Regression to the Mean 3: Apocalypse

Pretty Much Dead Already

The morning is... well I guess you could call it fresh. It’s as fresh as It is going to get with the apocalypse starting and the dead roaming around trying to eat your face off. It also doesn’t help with the fact that there is a barn full of the dead, standing not 200 feet from where you sleep.

We all got up pretty early this morning, so that means half of us are walking around like the dead. Well except for the wanting to tear out your friends throat part... I sit between to Liam and Daryl, eating my small potion of eggs as I stare at Glenn who is across from me, all jittery as he looks between Maggie, who is standing on the front porch of the farm house, shaking her head and Dale who stands at the RV behind me. My only guess is that Dale is nodding his head in encouragement to Glenn for him to tell others in the camp of our... other camp mates.

In this moment I feel truly sorry for the Korean who has to make the hard decision. Because Hell, I am way to terrified to speak up... even if it is the right thing to do. If my brother was here it would be him speaking up and not leaving it to a... human. Unless that human is Stiles and he’s already spoken out before Scott has barely had time to come up with his first word.

I sit back in anticipation as I watch Glenn as his mind unfolds as he stands to his feet and paces around a little. Liam next to me senses Glenn’s unease and looks up from his eggs, raising a eyebrow to the pizza boy

“Um guys...” he gathers everyone’s attention and from across the low fire I see Merle smirk next to Allison who rolls her eyes and send a glare in my direction. I know she is disappointed in me for letting me let Glenn take the fall for all of this “so...”

“Spit it out China man, we ain’t got all mornin’” Merle slurs even when he is sober.

“The barn is full of walkers” I announce as I look straight into Allison’s disappointed eyes that soon change to pride. I move my gaze from the huntress to the wide frightened eyes of the rest of the camp before turning them to our leader fearless leader who’s eyes are the only ones that are looking to me with a glare. My eyes shift to the Korean standing in the middle with a look of relief as he didn’t have to bring the dooming words on the others. However a small potion of the camp are looking at me with pity, as I and taken it out for myself to be the barer of bad news. Turning my attention back to Rick  I look to him with little emotion and repeat myself to his glaring gaze... “The barn is full of walkers” I understand the words behind the angered expression. I knew of this information for a while and I should have told him. I should have trusted him.

Equipment and items are dropped to the ground, unfinished food spills from the bowls that are tipped to the ground splatters onto the dirt. Cries of fear ring around the camp as Carol and Lori pull their children closer to them as if a walker is about to appear from thin air.

I don’t know when Shane appeared at my side, but when he grabs my arm roughly and pulls me up from the chair harshly and yanks me closer to his body “Show me!” Shane growls in a demand as his grip tightens on my arm.

“Shane you’re hurting me” I warn as a low growl rumbles behind me. The warning is not to Shane but the others around who are aware of the damage that my mate can do.

“Shane BACK OFF!” Allison demands as she stands up from her chair with her bow at her side “Jackson, Ethan?” She asks the boys behind me as I glare at the deputy.

“We got him” Ethan replies, I guess he means that the two of them are holding Liam back from tearing Shane apart as his low growls turn into snarls.

“Ya best let her go!” A new vice warns with a deep drawl as the tip of a arrow and the front of a cross bow appears at Shanes head as Daryl steps closer.

Seeing the fear and hate pointed at him as the others try to get Shane to back down, he releases my arm and stomps off in a huff towards the barn with Andrea hot on his heels like a lap dog.

“Grace?” Rick steps forward, his eyes flashing  behind me.

“Go... I’ll be down in a minute” I assure him and turn to Liam as everyone follows to the old wooden structure.

“I’m going to kill him” Liam growls as his eyes glow and he strokes his hand over the place on my arm where Shane held on tight.

“No you’re not. I like those eyes to much for you to go messing up the colour” I smile as I run my fingers over his eye lids and the bright yellow of the beta wolf transforms back into his natural human green.

“Why must you do this to me?” Liam asks, taking my hand from his face and kisses the inside of my wrist.

“Because I love you” I smile to him, slipping my hand into his and dragging him off to the barn.

When we get there, Shane is already standing at the barn doors peering inside, watching the brain dead corpses roam around. As Liam and I stop just behind the others, Shane pushes away and stomps over to Rick.

