Daring To Feel: A Walking Dead Fan Fiction

Chapter 7: The CDC

Some of their group decided to not come along and the others say goodbye. I keep myself separated from them, waiting in a jeep that's lined up with all the other vehicles. Shane gets in soon after, "riding with me?" he cocks an eyebrow with a smirk.

"I don't have to, I just got in somewhere that was open" I slink a little further down into the seat, ready to leave if he wants to be alone, hand on the door handle.

He starts the jeep, "Just messin' with you. It's all good" he shakes his head a little and we wait to pull forward with everyone else. Smoke begins to pile into the air later into the drive and we all have to pull over. Something from the Winnebago busted and they need to fix it. As they discuss this problem, they also have to deal with Jim. He wants to be left behind, hurting too much to continue on the road after his bite. I stay to the side with the kids, keeping them busy by showing them how to fold a paper airplane, something I used to do as a little kid myself. After everyone, besides myself, has said goodbye to Jim we get back into our cars and drive off towards the CDC. We get there before sun down but it's a disaster zone. Sandbags and dead bodies litter the ground. I get out of the jeep, following closely behind Shane. The smell of the deceased is overwhelming and I begin to cough into my shirt. We all move forward carefully, Shane taking lead with Rick as they cock their guns ready to protect us all that they can if necessary. "Everyone stay quiet, let's go!" Shane whispers the order out. Everyone begins to cough as we move on, flies eating at the bodies.

We get to the doors and the shutters are down. Rick and Shane run ahead but find no way inside. Shane bangs on the door while T-dog speaks up, "there's nobody here."

"Then why are these shutters down?" Rick asks still looking at the doors, eyeing them up and down.

"Walker!" Daryl yells and we all turn to find the danger he called out. A dead man in a military uniform comes at us slowly and people begin to panic. Daryl quickly shoots it in the head and grabs the bow and returns it to its holder m, "you led us to a graveyard!" He turns toward Rick quickly, trying to keep his shout low but he's clearly upset.

"He made a call!" Shane defends Rick's decision to come here.

Daryl gets closer, trying to attack, "it was the wrong damn call!"

"Just shut up! You hear? Shut up. Shut up! Rick, this is a dead end." Shane blocks Daryl from attacking Rick and I step in between him and the 2 friends while they talk things through. Daryl stares past me with anger at Rick.

"Where are we gonna go?" Jacqui asks in a panic.

"Do you hear me?" Shane asks Rick getting close to him, "no blame."

Lori gets closer to her husband with her son, "she's right." She looks around panicked "We can't be here, this close to the city after dark."

"Fort Benning!" I pipe in, remembering that as our other option.

Shane looks at me only for a moment then back to Rick, "it's still an option" he says to his friend with a shrug.

Andrea steps next to me now, "on what? No food, no fuel. That's 100 miles!"

"125. I checked the map" Glenn adds on eyeing around us.

Lori dismisses the idea, "Forget Fort Benning! We need answers tonight, now." she says firmly. Although the reasoning may be true, I can't help but feel angered she shot it down, wondering if it's because I suggested it.

"We'll think of something." Rick tells us as all.

Shane begins to corral the group,Come on, let's go. All right, everybody back to the cars. Let's go. Move."

I step back and listen to Shane's directions but Rick's sudden shout catches all of our attention, "The camera. It moved."

Shane responds first m, "You imagined it."

But Rick doesn't budge, his eyes still up at the camera, "it moved. It moved."

Lori pushes Carl towards me and I grab a hold of him while she keeps her hand on her gun and heads towards her husband. Shane is still trying to explain away what Rick saw, if he saw anything, "Rick, it is dead, man. It's an automated device. It's gears, okay? They're just winding down. Now come on!" Shane and Lori both try to pull at him but he doesn't move away. "Man, just listen to me. Look around this place. It's dead, okay? It's dead. You need to let it go"m!"

Rick gets past his friend and slams on the shutters with his fist

Lori tries her best, "Rick, there's nobody here!"

Rick shouts outs, "I know you're in there. I know you can hear me." Shane continues to try and drag him away with Lori's help

"Everybody get back to the cars now!" Shane turns for a moment to tell us. Daryl leads the way out for us.

Rick's voice keeps us all drawn together, "Please, we're desperate. Please help us. We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left." he talks to the camera as if someone is watching

I try from where I am standing to reason with him, "Rick. There's nobody there!"

He ignores us all and continues, "we have nowhere else to go." He pounds on the door some more, "Keep your eyes open. If you don't let us in, you're killing us! Please!" he pleads to whomever he thinks is behind the doors.

Shane keeps trying, "Come on, buddy, let's go. Let's go."

"Please help us. You're killing us! You're killing us! You're killing us!" He yells as Shane and Lori yell at him. As Rick pleads his stance is weakened and Shane is able to drag him away while he shouts. Shane thrusts him forward and we go to leave when the sound of the shutters opening surrounds us. I turn to the door but the bright light blinds me and I cover my hand to make sure what I'm seeing is actually happening. The door is open and waiting for us to enter.