Surviving Terminus (BOOK TWO IN THE SURVIVING THE WALKING DEAD SERIES)

Hold On

~BEGIN DREAM~

     I silently sat in a pew, staring up at the cross that sat on the altar. "It's all your fault." A voice echoed throughout the sanctuary. I quickly looked around, but saw no one.

     "LOOK AT ME!" I quickly turned back around, nearly jumping out of my seat as Tara stood right in front of me. Blood poured from her mouth and temple.

     "Tara?" I whimpered.

     "It's all your fault.

     "It's all your fault" I turned to my right and gasped at the sight of Bob, Shane, and Dale standing beside me.

     "It's all your fault." I looked to my left as Andrea, T-Dog, and Hershel walked up to me.

     "Please. Stop." I whimpered as I covered my ears, putting my head between my knees.

     "It's all your fault. It's all your fault. It's all your fault." They all continued.

     "SHUT UP!"

     "It's all your fault, baby girl." I quickly looked up as Merle walked up beside Tara. "It's all your fault."

     "No. Please, Merle, not you too." POP! Merle's blood splattered on my face as he fell to the ground. I looked down at Merle's lifeless body, tears streaming down my face.

     "MERLE!" Footsteps echoed throughout the sanctuary. I looked around at everyone who stared down at me in shame. The footsteps grew louder as a figure stepped out of the shadows.

     "Governor?" I gasped. The Governor walked up to me, pressing the barrel of his gun to my forehead.

     "It's all your fault." POP!

~END DREAM~

     I quickly jolted awake, gasping for air as Glenn and Maggie tried to hold me down through my frantic flailing. "It's alright, it's alright." Maggie softly spoke. "It's okay, calm down. You're alright." I looked up at everyone who stared at me with concern.

     "What happened?" I asked as I caught my breath.

     "Ya fell asleep."

     "Where are we?"

     "We're a few miles away from the orphanage." I gently laid my head back onto Glenn's lap and sighed. "These bad dreams happen often?"

     "Once in awhile."

     "Ya wanna talk about it?" I shook my head. I laid there in silence, thinking about my dream, the guilt of everyone's death. It was eating away at me, it's always ate away at me, I just learned to suppress the thoughts, making me seem like nothing was bothering me. I should've been with Dale that night. I should've stopped Shane myself. I should've fought for the farm. I should've went with Merle. I should've protected Tara. I should've stayed with Bob. I should've killed The Governor sooner. If I was with Dale, he would still be alive. If I fought for the farm, Patricia T-Dog, Hershel, and Andrea would still be alive and Beth wouldn't be missing. If I killed The Governor sooner, he never would've had the chance to kill Merle or Hershel. If I had protected Tara, she'd still be alive. If I had stayed with Bob, Gareth and his ass fuck friends wouldn't've ate his leg and if I was with them at the food pantry, he never would've gotten bit. These thoughts ran through my head almost every day. I vowed to protect my people, and I failed them.