Finding Sophia (The Walking Dead Fanfiction)

Thirty-Eight: Reunited With Death

It's been so long since we actually watched someone we care about die. It terrified me when Daryl came back, with this kid called Noah. Of course, I was upset with him leaving like that, but he told me they took Carol. They told me they had Beth. Two of the only people I cared about left, two of the people who actually let me talk to someone.

So we followed them. Sasha wasn't doing too well after Bob, and last night with the execution, but neither was I. No one was. Daryl must've noticed something was off, because on the way there, he kept glancing over at me.

It was only me, Sasha, Tyreese, Rick, Daryl, and the new kid, Noah. Michonne was staying with the others and the kids, to make sure Gabriel didn't do anything and that Judith was kept safe. Maggie and Glennw ould keep watch outside in case something went wrong.

"You sure this is a good idea, Andie?" Sasha asked me, her gun resting on her hip. She keeps glancing over at the "prisoners", otherwise known as the staff of ther hospital, whom we were planning on trading for our own. We had four, which should be more than enough for a trade.

I hated talking like that. Like these people were items. But they took our people, so until then, they were objects to get our own back.

It was nice to think that finally, we would find some peace. We'd be with Beth again, and we'd be safe. I know that's a long shot. It's a long shot that I'm still hoping Sophia's alive. She's probably still in the prison...but I can't think like that.

"I'm not sure about anything anymore." I tell her. No more what ifs. "But I trust Daryl and your brother's judgement."

"Over Rick's?"

"He has a good fallback plan." I say, "This way is safe. We'll be safer." I load the assault rifle in my arms and look out the window at the walkers sauntering around out there.

"You used to call them geeks, right?" She asks, changing the subject.

I look over at her, "Yeah. Why?"

"Why?" She asks.

"First one I killed was a geek. Headphones and a Star Wars t-shirt. Whole nine yards." She chuckles a little, but that look of despair comes back on her face, and I tell her, "Listen, Sash, I'm really sorry about Bob...he didn't deserve it."

She looks at me like she wants to pop off for a moment, but then says, calming down, "Thanks. I...I appreciate it." She pauses a second, "You were a member of Woodbury?"

"One of the founders, sadly." I tell her, adjusting the gun, and say, "It really sucked being there, but I was safe. Until...until I left."

"Tyreese and I were members for about a week. Then he killed everyone who fought the prison and we left." She tells me. "It was fine at first...but he...wasn't sane."

I'm about to respond when Daryl calls out, "Andie!" 

"Coming!" I call out. I pass a sympathetic smile to Sasha who nods slightly, returning the smile. "What's up?" I ask Daryl.

"You feelin' up for this?" He asks me, glancing down at my leg.

"Daryl, that was a month ago. I'm fine." I assure him. "I'm fine." He doesn't look convinced, but he simply nods. "Don't worry about me. Let's just focus on getting in and out, and then..." I lose my words, "Hopefully to somewhere..."

"Safer?" He offers.

"Better." I nod. "Somewhere...better." I look over to Rick and Tyreese, and see them talking, probably about the plan, the guards tied to their posts. I scratch my wrist and sigh.

"We'll find it." He promises. I offer the biggest smile I can, which isn't saying much, and I look back to Sasha, only to find her gone, along with the other guard.

"Crap." I mutter, "Where'd she go?" As if on cue, we hear the thud of something - or someone - falling to the ground. After a string of profanities leave Daryl's mouth, we run into the room, finding Sasha knocked out of the floor and her gun next to her, with no sign of that guard. 

After she wakes up, Rick says, "We do this now. Let's hope we still have the upper hand." I nod, agreeing. I glance over to Daryl, who has his poker face on, like always, and then to Sasha, who keeps looking away. Something happened with her and that guard.

Walking inside, being led by one of the guards who feared for her life more than anything else, we saw our people already being held with the guard we captured, and a woman who simply radiated authority.

"Sophia." I mutter. She had a patch over her right ear, scratches all over her body, and her arm was in a sling, but it was her. 

It was Sophia. Carol was in a wheelchair, and by what Daryl told me, she'd been hit by a car, and Beth had two cuts on her face, almost like someone had slapped her. Sophia hugged me tightly with her good arm, and I couldn't believe it. She was alive. We passed on everyone without a problem, but suddenly, Dawn, the lady in charge, wanted Noah back, like he was a piece of property for her to own. 

"No." I tell her. "He's not going back with you." I take a step forward, but Sophia holds onto my arm.

"It's fine, Andie." He says, his eyes shifting from me to Beth, who looked about as angry as I did. Before anyone can say anything else, Beth walks over to Dawn and mutters something before planting the scissors in her chest.

That's when the gun goes off, and Beth falls to the ground. Before I can react, before anyone can do anything, I pull out my gun and kill her, shooting her right through the eyes. Tears threaten to leave my eyes, but I won't. Not now. I look to the group, to Sophia, and to everyone, waiting for someone to say anything. On everyone, all I see is surprise, fear of what will happen next. 

Daryl picks her up, the limp dead body of Beth and I feel a tear finally slide down my cheek. Looking to the other side, I turn away, leaving them behind.

Watching Beth die, I was finally reunited with the idea of death, the idea that there was some form of hell in this world beyond people or the walkers. There was nothing we could do to stop it: death is inevitable.

Watching Maggie cry was the hardest part of it all. Watching Glenn hold her so she wouldn't fall to the ground and give up on everything hurt more than words could describe. Watching Sophia curl our fingers together, watching her watch her wheelchair-bound mother being pushed by Rick, everything hurt. Everyone I know and love...they were going to succumb to the inevitability of death.