretching, jaws snapping. One walker reaches out, its slimy hands almost brushing her, but I aim and a bullet tears through its skull, dropping it instantly.

Maggie struggles in the dirt, her face twisted with desperation. "Come on!" I shout, grabbing her hand and yanking her up with all my strength. She stumbles to her feet, but the walkers are closing in. 

I pull her toward the guard tower, shooting blindly into the herd to give us some distance. Each shot hits its mark, but the horde is endless. They're everywhere.

"Get up the guard tower!" I scream, not even looking back as I keep firing. My heart pounds in my chest as I hear Maggie scramble up the ladder, her breaths ragged.

"Nelly!" Maggie's voice cuts through the chaos, high-pitched and frantic. She's made it.

I fire a few more shots into the approaching walkers, then spin and sprint for the ladder. My hands latch onto the rungs, but before I can pull myself up, I feel a cold, dead hand wrap around my boot. I grunt, my body lurching downward as the walker tugs at me, its grip strong, pulling me closer to the snarling teeth below. My hands slip, and I'm hanging on with just one hand, my body dangling, my foot trapped in the grip of death.

"Shit!" I grunt, gritting my teeth. My boot is slipping, the walker's groaning mouth just inches away. With all the strength I can muster, I swing my free leg, kicking at the walker's head. It staggers but doesn't let go.

The ladder creaks ominously, the rope straining under the weight of us both. Suddenly, with a snap, the rope holding the ladder breaks. The ladder gives way beneath me, crashing into the herd below, leaving me hanging by one hand. My feet dangle in the air, brushing against the tips of the walkers' fingers. I'm one slip away from being torn apart.

Maggie leans over the edge of the tower, her hand reaching for me. "Nelly! Grab my hand!" she shouts, her voice desperate.

I take a breath, my arm shaking from the strain, and with a final grunt of effort, I swing my body and grab her hand with one of mine. Her grip is strong, and she pulls with all her might, the muscles in her arms straining as she drags me up. My other hand slips from the tower, but I latch onto Maggie's arm with both hands just in time.