“You cannot tell me you are alright with this?” Shane seethes

“I’m not but we’re guests here, this isn’t our land” Rick answers equally pissed.

“Oh God, this is our lives” Shane yells.

“Lower your voice” Glenn reminds his as the walkers in the barn begin to pay attention to us.

“We cant just sweep this under the rug” Andrea adds with a glare to me like that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

“It ain’t right... not remote” T-dog agrees.

“We either got t’go in there... gotta make things right. Or we just gotta go. Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time...” God this man is a fucking broken record.

“We can’t go” Rick interrupts him with a growl.

“Why Rick? Why?” Shane growls back.

“Because we need more time! Sophia is barely walking properly in that cast. We have little food and water, the cars are going to be running on fumes soon! What happens Shane huh? When we are out the there stranded in the middle of the apocalypse with an injured little girl and another horde of hungry hungry fucking hippo’s come stumbling up the road or out of the fucking woods, what are you going to do? Drop everything and run because that’s exactly who you are Shane. I’ve met men like you. People willing to kill a whole lot of innocent teenagers, children just to get what they want. The barn was fine, secure. We were watching it just in case something went wrong!”

“What do you mean we?” Shane fumes getting in my face once more but keeping his hands to himself this time.

“Who else knew but Glenn and Grace?” Rick asks looking to Liam and Allison.

“We knew” My mate nods in conformation, gesturing between Allison and himself.

“Anybody else?” Rick barks in annoyance.

“Daryl, Merle, Ethan, Jackson... Glenn told Dale yesterday... and...” I cut myself off.

“And?” Rick pushes.

“Sophia” I admit in a whisper knowing Rick will be upset I trusted a little girl more than him.

“Sophia?” Carol gasps in shock looking down to the little girl wrapped in her arms.

“I’m sorry Rick” I step towards the man.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asks turning to me fully,

“Honestly... I thought you wold run off and tell Shane” I admit ignoring the mention man who snaps his head to me with a glare etched onto his face. “It’s why we never told Amy either” I say turning to the girl. “I’m sorry but I couldn’t take the chance of you blabbing to your sister”

“What do I have to do with anything?” Andrea asks stepping towards me as if she is stronger... as if she is my alpha.

“Get your head out of Shane’s ass and then we'll have a proper conversation.” I hiss back with a glare to the woman. “Rick I am truly sorry that I didn’t tell you. But I would highly suggest you all get your heads out of the clouds and stop trying to smell the fucking roses along the path to Oz”

“We need to be realistic those things in there, they aren’t alive and Hershel keeping then locked up, it’s a danger to us all! They need to be put down!” Shane hisses.

“just let me talk to Hershel, let me figure it out” Rick pleads to his best friend

“Man what you going to figure out?” Shane raises his voice even more as he advances onto Rick only to be blocked by
.

“If we are going to stay, if we are going to clear out this barn, I have to talk him into it. This is still his land!” Rick explains is voice getting louder with each word.

“Hershel sees those things in there as people” Dale adds to the argument as he steps forward “Sick people, his wife, his stepson”

“You knew?” Rick asks obviously forgetting that I just told him that 2 minutes ago.

“Yesterday, I talked to Hershel” Dale ignores the question.

“And you waited the night?” Shane asks getting angry again.

“I thought we could survive one more night and we did. I was waiting ‘til this morning to say something but Glenn wanted to be the one”

“Only he wasn’t” Andrea buts I with a sneer to me which I just roll my eyes at.

“I’ll get to Grace” Rick assure everyone with a bitter tone as he refuses to even look at me.

“The man is crazy Rick, If Hershel thinks those things are alive!”

“ENOUGH!” Rick cuts Shane off with a yell to match is friend.

The sound of the old barn doors rattling and the all too familiar sound of the growling of walkers erupt from behind us and we all turn to the structure were the dead are being held. People begin to panic, Lori drags Carl away as Liam picks up a whimpering Sophia and Allison guide Carol back to the camp to be with her daughter.

I begin to turn around and walk after them but a rough hand clutching around my bare bicep has me spinning on the spot and looking up at the sheriff who stares down at me with a glare.

“You ‘n me are gonna have a talk” Rick hisses as he drags me around the side of the barn away from the others.

