Unbreakable threads

Chapter Sixty-Eight: into the woods with daryl.

As they reached the safety of the treeline, Alyssa, Daryl, and Beth finally allowed themselves to stop, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they took in the horrifying reality of what they'd just left behind. The prison—their sanctuary, their home—was gone, overrun by walkers and obliterated by the Governor's merciless attack. Alyssa's chest heaved, the adrenaline and grief intertwining in a chaotic storm inside her, but she pushed it down, forcing herself to stay strong.

Beth, however, couldn't hold back her emotions. The tears she'd been fighting finally spilled over, her shoulders trembling as the weight of their losses crashed down on her. She'd lost her father, Hershel, in the most brutal, unimaginable way. And now, with the chaos and separation, she had no idea where Maggie was, or if her sister was even alive. The uncertainty was like a blade twisting in her heart, and she couldn't stop the sobs that escaped her.

Alyssa, stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Beth, pulling her close. She held her tightly, her own body shaking "It's okay, Beth," she whispered, her voice thick with sorrow. "We're going to find her. We're going to find Maggie. We're going to make it through this."

Beth clung to her, her fingers digging into Alyssa's back as if she were a lifeline. "Daddy .. he's gone. I didn't even get to say goodbye," she choked out, her voice barely audible, laced with raw agony. "And Maggie... I don't know where she is. I don't know if she's okay."

"We'll find her, Beth," Alyssa repeated, her voice soft but filled with determination. "We're not giving up. Not on her, not on anyone."

Daryl stood a few steps away, his own face hardened by grief and anger. He looked back toward the prison, his expression dark, a mixture of loss and fury simmering beneath the surface.

He turned back to Alyssa and Beth, his voice quiet but resolute. "We keep movin'. We'll find Maggie, and we'll find the others. But we can't stay here."

Alyssa nodded, pulling back slightly from Beth but keeping a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Daryl's right. We have to keep going. We'll find them, Beth. We'll keep looking until we do."

Beth sniffled, wiping at her tears, her face etched with grief but a spark of resolve flickering in her eyes. She nodded, her voice wavering but determined. "Okay. Let's go."

As Alyssa walked with Daryl and Beth through the forest, her mind was a chaotic tangle of fear, guilt, and regret. She couldn't stop thinking about Carl, Rick, and baby Judith. Her last memory of Carl was seeing him dart out to help their father, but Rick had been shot, collapsing to the ground in agony. She hadn't seen them since the chaos erupted, and she hadn't seen Judith at all. The ache in her chest grew with each step, the not-knowing tearing at her heart.

What if they hadn't made it out? What if Carl was out there, alone and scared, or if Rick couldn't get up? And Judith... she couldn't bear the thought of her baby sister being left behind in that madness, defenseless and vulnerable. She hoped—she prayed—that someone had grabbed her, that someone had kept her safe in the midst of it all.

But another pang gnawed at her, a different kind of guilt, one that made her insides twist uncomfortably. She hadn't run to Carl and Rick. She hadn't gone after her father and brother when they'd needed her. Instead, she'd turned around and bolted back into the prison for Daryl and Beth. For Daryl, who had always been like family, like a protective older brother or even a father figure in his own way. And for Beth... Beth, the girl she loved but couldn't bring herself to tell, the girl she'd risked everything to save.

Daryl noticed. He always noticed. He glanced over at her, seeing the tension in her shoulders, the haunted look in her eyes, and without a word, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.