Hiraeth (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 14

Just as Rick promised, the group of survivors readied themselves to take over the rest of the prison just as dawn hit. The courtyard just next to the field was first, which would lead into the massive cement building. The leader had positioned his wife and Carol with Carl and Beth and Maggie inside the field to draw away walkers, while the rest of the group would clear out the courtyard.

"Ready?" The man shouted. T-Dog had a gun and a machete in his hand, Rick the same, Daryl only had his crossbow with a small hunting knife. Hershel had his gun, still hesitant to kill so many walkers, even after so many months. Cailey held her bow clipped to her back with her hunting knife in her hand. Rick stood at the gate, holding it shut without the clip. "Go!"

The gate swung open loudly, and walkers swarmed through. The fighters ganged up against them, and the putrid smell of death burned their noses. They all swung and hit and kicked, and blood splattered everywhere. After several minutes and a lot of sweat, the first wave was gone like a level in a video game.

"Let's go," Rick shouted behind him. "Take the rest of the yard first, then into the halls!"

There was a massive swarm of walkers in the back of the courtyard. Some wore shields and masks like a prison guard or SWAT member would before the apocalypse. It made them that much harder to kill, but the fighters managed to cock the walkers' heads up to slice up their throat.

When Carol made it through the gate, she was pushed to the ground by a walker. She screamed, trying to bring her arm up enough to stab it. The knife went part way through the walkers skull, not enough to kill it. The undead man's bleeding mouth breathed against her, the smell nearly forcing her to puke.

Splat!

An arrow ripped through its skull. Carol pushed off the walker, hyperventilating. She stared over to see Cailey lowering her bow. The teen ran off, thrusting her knife into a walker's head with a tiny jump. Carol took another long moment to catch her breath.

A small secluded part of the yard was fenced off against the building like a pen. There were at least thirty walkers trapped inside. Rick nodded to his group. "We'll take care of it later. Make sure it's locked up tight."

Daryl turned to the small fenced-in area, then added an extra clip to the gate to ensure its safety. Rick then gestured to the wide doors into the prison. He gripped the handle tightly, searching the faces of his group before nodding. Everybody positioned their stance, ready to run through. The old sheriff yanked hard on the doorway, holding his gun up immediately.

Nothing at first. The dark hallways seemed empty. But the group could hear moans and groans coming from around the corner. Rick gestured everyone inside, leading them down the dark hallway. A few of the men had flashlights to help find their way, but otherwise nothing.

A herd of walkers came right as the fighters pushed around the corner. Sweat and dirt and blood splattered everywhere as everybody's muscles ached. Daryl's arrows flew everywhere, gunshots echoed, and knives sliced into bone and flesh. The bloodthirsty undead didn't seem to stop coming.

Glenn screamed. A walker pushed him to the ground. He struggled and whimpered loudly as the dead man's breath spat at him. A single gunshot echoed as Rick shot the walker in the side of the head.

Glenn took another moment to recover. Then it was Hershel's turn to scream. He was sitting up against the wall, pushing a walker off. The stinging smell of blood amplified as the walker's teeth dug into Hershel's leg. The flesh split and ripped, and blood splattered everywhere.

"Shit!" Rick shouted. "Grab him!"

The fighters pushed off more walkers, picking up Hershel. Daryl held one side of the old man with Maggie on the other, quickly rushing through the hallway. They stopped at a set of doors, ramming through them.

Daryl quickly shut the double doors behind the coming walkers, locking it. Hershel fell on the ground with Maggie and Rick, and Rick stared in shock at the man.

"There's only one way to save you, man," he mumbled. Tears were already burning his eyes. He had a machete in his hand, and he told Maggie and Beth to close their eyes.

He began chopping. Hershel shouted and cried in pain as the man hacked at the spot right above his knee. Blood and tendons were pouring out everywhere. Hershel went silent after several seconds. He passed out as his leg began bleeding out.

Daryl's eyes caught movement in the back of the dining hall. "Get down," he mumbled.

Rick responded instantly. He ducked his head, and everybody followed. Daryl stood up with his crossbow aimed at a group of people. Four men in prison uniforms stood behind the kitchen mesh wall. They stared out in horror at the other group. A blond man with a handlebar mustache was the first to speak.

"Holy shit."