GRIMES

VII

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The day had struck, and Rick awakened once again. The campfire he made last night burned out to ash.

After staring at the burnt campfire for a few moments, Rick struggled to get himself up and yawned. He had no shelter, and was just laying in the grass near the wilderness of Kentucky.

"Oh man," Rick suddenly exclaimed. He saw footprints that may have belonged to Carl's, it was more human than walker. Rick sprang up to his feet and examined the clues left to him.

Carl purposely left dragging footprints that led into the wilderness, when he was forcefully taken by Sarah and Georgie. Rick knew he had the clues marked, and needed to take his plan into action to save his children.

Rick packed up his medicine, food, water, and weapons inside the orange backpack he held onto way back when. He then had the distinct motive to not go in empty-handed, but to suit up indefinitely.

Rick reopened the orange backpack, and took out his signature weapon he had carried since Atlanta: the Colt Python pistol. Rick loaded it up with bullets, and placed it into his gun-holding belt. Next, he emerged the red-handled machete and placed that into his belt. 

These two were the only deadly weapons he had. "Okay...let's do this," Rick whispered calmly to himself. He then coughed a bit, and staggered into the wilderness, the orange backpack strapped to his back. 

As he was just about to enter into the wilderness, a walker suddenly attacked him! "Fuck this," Rick yelled as he pushed away the growling walker. He then took out the red-handled machete, knowing the gun would only attract more, and lodged the blade inside the walker's head.

As the walker collapsed, Rick couldn't stand the smell. He then remembered his idea of going camouflage. He carefully ripped open the walker's body, and splatted the bloody guts onto him.

Just in the nick of time, the same hoard of walkers that overran the police station yesterday emerged into the wilderness. They were heading northwards, the same marked path that Carl left for his father. Rick knew this was a huge advantage, to follow the hoard on the trail.

He then blended into the herd of walkers, trying not to puke from all of the nasty and rotten smells protruding from the hungry walkers. Rick thought of a way to somehow "lead" the walkers to the right direction. 

Meanwhile at the Scavenger's hideout in the open field, Carl and Judith woke up and noticed Sarah and Georgie talking to the group of fellow Scavengers about heading to Georgia as well.

"We believe that the only way to gain more food is to head south. Our captives even wanted to head south, so we will do the same thing only they won't be so damn lucky," announced Georgie to the Scavengers. 

Carl was scared now, knowing the time was up and his father hadn't arrived to save them still. "Did you really leave those footprints?" asked Judith. He nodded in reply, noticing Sarah and Georgie were slowly approaching them.

"Who wants to be executed first and say your goodbyes to Earth?" asked Sarah. Georgie licked his lips. He pulled out a weapon of his own; a blue-handled hatchet. Carl and Judith's hearts raced.

"No, no, no!" cried out Judith. Carl anticipated for Georgie to raise the hatchet. "Him first because he's a douchebag," exclaimed Georgie as he raised the hatchet to get ready to hack Carl to death. Carl closed his eyes to brace for impact. 

Suddenly, screams were heard. Georgie lowered his hatchet and turned around to find the hoard of walkers attack the Scavengers. They all loaded their rifles, but weren't fast enough to take down the numerous counts of deadly walkers. "Oh fuck," said Sarah. Judith and Carl opened their eyes and saw the walkers.