Animal Gone Wild [DISCONTINUED]

5

KNOW YOUR TRIGGER FINGER

Glenn walked up on Rick's other side as I waited behind them. It'd finally became night and we needed to head back. I also realized I slightly lied to Carl. Boy was he not going to be happy.
"Holy shit," Glenn whispered.
"You all right," Rick asked Glenn.
"Yeah."
"Hershel?"
He didn't answer. Just looked over at where Dave was laying.
"Juniper?"
"Could be better, but could be worse," I shrugged.
Rick looked at Hershel as Hershel nodded. Rick nodded back.
"Let's head back," Hershel stated.
I stood up from leaning against the bar. I watched Rick grab Tony's shotgun and a couple shells from his pocket before heading towards the door. I followed after towards the front door. That's when I heard the car, I smacked my hand on Hershel's back.
"Car," I quickly whispered, "car."
I crouched down since I was the farthest away. The others raced to the front quietly as they could. I quickly adjusted my grip on my bat farther up as I stealthed quickly towards the boys. Glenn and Hershel were on one side while Rick and I were on the other.
The car pulled up closer and then we heard the voices.
"Dave? Tony? They said over here," voice 1 questioned.
"Yeah," voice 2 agreed.
"I'm telling you, man, I heard shots," voice 3 informed.
"I saw some roamers. Two streets over. Might be more around here."
"It's hot. We gotta get out of here," voice 1 stated.
"Dave! Tony," voice 3called.
"Shut up, you idiot! You wanna attract 'em? Just stick close. We're gonna find 'em."
"Dude, he said to stay close," voice 2 stated.
I rolled my eyes. The figures walked away.
"They're gonna find 'em dead, or us, or both," I whispered quietly to Rick, "then we might be dead."

We waited a long while, but they still wouldn't leave. Half tempted to make them follow a fucking trail out of here for god sake.
Rick and I, me quieter than him, moved towards the other two.
"Why won't they leave," Glenn whispered panicky.
"Would you," I questioned quietly.
"We can't sit here any longer," Rick whispered, "let's head out the back and make a run to the car."
We nodded and they all got up slightly to go but then heard a noise. I crouched down further and scowled at the source. I handed Hershel the pistol from my holster asI gracefully and very, very quietly returned to Rick's side.
We heard them get closer and about to check the bar when Glen slammed against it. I shot him a look of 'what the fuck is wrong with you? Are you an idiot?'.
"Yo, is someone in there," called voice 1, "yo, if someone's in there, we don't want no trouble. We're just looking for our friends."
"What do we do," voice 2asked.
"Bum rush the door," voice 3 questioned.
"No, we don't know how many are there. Just relax," voice 1 informed, "we don't want any trouble. We're just looking for our friends. If something happened, tell us. This place is crawling with corpses. If you can help us not get killed, I'd appreciate it."
"You're bugging, I'm telling you nobody's in there," voice 2 reasoned.
I saw the look in Rick's eye. I shook my head no.
"Rick don't do anything stupid," I whispered harshly.
"They drew on us," Rick yelled.
I threw my head back and quietly set down my bat as I aggressively pretended to choke and shake Rick's neck in the air. I grabbed my hair and threw my hands up in defeat, picking my bat back up. Hershel's face told me he wanted to do the same thing.
""Dave and Tony in there," voice 2 asked, "they alive?"
"No," Rick responded.
"They killed Dave and Tony."
"Come on, man, let's go," voice 1 said.
"No, I'm not leaving, I'm not telling Jane. I'm not gonna go back and tell them that Dave and Tony got shot by some assholes in a bar."
I gave an offended look at that douchebag. These so called assholes in a bar could easily take you down you butt munch.
"Your friends drew on us," Rick clarified, "they gave us no choice! I'm sure we've all lost enough people, done things we wish we didn't have to, but it's like that now. You know that! So let's just chalk this up to what it was—wrong place, wrong-"
Instead of finishing, he finished with getting shot at. Or we all did to be more specific.
"Assholes," I grumbled, "really wish I had my pistols right now."
"Get outta here! Go," Rick ordered us.
Hershel and Glenn moved fast but I moved gracefully and quieter. I raced past Dave's body and behind the bar near Hershel while Glenn was behind the piano.
I ignored what Rick said as I listened in around our place. I shot my head towards the back when I heard walking. I started towards Hershel to let him know. He nodded as I stayed crouched and made my way cautiously towards the back entrance. I was in the room and waited for the guy to come in but from the outside he tripped on bottles. What. An idiot.
Glenn came in and I nodded towards the door. He nodded as I re-adjusted my bat to cover Glenn's back. We watched the guy turn the handle and that's when Glenn shot. Pre-maturely.
"You idiot," I whispered, "you should've waited a little bit longer."
"I panicked," Glenn replied, "I'm sorry."
"Glenn! Glenn," Rick yelled.
"I—I'm alright. I'm alright," Glenn replied.
Hershel came in while Glenn and I were leaning against the wall waiting. Glenn whipped his gun on Hershel and then got it shoved away.
"Rick wants you to try for the car," Hershel informed.
"Try," Glenn questioned.
"You'll try. And succeed."
"I'll go," I piped up, "I'm quieter, quicker, and less easy to spot. Glenn you'll follow and keep me covered, I can only do so much with a bat."
I pointed at my clothes.
"That, and I can make myself a harder target, even while sitting still in a car to start it."
"Are you sure," Glenn asked, "because I'm fully capable-"
"Glenn," I placed my hand on his shoulder, "I got it. It's not my first rodeo of a shootout. Let alone in a bar. Let alone to get to a car."
They gave me odd expressions.
"What? My mom and Dad weren't the smartest, like ever."
"Okay," Hershel gave.
I walked towards the door and quietly as a cat opened it. It was sad, I knew just how much to twist to make it quiet and how far to open so it didn't squeak. I re-shifted my bat for the third time tonight and crouched down and like a mouse.
Glenn and I started towards the car, I heard shuffling behind me and quickly rolled to the side, Glenn not following so when the guy behind us shot, Glenn jumped and hid behind the dumpster. Luckily, Hershel got us covered. Glenn didn't move, he seemed to freeze.
"Hey, Glenn," I whispered, "c'mon, we gotta get to the car."
He shook his head no in terror. I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Glenn, c'mon dude. We don't have time to sit."
"You hit," Rick whispered.
Glenn didn't answer. I scoffed.
"Are you hit?"
"No, no," Glenn finally answered.
"Dumbass," I whispered, "that's what you are Glenn."
Rick soon joined us.
"It's all right," Rick comforted, "the car's right there."
"Okay," Glenn agreed.
"We're almost home."
"You good?"
"I'm good."
We waited a couple seconds before Rick said to go. We went to go, but got shot at. I quickly skidded across to the building and leaned against it, easily blending in.
We listened and watched as voice 2 and 3 decided to leave their buddy Sean, who was apparently the guy Hershel shot, and then voice 2 left 3 since he got his leg impaled?
"Get Hershel," Rick ordered.
"Glenn," I patted, "that's you bud."
I followed after Rick while Glenn went back to Hershel. I listened to much into their entire conversation and argument.
"HEY!" I yelled, making them all stop and look at me.
I pointed at Hershel and Rick, "figure something out for this dumb kid and quickly. Walkers, a lot of them, are comin' and fast. And for the life of me, if we have to bicker like this again. Don't ever do it around me or I will so leave and let you bicker."
"Walkers, what walkers," Glenn questioned looking around.
"The ones coming. And soon," I pointed to my ears.
Glenn nodded, seeming to be an idiot for a second. I stood away from my boys and the kid waiting. Then the walkers came into view.
"Hurry it up guys, we got a short window span."
We ran out of time so Rick just lifted the kid's leg up off the rail. I grimaced as I raced over, handing my bat to Hershel as I carried the kid towards the car. Quick like that I tied something over his eyes as I sat in the back with him and Glenn. Rick drove with Hershel in the front seat.
"I want you to know," I pointed at each of my boys, "I hate all of you."
They laughed at my comment that was full of lies and amusement.
"Yeah," Rick stated, "we love you too Juniper."