Seeing the ladders on the side I glance behind Rick to see everyone walking back up to the camp. Catching Merle’s questioning gaze I give him a nod and he continues on after everyone else bar from Shane who I am guessing is still at the barn doors.

“Follow me” I says as I begin climbing the ladders much to Rick’s protest until he finally listens and joins me in the loft. Walking over to the piles of hay I sit down on the same one as before and watch the dead below as Rick joins me. “See that walker there? The one with the white stained top and brown hair?” I ask pointing to the walker hissing at the barn door where we can see the outline of Shane through the cracks. “Her pictures are all over Hershel’s house... as are his” I point to a tall walker with curly brown hair with features that would have once been very handsome.

“Annette and Shawn” Rick nods along with me.

“I was going to tell you, I was. But Carl was still recovering... and yesterday...”

“Yesterday?” Rick pushes me.

“Rick I’m 16 years old and no matter how much I try I can’t remember my parents. Their smell, their laugh, their faces or voices. No matter how hard I try its only been a few months but I’m already forgetting everyone else... Scott, Stiles... my mom’ I say as tears begin to cloud my sight “When Sophia ran, there was this second this split second in the church when I thought what if we just stopped. Maybe Jenner was right, maybe opting out was the easier... the better way. And then yesterday... Hershel he gave me this” I say pulling the whip from my belt and handing it to Rick “on the hilt’ I instruct him.

Rick tips the whip up and looks over the hilt, his eyes narrowing as he moves it around trying to catch some light.

“Here” I smile and hold my hand out, a ball of white light appearing allowing Rick to read the word engraved into the bottom.

“Who’s Abigail?”

“my grandmother’s sister”

“How’d Hershel?” Rick asks looking to me confused as I remove the light as the walkers below begin to pay attention to us”

“I was told it was just Abigail and Larrin... but Hershel’s first wife Josephine she was the youngest of the three and I didn’t even know se existed”

“Hershel’s first wife is Maggie’s...”

“Mother, yeah. I’m finding family in a world where everything is destroyed”

“Maggie is she?”

“She’s human” I smirk “you above everyone should know how important it is to find family in this world... and how important it is to keep the ones still alive... alive. Talk to Hershel. Make him see”

“what are you going to do?” Rick asks as we get up and make our way out of the loft.

“be a teenager. Keeping secrets from you, my brother used to do that to me. He’d try to protect me from our world and sometimes it almost got us all killed. I’ve been trying to be strong, a leader... the Alpha. But I’m not... you are ” I smile to him as he gives me  confused yet grateful smile. Laughing, I jump off the side of the barn and onto the ground, setting straight on my feet without even a wobble. “common sheriff, jump, I’ll  catch you” I laugh up at him as he makes his way down the ladder, sighing once his feet are planted firmly on the ground.

“I don’t know how we didn’t even notice this sooner, this whole place reeks”

“We’re becoming blind” I inform him as we make our way back to camp, splitting up into opposite directions Rick heads over to the house and I make my way to where some of the others sit.

“Officer friendly putting you in a bird cage for crimes against humanity?” Merle chuckles as I sit down next to Sophia who sits doing a work book.

“Just a warning, slap on the wrist nothing I haven’t had before” I smile to the Dixon before moving on to walk around camp. As i make my way over to the RV i notice Dale sitting on top with his rifle and Allison’s Binoculars.

“Take a Break Dale. I’ll take over” I call up o the man.

“You sure? Gets pretty hot up here” he asks as he makes his way over to me to stare down at me

“I can handle a little sun” I assure him as he climbs down the ladders at the back of the RV where I’m standing waiting.

“Go have some fun, re-read a book, They’re in my car. Merle has the keys” I smile to him.

“Thank you Grace” Dale smiles to me and I give him a salute as he walk off toward the camp then make my way up the ladders tot the top of the RV and sit on the camp chair, stretching out and picking up the binoculars from the little folding table at the side.

Keeping up the human appearance, I spy through the binoculars at the tree line with my human eyes everything is clear. I contemplate using my supernatural sight whilst using them but I fear the possibility of seeing two ants having sex.

