Animal Gone Wild [DISCONTINUED]

45

FUCK ME

    I moved back from the walkers heading towards us.
    "Everyone," Rick hollered, "Get back! Get into your houses, go!"
    I rushed towards Carl and Ron.
    "Go," I ordered, "now Carl. Go!"
    I shoved Carl forward, making him run off as Ron followed after him. I pulled out my bat and started swinging at a few, trying to buy some people time. I started moving backwards towards the homes, dodging walkers as I could.
    "June," Rick yelled.
    I glanced around, trying to pinpoint where he was yelling from as I moved. It was kinda hard to with the walkers and all.
    "June!"
    "Ember," screamed Carl.
    I whipped my head to the left and started running, whipping past walkers while switching from bat to knife. I knifed walkers when I could as I made a mad dash towards them. I intercepted a walker before it could even touch the group and followed them into the house.
    "Present," I panted.
    Everyone moved a mile a minute getting Deanna to a bed and calming Judith.
    "I can't get her to calm down," Carl fretted.
    "Here," I comforted, taking Judith from Carl, "I got it."
    I bounced her on my hip as I hummed "You Are My Sunshine" quietly to her. Her crying started to calm down.
    "How did you-?"
    "How do you think you and Rick can sleep through the night," I smirked, "go. I got her."
    I sat down in the bedroom, looking down at Judith as she slept peacefully on my shoulder. It was peaceful for awhile until I heard smashing, crashing, and grunting. I rested Judith down before entering the hall.
    "I swear to god," I growled, "if Carl's playing with walkers again I'm gonna shoot him myself."
    "June, no," Rick denied.
    Rick, Jessie, and I ran downstairs towards the garage door. It wouldn't open, how fantastic.
    "Carl!"
    "Ron," Jessie cried.
    The two parents tried effortlessly to get the boys to open the door, which wasn't working obviously.
    "Get outta my way," I ordered.
    Rick and Jessie moved back as I got ready to kick the door open.
    "It doesn't swing that way," Jessie fretted.
    "Yeah? Well too bad for the door."
    I kicked it a bit too hard because the door swung open and the doorknob broke off.
    "Whoops..."
    "Get in here," Rick yelled at the boys.
    They entered quickly as I swung the door back the correct way. I was helping Jessie, Carl, and Ron keep the door closed.
    "I didn't think the kick through, I'm sorry," I commented.
    "Doesn't matter now. Keep it closed."
    We moved out of the way when Rick and Gabriel shoved the couch in front of the door.
    "We need more and to be quiet."
    "I'll see what I can find," Michonne whispered.
    "Me too," Gabriel agreed.
    Carl and I helped keep the couch against the door. I watched as Carl and Ron literally lied about what happened in the garage.
    "Carl," Rick asked, "it's okay?"
    "It's okay," Carl lied.
    I gave Carl a pointed look from where I was, knowing Rick and Jessie couldn't see me. Carl averted his eyes from mine, proving that they were really fighting.
    "June," Rick asked.
    "Truth," I lied smoothly.
    "I'm holding you to that..."
    I rolled my eyes.
    "When do you not?"
    We entered the next room when the garage was blocked well enough.
    "They knocked the sculpture over," Jessie stated.
    "All that noise, it's drawing more," Michonne commented.
    Judith decided to cry at that moment, making me grumble.
    "I'll get her," Rick stated, already moving faster than me.
    "God I hate the apocalypse," I whispered quietly, "the world could've ended an entirely different way—why'd it have to be the apocalypse?"
    "Are you having a meltdown," Jessie questioned, obviously confused.
    "No," Carl denied, "Ember's just being her usual self actually. When she starts glaring and growling is when you need to question if everything's okay."
    "Hey!"
    I furrowed my eyebrows and shoved Carl with my elbow, gaining a smile from him.
    "Ember? Her names June," Ron sassed.
    I turned cold, giving Ron a glare.
    "Hey. My name may be June, but Carl's been callin' me Ember since I've known him. So shut it."
    Ron shifted uneasily from my glare, and Jessie obviously could tell that it's best not to cross me about my attitude with her son. Especially not with the information I got about the garage ordeal.
    "June, relax," Michonne joked, "we don't have time to clean up dead bodies."
    My lips twitched up into a quick smirk and I shook my head. Turning to look at Michonne.
    "That was one time—and it wasn't even my fault."
    I could tell Gabriel, Jessie, and Ron were uncomfortable about the topic at hand. I turned towards them.
    "Don't worry, Michonne just likes to remind me of when we ran into some not-so nice people on a run many months ago."
    Carl snorted, "tell 'em about that time walkers got a jump on you during a run because Daryl scared you with a fly swatter."
    "No—and would you stop reminding me about it? It's bad enough Daryl won't let it go, now you?"
    In our moment of reminiscence, the door started breaking down. Jessie, Gabriel, and I made quick work to keep the bed in place. Carl and Ron even carried over a shelf to try and help until Rick came storming in, pushing against the bed with us.
    "There's just too many of them," Gabriel cried.
    I heard the other door starting to open.
    "Everybody get upstairs now," Michonne ordered.
    "Shit," I whispered.
    "Back off," Rick yelled.
    Jessie and Gabriel were the first to listen, followed by the boys. I followed next, letting Michonne and Rick take the back. We watched as Rick and Michonne covered the stairs with the couch.
    "I got this one, you get the one behind it," Rick voiced, "we're gonna need at least two."
    I shook my head, I didn't even want to know what Rick was planning. It wasn't even worth thinking about considering the situation we're in. If Rick wanted to be ballsy, fuck it, we'll be ballsy. I embrace ballsy.

