Escape Route

Chapter 1

"They're screwing with the wrong people."

Right now we're sitting in a train car. I'm bored half to death. I'm just bouncing Michelle up and down on my lap while everyone else is working with belts and shit to use as weapons.

"Got about 4 of them pricks heading his way." Daryl alerts us. I just stare at my poor baby, who's being put through this hell.

"Remember, eyes first then the throat." Rick reminds us.

"Dad da." Michelle said. Daryl looked back at her and walked towards us. I handed her to him and stood up, brushing off my jeans and pulling a knife out of my bra strap. It's not weird, it's safety.

"Where the hell' ya get that?" Daryl asked. I kissed him and grabbed him secretly. I heard him gasp.

"That would be why, sweetheart." I whispered in his ear. I pulled away from him and leaned against the the train car wall. He nodded understandingly. I hid my knife away, back to where it was. Daryl hands me Michelle and a smoke bomb was thrown in here. I immediately covered up Michelle's nose. Not enough to suffocate her, though.

"Move!" Abraham yelled. Everyone backed away but it was too late. I was knocked out already. So was everyone else. I hope Michelle is okay.

Once I woke up I was knocked out....yet again. Yippee do dah!

~~

I woke up once again and saw Daryl, Rick, Glenn, and Bob tied up in front of me. Then four other men were in front of me, I didn't know them. Hell, I didn't even recognize them. I started looking around frantically for Michelle.

I was tied up but nothing was over my mouth. Two other men who worked for terminus. Both had an apron, one had a knife, and the other had a baseball bat. Uh-oh. I almost choked on my sob. I didn't even realize I was crying.

They're gonna slit their throats. I've seen this type of thing before. It's scary as hell. The man with the baseball bat hit a blonde guy upside the head then slit his throat. 'Oh god.....I'm gonna pass out....so much blood for my liking' I thought to myself. Then a black man was next. Same thing.

I was at the point that nothing, nothing, could calm me down. I was freaked out, pissed, scared, and all head other emotions were swarming my head. They were at Glenn's body now. Tears were streaming down my face, as I was trying to get out of these fucking zip ties. Then Gareth walks in. He has Michelle in his hands, I'm not freaked or scared anymore. I'm pissed, no, beyond pissed.

"What's the shell count?" Gareth asks baseball bat man.

"32." Simple, short, and sorta sweet. Then he asks throat slashing man.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot, it's my first rodeo."

"Alright do it right after this though." Then Bob just had to start making all these fuckin' noises! Grrrrr, I wanted to kill him Bob! Hopefully that's not what you're intending to do though.

"You don't have to do this!" Bob begged. Then it all went downhill. Oh boy. Bob, Rick, and Gareth were fighting and I jumped to put the restraints behind my back. Ok, please work. Let's make this short and simple. I started. Pounding my wrists against the wall to try and break my wrists to slip the zip ties.

I finally heard the snap and let out and little yelp. But I got out of the zip ties, yeah? No? Ok.

"You lookin' for a death wish?" The baseball bat guy asked.

"Maybe I am." I growled.

"Gareth warned us about you."

"It ain't like I'm gone kill all of ya. Well, I take that back. I will." I gave them a shit-eating grin. I could see daryl shaking from, fear? Anger? I don't even know. I tried to look into his eyes to reassure him everything was okay but him and Rick fell to the ground after some of the ceiling fell. I let out another yelp.

Ok, here's my plan. I'm gonna perform the hokey pokey when really I'm grabbing my knife and gone throw it through someone's heart. Not their eyes. Their heart. I want them to turn and take terminus down!

"I'll be right back! Watch 'em!" Gareth called to these men. I gave a devilish grin seeing my baby girl sitting in front of me.

I know my plan was stupid but it worked! I guess my wrist isn't broken, it's just fractured. Anyways, I got him in the heart, Rick was out of his restraints and stabbed the guy through the neck then the gut.

"Shouldn't we be killin' 'em?" Daryl asked.

"No, we let them turn." Rick replied. I smiled and picked up Michelle, no matter how much pain it caused my hands. Well, wrists.

We were walking and came across a meat cellar. I take that back, a human meat cellar. I was about to vomit. I was actually gagging. Daryl was rubbing my back as all four of them grabbed weapons. His comforting wasn't helping in anyway.

The men were talking while I was hanging back. I didn't really care what they were saying, I just wanted to get to my family. I know they're in the train car. If they weren't they would've been in the same room as us.

From now on I'll be blocking them out. Once we were outside, Daryl was all for smashing brains. Rick, Bob, and Glenn just killed them. I wanted to help but I have a toddler in my arms.

We got to a train car that wasn't ours and Daryl was opening it. A crazy man who was very scary looking started jumping on Rick and asking 'where is he?' Then a walker took him down and I was happy.

We finally arrived to our train car and opened it. Abby and Sammy rushed out to hug me while everyone else met up. We started weaving our way through walkers and Terminus.

We reached a fence and Abraham commanded all of us to hop over, in which we did. Abraham was last to hop over.

We were walking in the woods for a while and I was still blocking everything out. I'm just thinking....I guess. I looked down to my wrists to see that they were swelled.

Whoops.

I saw Carol in front of me and then daryl ran and gave her the most beautiful hug. He was actually crying.

'Maybe love isn't for me....' I thought. Carol looked to me and smiled. I smiled back, she handed me my bow.

"Carol?" I asked.

"Yea?"

"Take 'im. I can see you love each other. You're meant for each other. I'm just another broken girl in this broken world. Just....make sure he's happy." I said.

"No. I wouldn't ever do that to you."

"But, I want you to. I don't care what anyone says about this. You two need each other." I smiled and Carol smiled back. Daryl looked like he was gonna cry even more. Abby put her hand on my shoulder and I handed her Michelle. "And somethings, you have to do own your own. Rick, keep everyone safe. Please." Then I ran, I could hear people calling my name's to protest that I don't go. I just kept running until I was tackled. I knew it was Daryl.

"I don't want Carol, I want you. I was just happy to see her." He whispered in my ear.

"1) You're kinda crushing me and 2) don't fight love. It's the strongest thing in nature. I'm not saying I'm jealous, I'm just not meant for you, you deserve better." Daryl got off of me and looked into my big brown eyes.

"There's no one I'd rather be with than you." He pulled me in for passionate kiss that lasted a while but I pulled away. I looked into his eyes and tears were pricking mine.

"Just know I'll always love you. Take care." I got up and sprinted. I could hear Daryl yelling for me, then his voice cracked. He was crying....again.

*Daryl's POV*

It felt like a knife just went through my heart a million times. I didn't want to be with anyone else. Just Lexi, she was my world, best friend, more than my wife. She was special, but that one sentence rings throughout my head 'some things you have to do alone'. What the hell does that mean? What does she have to do alone?

Kill people at Terminus? Nah, she's not stupid. Survive alone? People are the best defense against walkers. Why the hell would she want to survive on her own? Oh god....she might want to kill herself! No, she wouldn't do that either.

I have to get these negative thoughts out of my head. I'll just leave her to it, but I will see her soon. I will find MY girl, MY wife, MY world, but most importantly MY best friend.