Impregnable {A Walking Dead Fanfiction}

Forty-Seven

    I saw the walking corpse of what had once been an elderly man, wearing a ripped, blood-stained button-up shirt and angrily trudging through the field toward us, its eyes locked on Mable. I broke into a sprint, my boots digging into the soft dirt below me. "MABLE!" I screamed, desperately trying to force my legs to run faster. She startled and stopped in her tracks, looking up at me in confusion. Carl had seen the walker and rushed to her as well. I finally closed the distance between us Lori following close behind. I picked up Mable before turning and sprinting towards the house. "Maggie, there's a walker in the field!" I called out, finding her on the front porch. "Oh, God..." She breathed. "I need you to watch Mable and warn the others," I said, handing Mable over the porch banisters before turning and sprinting to Rick. 

     I narrowed my eyes as I drew my revolver, searching the tree line as I ran to Rick; seeing three more figures trudging towards him as he kicked the walker off the blade of his knife. Oh God, there's more... The realization stopped me in my tracks just for a moment before I forced myself forward. "Rick!" I called out in an urgent whisper, motioning towards the woods. He stood up and stared into the woods as the walker slumped to the ground next to him. "Oh God..." He breathed. There were more than I'd originally seen, at least six; and much closer than I'd originally expected. "I went back and warned Maggie. It's okay, we can do this," I said, raising my revolver. "No..." Rick said, motioning for me to lower my gun. "We have to do this quietly, we can't..." Rick was interrupted by a walker breaking through the tree line, breaking into a clumsy sprint towards us. I didn't know they could move that quickly.  Rick readied himself, swinging his knife at the walker as it rushed at him, slashing a deep cut into its face as it tackled him. "No!" I yelled, rushing to Rick as they fell to the ground, kicking at the walker. My boot connected with its forehead, sending its head snapping backward while Rick broke free. "Come on, there's too many!" Rick yelled, struggling to his feet. Two more walkers had broken through the tree line, and they were getting too close. We turned to run, Rick wincing and slowing for a moment as he bared down on his right leg. I grabbed his arm to pull him forward as another walker swiped at his back, gripping his shirt and yanking him backward. Rick cried out as he lost his footing again, reaching for his gun's hostler. I sucked in a deep breath before cocking my revolver and firing at the walker as it snapped at Rick's leg. The walker slumped back and moaned, blood spurting from a small wound on its forehead. I took Rick's arm and draped it over my shoulder, helping him slowly jog away as our group approached in the distance. The other walker had been stunned by the gunfire for just a moment, but was now advancing on us again. We just have to make it back to the house, back to the others... Shane and Daryl had broken into a sprint, closing the distance between us. I looked over at my shoulder at the walker trudging behind us, maybe eight feet away. I could see four more not too far behind, some of them advancing more quickly than others. The walker just behind us roared and clawed at the air, angry that it wasn't able to reach us. "There's more in the woods, Hollie..." Rick said, struggling to catch his breath. Daryl aimed his crossbow and sent an arrow whirling throw the air into a walker behind us. "Are you bit?" Shane called out from behind his rifle. "No, don't shoot! There's more in the woods...we can't draw them in!" Rick gasped. Shane sighed, throwing his rifle's strap around his shoulder and drawing his knife before running to help Daryl; Theo, Glenn, and Andrea followed close behind. 

     "Oh, God... What happened? You're not bit, are you?" Lori asked, rushing to us. "I'm fine, just twisted my ankle," Rick said, straightening his posture. I helped him onto the porch, letting him go as he limped to the rocking chair. "I've never seen them this close to the farm," Lori said, crouching down next to Rick. "It doesn't surprise me, especially after all the gunfire at the barn," I said, wiping sweat from my forehead with my shirt before jogging down the steps to help the others. 

    One more walker trudged out of the woods, a small-framed man in a tattered firefighter's uniform. I could see eight bodies slumped in the tall grass throughout the field, it looked like the others hadn't had any problems taking them out. Daryl approached the firefighter and tackled him to the floor, plunging his knife deep into its skull. "My God..." Hershel's voice called out behind us. I turned to see him rushing to us, holding his hip as he walked. "That should be the last of them," Rick said, holding his hand over his eyes as he searched the tree line. "I've never seen them come closer than Haven Street. This isn't good..." Hershel said, covering his mouth with his hand. "We'll start keeping watch. Four people so we can secure the whole property, we'll work in shifts so there's always someone watching. At least until we can figure something out," Rick said. 

    We were all given eight-hour watch shifts and our area of land to protect. I was with the first group, assigned the driveway and north fields from one thirty to nine thirty PM. Shane, Theo, and Dale were given their positions as well, I could see Dale perched on top of his Winnebago staring down the scope of his rifle. Everything was eerily quiet and still, I couldn't help but feel like more were coming. I checked the pocket watch I'd been given just as the last of the sunlight disappeared over the horizon. Eight fifty-four PM, almost time for my hourly rounds. I pulled my revolver from my waistband and popped the chamber, spinning the cylinder and counting the eight bullets, just and I had the hour before beginning my rounds. I crossed the field to the tree line, carefully tracing the line where the field met the woods, listening for anything amongst the rustling branches and foliage. I startled at the sound of leaves crunching in front of me, pointing my revolver at Shane before recognizing him and quickly lowering my weapon. "Anything?" He called out, closing the distance between us. "Nothing," I said, continuing to search the forest, "How did your conversation go with Hershel?" "I mean...it was going well, until we were interrupted at least," He replied. "I guess that's a good sign, I'm surprised he even wanted to talk to you in the first place," I said. "We'll see, I still feel like there's unfinished business."