Shattered

Chapter Twenty-One: Fear

      By morning rain covered the prison. It washed away some of the smell luckily. While everyone was doing things inside. Daryl was in the watch tower and I was quietly singing in the rain. I didn't see the point in being inside when we finally got some rain. Maggie jumped on my back laughing. "Why aren't you with Daryl?" I looked up at the tower and caught him looking down at me. I smiled and hid my blush. "I don't know. Why aren't you with Glenn?" She was about to answer me when Daryl shouted. I ran inside and grabbed my gun. I ran back out and Carl opened the gate for a few of us to go through. I grabbed my gun with the silencer and started shooting at the walkers near the gate. "Grace come with me!" I followed Rick down and pushed the gate back up. I pulled out my knife and started killing as many walkers as I could. Maggie came running down with a metal rod and helped us try and get them off the gate. "I've got an idea. Maggie stay with Rick." I whistled for Nelly and she met me at the gate. Carol opened it and let me through. I cut my hand and wiped it across my bat. I got as close as I could to some of the walkers. They turned towards the smell of fresh blood and followed me. I rode down into the woods and made it to the road. A whole horde of them were up behind me. Nelly started getting nervous and tried throwing me off. We went down the road and had to go back in the woods on the other side when we saw more walkers in front.

        I looked down at the cliff next to us and got nervous remembering what happened to Daryl. I smelled something rotting and saw a dead deer. It's insides were dragged through the woods going down to the road. I looked behind me and saw the walkers turn their heads towards me. Cussing under my breath I led them farther away from the prison. Nelly came face to face with a walker and managed to throw me off. She ran the other way leaving me with the horde. I looked below me and couldn't see the bottom of the cliff. I took a chance and slid down it until I could get a grip of the rocks. I looked up and saw a few walkers falling off the edge. I held myself tight against the cliff when they fell past me. I kept moving down and across to see if I could get a good look at the bottom. I was looking at the rock below me when a walker hit my shoulder hard enough to knock me off balance. I threw my arm back up trying to get a grip on a small ledge but it crumbled at my touch. I let out a small scream when I fell.

         I slowly came to and looked around me. Someone stood above me and poured water on my face. I looked up and saw Mary. She smiled down at me and grabbed my hand. "You're supposed to be the strong one Gracie!" "Shut up." "Hey! Don't talk to my woman like that." I smiled at Merle and reached up to him. "You're an ass Merle." "You love me. Now what are we going to do about getting you back to my brother?" I looked over at Mary and gave her a small smile. She let go of my hand and ran the other way. "Get up Grace. You're better than this. I really don't want to kick you back up off your lazy ass." "I'm starting to like you two better dead." I closed my eyes lightly but when I opened them he was gone.

        I woke up to three walkers coming near me. I moved back and grabbed my gun but decided against it. If that horde hears me I'm fucked. I pulled my knife out of the holder and held in a scream. I pulled it out and saw the blood covering it. I stabbed the walker closest to me and fell down with it. The next one landed on me and had its jaw flopping everywhere. I plunged my knife into it's temple and pushed it off. I stabbed the other through the back of the head and went back over to the side of the cliff. I grabbed the side of it and cringed. Looking down I saw two of my fingers were broken. I leaned against the side of the rocks and started walking away from where I fell. I came to the tree line and looked around. I moved through the woods occasionally leaning against a tree trying to rest my wounded leg.

       When I came to a clearing there was a small cabin and three horses outside. I pulled out my gun and slowly made my way up to the door. I looked through the window and saw someone on the couch. I opened the door but they didn't move. When I walked up I saw one dead on the couch and two of them were killed execution style. I heard a snap and looked out the open door. There was a black figure standing in the pouring rain. I walked out of the cabin and went towards it with my finger on the trigger. He looked up from the ground and saw me. He turned and ran in the other direction. I grabbed a horse and took off after it. I ignored the branched hitting my cold face and tried to keep my eye on the figure. I hit the road and it was gone. Laying down the road there was a black jacket. I looked around in the cold dark air searching for anyone or anything. I didn't hear a sound except for the horses hooves against the black road. I held my head when it started feeling fuzzy. I went to grasp my leg and felt something in my pocket. I pulled it out and found my sister's rosary. Everything stopped and I was terrified to be on my own. I ditched the horse half way back and ran the rest of the way clutching the rosary. I yelled for Rick and he opened the gate. Carl opened the next one and I ran into Daryl. I fell to my knees crying. "Im so scared Daryl.." I fell into a world of darkness and felt even more afraid.

      *Daryl*

     "Get her inside." I nodded and picked her up. A rosary fell from her hand but I ignored it. I was almost inside when Glenn's voice stopped me. "Isn't this Mary's? I thought we buried her with it." We all exchanged a look and Rick told him to go to the guard tower to keep watch. Hershel came to our aid and laid her in a cell. I pushed everyone out and took off her pants so we could see her leg. Her words were stuck in my head. She never once showed a sign of fear and now she admits it to me. It made me wonder what she saw out there that shook her up so much. I know walkers have been freaking her out lately but this is something else. I sat at the door watching her jerk from time to time. Hershel said she must be having a nightmare brought on my pain making me worry more. I didn't want to be here watching this but she was there for me its the least I could do. I jumped when someone cleared their throat and I saw Carol. "She'll be fine Daryl. She's strong like that." She handed me a plate and I barely mumbled a thanks. No one needs to tell me she'll be fine. I know she will be...