Found Book One

Terminus

By late afternoon we reach a large fence, "Split up small groups. With an adult," he says. Carl rushes toward Michonne who chuckles lightly. I go over to my dad, he smiles at me and ruffles my hair.

"Carl, don't you wanna stick with me?" Rick asks Carl shrugs. "I'm fine dad," the younger man mumbles.

They walk one way, Daryl leads me in the opposite direction. "Why is it so quiet and why are there no guards?" I question looking up at the man beside me.

"Sometimes people who haven't been out there don't understand what they need to do," he replies as I stare through the chain-link for any sign of movement.

"We should head back, get weapons, then we go in," he says moving back in the direction we came from.

Rick buries a duffle bag full of guns, "When we get in there, just listen to what they tell you," Rick says as we climb over the fence. "This is our chance to start over," Rick climbs over Michonne follows.

I go over and Carl takes my hand, we move quietly until we get to a red door. Rick opens slowly pushes it to reveal a room of people, my gun is drawn and rest my finger on the trigger.

Carl is right beside me his weapon held high. "Hey," Rick says loudly, disturbing a woman at a desk and some workers on the other side of the room. "Woah, buddy. Are you here to rob us?" one of the men asks.

He holds his hands up as he approaches us. "I'm Gareth, this is Ryan. You look like you've been on the road for a while now," he says cautiously.

Michonne nods, "Yeah awhile," she answers. Gareth shrugs, "Did you come here for sanctuary?" he asks again. "Yeah, we did, if you'll take us," Rick says still not lowering his gun.

"If you would kindly put down all your weapons in front of you," Gareth says motioning for another man to come over.

Daryl and Michonne look to Rick, he nods lightly, and we all take out our weapons and place them on the ground.

"Now if you don't mind, we are going to make sure you aren't trying to sneak anything past us," Rick nods before holding his arms out.

We all do the same, "I'm Rick," he says, "That's Carl, Elaine, Michonne, and Daryl," he continues going down the line.

Gareth frisks Carl who flinches, the other man frisks Daryl. "I don't think I'd want to be the other guy," he laughs looking at Daryl's bruises.

"Did he deserve it?" Gareth asks, "Yeah they did," Carl growls through clenched teeth. Gareth gets to me, he pats my sides all the way down my legs.

I bite back tears as flashes of last night flood my memory.

"Come on. Let's get you settled in, I bet you're hungry," Gareth smiles bending down to pick up my weapons.

I quickly snatch them up and so do the others. "Alright, I get it, we were all like that before Terminus," Gareth calls out leading us through a hall and outdoors.

We make it to a big courtyard area; a few people are bustling around a woman is cooking on a huge grill.

I look around at the people only to see things I recognize. Daryl's poncho and riot gear from the prison.

I nudge Carl and point to the riot gear, I don't even have to tell Rick. He grabs a pocket watch from a guy's pants. Rick draws his gun and presses it to the man's head.

"Where'd ya get the watch!" Rick yells all of us draw our weapons and they land on some of the people.

The man struggles against Rick, he asks the sniper on the rooftop to put his weapon down and he does. "Come on where did you get the watch?" Rick asks again his patience slipping away.

"O-Off of a dead one! I didn't think he'd need it!" the man stutters out. Rick spins him around to the guy with the riot gear on. "What about the riot gear, and the poncho?" Rick asks.

Gareth answers from behind him, "We got the riot gear off a cop and the poncho from a clothesline," Rick turns around to face him.

"Gareth, we could wait," the man says, "Shut up Alex," Gareth mutters holding his hands up. "You talk to me," growls Rick, "What's left to say, you don't trust us anymore. Now Rick what do you want?" Gareth asks folding his hands in front of him.

"Where are our people," Rick asks calmly this time, "That wasn't a question Rick," Garret yells before gunshots fire. "CARL!" Rick yells shooting at the sniper, "Get down! GO!" Rick yells.

I can't move tears well up in my eyes as shots fire around me. Michonne grabs my arm and yanks me forward.

My legs begin to move, I follow Michonne, the surroundings blur into an endless cycle of colors.

We stop in a room with candles and various messages written on the walls, "Come on this way!" Rick calls out running toward a door. It slams and we turn to the other exit. I make it out first into an alleyway.

The shots stop, "Lay down your weapons or the kids die!" Gareth screams from the rooftop. We all share a glance to Rick. Daryl is already putting his bow on the ground.

We lay our weapons on the pavement. "Ringleader move to the right. To the train car," Rick hesitates and looks toward Carl.

"Come on! If you try anything the kid dies and you end up in there anyway," Gareth yells again. Rick nods and walks toward the train car, "Archer you follow Ringleader! Then you Samurai," he says.

Daryl grabs my hand in reassurance before walking with Michonne to the car. "Okay! Line up at the door. Ringleader, Archer, and Samurai! In that order!" They all stand at the door.

"I'm not going in without my son!" Rick calls to Gareth. He laughs, "Fine then Sheriff you can go," he calls.

"When the Sheriff gets to the door, Red Jr. you can go," Rick opens the door and walks in, I stand there waiting for everyone to walk into the small space.

As soon as Carl steps in I move quickly to join them, Daryl grabs me and holds me for a moment.

A noise causes him to push me behind him, "Rick?" Glenn emerges with Maggie, Bob, and Sasha, they all have smiles on their faces.

Rick points to the people behind the four of them, "They're friends. They saved our lives," Glenn says. Daryl smiles slightly, "Now they're friends of ours," he says rushing over to hug the missing members of the group.

Maggie wraps her arms around and squeezes me until I can't breathe, "Maggie, I love you but I also love breathing!" I giggle out.

She lets go and smiles, "We need to get out of here," I say with a frown. Rick looks out the crack of the door. "They are gonna be upset when they find out," Glenn looks confused.

"When they find out what?" he asks, Rick turns around to face us. "That they are fucking with the wrong people," he says with a smirk.