Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

f i f t y t w o

Turns out, I was correct. Our peace filled moment was short-lived when the sound of walkers moaning and Gabriels scream aroused from outside the church. 

"Wasn't he in his office?" I asked as he began to pound on the door. 

"Please don't leave me out here!" He pleaded. "I had to see it, I know now. Let me live with it!"

Carl and I quickly got up trying to pry away at the wood we used to keep the door shut. Unable to lift it, Michonne began to chop it away with an ax as we raised our weapons. 

When it opened, we began shooting at the walkers now entering the church. I shot a bolt straight through ones head and it fell face first onto the carpet. 

"Get back." Michonne said pushing us all behind her and taking control of the situation at hand. She sliced through the brains of walkers left and right, multiple bodies dropping down to the floor.

There were too many though and I raised my crossbow once again shooting as many as I could.

"The rectory!" Gabriel suggested as we realized that we couldn't handle this many. "Come on!"

Running to the rectory, we shoved the door behind us. Unfortunately the walkers obviously knew where we were and clawed at the door as Michonne propped it closed with a chair. 

"Crawl through there, take the little one and go, thats how I got out!" Gabriel told us trying to usher Carl and I out of the church. 

Michonne handed Judith to me as Carl hopped through the hole first. 

"Hey, you guys wait for me." She told us firmly. With a nod from both of us, we took the crying baby out of the church. We emerged from underneath and I clutched Judith tightly as we listened to the groans emitting from inside. 

Soon enough, Gabriel crawled out too. Standing up, he turned to Michonne. "I can't run anymore."

"We're not running." She told him stoically. 

Carl and I began to kill the walkers trapped on the organ pipes while Michonne shut the entrance to the church. Gabriel put a piece of wood at the doors and We began to lock it up. 

Dead hands emerged from the cracks between pieces of wood and I shuddered stepping closer to Carl. He grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly.

We took several steps away from the church and waited by the fence. We no longer had a building to stay in and were forced into the open. Judith fell asleep on Carl's back as we confronted Gabriel. Well, by we I mean mostly Michonne.

"Where did you go?" She asked him

"The school." he admits. "I had to see, I had to know."

Suddenly, the wood keeping the walkers in is pried away by said walkers as they try to come out and feast on us. 

"Where do we go?" Carl asks as the board keeping them in falls and all thats left is Michonne's belt tied around the doorknobs. 

Out of nowhere a firetruck comes and blocks the doors. Coming out of it is Abraham, Rosita, Glenn, Maggie, and Tara. Immeadietly Michonne and Maggie engulf each other in hugs with relieved smiles.

"You're back." She says to Glenn.

"Eugene lied," He tells us. "He can't stop it. Washington isn't the end. Where is everybody?"

She approached Maggie with a large grin on her face. "Beth's alive. She's in a hospital in Atlanta. Some people have her but the others went to get her back."

"Do they know which one?" Maggie's voice cracked.

"Grady Memorial."

"Oh my god!" Maggie laughed hugging Glenn. 

I smiled, Maggie was getting her sister back. We were going to get Beth back. 

"Let's blow this joint." Tara said with a smile. "Go save your sister."

___

It only took about an hour to get to the hospital. During that time the anticipation to see Beth was high. I'd get to see the blond haired bubbly girl once more. 

Things had been rough for us lately, we needed her bright self for a pick-me up. On the road after the farm, she was probably the only one who could put a genuine smile on my face and keep the hope alive. 

Her hope must've worked, maybe she was the reason we found the prison. 

The group of us walked up to the doors of Grady Memorial after exiting the firetruck that Abraham had initially driven practically into the church. Maggie's smile was bright and I held Carl's hand as shadows began to form on the other side. 

I couldn't tell who they were considering we were still about 50 feet from the entrance but something told me it was our group. 

One by one, the group exited the hospital. Each and every one of them had tears rolling down there faces. That's when I noticed the limp body of Beth in my dad's arms. 

Her blonde head was lolled to the side and a gunshot wound the brain was evident as her cause of death. 

Time seemed to stop as Maggie screamed and fell to the floor sobbing. I felt myself fall forward before Carl pulled me into his chest. 

Tears began to find their way into my eyes as I began to sob. The girl who had been nothing but nice to everyone she met, who always went out of her way to make someone happy, was gone.

I remembered our days back at the farm. She spent so much time with me when Carl was recovering or when my dad was gone. Now, she's dead. Just like that. 

A slender hand grips my shoulder. Looking up through my tears, it's Elisa. Her own face is stricken with tears and I can't help but feel empathy. She didn't even know Beth, yet she watched her die after going out of her way to save her. 

Almost as if I wasn't in control of my body, I unwind myself from Carl's embrace and pull Elisa into a hug. I feel her body shake with sobs. Maybe our relationship isn't perfect, but I can take my walls down for just this moment. 

After all, our symbol of hope was gone. 

Beth Greene  was dead.

____

Word Count: 1044

welp, I hope you enjoyed. This happens to be the last chapter of Cherokee roses. 

BUT, obviously there is a sequel. 

After  almost four long years of hiatus, flash updates, etc, this book that's been my pride and joy is finished and I thank you all so much for reading it. I started it when I was in the 8th grade, and just starting to watch TWD. Now, I'm a junior in high school. IT's crazy. 

Anyways, just thank you all so much. Especially!!  @AngelWithACrossbow92 you reallyyyyy, helped me finish this with your comments and ideas and constant votes so thank you <3.

ALSO: at some point I will be editing this. mostly because my writing has changed a lot from 8th grade.