Somewhat Safe (The Walking Dead Fanfic)

Chapter 37 - Up And Over

Panic already stirring in our chests we continued to make our makeshift weapons. Trying to lighten the mood and get our minds off things, Abraham decided to start a conversation. "So.... you're Carl?" he asked as he made his way over to us.

"Yeah?" Carl muttered, clearly confused by how this stranger knew his name.

"Oh right," I butted in. "Carl this is Abraham.... my brother."

"Brother?" Carl questioned even more confused now.

"It's a long story,"

"I mean... we aren't going anywhere anytime soon," Abraham said.

"Okay then.... So after the prison got-"

BANG!

I was cut off by what seemed to be some sort of explosion. Everyone was shot backwards by the blast into the wall.

"AHHH SHIT!" I let out a cry of pain as my back slammed against the metal wall. The force was that hard it felt as though a bullet had just been shot into the middle of my back, sending waves of pain through to the rest of my body.

My ears rang from the noise. Tears welling in my eyes as I shut them tightly. I listened harder to hear anything other than the piercing ringing but it filled my ears, giving me a striking headache.

I could feel someone pulling me towards them. My mind began racing in panic. Last time something like this happened Glenn, Bob, Daryl and Rick had been took from us. I began to kick with all my might to get this person off of me. I could feel screams leaving my dry throat but they were inaudible behind the ringing that was still echoing in my ears.

"LEIGH!" Although my name was shouted it came to me as no more than a whisper. "LEIGH! LEIGH! IT'S ME! YOU'RE OKAY! STOP KICKING AND LOOK FOR GODS SAKE! IT'S ME, CARL YOU DUMBO!"

I opened my eyes to see Carl pinning my legs to the ground. Other shouts were echoing around the room getting louder and louder as the ringing quietened. Carl lifted his hands from my ankles, gave one to help me up and used the other to pick up his hat that was laying behind him.

The ringing now silenced I could fully hear the noises surrounding us. Gun shots. Shouts. Screaming. Walkers groaning. All noises that scared me shitless.

"What the hell is going on." Abraham grunted after slamming his fists against the metal doors, breaking the silence inside the cart.

"Someone hit them." Michonne said, looking through the crack in the door.

"Maybe our people got free?" Sasha added.

"Excuse me," Eugene mumbled pushing through the crowd.

"What the hell are you doing?" Rosita questioned as Eugene knelled down to fiddle with something near the door.

"I may be able to use this shell to compromise the door, by the sounds of it there may not be anyone left to open it-" Eugene said in his thick accent.

"Eugene I'm sorry but... shut up." Tara cut him off as he began to start a new sentence. I couldn't help but silently laugh.

"Hey." Carl said moving forward, almost dragging me along with him. "My dads going to be back, they all are."

"They are," Maggie added. "And we all need to be ready to fight our way out when they do."

Without another word we all went back to what we were doing, determination in our movements.

I tuned out at that point. The conversation that continued to happen seemed so far away to me. My mind was still busy racing with every possibility. The only thing I caught on at was they were talking about the cure. Eugene said something about fighting fire with fire, but again, I was off far away in my head.

I was suddenly snapped back when the door burst open. Our eyes met Rick standing at the door with an assault riffle and what must of been 100 walkers surrounding him, all hungry.

"WE'RE HEADING FOR THE FENCE!" Rick yelled before leaving with the door open for us to follow. Carl , excited to see his dad, grabbed my hand and followed everyone out.

And we ran. We killed every walker that crossed our paths with our 'weapons'. Abraham had leant me his belt buckle which I had sharpened to make a very small dagger.

My legs beneath me trembled as I followed the others in blind panic, finding it harder and harder to run as each step tired my feet.

Then, I can't say how it happened as I blacked out in the moment, but i found myself scrambling on the floor with a walker clawing on top of me.

I let out a deafening scream. Everyone else seemed to have disappeared. As I attempted to push the wretched thing away from me a realised my buckle was no longer in my hand. If I wasn't already panicking, i definitely was now.

I felt the floor around me desperately as more and more walkers began to crowd. I didn't find the buckle but a rock found it's way into my hand. With a grunt I swung for it's head, knocking it to the side. I tried to hurry to my feet, but another stray walker grabbed my foot to pull me back down.

My hand was grabbed and I was tugged into the arms of Carl. "Are you okay?" he half yelled as he dragged me back toward the others.

"Fine." I cried back, but I wasn't sure if this was true. As Carl pulled my arm, a sharp shooting pain made itself aware in my shoulder. I tried to look but I couldn't see anything but the blood seeping it's way down my shirt.

My head felt light at the sight, and my mind raced faster than my feet when I realised the possibility. Am I bit? Surely not... I'd remember that... but I don't remember hitting the floor either...

I shook my head as I ran, trying to block it out for now, and we continued to run until we made to a high metal fence.

"Up and over!" Rosita shouted as she was the first to get there.

Abraham volunteered to be a human stepping stool giving everyone a boost up before pulling himself over.

Once everyone was over we took a breather, and I was finally able to check my shoulder.

Good news, I wasn't bit and I found the belt buckle. Bad news, it was lodged into my collar bone.

I let out a sharp hiss as I tried to pull it slightly, attracting attention to myself.

"Shit.." Carl let out, walking closer to my sides "Someone help me here."