The Third Dixon [The walking dead]

Chapter eight

Carol's sobs were raw and unrestrained, tearing out of her as Daryl lifted her up and turned her away from the bodies. He held her tightly, one arm locked around her shoulders, his other hand pressed against the back of her head.

"Don't look," he murmured, voice breaking despite his effort to keep it steady. "Don't look."

A few feet away, Measi wiped at her own eyes with the heel of her hand, angry at the tears for coming at all. Her chest felt hollow, like something vital had been scooped out and left behind in the dirt with the dead.

Beth was crying too—harder than anyone else. Jimmy held her at first, his arms clumsy and unsure, but she pulled free of him suddenly.

"No—Beth," Rick said quickly, stepping forward. "Wait. Wait—"

She shoved past him, stumbling toward the walkers' bodies. Maggie cried out, panic sharp in her voice, but Beth wasn't listening. She reached one of the corpses—her stepmother—and turned the body over.

The walker wasn't dead.

It lunged.

Beth screamed as cold, decaying hands grabbed her arms. The sound snapped through the air like a gunshot.

"Pull her away!" Rick shouted. "Pull her away!"

Rick, Shane, and Glenn rushed forward, hands grabbing at Beth, dragging her backward as the walker snapped and clawed, teeth inches from her skin.

Measi didn't think.

Her body moved before her mind caught up.

She raised her handgun, breath steady, eyes locked—not on Beth, not on the chaos, but on the walker's skull. One clean shot. Precise. Controlled.

The walker dropped instantly.

Silence crashed down, some turned to the sounds with a shocked look on their face as Measi pushed the gun away again.

Beth collapsed into her father's arms, sobbing uncontrollably as Hershel held her, his own face shattered, hollow-eyed. He guided his family toward the house, Maggie clinging to Beth, Patricia trailing behind them in shock.

Rick's group stayed rooted in place.

Shane didn't.

He went after them, fury radiating off him in waves. Rick cursed under his breath and followed. Glenn hesitated only a second before going too.

"We've been out there," Shane yelled as they reached the porch. "Combing the woods, risking our lives, and she was in there the whole time? You knew."

"Leave us alone," Maggie snapped, blocking the doorway.

Rick grabbed Shane's arm. "Hey—Shane, stop. Just stop."

Shane yanked free. "Get your hands off me. I—" His voice cracked, then hardened. "You knew. You kept it from us."

"I didn't know," Hershel said, his voice shaking but firm.

"That's bullshit," Shane shot back. "I think you all knew."

"We didn't!" Maggie cried. "We didn't!"

Measi rushed up behind Rick, her voice sharp but pleading. "Shane, come on. Just—leave them. They just lost—"

"Why was she there?" Shane demanded, spinning on Hershel.

Hershel swallowed. "Your... Otis put those people in the barn. Maybe he found her. Maybe he put her there before he was killed."

Shane laughed bitterly. "You expect me to believe that? Do I look like an idiot?"

"Shane," Rick warned. "Hey—hey—"