Come morning we were racing up towards the house at lightning speed. We exited the car, well the others did. I had to stay put with Randall. An evident scowled etched on my face. Not because we kept him, because I had to watch him.
I watched T-dog point at Randall and I. I gave a sarcastic wave of annoyance and I heard Glenn give him Randall's name.
"Juniper," Hershel called, "bring him around."
"Finally," I grumbled, "can dispose of this bitch ass."
I climbed out, his head flopping off my shoulder. I did a small snort as he whimpered. I tossed Glenn my bat and picked Randall up like it was nothing and threw him over my shoulder as I shut the door.
"You're still babysitting," Rick called after me.
"Mother dick," I yelled angrily.
Rick chuckled and Glenn laughed. They sure enjoyed my displeasure of watching this dumbass. I flopped him carefully in the shed and walked off covered in blood, staining my white shirt, back towards the house.
I leaned against the wall as Rick explained to the others about what happened with Randall. Hershel came in and talked about how he restored his calf the best he could.
"When he is well, we'll give him a canteen, take him out to the main road, send him on his way," Rick informed.
"Isn't that the same as leaving him for the walkers," Andrea asked.
"He'll have a fighting chance," I commented.
"Just gonna let him go," Shane questioned, "he knows where we are."
I scowled.
"He was blindfolded the whole way here. Literally. I put them on myself. Do you think I have horrible skills of blindfolding someone Shane?"
"He's not a threat," Rick added.
"Not a threat. How many of them were there? You killed three of their men, you took one them hostage, but they just ain't gonna come looking," Shane roared
"They left him for dead. No one is looking."
"We should still post a guard," T-dog stated.
I raised my hand.
"Hello," I greeted, "hi, yeah. I'm the guard. Have been since I put him in the damn car. I hate it, but I'll live thanks."
"He's out cold right now, will be for hours," Hershel informed.
"Sweet hallelujah for that."
"You know what? I'm gonna go get him some flowers and candy," Shane scoffed, getting ready to leave, "look at this, folks—we back in Fantasy land."
Tick. I shifted my head down, closing my eyes as I gripped my bat a bit tighter and started counting. I'm pretty sure Rick and Daryl took notice because Rick slightly moved one inch closer and I could feel Daryl tense from this side of the room.
I breathed in and looked backup, acting like nothing happened. Daryl relaxed and Rick started talking to Hershel. I made my way out and towards the shed taking up residence right outside, feet crossed with bat in lap, staring out towards nothing. I hated confinement, but I also hate sitting and doing nothing when I could be doing something, like sitting in a tree that's more comfortable. Or listening to protect ourselves. No. I had to babysit. A scowl dawned my face and it didn't leave for hours.
When T-dog came to relieve me, I shooed him away. Saying I had it. Sure, I coulda used some re-adjusting but please. I wasn't going no where. No matter who told me that I could leave unless it was Rick, Daryl, or Hershel. No one else.