Animal Gone Wild [DISCONTINUED]

9

ESCAPE THE FARM TOGETHER

    The first two boys to make it back were Glenn and Daryl. I pounded my fist on the door.
    "Open up," I called up, "half the boys are back."
    T-dog unlocked the door and Daryl and Glenn walked inside. I walked in as well, leaning against the door.
    "Rick and Shane ain't back," Daryl questioned.
    "No," Lori answered.
    "We heard a shot," Glenn informed.
    "Maybe they found Randall."
    "We found him," Daryl corrected.
    "Is he back in the shed," Maggie asked.
    "He's a walker."
    "Did you find the walker that bit him," I asked, biting my thumb between my lips.
    "No, the weird thing is," Glenn sighed, "he wasn't bit."
    "His neck was broke," Daryl said.
    "So he fought back," Patricia defended.
    "The thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together."
    I furrowed my brows inconfusion. Turned by broken neck? That didn't make any sense. It was always bit or scratched. Unless...it wasn't just that.
    "Would you please get back out there," Lori pleaded, "find Rick and Shane and find out what on Earth is going on?"
    "You got it," Daryl agreed.
    "Thank you."
    Daryl walked out first followed by Andrea, Glenn, and I. We stopped walking when we saw the herd.
    "Fuck me," I grumbled.
    The others came out and Hershel turned towards Patricia.
    "Patricia," Hershel whispered, "kill the lights."
    "I'll get the guns," Andrea stated.
    "Maybe they're just passing, like the herd on the highway. Should we just go inside?"
    "Not unless there's a tunnel downstairs I don't know about," Daryl sassed, "a herd that size would rip the house down."
    "No amount of ammo would be able to put a dent in that herd," I stated, shaking my head, "unless we magically had an automatic with unlimited amount of bullets."

    We stared at the herd until Lori came out.
    "Carl's gone," she stated.
    "What," I whipped my head around.
    "He—he was upstairs. I can't find him anymore."
    "I didn't seem him or hear him on my patrols."
    "Maybe he's hiding," offered Glenn.
    "He's supposed to be upstairs," Lori snapped, "I'm not leaving without my boy."
    "We're not," Carol comforted, "We're gonna look again. We're gonna find him."
    Worry flashed onto my expression. I gripped the fence post and reined out my hearing. Come on, come on. Find him. Find him! All I could hear were walker growls and the rustling inside the house. I furrowed my brows infrustration. Nothing. I heard nothing. Nothing scurrying inside the house in hiding, no shuffling. Just rustling and walker growls.
    "Goddammit," I growled out, "where did the boy go?"
    "You couldn't hear him,"Daryl asked.
    "No, unless he's in that herd of walkers, I can't hear him."

    Andrea brought out the guns and we all got locked and loaded. I grabbed my dual pistols and their holsters before slipping them on. My backpack was missing, but that's fine. I figured they used it for something more important, and I could always get a new one.
    Maggie and Glenn hopped into one car, Daryl got on his bike, T-dog was driving the truck while Andrea was shooting, and Jimmy was in the RV. I was back at the house with the others packing up some supplies into the remaining car. I stopped once the walkers started getting closer to the house. I whipped out my pistols and started laying on the walkers with Hershel.
    "Hershel, June, it's time to go," Lori yelled.
    I glanced at Hershel then back at Lori before continuing to shoot.
    "Hershel, June! Hershel, June!"
    I wasn't leaving until Hershel did, I wasn't about to let this man die by himself. I went to shoot once more only to hear the click. I checked my other one. I cursed silently before putting them back in their holsters.
    "Hershel, we gotta go," I stated, "I'm out and you're gonna be out."
    We started backing up, I was protecting us from the back while he continued to shoot forward. Suddenly Rick and Carl appeared.
    "Where's Lori," Rick questioned.
    "I don't know what happened, Rick," Hershel stated, "they just keep coming. It's like a plague, they're everywhere."
    "Lori! Did you see her?"
    "She's with Beth and Patricia. I think she got out with T," I replied.
    "We have to go. Find Mom and the others."
    "It's my farm," Hershel protested.
    "Not anymore! Come on! Come on!"
    We started for the remaining car that I packed with supplies. I climbed in back with Carl. My bat lay on the floor as we rolled out. I turned towards Carl.
    "Your mother was worried sick," I stated.
    Carl frowned, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to slip away."
    "You need to start listening to us pipsqueak. You're lucky you found your dad before the walkers got you."
    Carl nodded and huddled into my side. I wrapped my arm around him and held him close. Rick glanced at me and nodded. I gave a quick smile. We rode silently through the night back towards the highway.