Darker Skies *The Walking Dead*

Chapter 8

A lot had happened in just two months. People were still getting over being sick. Carol left a few weeks ago and hasn't been back, Skylar doesn't know why. Rick was keeping her updated with whatever was happening while she heard rumors on the side. Carl was avoiding her, not even looking at her if they passed by each other. It was like she wasn't real and Skylar would believe that if she wasn't so proud of herself.

Skylar made progress at the prison. She still woke up every hour from the nightmares, she was still almost always on edge, and she missed her parents. But she made a new friend in the blonde girl, Beth. Inbetween Skylar helping with the crops and animals and taking care of Judith, they would sit in Beth's cell talking and brushing each other's hair. Beth said she loved Skylar's curls and was jealous, but Skylar laughed and said she was jealous of her straight hair.

Skylar was taking care of Judith while Beth helped her sister, Maggie, with something. The two were sitting on the cafeteria floor on a blanket. Judith was sitting up and throwing toys around while Skylar made raspberries to keep the baby laughing.

"Judith, you're a little warrior." Skylar stopped her noises to whisper. The young girl looked at Skylar, sucking on her fingers. "You're going to grow up big and strong, just like your daddy and brother. You'll live through this stupid world and start your own family."

"Givin' a speech to someone who can't understand you?" Daryl's voice made Skylar grab at her heart. The only time she was a little less aware of her surroundings was when all her attention was on Judith.

"You scared me!"

"That's what you get for punching me." Daryl ignored her comment about it being two months ago. "How's my little ass kicker?"

"Ass kicker?" Skylar raised an eyebrow at the ridiculous nickname.

"Yeah, it's what I named her," Daryl said. "Bet you couldn't come up with something better."

"I think that Judith is a perfect name," Skylar said. She knew Carl named her and that's kind of why she liked it so much, but she didn't want to admit that out loud.

"Girls and their girly names," Daryl mumbled and Skylar laughed sharply. The more she had been around Daryl, the more her mood changed to be a little snarky. Two months around him was enough for her to gain a little bit of his personality.

"Anyways, Rick wanted to know if you've seen Michonne or Hershel anywhere."

"Nope. But I heard they were out looking for things." Skylar let her attitude drop to answer the question.

"That's what he thought, but they've been out for a couple hours. It usually only takes at most one hour." Daryl pondered. "Well, keep an eye out." Then he left. Skylar went back to playing with Judith. Beth and Maggie came in just as he left.

"Was she good for you?" Beth asked.

"Yeah, just like always." Skylar made some space for the two girls to join her on the blanket. The three of them sat around Judith, each taking turns just playing with her.

"Have you guys seen Hershel?" Skylar figured they'd be the first ones to know if he was back from wherever.

"No, I haven't," Maggie said and Beth agreed. Skylar was just about to tell them what Daryl said when Carl burst through the door, out of breath and a little sweaty.

"The Governor." It was all he needed to say for Maggie and Beth to spring into action. It took a second for Skylar to remember who he was and chased after them outside and to a fence. The wire separated them from the large field Rick stood in. Then there was a fence between Rick and a convoy of trucks and a tank. Yes, a tank.

More people ran out of the prison to a few barrels that were full of guns, then handed out whatever they could grab to give to the others. Skylar was handed a rifle, but not the one she had when Rick found her. She stood between Beth and Daryl, the barrel resting on the wire fence so she could have better aim.

Skylar's scope allowed her to zoom in on the people who stood outside Rick's fence. There was at least one person in the driver seat of each car, ready to plow through; plenty of people standing next to the cars with guns pointed down but ready to be lifted at any moment; but not enough to outnumber the prison members. Except they did have a tank. She kept her eye on them when she noticed a man with an eyepatch walk from behind the tank. As he did, two people were brought forth and pushed to their knees; Michonne and Hershel. Skylar lifted her head away from the gun, she didn't understand what was happening. Who were these people and why did they have Michonne and Hershel?

"That's the Governor," Beth whispered to Skylar as if reading her friend's mind. She remembered that Patrick never mentioned him being dead, she just assumed it. But obviously he is not dead, and thinking of how he treated people and what he found fun made Skylar grip her gun tighter. No wonder her dad didn't want to risk running into people.

Skylar couldn't hear much of the conversation but she could tell it wasn't going to end well. She heard Rick tell the man that he and his group could stay at the prison, even if it is on separate sides. As Rick spoke, the Governor pulled out Michonne's sword and walked to Hershel. He put the blade to Hershel's neck and Skylar could tell everyone had stopped breathing. There was no way this man would chop off the head of an innocent person?

Rick was pleading now. He pleaded for his two friends to be safe, he just wanted them to move on from their past. But the Governor wasn't having it. And he suddenly, swiftly sliced through Hershel's throat.

Everything went in slow motion for Skylar. She could only hear Beth and Maggie screaming and gunshots coming from opposing sides. The tank roared to life and rolled through the fence, allowing the convoy of cars to come right on in. Skylar had never seen something like this before. She had been in plenty of fights with zombies, but having to gun down a person? She couldn't move. She couldn't shoot. She was frozen. Just like with Patrick.

Daryl noticed the young girl wasn't moving and he grabbed her arm. She didn't resist him. She followed, not caring where Daryl was going to take her, just as long as it was safety. The tank fired at the prison and Daryl made her pulled on her harder and was shouting. Rubble was raining from the blasts, dirt was kicked up from bullets chasing their legs, and people were screaming. Skylar's vision was blurred from the adrenaline in her body going haywire. As she prayed to not be killed, there was a loud bang and she was flung multiple feet from where she and Daryl were headed.

Skylar's body hit the ground with a thud, her head full of ringing, the loud bangs and screams now muffled noises. She was dizzy so dizzy and watching the feet run by made her feel disorientated. The setting sun was also hurting her eyes and something was seeping into her green orbs.

Skylar felt someone grab her arm and pull her up, but when she got on her feet a sharp pain ran up from her ankle to her whole body and she was falling again. Whoever had grabbed her cursed and threw her over his shoulder, fireman style. Her kidnapper ran as fast as he could, but the bouncing made Skylar feel even worse.

Gunshots were flying by and Skylar just wished one would hit her so she didn't have to go through the pain. But whoever had her soon stopped and put her down on the ground. She was leaning against a wall now, hidden in the shadows. She tried to look at whoever brought her here, but she still couldn't focus and keeping her eyes open was only getting harder. The human said something she didn't catch and left just like that.

Skylar was alone except for the darkness that was consuming her. The horrible darkness that had been following her since she had to leave the house she was raised in had caught up to her. She was too weak to fight off the feeling of floating and falling. Skylar was going under and her last thought was if it felt like this for her parents.