Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Two.

Iris?

Day 1.

Gabriel lifts his walkie up to his mouth, looking down at the bike with the others, “Alexandria to Hilltop. Do you copy?”

“We copy”

“Has Iris been there?” Gabriel asks, looking at Rosita as they stand by the bike.

“No. Not here. Everything okay?”

“We found her bike outside the gates this morning. She left a note that said she was leaving, we wanted to know if she was there” Gabriel explains, looking down at the piece of paper in his hand.

“Sorry no, we’ll send someone out”

……..

Day 3.

“Have you guys heard anything yet?” Jesus asks, standing in front of Alexandria's gates, “nothing” Rosita says, they turn and look at Tara as she walks down the road towards the community “nothing. I went back to where she's been staying. I don't think she wants to be found” Tara says.

…………

Day 20.

“Iris is missing” Carol says, watching Daryl and he looks into the river, “what?” He asks, looking back at her, “no one can find her. She left her bike in front of Alexandria's gates with a note saying she's leaving. No one can find her” Carol explains.

Daryl looks down at the floor nervously, “Tara thinks she doesn't want to be found” Carol says “I think she's right” she adds.

………….

Day 365.

Tara sits on the old broken sofa, looking down at the empty scotch bottle “where are you?” She whispers to herself, she puts the bottle back on the floor and walks upstairs to the room, she looks around the dusty room and spots something hidden in the corner.

She crouches down and pulls a piece of paper out of a small hole in the wall, ‘stop looking for me’, Tara looks down at the words, reading them over and over.

Iris knew they would look for her, that's why she left a note telling them to stop, Tara slowly stands up and walks out of the old farmhouse.

…………

Day 1095.

“What are you doing sweetheart?” Michonne asks, looking down at Judith as the girl sits on the porch steps, the porch steps in front of Iris’s old house. “You know your aunt Iris loves you so much” Michonne says, sitting down next to the girl “I know”.

…………

Day 2155.

“Woah” Rosits says, stopping the horses in the middle of the road, the others pull out their weapons as they look at the figure standing in front of them, arms raised in surrender. Rosita stands and looks at the person “Iris?” she questions, Iris shields the light with her hand, she watches as people start running towards her, “Rosita?” she mumbles as the woman wraps her arms around her.

Iris hugs her tight, looking back and seeing Aaron and Eugene standing and waiting, Rosita pulls away and Iris moves to hug Aaron next “how are you here?” Aaron asks, wrapping his non metal arm around her and holding her tight “i dont know” she mumbles pulling away and hugging Eugene, she laughs when the man lifts her off the ground.

Iris pulls away and looks around at her friends she hadn't seen in so long, Aaron looks back and Iris follows his sight, her heart stops when she sees the young girl, “Judith?” she whispers, the young girl smiles at the woman, Iris watches the girl rush over to her, she bends down and lifts the girl up, holding her tight.

Iris follows the others back to the horse and wagon, “hey” she says, hugging Laura, “it's good to see you” Laura says hugging her back, “who’re they?” Iris asks, looking at the people sitting in the wagon with bags on their heads “we’re helping them” Judith says, Iris swears she hears Carl when she says that. Iris sits at the back of the wagon, watching the strangers as they make their way to Alexandria, Aaron watches Iris as she zones out, he notices something different about her.