Sighing from the lack of activity I switch my position and bring my attention to the barn where I see Shane pacing around checking the barn doors, pulling on the locks. Just as he pull on the wooden barricade bar the barn doors are slammed against by the walkers inside and Shane jumps back his hands going to his gun-less side.

“Dumbass” I whisper and shift my attention to the others in the camp, getting bored of spying on the hot head.  Just before I pull the Binoculars to my face again, I notice Glenn walking near with what looks to be egg dripping down his face. “Maggie?” I question with a smile on my face as the Korean walks by “Seems like a waste of an egg”

“It was rotten” Glenn huffs as he climbs the back of the RV and sits near me.

“Come here before you start to scramble” I joke as I talk a cloth from the side and my water bottle. Drenching the slightly dirty cloth in water I begin wiping the gooey substance off of his forehead and hair. “There you go all clean, although it still stinks of Egg”

“That will be my hat” he says holding up his favourite hat that is caked in egg.

“She got you good didn’t she” I laugh as Andrea walks over from the camp.

“Hey Glenn you seen Dale?” She asks as if I’m not here. So just to piss her off I answer for Glenn

“I told him he could have some time off to read and sent him to Merle so he could get into my car” I explain. She gives me a hard smile that is so obviously force and climbs into the RV below us.

“How is there dram in the Apocalypse?” Glenn huffs as he picks up the rifle and leans on it.

“Not everyone gets along Glenn”

“I guessed” he siles as he throws a long look over to Shane at the barn.

“And I though I was a hot head” I chuckle as I watch with him.

“Does your hair set on fire too?” He asks out of nowhere

“I don’t know  I’ve never tried it. Maybe we’ll find out one day” I smile to him. Now noticing how more comfortable he is with the whole supernatural he is. “One thing though, I am not a god, so don’t go around worshiping the ground I walk on okay?”

“Don’t worry Barbie, I never thought a god would be as annoying as you” He smiles at me teasingly.

“What? Hey!” I whine at the insult.
“Exactly” Glenn laughs as he ruffles my hair despite it being tied back in a ponytail.

“Hey watch the hair Rhee” I huff as I attempt to flatten the escaped curls back.

“Andrea’s looking for you” Glenn says pointing below us and I am confused for a second until I turn around to see Dale standing behind me obviously watching Sir Hothead.

“Thank you Glenn” Dale replies as he moves closer to the RV until he is stopped by Glenn’s next question.

“Any chance you have a extra hat”

“Yeah Glenny’s is a little scrambled and we don’t want his sensitive  skin to get all messed up” I smile as I tease back in retaliation.

“Nope” Dale replies before taking his own hat off of his head and throws it up to us where Glenn catches it easily before he walks into the RV to talk to Andrea.

I smile up at Glenn as he sticks the ridiculous hat on his head and looks to me of a judging. “So how do I look” he asks in suspense.

“Oh yeah, you’re the high school heart throb now. I’ll have to hold off all the walker ladies to stop them from taking a bite out of you delicious oriental ass”

“Keeping me for yourself McCall?” Glenn smiles to me.

“Hitting on my girl Glenn” Liam’s voice breaks from the camp and I smile just hearing it.

“Your girl?” Glenn asks jokingly as he sticks his arm around me and I see the flash of gold in Liam’s eyes. He’s jealous.

“You want to keep that arm China-man? Merle asks as he walks closer to the RV with a toothy smile and Glenn’s arm slips from my shoulder. “Come on princess I need some help”

Turning to Glenn with a questioning look he pushes me further away from him “Go before he eats me” Glenn jokes, still not taking his eyes from my mate.

Smiling I walk to the edge of the Rv and jump off of the side in a front flip and land a few feet from Merle.

“What’s up?” I asks as we walk towards the cars.

“Rick’s just headed into the house” Jackson informs me as we stand around the front of my car.

“So?” I question

“Aren’t you going to join him with talking to Hershel?” Allison asks from where she sits with Amy sorting clothes.

“I tried talking to Hershel it got us nowhere. Maybe Rick can do better”

“Yeah but your...” Ethan begins but I cut him off.

“I’m not the leader, Rick is. We’ve all got to understand that. What ever we do, it goes through him”

“But you’re a McCall. You’re the acting Alpha is Scott’s demi...” Ethan cuts off realising his own mistake.

