Into The Dark

{22} A herd

3rd POV

Everyone runs out of the broken window, Daryl carrying a shaking Ash. They shoot the walkers that are in the way of the cars. They hurry into the cars and Rick grabs the keys and is about to start the RV but Lori stops him by pointing at the building. "Wait wait wait. Wait wait. They're coming." 

They look back at the building to see Andrea and Dale jumping out of the window. Rick looks at his watch until he starts honking his horn. "Dale, get down! Down!" Lori screams out the window. 

"Get back! Everybody down! Down!" Rick yells to the rest of the people and they hurry to the back of the RV, Daryl placing Ash on the bed and putting his body between her and the building just in case. The building then explodes, shaking everything. Ash closes her eyes in pain, hearing it louder then the others. 

Everyone looks at the burning building in front of them with wide eyes. "Come on. Come on." Dale says as he helps Andrea up off the ground. The RV door opens and Glenn is waving his arm to them to hurry 

"Come on. Come on. Get in, get in, get in. Get in." He says and they get in quickly and Rick looks behind him at everyone before his glance turns to Ash. 

She has sweat trickling down her bloody face as her eyes are darting in every direction. God only knows what she was going through in that room by herself. Daryl stands up and walks toward the door. He walks out without a word and walks to his truck with the bike in the back. 

Rick pulls the RV out and all the cars pull out in a line. As they drive away from the black smoke, all Ash can think about is what happened in that room. 

Flashback 

Ash's finger twitches and it shoots pain through her. She bites down a scream as she tries to roll over. The building shakes and she rolls off of the cot. She screams in pain as she lands on her face, blood oozing from her nose. She groans as she tries to move. Pain shoots through her once again as the door bursts open. 

Ash closes her eyes and falls into a dreamless sleep, which is like a blessing to her. 

Three days later...
Ash

We are going to Fort Benning. That means we are going to be passing Griffin, Georgia; that's where I lived in the beginning. I hope we don't make a stop there, I can't bear to be near that place again. Too many bad memories in that place...

We are currently driving down the empty highway, I guess. I mean, that's what Shane said we were doing five minutes ago when I asked where we were. I can hear Daryl's bike outside. 

Rick, Lori, and Carl switched with Shane so now they are in another car with Sophia and Carol. Now, I'm stuck with Shane, Andrea, Dale, Glenn, and T. I'm in the back, you know, laying on the bed. T's back here with me, keeping me company. I hear Shane and Andrea talking about guns. 

"Hey, T?" I say. 

"Yeah?" He asks. 

"Do...do you think I'll ever walk again?" I ask. 

It's silent for a moment, even Andrea and Shane stopped talking. Finally, he speaks again. "I don't know, Ash. I hope so. You're a lot funner when we have to chase you down." He jokes and I smile. 

"Yeah, me too." I say. Daryl's honks outside and the RV stops. 

"Let me go see what's going on." T says and walks up to the front.  

I feel the RV swerving slowly on the road, seemingly dodging things. But then there is this loud squealing noise and the RV stops. "What's happening?" I call to the front. I really hate being blind. 

"The engine stopped." Dale says and then the door opens and I hear them walk out. 

"What about me?" I say softly. 

After a while, I hear someone enter the RV. They sit down at the table chair I think and start messing with something metallic. I can tell because I hear the clanging. Suddenly, everyone outside goes quiet. 

After a moment, I realize why. I hear the groans of the walkers as they bang up against the RV. I freeze, hoping they don't come in. I'm glad someone came in here in case they did. I hear the clanging by the table stop, and then they fall to the ground. "Oh, God." I hear them whisper. 

"Andrea?" I whisper quietly. I hear a gasp before I hear her crawling towards me. 

"Shh. Stay quiet." She whispers as she throws a blanket over me, covering my face as well. 

"What's going on?" I whisper. 

"A herd." She whispers back. 

Oh, no! Everyone is out there! Carl and Sophia and Rick and Daryl! 

I hear someone step inside and Andrea becomes frantic. She hurries further upfront and grabs something off the table and leaves me alone. I stay on the bed as I hear her go into the bathroom. 

I try to even my breaths so the blanket doesn't rise to much until I hear the walker right by the bed. My breath hitches in fear until I hear something clang near the bathroom. It walks away and starts it's way to where Andrea is. 

It starts banging on the door and I hear Andrea screaming. Okay. I'm ready to do something incredibly stupid. 

"Hey! Over here!" I scream as I move my head from side to side, trying to move the blanket. I hear it stop banging and walking over to me. "Andrea! Do something! Quick!" I scream at her as the walker falls on top of me. 

I scream as it tears through the blanket. I hear the door open and Andrea coming but I feel something tear into my shoulder. I scream in pain and it falls dead on top of me. 

I breath heavily as I feel Andrea pull it off of me and then gasp. "Ash!" She exclaims as I feel her place cloth over the wound. "You're okay. You're gonna be okay." She exclaims in a hurry. 

"A--am I bit?" I ask, horrified. 

"You're gonna be fine." She makes an empty promise to me. 

"Rick...I need to talk to Rick...and Daryl...I need to tell them..." I whisper as I try to process that I am bit. 

"I'll go get them. Stay here. Don't go anywhere." She said as she held down on my shoulder once more before running out of the RV. 

I don't know how long I waited until I heard footsteps entering the RV. "Ash!" I hear Daryl scream. 

"Daryl." I say as I feel him pull the tattered blanket off of me and put pressure onto my shoulder that continues to throb. 

"Why? Why would you go and do something stupid like that?" He asks as he pushes me down into the mattress. 

"Andrea...she was in trouble..." I say as I close my eyes. 

"You're so stupid. She can handle herself! You can't!" He screams at me. 

"I was trying to buy her some time...I knew I couldn't kill it but she could if only she had more time...Don't be mad..." I say quietly. 

"I am! I already lost Merle! I can't lose you too!" He says as he grabs my face. 

I feel tears rolling down my cheeks. "I love you, Daryl...You protected me my whole life, before any of this ever started...You are the best brother anyone could ever ask for..." I say as my voice cracks. 

"Ash! You are not dying on me! Not today!" He screams at me. "Get me a bandage! Now!" He screams to someone behind him. 

"Daryl..." I hear Dale say. 

"Now!" His voice cracks. I hear Dale's footsteps move to the front quickly. 

I feel him turn to me as he puts more pressure onto my wound. I feel as if I'm falling. Falling into the darkness of nothingness. "Hang in there." I hear his voice distantly. 

"Hang in there..."