Solitary {2} : The Walking Dead

Chapter Thirty-three.

 Claustrophobic.

"Lydia would have taken this river downstream. Back to our side." Daryl explains, Iris looks around for track, "Hey. Carol, let's go." Daryl says, looking back at the woman "You go on. I'll meet you." she says "Nope. We all stay together." Iris says.

Suddenly Carol starts running "Hey!" Iris shouts running after her, "Carol!" Daryl shouts, right behind Iris, Daryl starts fighting off walkers, "Go! Get her ass out of there!" Daryl orders, Iris pulls her axe from her belt and runs into the dark cave, the others behind her.

Out of nowhere the floor gives out from under Iris, "shit" she groans out in pain, the others land on the floor next to her, the sound of the horde echoes through the cave, Iris slowly stands up, trying to ignore the pain in her body as she picks up her axe, she turns when Daryl lands on the floor, "Daryl" she whispers, running over to him.

"Are you okay?" she asks, holding out her hand and helping him up, "i'm fine" Daryl says, standing up "are you okay?" he asks, "i'll be fine" she mumbles, Iris steps back and looks around at all the walkers trying to claw at the group.

"Uh Hey, guys?!" Jerry shouts, Iris looks at the man pointing above them, she watches as Alpha stares down at them, a loud angry scream rips through Carol's body as she looks up at Alpha.

Iris starts driving her axe blade into the walker's heads while the others try to boost Magna up the wall, "You got something?" Aaron questions, Iris stands up and looks to Daryl, "Groundwater's deeper in here. That water's coming from outside." Daryl explains.

"I don't see a way across." Carol says "Whoa, whoa. Go back, go back. We could use those to jump across." Aaron says, pointing to the large rocks, "Nice." Daryl says, "Wait. For real?" Kelly asks, Iris slides her axe back into her belt and prepares herself to jump.

"All right. You ready? Let's go." Daryl says, Iris nervously watches Daryl jump to the closest rock, when he jumps to the next Iris takes a deep breath before jumping.

She claws at the rock as she tries to stay up, she jumps onto the next one and Carol lands on the rock behind her, when Iris makes it to the other side Daryl grabs onto her, pulling her into him and keeping her close.

"Come on. I gotcha." Daryl says, holding his hand out to Carol, when Carol lands in front of them they pull her to stand, everyone makes it to the other side, "Hey, hand me that thing." Daryl says, pointing to the arm Jerry just chopped off of a walker.

"Knock yourself out, dude." Jerry says, throwing it to the man, Iris and the others follow Daryl as he climbs up to an opening, Daryl lights the arm on fire, using it as a torch, "Alright. I need you to stay here, all right? Keep everyone together." Daryl says to Iris and Connie, handing Connie the torch.

"Should I even ask how we're doing on food?" Aaron asks, "Not great." Jerry says, "Food? How long do you think we're gonna be here?" Kelly panics "Hey, no worries. Walkers got in here somehow. We'll get out." Jerry says, "hey" Iris says, gently holding Kelly's arm, "we'll get out" she whispers.

"I'm fine. Just a little winded." Carol says, Iris looks up to see the woman struggling, "She's claustrophobic." Daryl says, "Why didn't you think of that before you got us all trapped down here?" Magna says, "Hey. It's not the time for this." Aaron says.

"Why not? Seems like we have plenty of it... What the hell were you thinking, huh? Running off like that by yourself." Magna says, getting in Carol's face, Iris steps in between them, "back up" she orders.

"Hey! We ain't got time for this shit. We got in this mess together. We're gonna get out of it together. Now follow me." Daryl says. Iris signals Connie before walking after Daryl "I think I found a way out." Daryl says, the group move through the rocks, following Daryl to find the exit.

They stop in a small opening, taking a break and collecting water, Iris sits on the floor next to Daryl, she leans her back against the wall and looks down at her ring, playing with it on her finger. "Hey. Can I- Can I get matches?" Magna asks, looking down at the two.

"You should try to take it easy for a minute." Daryl says, "I can't. I need to do something." Magna says, Iris reaches into her pocket and pulls out her matches, handing them to the woman "Thanks." Magna says, taking them and walking away.

Iris stands when she sees Carol walking over to them, she walks away when Carol sits, needing to be away from the woman. Iris sits with Kelly and Connie, "how're you doing?" Iris asks, looking at Kelly, "I just want to get out." "Yeah, me too. We're gonna find a way" Iris says.

She looks over to Connie sitting next to her, she smiles at the woman as she signs thank you, Iris watches Connie's eyes move down to her hand, a small smile spreads on her face.

Suddenly Magnas scream sounds through the cave, Iris quickly stands up and pulls her axe from her belt, running after Daryl as he finds Magna.

A whisperer runs at Iris, the redhead swings her axe at the person, the blade slicing through the whisperers stomach, when they drop to the floor Iris lifts her axe and drives it into the whisperers head, blood splattering on her as she pulls the axe out.

"Let's go" Daryl says, taking the torch from Connie and running through the cave, Iris lets out a sigh as she runs after the others, they get into a different opening, Iris watches Connie sign something.

"She says If we don't follow each other in the dark, we're gonna get split up." Kelly says "She's right. We stick together." Carol says "At least we know there's a way out now." Aaron says, Iris looks around "Yeah, but where?" Magna questions.