“Demise?” I ask finishing the word in the silence “I’m not an Alpha, I’m not even a werewolf. And we’ve got to face the fact that we might not even see Scott or Stiles, Lydia ever again. We need to move on and keep living. Protect what we have right now, this camp, the farm these people. Yeah we might not get on. But this is what we have. We’re pay for our mistakes right now. We lost the battle to save humanity”

“But maybe we’ll win the war” Liam chimes in wrapping his arm around me.

“You’re wrong” Merle huff

“What? What am I wrong about?”

“Not being a leader” Amy continues on.

“Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others – John Maxwell” Allison smiles

“I don’t know if you’ve figured this out yet... but you do a lot of empowering” Jackson grins and I roll my eyes at them all.

“Rick’s in charge. Let me be 16 a little longer” I smile and walk away.

“Do you really believe it?” Liam asks as I make my way into our tent with him. I give him a questioning look as I sit on our sleeping bag. “about not seeing Scott and the others again”

“Don’t believe everything you hear. Most of it is bullshit”

“You are something else Grace McCall” Liam smiles as he leans forward and kisses me pushing me onto my back and lies on top of me.

“Grace?” the country twang of Maggie’s voice calls through the thin fabric of the tent.

“One second!” I call as Liam rolls off of me frustrated. “Later” I pat his cheek and straighten my clothes before stepping back out side leaving the sexually frustrated beat behind.

“Can we talk privately?” she asks with a glance around the camp to the others that sit around us with their attention drawn to our conversation.

“Sure, lets go for a walk” I smile as I grab my bat and loop the hilt through my belt to let it dangle at my leg. “What’s going on, is this about Glenn because you should know it wasn...”

“It’s not about him its about us” she cuts me off.

“Us... what are you talking about?”

“I don’t remember all that much about my momma. But I do remember the stories, some of them at least. The ones about monsters and demons... Daddy didn’t like her telling me about them but she did. She’d tell me about Abbie and Larrin. I used to think they were just stories... until Shawn”

“Shawn, your brother”

“Daddy and Annette used to hide it from Beth but I knew what he was, before this” she gesture to the world.

“What was he?” I ask weaily.

“I think you know” she sends a glance to the camp where a few of the camp not so subtly watch us.

“Werewolf” I state. “Born or bitten?”

“Born... his father”

“I thought you didn’t know anything about us. Bout the supernatural, at least that’s how Hershel played it”

“Daddy likes to keep things hidden from me. But I found out a few years ago. He freaked out on my one night when daddy was working and mom said to keep it quite, that daddy was struggling with thee facts still”

“Did Shawn have a pack? Was there anybody he hung out with that could have been a werewolf?”

“Not that I know of. In high school Shawn was the star student, nobody was like him” she says in admiration of her step-brother.

“thank you for telling me this” I smile to her thinking this is all she wanted to say.

“I’m sure it’s great and all, but I like being the way I am now as I am sure you do too. My daddy and Rick were just arguing about you. Rick was begging for you all to stay, saying how could my daddy just push away family and that I had a right to know. What I’m tryin’ to say is don’t die on us because my daddy just told me it is more than likely I’d become the next... whatever you are and I really like to get to know the real you as family”

“I’d like that too” I smile to her as we begin to walk back. “By the way I am the one who told everyone about the barn and as awesome as it as, you egging Glenn like that... he didn’t really deserve it”

“Maybe” Maggie smile and we share a laugh with each other as we head to the camp. “Hey where is our resident cowboy officer?” I ask the camp as I steal a carrot from Sophia and look too Carol.

“Andrea said Hershel needed his help on something before they could go on a run. They were going  to check a nearby town for supplies”.

“That was ages ago are they not back yet?” I ask as I look around at the others on the front porch to the house and make my way to the kids and sit down next to the little girl who does her homework with Carl as the two snack off secret veg.

“Hey Grace, can you do anything else than singing?” Carl asks as we sit.

“hand me some of that paper, and I’ll work whilst you two do to” I smile at him as he hands me a blank page and then drops his head to concentrates deeply on his work.

I begin to draw the two kids, taking in all of their soft features that have seemingly aged them in the few days since the CDC.

“I talked to Daryl earlier, he was going out hunting” Carol chimes up.

