FATHERS RIFLE • C.Grimes

ೀ⋆｡˚ CHAPTER 33 ೀ⋆｡˚

the drive to grady memorial was quiet, everyone lost in their own thoughts. once they'd arrived, michonne made faye and carl stay in the truck with judith and unconscious eugene.

faye's leg nervously bounced up and down as she glanced out the window, attempting to see anything and figure out what was going on. "oh my god." she muttered under her breath.

out of the hospital came ricks group, daryl followed behind them with beth in his arms. she was dead. beth greene was gone. maggies sobs could be heard all the way from the truck, everyone else stood around in shock. "beth's gone." faye mumbled to carl, who had his attention on judith.

a few hours later, night fell quick upon the group. rick created a small campfire at their makeshift camp for the night while everyone sat around in silence, all lost in their own minds.

faye looked over at her dad who's face was full of sorrow and guilt. part of her wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him it wasn't his fault but she knew better than to bother him when he was in a fragile state, he'd say anything, even if he didn't mean it. just like her.

soon after, the sun rose. rick decided they were gonna make a trip to a possible sanctuary that beth planned to go to with noah when they both escaped the hospital. it was a long trip but if it all worked out it would've been the last long trip they had to make, or so he thought.

they split into two vehicles, noah, tyreese, rick, michonne, glenn in a car and the others in the truck at their makeshift camp. ricks group left to go check out the 'sanctuary' and around an hour later, carols walkie talkie went off. "get sasha and the kids away. they don't need to see this." rick spoke from the other end. faye furrowed her brows in confusion.. then it clicked. something had happened to tyreese.

when the group returned, tyreese was buried next to beth. faye stared at the two graves, two deaths in less than a day. once everyone began to leave back to the small camp, faye stayed behind, picking a few daisies from the ground and placing them ontop of the graves. she wiped the stray tear from her cheek, giving both graves one last small smile before joining the others back at the camp.

a day and a half went by, the group sat on the gravel road outside the small white van waiting for daryl, sasha and maggie to come back, hopefully with something to eat.

"you okay?" carl spoke quietly to faye, noticing the emotionless expression on her face. "i don't think it's hit me yet" she replied bluntly, fidgeting with the fox necklace that carl found for her ages ago.

she glanced down the long road, meeting eyes with daryl who was approaching the group with sasha and maggie, each person empty handed.  after a few moments of discussing what to do next, everyone piled back into the small van, driving straight ahead.

however, it only lasted an hour until the engine began to sputter. usually, they could've just switched to another car but now they were in the middle of nowhere, no cars or gas stations in sight.

"we're out. just like the other one." abraham stated.

"so we walk." rick replied.

walking in the humid weather down a long road with what it seemed like no end did not seem that appealing to faye. she'd rather stay in the van for the rest of her life but she knew that wasn't possible. scuffing her boots against the concrete, she followed the others down the long, never ending road.

"i'm gonna head out, see what i can find." daryl announced, glancing back at his daughter who gave him a look, a "don't do anything stupid" look. "don't be out for too long." rick instructed.

"i'll go with you." carol volunteered, beginning to follow the man off the road. "i got it." he muttered. "you gonna stop me?"

"found this when we were looking for water." carl handed maggie a little painted box. "what is it?" maggie gratefully took the box from him, opening it slowly. "i think it used to play music. it's broken." he explained. "thanks, carl." maggie gave him an appreciative smile, watching as he caught up with faye who wandered off ahead.

the group continued down the road, the hot sun blaring down on them as they stopped at a bridge. rick instructed that everyone else besides himself, glenn, michonne, sasha, abraham and maggie went on the other side while ricks group took on the walkers that had been following close behind for a few hours, getting closer and the group got slower.

faye watched how they taunted the walkers then quickly turned, making the monsters fall down the hill. it all went well until it was sasha's turn, she grabbed the walker by their worn out shirt, plunging her machete into its head. "dumbass." faye muttered under her breath watching as sasha broke the plan.

once every walker was killed, the group continued their journey. faye kept glaring over at sasha who had a strange expression on her face, a face full of guilt, anger and frustration.

"dad, look." carl broke the silence, pointing to the road ahead with cars scattered across it. "i'm gonna head into the woods, circle back." daryl announced. "may i come with?" carol asked. "no, just me."

the group began to scavenge the cars, although they were all fully ransacked. not a tin or bottle in sight. "we're fucked." faye mumbled, taking a seat next to carl on the roadside. "we'll be okay" he tried his best to reassure her. eventually the rest of the group joined the two teens, sitting around as they waited for daryl to come back. faye watched as abraham opened a bottle of booze he'd found, the only thing anyone had found.

suddenly, something began to shuffle in the bushes gaining everyone's attention. faye tensed up, placing her hand on her holster ready to kill anything that deemed a threat. out of the bush came a few dogs, rick and daryl got ready to pounce and kill them until sasha immediately shot them.

faye looked away, unable to face the dead dogs. yes she's killed people, yes she's killed walkers but something about killing animals, especially animals that she'd once owned as a pet hurt her heart.

rick created a small campfire, slowly cooking the meat. faye stared at the meat in her hands, looking over at the blue dog collar that sat on the roadside a few feet away before beginning to eat.

the group continued down the road after their not so delicious dinner. around 30 minutes of walking, faye noticed something in the middle of the road. "what's that?" she mumbled, speeding up her pace.

as the group got closer it became more clear what it was. a few bottles and jugs with a note ontop. the note read: "from a friend."

"oh that's not creepy or weird at all." she sarcastically said. the group waited for daryl to come back who had randomly walked off again which started to annoy faye. once he'd returned, rick handed the man the note, his eyes scanning over the 3 words.

"if that's a trap, we already happen to be in it." eugene stated, staring down at the water. "but i, for one, would like to think it is indeed from a friend."

"what if it isn't? they put something in it?" carol assumed, hesitant to take the water incase it was yet another trick.

eugene picked up a bottle of water, unscrewing the cap. "what are you doing, dude?" tara furrowed her brows in confusion. "quality assurance." he said, beginning to bring the bottle to his lips before abraham smacked it out his hand without saying a word.

"we can't." rick stated.

suddenly, thunder rumbled from above the group and rain began to pour down. the droplets on their skin felt like heaven, after hours of walking in the scorching heat. faye turned to carl, a smile plastered on both their faces as the rain drenched their clothes and hair.

the thunder boomed louder, startling the baby in carls arms. carl placed his hat over the baby to protect her from the upcoming storm as everyone else opened the bottles of water, trying to fill them up with the rain.

"let's keep moving." rick told them, noticing the dark clouds forming, a sign that the storm was gonna get heavier. "there's a barn." daryl exclaimed, his voice getting louder over the thunder. "where?" rick wiped the rain off his face.

RIRIS NOTES
heh.... 🔥🔥