When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 29 - Please, stop

She could feel her legs fighting to give way underneath her as she ran, each and every muscle in her body screaming for small break. Her torn jeans rubbed against her skin, spreading sweat across her thighs, causing them to itch as the fabric gripped her muscles. Still, she pressed on. The cold oak wood of her bow bounced across her back as she jumped over broken trees, following the path Rick set ahead of her and much as she hated him, she knew, his plan was the best chance they had.

Michonne and Morgan trailed slightly behind him, leaving Lou to guard the back of the group as they darted through the trees and into a small clearing at the edge of Alexandria. A large perimeter of metal stood proudly around their civilization, held up by thick planks of brown wood.

"You all have your assignments. You know where to rendezvous. Daryl leads them out. Sasha and Abraham join him at the bottom of the hill" He instructed into his walkie-talkie, panting between each sentence. "Glenn, you hit us when you take care of the walkers at the tractor place. That's the one thing we gotta get ahead of. Everybody keep your heads. Just keep up"

He nodded at his small team before raising his red flare gun into the air and pulling the trigger, allowing a beam of pink light to soar meters above their heads. Lou followed in suit, raising her right arm and allowing her warm index finger to apply pressure to the small plastic trigger that Rick had reluctantly given to her.

"Michonne?" Morgan asked, speaking for the first time since they had set their plan in motion. "Back where I lived, did you take one of protein bars?"

Lou tried hard to stifle a laugh "Boy, I would kill for a protein bar right now"

"No" Michonne replied simply, refusing to look the male in the eye.

"See, I coulda sworn there was one peanut butter left"

"That's how it is, isn't it? You always think there's one more peanut butter left"

Lou brought her right hand to her face and covered her mouth, fighting to mute the sounds leaving her lips as she listened to the two bicker.  "Seriously, this is priceless"

"Lou, shut up" Rick snapped as walkers began to rattle the metal walls. Each decomposing body bouncing off its surface as they followed the sound of Daryl's rumbling motorcycle. "I told you if you ruin thi-"

"Yeah I got it" she grumbled, once again raising her arm above her head and shooting another fair into the blue sky.  Once satisfied that half the horde had passed their advantage point Lou followed her small group back into the trees, cautious to minimise the sound she produced as she stepped over the fallen leaves underneath her. 

Rick waved his arms out in front, pointing in two opposite directions and then gripped Lou's arm, pulling her to the left, ensuring she stayed close to him at all times as they walked. "You're going to have to trust me at some point Rick" 

"I don't have to do shit" he snapped "Keep moving"

Before she had time to respond, a scream echoed through the woods around them, alerting a few walkers and causing a small group to wonder towards them. "Oh shit" She ran from Rick's grasp and towards the continuous cries for help, tugging her bow over her head and releasing arrows. Walkers ran at the flailing body on the ground. Lou fired. One by one they fell. "Shut up" 

He kept screaming, even as she bent down beside him and covered his mouth with her hand. "Connor, you need to stop" she begged, frantically searching the area for any more 'walkers'. His blood had already began to stain the tartan shirt he wore, dripping onto the dirt. 

"What's going on?" Rick asked, running towards them. 

"His face, Rick" Lou breathed, still trying to stifle Connor's screams "Please, please stop. If you don't stop I'm going to have to kill you"

Still he cried out, gripping her hands and spreading his blood up her arms. She had no other choice. Swiftly, she pulled her hunting knife from her boot and pushed it into his neck, subsiding his screams. His arms dropped to his side and his eyes closed. Lou closed hers in return, taking a deep, wobbly breath and wiping the blade on the thigh of her jeans. 

"What the hell was that?" Daryl's voice crackled through the radio "Everyone okay?" 

"It was Connor" Rick sighed back, holding his finger down on the button of the plastic device "A walker got him, straight in the face. Lou took care of it" 

Daryl didn't reply. 

For a few moments nobody spoke, until Lou pushed herself up from the ground and stormed off into the tree's, following the direction of the walking dead. She stuck to the tree line, mindful to stay out of the sight. Being alone with her thoughts was dangerous, but she would much rather that than another moment with Rick. That was of course, until a foghorn rang out from a few miles away. Each and every corpse stopped. Turned their heads. And followed the sound of food. 

"Holy shit" she mumbled "That's coming from home"