Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Sixteen.

The Calm Before.

"Drop them. I won't ask twice" Iris watches the large man walking towards them, she watches Daryl throw his weapons on the ground, Iris throws her knives onto the floor. She feels Daryl backs up and press his body against hers as the large masked man walks towards them both.

"You just had to give me the girl." the man says, "No one else had to die. Now that deal... is done." he continues, Iris balls her hands into fists, her nails digging into her palm.

One of the skins grabs Iris, pulling her hands behind her back and tying her wrists together, she stands between Daryl and Michonne, biting her lip anxiously as she watches Alpha walk towards them, "You ain't getting her back." Daryl says.

"You think this is about my daughter?" Alpha asks, "I ran into some trouble on the road. It was unavoidable." she says, wiping her knife on her leg, anger boils inside Iris as she watches the woman "Do you like my new camp? My people like to keep moving, keep roaming." Alpha says.

"We've granted Lydia asylum. Any attempt to take her by force will result in retaliation." Michonne says "What's your name?" Alpha asks "Michonne." "Does she speak for you?" Alpha asks, getting closer to Daryl, "We speak for each other." Daryl says.

"My daughter isn't a concern anymore. She was weak. She never lived up to expectations." Alpha says "Was?" Iris questions, her stomach dropping and nausea climbing up her throat "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Daryl asks.

"To be clear... Your group is in no position to threaten me." Alpha says, pointing her gun at Daryl "That is a habit that needs to be broken. Come with me. Just you." she says to Daryl, Iris looks up at the man as he steps forward, he looks down at her, a silent reassurance in his eyes before he walks away.

Iris closes her eyes, fighting the anxiety, Michonne looks to the woman next to her, "you good?" she whispers, Iris hums yes, she bites down on her lip as her mind flashes memories, she opens her eyes and notices Michonne still watching her, she watches as the sun starts to rise.

The skins take the rope off of everyone's wrists before walking away, Iris picks up her knives putting them into her belt before picking Daryl's knives while Carol grabs his crossbow.

Iris starts tracking Daryl, the others following behind her, after walking for a while she stops when she hears someone, looking up relief washes over her, she rushes to the man and wraps her arms around him, Daryl hugs her back, holding her tight.

She steps back and Carol hugs the man and hands him the crossbow, Iris follows close next to him as he starts walking towards the other two, Michone hugs Daryl and they start walking again.

........

"Siddiq!" Michonne shouts, Iris runs towards the man and pulls the cloth out of his mouth, Michonne cuts the rope from his wrists and they help him stand up "What happened?" Michonne asks, Iris watches the man pointing to something.

They slowly walk up the small hill, her head spins as she looks at the scene, she stops when she sees the heads of their people on sticks, tears fill her eyes and a loud cry rips through her body, "no!" her knees give out from under her as she looks at Enid's head, Yumiko holds onto Iris, she looks at the other heads and another pain filled scream fills the air when she sees Tara's head next to Enids.

"No!" She cries, gripping the ground in front of her, Daryl looks down at Iris as she cries on the floor, he holds onto Carol as he reaches down to Iris, deafening screams rip out of Iris, tears streaming down her face as she looks up at the lifeless eyes of the people she loved.

"Don't look" Daryl says to her, "please dont look" he begs, she tears her eyes away and looks up at the man, he helps her stand and pulls her body into his, her tears soak his top as she hides her face into his chest, "don't look" he whispers, holding her head into his chest.

.........

"I was there. I was taken with the others. And I saw..." Iris watches Siddiq as he talks to everyone from the stage, "I was supposed to die with them. I was ready to. Then, Alpha whispered in my ear, "Tell them." Something hit me, and everything went black. And when I woke up, I was alone. What happened was evil. It was evil. And I think she left me alive to tell you that story. To scare you and to drive us all apart again. But I want to tell you a different story. See, before the end..."

"Ozzy, Alek, and DJ found us... and they gave us an opening. And everyone fought back... They fought like hell." tears fall from Iris's eyes as she listens to the man "And what they did... Was more than brave... 'Cause they defended each other. And they sacrificed for each other... And some of them... they didn't even know each other, but they still fought like they did."

Daryl grips onto Iris's hand "Like they were family. 'Til the very end. And, uh... And in the end, they... Their time was cut short, but ours keeps going. So we have to keep going. For them and... for all of us. We need to honour them."

"We need to honour them, and we need to remember these friends, our family, died as heroes. That's the story that I want to tell you. That's the story that I want us all to remember." Iris lets go of Daryl's hand and walks away from the crowd.