My Secrets In The Apocalypse

Chapter 26

Riley sat there for a while, picking at a candy bar and enjoying the fact that they were in no hurry to leave. She looked up when she heard someone coming toward her, smiling when she saw Beth standing there.
"What's up?" Riley asked curiously.
"Do you have a clean shirt I could borrow? We're about the same size, so I figured I'd ask you first," she said looking down at her shirt that was stained with something brown and crusty looking.
"I don't, sorry," Riley replied, glancing down at her own shirt that was splattered with dirt and blood.
"Oh," Beth sighed.
"I have an idea," Riley said, standing quickly. "I'll be back."

She grabbed her hatchet and gun, slipping them into their usual places, and walked over toward Daryl, Rick, T-dog and Glenn.
"Rick," she said catching their attention.
"Yea?" he asked looking at her warily.
"We need to do a run," she said.
"What the hell for?" Daryl asked, obviously not happy with the idea.
"Clothes," she said firmly. "There's a few shops just down the road from here, I can take a small group, grab what we need and get back quick," she said.
"Now, wait just a minute," Rick said holding a hand up.
"It's getting colder Rick," she said, not backing down. "We need warmer clothes, thicker blankets. We might even be able to find some baby clothes," she added hopefully.
"She isn't wrong," Glenn said.
"Would be nice to have some thicker sleeves on when we're runnin around out there," T-dog said looking at Rick.
Rick glanced around at everyone, his eyes landing on Daryl. He raised his eyebrow in question and Daryl nodded in response.
"Alright," he sighed.

They had decided that Riley, Daryl and T-dog were going on the run, and Rick and Glenn were staying behind to keep watch over the rest of the group. Riley grabbed a handful of plastic bags from behind the counter before they headed out so they would be able to carry back clothes for the rest of the group.
Riley held her hatchet at the ready as she lead Daryl and T-dog down the abandoned street. They rounded the corner, keeping close to the buildings as they crept down the street quickly.
Riley stopped in front of the first store, glancing over at Daryl and T-dog who were watching her back, before knocking on the door. They waited a moment before heading inside.

They quickly made their way around the store looking for anything they needed. It was a thrift store, so there was a pretty unique variety of things to choose from. Riley went to the women's clothes, grabbing a few long sleeve shirts and jeans that would fit her and Beth. She moved along, getting clothes for Maggi and Carol. She came across a small rack of maternity clothes, but they were all summer clothes, mostly thin shirts with no sleeves and shorts. She did find a pair of maternity jeans that she thought might fit Lori and stuffed them into a bag before moving on. She grabbed a few jackets that looked pretty warm and some extra large t-shirts for Lori to accommodate her growing belly. She looked through the rest of the store for blankets or baby clothes, but couldn't find any.
When she was done she went back to the front of the store where T-dog was waiting. He had on a new jacket and had a few bags of clothes for the other guys. They both turned when they heard Daryl coming up behind them, Riley quickly covered her mouth to stifle her giggles. Daryl was wearing a tan poncho that was decorated with a colorful triangle pattern.
"You got something to say?" he asked her as he handed her a few more bags of clothes.
"That's a very sexy poncho," she said with a laugh.
"Damn right it is," he said readying his crossbow.
"Let's get back," T-dog said shaking his head at them.

Riley hooked the bags on her arms, holding her hatchet firmly as they slipped out of the store quietly. T-dog was leading the way down the quiet streets to their convenience store. They all froze when they heard moaning in the distance and quickly ducked into an alley between two tall buildings. They pressed themselves against the wall as Daryl looked around the corner.
"Walkers?" he mumbled. "A lot of em."
"Which way?" T-dog asked.
"Behind us. We need to move quick," he said.
They left the alley, the three of them running back to their store as fast as they could. Riley felt panic rising as the moaning turned to hungry growls when the walkers caught sight of them. They picked up speed as they neared the store, Riley feeling some relief when Rick and Glenn pulled the doors open for them. The three sprinted into the store, Rick and Glenn quickly pushing the doors shut and locking them. A moment later the sounds of walkers slamming against the glass echoed through the store.