Survivor (Book #1 of the Survival Series)

Twenty-Two

---Third Person---

Everyone was going about their own business nobody had paid attention to the poor sick girl. They didn't think she knew what she was talking about. Everyone but Rick and Daryl that is.

Rick and Daryl talked about it with Juli and Luke. They decided it was best to be prepared. Rick had wandered off to somewhere else in the prison but Daryl stayed to talk to Juli.

"Hey Princess." He smiled at her as she opened her eyes, "How was the nap?" He asked

"Horrible." Juli shuddered, "Daryl, you believe me, don't you?" Juli asked searching for an answer in his eyes, "Please tell me you believe me."

"I don't know what to believe anymore Princess," Daryl replied to her, "But, I do trust you." She smiled in response.

"I'm going to teach you how to shoot a gun, the proper way. Since you haven't had any proper training." A voice rang through the quiet cell. Both Juli and Daryl both looked up to see Luke smiling in the doorway. "Well, we're going to teach you." Juli cocked her head to the side but soon understood as Carl emerged into the light of the doorway. Juli sat up and Daryl got up after her.

"Daryl, we need you to stay here." Carl said motioning for him to sit down again.

Daryl shook his head, "Last time we let her out of an adults sight she was kidnapped. You're not leaving the prison so I'll watch and protect you." Luke was about to protest but Juli interupted him, as much as Luke wanted to be mad or protest he knew she felt safer with Daryl around. She had explained how she felt as though he was the version of the brother she always wanted.

"Daryl's coming guys." Juli said pulling on her sneakers and strapping her Katana to her back. Luke thought about telling her that she wouldn't use it but decided against it, she would have a weapon she didn't know how to use so he supposed it was better to have one she knew how to use.

"To the Walkers!" Carl said marching forward. Juli smiled at his immaturity and giggled as Luke quickly fell into step with Carl. As much as she wanted the happy thoughts Juli felt like someone was twisting her gut, she had a feeling. She knew she should be preparing to leave and preparing to fight but instead she was out learning to use a gun.

"It couldn't hurt to know." She thought to herself as Daryl walked in sync with her. They followed the two idiots as they made their way through the prison grounds.

They reached a spot in the back where Walkers could be seen. Luke walked over to Juli and handed her a gun.

Teaching her about the gun was the hard part, she asked so many questions that Luke felt like his head would explode. Yet, they weren't stupid questions, they were logical ones. After she finally learned to shoot a can, it came to the hard part, a moving target. Carl lured a Walker close enough into Juli's range. She aimed the gun and shot, but missed, and missed. Why could she do it when they were in the car?

"Let him closer!" Juli yelled. Carl let the Walker in and it started for Carl. She aimed the gun and shot sinking a bullet into the skull. The Walker fell lifeless onto the ground. Carl and everyone looked at Juli in pure shock.

"How could you do it then but not before?" Luke asked,

Juli shrugged, "I need to feel pressure to be able to do it I guess." Then she heard it, they all did. An explosion.

"Carl," Daryl said quickly grabbing his crossbow. "Come with me." he turned to Juli and Luke, "Go pack your stuff Princess, looks like it's time for War." Daryl ran with Carl in the direction of the explosion as Luke grabbed Juli's hand and they headed inside.

Juli stuffed everything into a bag, all of the necessary clothes for her and Luke and all the weapons and food. They rushed getting everything. Juli knew Rick wouldn't give up the prison, and knew Brian would either take it for himself, or destroy it.

As they ran out the door Daryl threw Juli the extra crossbow. Luke pulled a gun out of the bin as Daryl passed guns to everyone along the fence. Beth and Maggie stood next to Fay, two sisters and a cousin. Juli looked down and saw Rick at the fence. Brian had Hershel and Michonne at their knees but had a sword at Hershel's throat. Juli stood next to Daryl as they both put their crossbows against the fence.

Everything was silent and still up where they were, but with Rick, it was anything but silent.

Then one word rang out above everything.

"Liar."

Brian brought the sword back and hacked at Hershel's neck. Juli and Daryl stood frozen at the scene before them. Beth, Maggie and Fay cried out looking at the old man.

"No!" Rick shot the gun and everything turned to hell.

Guns were going off everywhere, chaos for a good few minutes. Then some asshole of an idiot with the tank took down the fence and everyone poured in.

"Get the people on the bus." Someone quickly said. Juli and Daryl moved to kill the intruders. Murder didn't cross Juli's mind once, these people were following orders but to do that was sick and twisted.

People laid dead, Walkers came through the fence. Daryl shot from behind crates or something, Juli couldn't tell but Walkers were coming up behind him, and the assholes still shooting at him probably hoping they'd bite him. She shot the one but had to reload. When she looked back Daryl was using a dead Walker as a shield. She ran to go find Luke, but saw Tyrese being shot at. She raised her bow but was yanked back. She turned to see Brody smiling. She tackled him to the ground in a fit of rage.

"Use your anger." Juli repeated to herself as she battled with all her strength.

"You can't win." Brody said pushing her down harder. "You're weak." he spat, "You're nothing compared to me."

"I'm alive." Juli said as Brody turned around and saw nothing but when he turned back was met face to face with a barrel of a gun. "I win."

"Juli!" Luke yelled. He had all things splattered on him from dirt to blood. The bag on his back remained as he ran to Juli who pushed a body off of her. "We have to go."

She took his hand and he pulled her up. She looked frantically around to find Daryl or anyone really.

"There's no time." Luke said soothingly turning her head to him. "Juli, the prison is lost." She shook her head tears threatening to spill. "We need to leave." He pulled her hand as they ran towards the forest. They passed Brian's basically dead body. They saw the body of Hershel with no head but kept on going. They reached the woods and saw flames on the prison.

"Don't look back." Luke whispered as he pulled her along. "Don't look back."