Daryl's Angel (Book One in the Apocalypse Angel Trilogy)

Chapter 35: Starting Over

I limp away from the field, Rick and Carl supporting me on each side. We get to the fence, and I pause to rest. My ankle sends spiderwebs of pain through it, and I grit my teeth.

"Do you still need help?" Rick asks.

"No. I'll try walking. I've dealt with worse," I say, standing slowly.

"What happened to Shane? There weren't any walkers nearby, but he came back. I heard a gunshot," Carl says. "How'd he die?"

Rick and I look at each other.

"Um...well. Carl-" Rick starts.

"Guys...we've got company," I interrupt, pointing.

An absolutely humongous herd of walkers is stumbling towards the farm, groaning and clawing the air.

"Get to the barn, now!" Rick orders.

We take off running. I hobble after them, praying that I can keep up. My foot stings as it makes contact with the ground, but I bear it.

We get inside the barn and Rick closes the doors. The dead pound on it, groaning and growling.

"Hope, Carl, get into the loft," he commands.

We hurry up the ladder. Rick grabs a can of gasoline and starts dousing the whole barn with it. The can emptied, he reaches into his pocket and tosses us a lighter. Carl snags it out of the air.

"When I say, flick it on and drop it." He goes to the door, throwing it open. Walkers stream in, and Rick scrambles up the ladder. "Now!"

Carl drops the lighter, and the barn goes up in flames. The intense smell of burning flesh fills my nose and I gag. The sound of engines roaring comes from nearby and I limp to the window.

"They're coming! Jimmy's in the RV!" I exclaim.

The RV pulls up by the window and we leap onto it. As I land, my legs crumple and I fall forwards. I get up, gritting my teeth. Walkers have surrounded the vehicle, and I hear Jimmy's tortured screams coming from inside.

"You two have got to go!" I scream to my companions.

"We aren't leaving you!" Carl yells.

"Go! I'll be alright," I say, knowing that the chance of that statement being true are getting lower by the second. I pull out my gun and go to the far side of the RV. I shoot into the air three times, screaming, "Hey assholes! Hey! I'm over here!"

The walkers notice me and move to my end. Rick and Carl jump off the roof and run into the woods.

I stay standing on the RV. I hear gunfire and screaming everywhere. Hershel stands in front of his house, shooting walker after walker after walker. I see Beth and Patricia running from the house with Lori in the lead. Walkers swarm Patricia and take her down.

More screams erupt into the night air. I see Carol shouting for help as walkers start to surround her at all sides. T-dog pulls up near the farmhouse in the blue truck, where Lori and Beth climb in and Andrea climbs out, trying to save Carol. A walker comes up behind the blonde, and the two of them go down. Carol runs to the truck, climbing in. The tires squeal as they peel out before too many walkers surround them.

I look at my other surroundings. Flames lick the roof of the barn and they're slowly heading towards the RV. I cough, inhaling smoke. My eyes burn with the heat in the air and I look for anyone who's still at the farm. In the distance, I see Rick, Hershel, and Carl running for a car. I smile weakly.

So this is it. This is where it all ends. I stand rigidly, staring into the wreckage. My gun hangs loosely in my hand, my knife at my side. Tears leak from my eyes; half from the smoke, half from the fact that I know I'm about to die. I close my eyes.