OUTLIVE.
❝The dead were never the enemy.
It was the living. ❞
THE WALKING DEAD.
DARYL DIXON.
BOOK TWO of the LANCASTER SAGA.
[ SEASONS 4 - 6 ]
*****
*I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters. I simply write to write. Astrid, any addi...
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[ xlviii. taunted with emptiness ]
august 13th, 2012
➸➸➸
"OPEN THE GATE! HURRY!"
Astrid's ears were overwhelmed by a crescendo of snarls from the walkers and the erratic drumming of her heart. Her quivering legs threatened to buckle beneath her. Her stomach clenched in agonizing knots, and her lungs gasped for air that seemed nonexistent in the ensuing, suffocating pandemonium.
In the distance, the Alexandria Safe Zone's gates were a tantalizing promise. A lone sentry, Deanna Monroe stood atop the entrance's lookout post, her face a mask of horror, witnessing the madness that Astrid and Rick had brought charging after them.
Glancing back at the nightmarish procession she had become dreadfully accustomed to, Astrid could not fathom the shock that awaited the Alexandrians as a horde of a thousand walkers shuffled toward their haven. It was all her doing—the consequence of that damned RV she and Rick had been forced to abandon.
Bounding past a straggling walker, Astrid's heart raced as Alexandria's gates began to creak open. Safety awaited just beyond. Astrid summoned the last vestiges of her strength and propelled herself forward in a final sprint. Within moments, she hurtled through the yawning gates, stumbling, then finding herself ungracefully landing in Michonne's waiting arms.
Rick barreled through the gates hot on her heels, and with a thunderous clang, the gates sealed shut again, barricading them from the herd. Outside, the walkers clamored loudly against the rusted walls as they slammed full force against them, their fists and growls reverberating through the metal confines.
Unable to support herself, Astrid still leaned heavily against Michonne, her body aching. "Are you alright?" The latter woman questioned, tightening her hold protectively.
"Not really," Astrid confessed, breathless and on the verge of collapse. Her legs threatened to betray her at any moment. She clung to Michonne's forearms, her vision swimming with spots, feeling more drained than she had in years.
"Astrid!"
Turning within Michonne's embrace, Astrid steadied herself and was quickly greeted by the sight of a small figure hurtling toward her. Bailey Stratton collided against her side, and though she longed to scoop the girl up, her arms felt as feeble as wet noodles. So, they settled for this—until Bailey pulled away, fresh panic flickering across her features.
"Where's Daryl?" The young girl asked.
Astrid's stomach plummeted then. Scanning the immediate vicinity over the top of Bailey's head, Astrid strained to locate her husband, who was nowhere to be found. Supposedly, he had already been heading back to Alexandria, forsaking Sasha and Abraham in the process. But now, he had clearly not made it.
