Unbreakable threads

Chapter Eight Eight: Meeting Aaron.

As night fell, the barn grew quiet except for the soft crackle of the small fire in the middle of the group. Everyone had settled into their places. Glenn and Maggie curled up together on the sidelines, their breathing steady as they drifted off to sleep. Nearby, Rosita, Eugene, and Abraham had found their own spots, their exhaustion evident as they lay motionless, finally allowing the day to catch up with them.

Carol sat cross-legged with Judith asleep in her lap, rocking the baby gently as the storm outside continued to howl. Carl, close by, had claimed a spot near the fire and was already dozing, his head nodding slightly as he succumbed to sleep. Sasha sat in a corner, her eyes distant and unfocused, while Gabriel knelt nearby, his hands clasped together in silent prayer. Noah and Tara stayed close in the opposite corner.

Around the fire sat Michonne, Alyssa, Daryl, and Rick. The four  of them stared into the flames, the flickering light dancing across their faces. The silence between them was heavy, charged with the unspoken tension that had been simmering all day.

Rick sat stiffly, his gaze locked on the fire, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. Every so often, his eyes flicked to Alyssa, and each glance seemed to deepen the tension. Alyssa, in turn, avoided looking at him entirely, her jaw tight as she poked at the fire with a stick.

Daryl sat beside Alyssa, leaning slightly forward with his elbows resting on his knees. He glanced between Rick and Alyssa, his sharp eyes catching every little shift in their body language. The tension was like a live wire, and even though Daryl stayed quiet, his protective instincts were on high alert.

Michonne broke the silence first, her voice low and even. "It's been a long day," she said, her gaze not leaving the fire. Her words seemed more like an invitation than a statement, a subtle way to ease the tension.

Alyssa didn't respond right away, her focus still on the fire. Finally, she shrugged. "They're all long days," she muttered, her tone flat.

Rick's jaw clenched at her words, but he stayed quiet, his fingers tightening around his knees. He wanted to say something, but the weight of their earlier argument—and all the unspoken things that had come before it—kept him silent.

Michonne glanced at Rick, her brow furrowing slightly, before shifting her attention back to Alyssa. "Maybe so," she said calmly. "But we're still here."

Alyssa finally looked up, meeting Michonne's gaze briefly before nodding. "Yeah," she said, her voice softer this time. "We're still here."

Daryl shifted slightly, his hand brushing Alyssa's knee in a small, grounding gesture. She didn't look at him, but her shoulders relaxed ever so slightly, her body instinctively leaning closer to him.

The tense moment in the barn was abruptly shattered by a loud, scratching noise at the doors, followed by low, growls. Thunder cracked outside, the storm raging on as the sound of walkers grew louder—scrambling, moaning, and pressing against the barn's weak defenses.

Everyone snapped to attention. Daryl grabbed his crossbow, rising to his feet in one fluid motion. Rick and Michonne stood as well, their weapons in hand. Even those who had been asleep—Tara, Maggie, Glenn, Rosita, Carl, Carol, Abraham, Eugene, gabriel, and Noah —were instantly alert, reaching for their weapons as the barn doors began to groan under the weight of the walkers pushing against them.

"They've surrounded us," Michonne said sharply, her katana already in hand.

Alyssa was on her feet in a heartbeat, standing beside Daryl. Her knife was gripped tightly in her hand, her face grim. "They're coming through," she said, her voice steady but tense as she moved toward the doors without hesitation.