Safe haven | Rick Grimes

106. FALLEN ON HARD TIMES

Chapter one hundred and six

"Fallen on hard times."

The sun finally came up, casting a dim light over the storm's aftermath. Upstairs, Caroline and Rick had been frantically telling the adults ever since the walkers breached the ground floor that Judith, Daryl, and Gracie never made it up the steps.

Down in the basement, the dead continued to bang violently against the door, which was now reinforced with a heavy metal pole acting as a makeshift barricade.

The water had already risen to their knees, cold and murky. The three children scrambled further up the stairs, looking anxiously back at the buckling wood.

"It's not gonna hold!" Gracie yelled over the sound of splintering wood.

Daryl turned to her, instantly taking the shovel she was holding. He marched right back toward the door. Just as he stepped onto the top landing, a walker's gray, decaying hand punched straight through a crack in the paneling.

"Daryl!" Gracie screamed, shrinking back.

Judith immediately threw a protective arm around her, pulling her close. Daryl didn't hesitate; he swung the heavy shovel down like a guillotine, cleanly severing the walker's hand. He then jammed the length of the shovel directly across the fracture to block the opening, before spinning around on his heel.

"Into the water!" he shouted, racing down the steps.

A second later, a walker forcefully smashed through the rest of the rotted wood. Realizing the door was entirely breached, the three children jumped directly into the deep pool below. As they trudged heavily through the rising water to get away from the entrance, Gracie pulled her emergency whistle to her lips and began blowing it frantically, the sharp shrieks echoing through the flooded room.

A couple of the walkers stumbled through the broken doorway, plunging into the deep end and immediately sinking beneath the surface. However, one particularly large walker managed to secure its footing on the steps, wading directly into the water while keeping its head high as it marched straight toward them.

"We need to get to the window!" Judith yelled, pointing to the low opening across the room.

"Go! I'll hold 'em off!" Daryl voiced fiercely.

Raising his axe with both hands, he surged forward into the deep water and swung it down with full force, burying the blade into the walker's skull.

Another walker stumbled down the stairs, catching Daryl off guard and dragging him completely under the surface.

"Daryl!" Judith and Gracie screamed in unison.

Judith didn't hesitate. She drew her katana and plunged into the deeper water after him, swinging her blade down onto the submerged threat. Daryl breached the surface a second later, coughing violently and gasping for air.

"Are you okay?" Judith asked, her eyes wide with panic.

"I don't know!" Daryl voiced, blinking the murky water from his eyes.

"Look out!" Gracie screamed, pointing behind them.

Two more walkers surged forward through the flood. In a synchronized blur of motion, Judith swung her katana and Daryl brought down his axe, neutralizing both threats instantly.