Fight The Dead, Fear The Living (Rick Grimes)

Chapter 15

We've been on the road for a good few days, sleeping in cars and going on runs for food everyday isn't my ideal everyday routine. We have been driving with low gas for ages but the car never seems to break down which I am thankful for but it could any second now. Just driving was boring, especially when you have Carl saying how bored he is every so often.

Lori was in the same car and she seemed to be grieving about Shane's death though I don't understand why, all they had was a fling as I had been told previously by Shane. It made me wonder if anyone who I knew properly before all this was alive, they weren't strong but I wasn't either and look at me now, I class myself as a world champion walker killer. Well since I have tried to get over the gore.

We were told to get out of the cars as one had broken down.

"I killed Shane. He came at me. He killed Randall to get me into the woods. He planned it. I had-I had no choice. I gave him every chance And he kept leading me further out. He pushed me, and I let him. And after awhile, I knew I knew what he was doing, what he was up to. And I kept going. I didn't stop. I could have, but I just wanted it over. Dogging me every step of the way. Acting like I stole you and Carl, like-like I was in the way. I just wanted it over. I wanted him dead. I killed him. He turned. That's how I knew Jenner, Jenner was right. Carl put him down." Rick confessed to everybody.

"We're not safe with him Keeping something like that from us."

"Why do you need him? He's just gonna pull you down." People were commenting rude things about Rick.

"No. Rick's done all right by me." I said, he looked up at me, with a confused face.

 "Rick killed Shane! Are you not listening? He killed your boy-" I cut them off before they could say the rest of the word.

"Shane went behind my back, he even tried to hit me once. But I am not going to lie and say I am happy he's dead. Because I'm not, I am coping with it like the rest of you. But Shane, he did unspeakable things and non of you knew because if I told you, you'd all be scared of him." I finished, not wanting to say more.

"But-" I cut them off again.

"What do you want? A man of honor? Rick has honor. So I think we should take our chances." I said.

"Don't be foolish. There's no food, no fuel, no ammo." Carol started.

"That's Rick's fault?" I asked.

I heard a noise from the woods, I turned and saw nothing there.

"We need to go." Lori said.

"No one is going anywhere." Rick demanded.

"Do something." People were starting to panic.

"I am doing something! I'm keeping this group together, alive. I've been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn't ask for this. I killed my best friend for you people, for Christ's sake! You saw what he was like, how he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us. He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice. He was my friend, but he came after me. My hands are clean. Maybe you people are better off without me. Go ahead. I say there's a place for us, but maybe, maybe it's just another pipe dream. Maybe-maybe I'm fooling myself again. Why don't you go and find out yourself? Send me a postcard. Go on, there's the door. You can do better? Let's see how far you get." Rick challenged them, nobody moved an inch, showing Rick how they felt.

"No takers? Fine. But get one thing straight you're staying. This isn't a democracy anymore." He finished.

"We walk from here." Rick said, Lori looked worn out and tired, she was a pretty much finished with the pregnancy by now, her stomach was huge. We started walking and Carol was supporting Lori.  As we walked through the forest, I got an eerie feeling - like something wasn't right. It was too quiet in the woods.

We ignored the silence and kept walking in a direction, hoping to find something. I started to hear the familiar groans of walkers, they sounded close by as well. I started to slow down a little, they might just jump out from anywhere and I didn't exactly want to be a cannibals meal today.

--

We have been on the road for days and nothing really happened, it was just a constant rotation of walking and stopping for rest. It took us a while, walking through the woods but we eventually came aross a clearance in the trees, where a large concrete building stood with metal fences surrounding it which gave a sense of security. A prison where we could settle down for good and be safe. But, the only problem with this place is that there were walkers surrounding the whole place, in the courtyard to be exact. This place may be a prison, but it seemed secure enough for anybody to live in these days. I looked around and saw everybody looking at the building with hopeful looks. I looked towards Rick to see he had already been looking at me.

I looked down and blushed as he started to speak to the group.

"If we can shut that gate, prevent more from filling the yard, we can pick off these walkers. We'll take the field by tonight."

"So how do we shut the gate?" I asked.

"I'll do it. You guys cover me." Glenn said.

"No. It's a suicide run." Maggie said, if nobody realised, they are together now, cute couple.

"I'm the fastest." Glenn tried convincing her again but Rick denied.

"No, you, Maggie, and Beth draw as many as you can over there. Pop 'em through the fence. Daryl, go back to the other tower. Carol, you've become a pretty good shot. Take your time. We don't have a lot of ammo to waste. Hershel, you and Carl take this tower." Rick started explaining.

"All right." Carl agreed.

"I'll run for the gate." Rick said, it worried me but I didn't say anything.

 "Come on! - Hey, come here! - Come on! - Hey, come here! Come on! Hey, come on! Come on! Come on!" I started shouting as Lori opened the gate so Rick could run in.

"Hey, come on, over here! Hey, hey, hey! Come on, over here! He did it." Glenn shouted this time.

People in the guard towers were shooting, protecting Rick as he got to the gate, locked in and got in his own guard tower, shooting the rest of the walkers.

"Nice shooting." Rick complimented Carol.

"Yeah." She nodded. I felt a little sick, there were so many bodies I didn't know if I could handle it.

"You okay?" Rick asked as he walked over.

"I haven't felt this good in weeks." I lied, trying to look everywhere but the bodies.

 He could see past my lie but didn't say anything.

 "We haven't had this much space since we left the farm." People were happy with the space we had gotten.

"Tomorrow we'll put all the bodies together. Want to keep them away from that water. Now, if we can dig a canal under the fence, we'll have plenty of fresh water. The soil is good. We could plant some seed. Grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, soybeans." Hershel said as I watched Rick taking the perimeter check for what seemed like the tenth time but it was only the third time round.