Life Isn't Fair

38

  The poor guy didn't deserve it, but it had to be done. Glenn had volunteered to help me train. Actually, he insisted to help, said he wanted me to "Be better", and all that. I, of course, argued with him on it, but he waved me away. I landed a punch on his chest, and he coughed out. "Sorry, but you told me not to go easy on you." I emphasized. "I know that, just, be careful. Don't break me." He holds his chest, chuckling. I don't see it coming, but Glenn swiftly swings his fist towards me and I miss it, too busy paying attention to his pain to recognize mine. I hold my face, the pain coming through like smoke to fire. "I'm so sorry. I thought you were prepared-" I laugh, catching him off guard. "You hit like a girl." I gut punch him, causing him to fall over and onto one hand. "I'm not trying to hurt you. I just- I need to take my stress out on something." Glenn stands up and walks to the water keg, filling himself a small glass of water. "Then I'll step in." I hear a gruff voice speak. "Not you, Dixon. I'll tear you apart." I smirk. "Not if I do it first." He takes the first move for himself, lunging at me with a knife. "If you want to stay alive, you need to learn melee weapon combat. Not this silly little girl shit." Daryl says as he spins around so he's behind me. "It isn't. I know how to handle myself, Daryl." I spit back. His arm goes around my neck, and I grab a hold of it, waiting for him to make the move. "Now, if an enemy got' you like this, what'll you do? hm?" He taunts. I bend over and launch him over me, making sure he lands on his back. "That." I sass. "Good job, girl." Daryl on the ground has most of my attention, and it seems like I knocked the wind out of him. I reach down, ready to pull him up when he snatches my arm and yanks it, shoving me to the ground. "I should've seen that coming." I roll my eyes. "What happened to weapon combat?" I accept Daryl's help up, and he grabs his knife from the ground. "It was a test. You haven't learned everythin'." I nod, agreeing with him since it is true. I grab a glass of water for myself, observing what we've done with the last month and a half. 

    Some of the tomato plants look as bright and beautiful as ever, considering it is Spring. The horses that we've brought in look healthy and strong, the water in the lake almost clear, and the kids running and playing just make it look like a lively, normal place. I set the cup down, realizing that it was my time to do watch. None of us are allowed to go outside of the gates, only if it's for guarding or a sweep, just to make sure nothing is breached. We're regathering our people, slowly but surely. I grab the Desert Eagle Rick gifted me two weeks ago, he said it "Suited me". I scale the ladder to the new guard tower, look out into the small crowd of walkers, and notice something far out in the trees. I brought a rifle just in case I spot something at a farther distance like now. I squint my right eye and look through the scope with my left, scraping the stone on the window sill as the rifle goes back and forth. I look closer and just make out a small figure, crouched down into the bushes. I furrow my eyebrows, and watch as this mysterious person turns around and sprints away. I go to the ladder and sit on the top edge of the wall, ready to slide down when a voice stops me. "What are you doing? We can't go over the walls." The familiar face of Carl pops into view, and I look from him back to where I was going. "There's someone out there. I need to know who it is, they might be a danger." He nods and comes towards the wall. "What are you doing?" I ask, eyebrows furrowing. "I'm coming with." I argue with myself on whether or not I should let him come with me, and I decide that two is better than one. I slide down the metal, keeping guard for walkers while Carl follows suit. Once he's on the ground with me, I aim the silver gun towards the ground, and slowly circle around the walkers that are distracted with trying to get in. The second we reach the other side and into the trees, a make a break for it, as the figure I saw a few moments ago is now running away. I'm hot on this person's trail, and Carl is following, making sure nothing is pursuing us. I get close enough to where I can touch the mysterious being, but instead of grabbing their shoulder I jump onto their back, stumbling down with them. 

"Who are you?" I say, loud enough that Carl can hear me, but no one else. The woman under me starts to cry, and I continue pinning her arms behind her back. "It's Isabella." She says through her sobs. "Isabella, I'm gonna need you to-" She twists her hands from my grip, and punches me backwards. 'I'm gonna need that move, damn.' I'm holding my nose, and she turns around and elbows my in the temple. I fall to the ground and my ears start ringing. 'She has a pretty hard hit, ouch.' I wonder why Carl hasn't come to my aid, and I look over at him after my vision has cleared and realize that he's held down by a walker about to chew his face off. What takes my attention off of him and onto the front of me, is the crushing weight of another body on top of me. My head snaps to the same girl who elbowed me, and she holds a knife in her hand. I push my hands up, in defense, and she pushes it forward until it almost stabs me. "Stop moving!" She yells. My arms give out on me, and the knife slices right through my shoulder. I scream, and she twists the knife, sending an entirely new feeling into my body. She's ripped off of me and Carl comes into view, aiming his gun at her. He reaches his hand out to me while keeping an eye on the girl, but she quickly slips away. He lets go and I fall on my back, letting out a cough. He shoots in the direction she ran, but it's too late. I close my eyes, the feeling of a broken rib rippling through me. Carl whips around and helps me up by the top of my arms, while I'm yelping out in pain. "We have to go, there are walkers coming." I know he can't carry me, so I stand up on my own and limp back to home.