“There’s no point in telling those two what to do they do what they want. I’ve tried and I only get through them for 5 minutes before they go wandering off like 3 year olds in a store” I smile over to the two who sit with Allison making arrows for our two archers.

“You know what’s going on?” T asks as he and Andrea draw near.

“Where is everyone?” Andrea asks alongside him as Allison, Daryl, Merle and Liam join us at the porch

“You haven’t seen Rick?” Glenn asks confused

“He went off hours ago with Hershel, we were supposed to leave a couple of hours ago” Andrea replies equally confused.

“Yeah you were, what the hell”

“Rick told us he was going out” Carol adds from beside me as we stand to attention.

“Damn it isn’t anybody taking this seriously?” Daryl asks slightly annoyed “we got us a damn trail” he says as he swings around and we all see Shane walking up with the bag of guns.

“What’s all this?” Merle asks stepping beside his brother as Shane nears.

“You two with me man?” Shane asks holding out two of the riffles to the brothers. “Time to grow up, you already got yours?” Shane asks looking to Andrea refering to her gun.

“Yeah, where’s Dale?” Andre replies

“He’s on his way” Shane says flatly as he hands out guns to the camp

“I thought we couldn’t carry?” T asks as he is handed my gun

“yeah well we can and we have too” Shane replies as he slides as gun in my hand and I glare at it. “Now look it was one thing standing around here picking daisy’s when we thought this place was supposed to be safe by now we know it ain’t” Shane preaches as he looks at us and notices Glenn’s gun-less hands. “What about you man are you going to protect what is yours?” Shane asks holding out a shotgun to him. With a look to Maggie Glenn caves and takes the weapon. “that’s it... can you shoot” Shane turns his attention to my cousin.

“Can you stop? You do this, you hand out these guns my dad will make you leave tonight” Maggie argues.

“We have to stay Shane” Carl says from the porch as Lori finally appears.

“What is this?”

“We ain’t going anyway okay?” Shane ignores Lori and continues “Now look, Hershel he’s just gonna have to understand okay? Well he’s going to have too” Shane ‘explains’ as he takes out one more gun and tries o hand it to Carl. “I want you to take this, you take it Carl and you keep your mother safe, you do what ever it takes, you know how, go on take the gun and do it” Shane rants and we watch as Carl hesitates to take it before Lori pulls him away.

“Rick said no guns, this is not your call, this is not your decision to make” Lori hisses.

“Oh shit” T-Dog interrupts what ever is to be said next and we all flow his gaze to behind the house.

My eyes widen in shock. Just entering the tree line is Rick, Hershel, Jimmy and two walkers on poles used for animal.

Shane is the first to react. Immediately getting up from his crouch on the ground and running towards the three men as everyone else follows. I run along side Allison as Liam follows with Sophia in his arms, not wanting to leave the girl alone at the house with no one around.

“what the hell you doin’” Shane yells as he reaches the looming chaos.

“Shane just back off” Rick commands.

“Why do your people have guns?” Hershel asks horrified

“Are you kidding me? You see? You see what they are holding onto?” Shane yells as he prances around ignoring the questions and commands thrown at him.

“I see who I’m holding onto” Hershel replies as he struggle to keep the female walker away from Rick.

“Nar man you don’t” Shane chuckles as he rounds the walkers analysing the situation.

“Shane just let us do this and then we can talk” Rick commands.

“What you wanna talk about Rick?” Shane yells back. “These thing ain’t sick, they not people, they’re dead, ain’t gonna feel nothing for then ‘cause all they do, they kill! These things right here, they’re the thing’s that killed Jim, they killed Otis. They’re gonna kill all of us”

“Shane shut up!” Rick growl

“Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something, could a living breathing person, could they walk away from something like this?” Shane asks and for a split second i am confused until he pulls up is gun and fires three shot into the female walkers chest.

“Shane stop it!” I scream out but I get ignored.

“That’s three rounds to the chest, could someone who’s alive, could they just take that? why is it still coming?” Shane taunts and then fires two more shots to the walker at the end of Hershel’s pole. “That’s its heart and its lungs, why is it still coming?” Shane fires three more rounds into the walker to get his point across that has clearly already been made.