    I watched as Rick carried the walker up the stairs. I was leaning on the railing out of boredom.
    "Stay here," Rick ordered, "if you see any of them squeezing through, get me—or better yet. Get June to smack 'em."
    I perked up in interest.
    "Actually, get me. I don't need her toying with them."
    "Hey," I frowned, turning and followed Rick with my eyes, "that's only if I get bored and you know it...jackass."
    I stayed there, looking down at the walkers with Carl keeping watch. Boring, but better than gutting walkers.
    "June, Deanna would like to talk to you," Michonne called.
    I moved away from the railing and into the room she resided in. I knocked lightly before entering.
    "You asked for me," I questioned, entering the room and shutting the door behind me.
    "Beaten," Deanna voiced, "were you beaten as a child."
    I tensed in front of the door. No one ever dared ask about my childhood, not even Daryl—but that's because he understood, but he asked very little bits of it. We didn't have to voice it, we just knew. The others had some inkling, I knew they did, but they never questioned it because it helped with our survival.
    "Uh, well...they weren't the nicest. They treated my brother better than they treated me. They trained me from the age of 7 to bite through any material and skin...strain my ears for anything and how to lock pick using anything. They also trained me to be loyal...they treated me like a dog. A dog that needed to be trained to guard. But yeah...there were beatings at the beginning and before the training."
    "Your brother...did he know?"
    I looked down and sighed.
    "Not until we were 12...he accidentally came down to the basement during one of my beatings. Our parents didn't notice him, but I made sure they didn't look behind them and saw his tears. He vowed that once he was 16 he'd get his license and we'd drive somewhere...so I'd be free of their torture. Every year like clock work we'd do it. He saved me more times than I could count...he was my salvation before he was ripped away from me."
    "And then you met your group," Deanna voiced.
    I nodded, "yeah...yeah I did. Stayed with 'em since and became my salvation—well...one of 'em did, the others just got the benefit of having me around."
    "Daryl?"
    A small smile came to my face and nodded lightly.
    "Yeah," I whispered, "Daryl Dixon...the jackass redneck."
    "They're gonna need you June. They're always going to need you. Now, go on."
    I nodded and turned towards the door, ready to exit before I stopped.
    "Thank you."
    "For what?"
    "Taking us in...we haven't been the nicest neighbors, but thank you. And for asking about my childhood...no one besides Daryl's really asked about it."
    "Your welcome June."

    We were covering ourselves in guts to disguise our scent. Damn was it foul too. Gabriel and Michonne were all done up and Carl was getting done up. Jessie was about to be by Rick while I covered myself.
    "We need to move," Rick panted, "you, then me."
    "I'll do it," Jessie nodded.
    I smirked at Rick. He just gave me a glare, causing me to purse my lips but still smirk. Quickly signing to him.
    "You like her."
    "June," Rick warned, "please?"
    I chuckled, "oh don't think you're gettin' away from that conversation anytime soon Boss."
    I continued rubbing walker guts on me silently, listening to Jessie tell Sam to be a brave kid. That kid's gonna need more than bravery on his side—Carol probably scared the fuck outta him or some shit.
    "We have to go," Michonne whispered.
    She was taking watch as Jessie was finishing up Sam. Rick walked out and looked down and simply agreed.
    "We're ready," Jessie stated, "Ron?"
    "Yeah," Ron agreed.
    "I'll get Judith," Rick commented.
    "Rick," Gabriel spoke, "I'm not gonna give up out there. I will not turn back, no matter what happens."
    "Yeah, I know."
    Rick walked off to get Judith. I blinked twice before concluding that Rick, didn't give two shits what Gabriel said. It didn't take long for Rick to join us with Judith, handing her off to Carl.
    "And away we go," I murmured quietly.
    Rick lead us down the stairs, Carl following behind him. Followed by Jessie, Sam, Ron, Gabriel, and Michonne. I took up the end. As we stood on the porch, walkers wandered all around in front of us and around us. We all held hands as we walked down the stairs, being quiet as mice.
    "Mom," I heard Same ask, "Mom."
    I twisted my eyes closed. That kid was gonna get us killed. Which wasn't a good thing because nothing could happen to the Grimes or I would lose my shit.
    "Mom!"
    I swear to God, I'm gonna kill the little shithead. I let out a tiny breath, trying to relax and not lash out on the kid, even if I was in the back.