Barely Surviving // TWD // Daryl Dixon #Wattys2016

Chapter XXIX -- War Just Begins

"Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow.

Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like."

― Lao Tzu

"Want to go inside?" I asked Carl with a smile. "I still haven't carried your little sister, come on."

We turned around and were walking back inside when I heard a piercing, loud scream. I didn't think about it, I just step in front of Carl, shielding him with my body, as I tried to get us somewhere safe, but the closest I found to safety was a garbage container. I hid behind it and ordered Carl to stay down.

I heard several gunshots, they seemed endless. I tried to look around, to check that my friends and family were okay but I couldn't see anyone for a long time. I leant my back against the container and hugged Carl tightly, who was terrified.

Then everything went quiet, after what felt like an eternity the gunshots just stopped, it seemed almost bizarre. Several quiet seconds passed but I didn't dare to move, actually I couldn't.

But then I heard Maggie screaming her sister's name and then mine. She threw a rifle at me just before I heard gunshots again. Carl caught the rifle and handed it to me quickly and I finally got back to my senses. I switched positions, being on my knees now. I tried to see without exposing my head too much and saw some men, I started shooting, I wasn't sure if I had shot them or not, but I was trying. I moved a bit to the left and pointed at a man, unfortunately the Governor wasn't in my range, I pulled the trigger and about a second later the man fell down on the ground, just before I hid my body again.

Then once again everything went quiet except for the sound of a car driving to us. At first I freaked out, thinking Glenn was coming back, all I could do was hope he could notice what was happening before he was shot.

Fortunately, it wasn't him but unfortunately, it was them. A van was driving very fast towards us. I started to shoot at it but the van just kept coming, going right through the gates, ripping them out. The van stopped on the grassy area, only a few metres away from the actual prison. Then I saw the back gate of the van just fell to the ground, becoming some kind of ramp and the next thing I knew was that at least two dozen and a half of walkers came out of that van.

Two men, all dressed in black, jumped out of it and started shooting as they ran away, I risked myself a bit by crawling a bit further to the right so I could have a better angle to shoot at least one of them. I shut everything else out and just focused on one of the men as he tried to get away, I pulled the trigger, I didn't shoot him at first but I eventually did, the man fell to the ground and soon two walkers got to him. I couldn't see the other man. The rest of the Governor's men, who were on the other side of the fence, were just getting back inside their car, so I concentrated on the walkers instead.

'Wait, wasn't Hershel out there? And Rick?' I thought and as I did, I saw Hershel getting up and shooting one of the walkers.

All of us got out from our hiding places and ran to the grassy area to kill the walkers and save Hershel. I ran closer to the old man, I was determined to save him. I killed about five as I made my way to him, I also noticed Michonne was running to him, beheading several walkers in the process, she got to him at the same time as Glenn... wait, Glenn? When did he get back? Anyway, they took the old man inside the pick-up, at least they were safe now.

I slowed down, and saw Rick on the other side of the fence, struggling with at least two walkers. I ran to him, trying to help him but five or so walkers cornered me. I shot two that were in front of me, I pulled the trigger to shoot the rest but nothing happened, I pulled it again in desperation and nothing again. I cursed out loud as I gripped the weapon tightly and hit one walker in the head with it, it was too heavy and I was going to get tired soon, so I threw it to the ground and grabbed my knife, killing the other two but by now there were more walkers coming to me.