“SHANE ENOUGH!!” Rick screams and Shane listens

“Yeah you’re right man” he says as he walks forward towards the female walker.

“yeah your right man, that is enough” Shane agree then puts his gun to the woman’s head and fires point blank, executing the kill shot against the dead.

People are thrown at the heartless act. The once supposed lively woman’s corpse falls too the ground after the wickedly cruel demonstration of the new world”

“Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us, Enough!  Rick, it ain’t like it was before! Now if y’all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I’m talking about fighting for right here, right now!” Shane rants in a yell before making his way to the barn doors and we all watch stunned in realisation at what he is doing.

“Hershel take the snare pole, Hershel! Hershel! Listen to me please take it now! Hershel” Rick begs to the kneeling man. But the banging on the door has us turning our attention to the barn doors as Shane starts hitting at the locks with a pick axe.

“Shane!” Allison yells in horror but no one moves to stop him as he takes the middle lock of and the barricade bar before slamming on the barn doors to draw out the dead.

Everyone yells different things to each other and I notice Sophia standing in between Merle and I. “Soph go to your momma stand at the back with Lori and Carl” I grab her wrist and lightly push her to the woman who nods to me. Turning back to the doors as thy begin to opens slowly with the walker I growl out as I glare to the three werewolves.

“If it gets out of hand, don’t hesitate” I command flashing my eyes before stepping forward next to where Allison, Merle and Daryl are standing getting ready to fire. Soon the noise is deafening  as the sounds of gunshots ring through the air but the only thing I forces on are the walkers in front of us until the farm goes completely silent as every walker in put down. Dropping my arm down I turn away from the barn and make my way over to Rick, Passing Shane I give him a swift Kick in the shin sending him to the ground kneeling and holding his leg in pain.

“Congratulations jack-weed you created carnage” I hiss down to him and make my way to Rick ignoring the looks sent to me. “Sorry” I whisper up to Rick as I look to my feet and hold the gun to him.

“It’s okay” he replies s he takes the gun gently from me.

A struggling breathing sounds from the barn, indicting another walker and I turn around just in time to see the corpse stumble out. I’ve though about Scott and Stiles, Lydia , my mom and Chris, Kira and Malia, the Sherriff and Mason. But never once did I think about this walker, I never thought about the person this body used to be.

“Grace!” Liam yells as I run past everybody, not giving anybody any time to react the last walker known to only a few. I am unable to reach the dead because as soon as I run near Merle his arms encircle my body and drag me to the ground with him holding me down as I struggle against him until Liam comes up ad holds me down with him so I am lying flat against the dirty with my head facing the barn doors where I see the walker stumbling closer, it’s eyes set on mine and it’s disfigured bloody jaw chomping at its next possible meal.

“Allison!” Liam cries and I watch as her boot clad feet and legs come into my view her bow at her side.

“No, no, no, NO! Just let me try please, please please, Liam please don’t Allison come please it work with you please!” I cry as I struggle to lift my body off of the ground.

“Don’t look, baby don’t look” Liam pleads but I don’t listen I keep watching as the arrow is drawn and the target is lock.

“Liam?” Allison questions and I feel hands on the side of my head forcing my face to turn away. It is then that my eyes turn to the new person holding me. Rick.

“I got you, don’t look” I smiles to me but it doesn’t reach my eyes.

“Liam?” Allison calls again and I hear the worry in her voice”

“Do it” the words have me stilling. My body encased in ice my legs stop struggling against Merle’s grip and eyes flood and leek a new lake. It’s silent but I don’t move my eyes from Rick’s as he holds my head. Everyone is silent either watching me or watching the final walker get put down by the huntress. The only sound is the thump as the body hits the ground and it’s silent again and that is when I let out a cry. Not the cry of a teenage girl...

The cry of a Phoenix.

It rings through the air shocking the people around us at the supernatural sound but Rick he doesn’t move, he doesn’t shake, he sits and he stares holding me in a vice grip.


Who was in the barn? Can you guess it? Come on it’s easy. I’m sorry about my shit timing work is a rollercoaster and I’m called in when I’m supposed to write and when I’m can my tablet is dead and I write on paper then loser the paper and have to start all over again, I apologise and I will try to get the next chapter up ASAP XOX

BH