Chapter 24 - Rag Dolls

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7 months ago


Slowly, she placed one foot in front of the other, cautious of the autumn leaves beneath her.Each orange and yellow piece of foliage threatened to give away her location and sure enough the outcome would be certain death. Of course a woman with her skills could easily take down a few walkers but a whole horde of them? No way. No, Lou knew she would need to tread carefully if there was any hope of seeing her daughter again.

She kept her back firmly pressed against the trunk of the tree, the wood of her bow tucked conveniently in the space between her breasts as she kept it at the ready. Any raven strands of her hair were tucked back into the stray plastic band she had found on the floor of an abandoned house a few days before – when they were semi safe. Hollie love that little house. She spent hours playing with the small dolls a deceased child had abandoned in their fight for survival. Lou ensured she never knew the body of the child was rammed into the small cupboard next to the staircase. A seven year old should never have seen the sights she had, but there was no way to hide all aspects of this new world from her. At least hiding the corpse had saved her from one more nightmare.

Lou savored small moments like that – getting to watch her seven year old play for the first time in 5 years. Seeing the wide grin spread across her face as she hugged the rag doll. Happiness was rare now. Lou was sure it was the  only emotion she hadn't seen since the world went to hell.

Still, as she pressed herself against the tree and waited for the horde to leave, Hollie never left her mind.Lou was determined to stay alive. To stay alive for her daughter.

She held a deep breath and kept her eyes tightly closed as the walkers roamed a few feet away from her. Darting through the trees for 2 hours was enough to make her lungs burn – she really couldn't survive another few. So, she waited them out. She ensured they were miles away from her little girl and brother before she would make her way back to them.

The groans of the dead were getting louder with each fumbling footstep. The branches snapped beneath their decaying bodies as they stumbled their way towards a possible meal. A black trail of blood was left behind them, their insides dragging through the mud as they wondered through the wildlife.

This was it. This was her chance. She could finally make a run for it. She could make her way back to her little girl. 

When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)Where stories live. Discover now