Survive ( twd carlgrimes)

Chapter 52

MADISON'S POV.

I'm not sure how long I've been stuck in this tree but I do know it's been long enough that more walkers have gathered and joined the herd below me that threatens to knock me from the tree. The walkers have surrounded the tree, shaking it violently.

It's a big sturdy tree so the odds of it falling over is low. So as long as I can stay steady up here I'll be okay. I thought maybe help would've come by now which makes me worry where Abbie is.

I think of anything I could use to kill some of these walkers. I have my bow but I don't want to use my arrows. I don't have enough to take out the herd and I'd never get them back and I need every arrow I can get.

More time passes and I only notice because the sun had lowered slightly and a chilly shadow is casted along the top of the tree.
"Not gonna lie, not my best decision." I admit to myself.

My head is spinning, reminding me, teasing me that I'm barely in control of my own body. I'm weak and that's not something I can admit lightly to myself. I need to change, I need whatever this is gone.

I feel a tickle in my throat and a dull ache in my chest as I try to muffle my coughs in my sleeve but it grows too intense to hide. I cough loudly into my sleeve and feel the tension in my chest deflate. When I pull away from my sleeve I notice blood staining the cotton material. It alarms me how much more I've coughed up than last time.

What happens next frightens me because whether I want to admit it or not I know I can't ignore this problem anymore, it's gotten serious. I lean away from the branch slightly and throw up a short stream of thick, warm redness.

I wipe my chin clean, not surprised by the blood there. The nausea leaves as quickly as it came and I nestle back into the tree, relax slightly and begin thinking of more ways to get out of this tree alive. I lie my head on the bark of the tree and close my eyes.

I think I must have fallen asleep for a few minutes because I wake to the tree shaking again. Everywhere hurts and I want to cry, but I won't allow that. I will never cry. I will be strong. Everythings gonna be fine.
I look around again looking for any source of help. Thats when I look up and see acorns higher up into the tree.
With all the strenght I have I carefully climb up the tree and sit on the branch closest to the acorns. I gather them up and place them all in the bottom of my shirt which I have made into a small pouch. I climb down to the lowest branch so that I am close to the walkers. Some walkers just barely scrape the soles of my shoes.

I let my legs dangle and begin to load my bow with small acorns one by one. Its hard to control them but I manage after some time. I draw back the string of my bow and fire the acorn with so much force that it goes through the walkers head or half ways just enough to damage the brain and kill them. One by one the drop to the ground with a few walkers left to spare. I take out my mothers knife and I lie horizontal on the tree branch. I reach down and stab the walkers in the head. Giving me my chance to escape.

I jump from the tree and run on the route I told Abbie to go on. I run and I don't stop no matter how bad my body tells me to stop. I see small shoeprints left behind in the mud here and there and it reassures me to know that Abbie has gotten this far and she was getting closer to the church. I keep running and I realise that my body isn't able to run. I have slowed to a jog. I slowly feel myself slow down until I am bent over with my hands on my knees, trying to catch my breath. When I look up I see something on the ground. I have to squint to see what it looked like. It looked like a body. A body?

Oh my god... No... No please don't let it be Abbie.

I run fast towards the body and when I reach it I kneel on the ground beside it.
Its a walker. Only a little relief floods through me as I see the bullet in its head.
But what if it got to her before she could get to it.
Fear floods through me.
"ABBIEEEEE!!!" I scream, not caring if the walkers hear me. I run and I don't stop. I decide to take a short cut and run through the trees instead of the path beside them. I run and leap over sticks and branches that poke and stick out in different directions. I see a few walkers here and there but I pay no notice to them. I just. Keep. Running.
I finally see the church from a far away distance and I see everyone outside it with their guns. I think they were about to go out looking for me.
I look for the smallest person there with blondie-brown hair and when I see her I scream her name.
"ABBIE."
"MADDIE?" She yells back looking in all directions as she looks for my voice.
I break out from the hidden view of the trees and into everyone elses view.
When she see's me she runs towards me and leaps into my arms. She hooks her ankles around my waist, keeping a firm grip while hugging me and not letting go.
"Jesus Abbie. You scarred the shit out of me there." I laugh and I feel my shoulders slump in relief.
She doesn't let go of me even when I walk towards Nick to give him a hug.
"Are you okay?" He asks looking at me covered in blood from nearly head to toe.
"Yeah, it's a long story." I laugh, just glad to be back. Abbie hops down and I kiss her forehead. I turn and see Rick. He puts his hand on my shoulder and looks at me. "Madison are you okay?"
"Don't you worry Rick, you can't get rid of me that quick. I think i'll stick around and annoy you guys for a while." I joke.
I turn again to see Carl. I see his shoulders slump in relief and I can't help but run into his arms. Everybody knows anyways so it's not like were hiding anything. He wraps his arms around my waist and mine are around his shoulders. He pushes my lower back gently towards him bringing us closer. His head is in my hair and he whispers into my ear.
"If you die I think i'll kill you."
I laugh at his joke. By smile faulters when he whispers again.
"Seriously you scarred me there. I dont ever want anything to happen to you. I don't know what this is but anything that hurts you makes me want to kill who or whatever hurt you. I swear to you, i'm not gonna let anything happen to you." He pulls away slightly and kisses my cheek, then walks inside with everybody else leaving me speechless.