A Fresh Start

Chapter 18

I was angry. I grabbed a rod nearby and began taking them all out.

"Come on you sons of bitches!" I shouted.

One after the other, they started to pile up. There were more coming. More than I wanted. I wouldn't be able to take them all out. Not on my own at least. I had to be reasonable about this. I ran to C Block. There was a huge hole from the tank by the entrance. Surprisingly, the door was still there. I quickly made my way inside and closed the door behind me. I made my way further into the cell block and stopped to calm my breathing. I looked around at the place that was once occupied by me and my family. I slowly walked down the block. When I reached Carl's cell, I went inside. It was as if nothing happened. Everything was in the same place. Completely undisturbed. My eye caught sight of the picture Michonne had helped him get when they traveled back to King County. I picked it up and looked at each of their faces. Tears started to shed. I wiped them away, placed the picture back and walked out. I made my way upstairs.

"Daryl?" I said in a soft voice.

"I hope you aren't here," I whispered.

"Daryl!" I shouted.

I waited a few minutes. I went up and down the cell block. He wasn't here. His crossbow was nowhere in sight. He wouldn't have left it behind. I made my way back upstairs and went inside our cell. There was one of the few shirts that he kept, on the top bunk. I took it from the bunk and held it close to me. I placed my rifle on the top bunk and sat on the bottom. Gripping tightly onto Daryl's shirt as if he was right here. Inhaling it, I was able to get the faint smell of cigarette smoke. I began to cry again. This time not bothering to wipe the tears away. My family and I were forced to part ways. I hoped that wherever they were, they were all right. Maybe Daryl had gotten out as well. I hoped that was what he did. That he didn't stay behind to try to make sure that I was okay. No. He wouldn't do that. He knew that I wanted him to keep fighting no matter what. He was alive. I knew he was. And I was going to find him. We would be reunited if it was the last thing I did. I got up, took off my tank top and replaced it with Daryl's shirt. I grabbed my backpack from under the bunk and began to pack clinging tightly to my necklace. I made sure the Raphael key chain was still hooked onto my jeans. It was. Once I had packed everything I needed, I remembered something. I headed out and down the stairs. I reached Carl's cell once more and grabbed the picture of him, Rick and Lori. This was too precious to be left behind. When I reunited with Carl again, I'd give this to him. I needed to find a way to get through the walkers. The rifle and my knife in hand, I made my way out the cell block and toward the entrance. I waited by the door to listen for anything that would indicate a walker was on the other side of the door. There had to be a way to get by them. But how? As I stood by the door and thought, I suddenly remembered something Rick had told me a few weeks back. We were exchanging stories about living in this world one night and he told me about when he and Glenn first met. They had smothered themselves in walker guts and blood to get through a horde of walkers. That was it. I put my backpack on the floor as well as my rifle. I grabbed my knife and held it tightly. I slowly opened to door and looked out. There were no walkers nearby. I would have to venture further away from the door in order to get to one.

"Shit," I whispered.

I wanted there to have been another way. But since there were no walkers in the cell block, I was left without any other choice. I made my way outside and headed toward them. There were a few of them that had seen me. They were now making their way to me. Their arms reaching desperately for their next meal. There was a pile of rubble that divided me from them. I waited for them to come closer. There were three that came my way. My knife at the ready, I plunged my knife into the first one. The second one grabbed hold of my arm but I quickly sunk my knife through its skull and it fell on top of the first one. The third one almost had me but I broke its arm and killed it too. I dragged one of them over the rubble. Some of its body scraping against the broken concrete on the ground. Some of the rotten flesh getting caught in between the gaps. At this time there were others that had taken notice. They started making their way to the steps that lead into C block. I quickly brought the walker in through the door, latching it shut. It didn't take long to hear the groans as they got closer. I was thankful for that pile of rubble out there. That way it wasn't as easy to make it to the door. I cut up the walker and put its blood all over me. Once I was content with the amount, I grabbed my backpack, my rifle and headed outside. I braced myself as I slid the door open, went out and closed the door again. The walkers that were around ignored me as I made my way into the group closest to the cell block. It was working. It was actually working. As I made my way further away from the cell block, the walkers passed me by without a second glance. I passed the tank and headed toward the field. There were no people in sight. The prison belonged to the dead now. I continued walking, making my way into the trees. I came to a sudden stop when I came across a familiar corpse that was on the ground. I knelt down noticing Hershel's head was no longer attached to his body.

"That son of a bitch," I said.

The Governor had severed his head completely. As I took a closer look, I saw that there was a hole in the head. He must have turned. Was that a blade? Michonne? I looked around to see if there was any chance that I could see her. She was smart enough to know not to stick around. I started crying again. Grief suddenly taking over.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry this happened to you, Hershel," I said through my tears.

I sat down and placed my arms on my knees. The walkers were no longer around. Instead, most were among the rubble at the prison.

"I promise that I won't lose hope. You taught me that. You never lost hope. Not even at the end. In your honor, I'll never lose it," I continued.

I placed my hand on his corpse.

"I love you, old man," I said for the last time.

I cried some more. After a few minutes, I picked myself up, wiped away my tears and knew where to head to first. I looked back at the prison. The Governor may have cost me my home, but that asshole would not take away my hope. Nor my will to keep fighting. I turned back around and started walking again. Disappearing into the trees.