Complicated ✔

Ch. 39 - The Prison

KATHRYN'S POV

Daryl and I continued on after our little fun against the tree a while back. Found these tracks no too long ago and decided to follow them, see where they lead us to. We had been walking in silence, trying to find something to bring back to the others for food, when we heard the groaning. Stopping, Daryl held his arm out to stop me from walking further. When he looked back at me, there was an unspoken agreement that we needed to be absolutely quiet so that we could see where the threat was without the threat seeing us. Following closely behind him with his armed crossbow held at the ready, we made our way closer to the sound of walkers. Up ahead we could see a break in the trees to our right and when we got closer, we spotted the source of the noise.

Daryl looked back to me before he looked back towards what we'd found, lowering his crossbow when the threat couldn't reach us even if it did spot us. "That's a shame," he said looking out at the place that once housed so many bad people. We came to a stop about halfway between the opening in the trees, just looking out at the prison that had a yard full of walkers, and probably more on the inside. "Maybe not," I said as I realized something about that, causing Daryl to stop after he'd apparently started walking on. "What do ya mean," he asked looking back at me and watching as I continued to watch the roaming walkers inside the fence. "Those walkers," I said pointing, "they're staying inside the fence. They can't get out. And if they can't get out then more can't get in."

"You know something," he said glancing over at me, "you're right." "Of course I'm right," I said smugly as I grinned at him before looking back to the overrun prison, "think about it Daryl, this could be the place we've been looking for this whole time. It could become a place where we wouldn't have to watch our backs every day just to stay alive. We could relax there." "Let's get back to the others," he said looking to the prison once more before looking back to me, "tell your dad what we found. This could be the place we need for Lori to safely have that baby and raise it." "You had to ruin my excitement about the place didn't you," I said playfully glaring at him for mentioning her to me. But I knew he was right, this could be just the place for her to safely deliver the baby and we wouldn't have to watch our backs constantly if it cried.

DARYL'S POV

After we'd gotten back to the others, informed Rick of what we'd found, and then showed everyone, we found ourselves cutting into the outer fence into the space that separated the prison yard from the outer fence. We watched the walkers on both sides of the fence as Glenn patched up the whole we'd made. Once secure, we started down the path at a jog, Kathryn running right behind me and the rest following after her. I walked in first to make sure there was no threat before lowering my crossbow and walking around the closed in section that used to be a check point for cars entering and exiting the prison. Kathryn had the knife I'd found in one of the houses we searched over the winter in her hand as we all looked around at the field of walkers before us.

"It's perfect," I heard Rick said and glanced over to see him staring out into the field, "if we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling in the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight." "So how do we shut the gate," Hershel asked as everyone looked to him. "I'll do it," Glenn said, "you guys cover me." "No," Maggie said shaking her head, "it's a suicide run." "I will," Kathryn said stepping up causing everyone to face her. "Kathryn," Rick said going to shake his head but she cut him off. "I want to Dad," she said, "I'm a fast runner, you know that. I was on the track team since my freshman year of high school. Let me do this, please."

I watched as Rick took a deep breath, closing his eyes before opening them and nodding as he looked to his daughter. "Alright," he said as she smiled up at him before taking her jacket off and handing it to him. I walked by her as she had her knife clutched between her teeth as she took her hair down out of its loose pony tail and retied it so that it was pulled back in a messy bun. "Be careful," I whispered to her as I placed my hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up at me. She nodded and lowered her hands down from her hair once she had it up and placed her knife in its holster on her hip before pulling out her gun and checking the clip. Rick was telling people where to go, either in one of the towers or along the fencing before walking with his daughter up to the gate while I walked with Carol to a tower for a higher vantage point.

KATHRYN'S POV

"You watch yourself out there," Dad said looking at me as he handed me these two large clips to use on the other gate along with a rifle. I nodded at him as I took the clips and rifle, slinging it onto my back so it was out of my way, taking a couple deep breaths to calm myself down before I looked to him and nodded to show I was ready. I watched as he slowly opened the gate only wide enough for me to slip through before closing it behind me once I had. My hand gun in hand in case I needed it, I snuck around the overturned bus that had been in front of the gate. Not seeing a threat close by to have to worry about, I lowered my gun and began my run up the hill to the other gate on the other side of the field, having faith that those in my group wouldn't allow a walker to get to me.

When I looked to my left after nearly getting to the other gate, I saw a walker going down with an arrow in its head, not realizing it had gotten too close. Looking up towards the towers, I spotted Daryl staring back at me. Nodding my thanks, I quickly turned and ran again, only to stop when a bullet ricocheted off the dirt where my foot was about to land. Looking once again to the tower where Daryl was, I sent a glare towards Carol as I heard her call out a sorry. Taking a deep breath, I turned back towards the gate and ran the rest of the way, shooting at a couple of walkers that were getting too close to me. Dropping my gun when I reached the gate, I ran towards it and kicked back one of the walkers reaching for me before quickly putting the clips in place.

Feeling the adrenaline running through me, I quickly turned around and grabbed my discarded gun and began shooting at the walkers that were gaining on me. Running over to the tower right beside me, I quickly opened the door and shot the walker inside before going in and climbing up. "Light it up," I heard a shout just as I reached the top of the tower and had stepped out onto the little landing that went around it. I placed my hand gun back in the waist band of my jeans as the sound of gunshots filled the air while I pulled the rifle over my shoulder that Dad had handed to me. Placing the butt of the rifle to my shoulder, I began shooting along with the others.

When the last walker fell, I looked around to where our group was stationed, the biggest smile on my face for the first time in a while. "Yeah," I shouted out as I raised my fist into the air. Placing the rifle back over my shoulder, I made my way back down to the ground and walked out of the tower. Putting it against the wall, I smiled when I saw the others walking out of the small holding area for cars. When I spotted Dad walking out with Carl and Daryl on either side of him, I couldn't help but run to him and jump into his arms. "We did it," I said laughing as Dad held on tightly to me while I wrapped my legs around him like I did when I was younger.

DARYL'S POV

"Good job," Rick said as he lowered his daughter back to her feet while she beamed up at him, a smile I don't remember seeing all that often on her face after Amy was bit. I used to see it all the time back near Atlanta when she would be around Glenn and Amy. "Good job Kat," I said placing my hand on her shoulder when she turned her bright smile my way and nodded before wrapping her little brother in a tight hug. "We haven't had this much space since we left the farm," Carol said from beside me as she walked by. I glanced at Carol for a second before my attention went back to Kathryn and her brother just as she was handing Rick her gun. "Not it," she said to Carl as she pushed him away before laughing at his reaction as she ran, him following behind her as she screamed out. This was definitely the place we needed, a place where we could relax and enjoy living again and seeing Kathryn and her brother at that moment, I was glad we found it.

Who else saw the premiere last night? That ending is going to bug me until next Sunday cause I wanna know who blew the horn!
- Kenz