𝓗𝓮𝔂 𝓐𝓷𝓰𝓮𝓵 | 𝓓𝓪𝓻𝔂𝓵 𝓓𝓲𝔁𝓸𝓷

Chapter 32: Reunited

Adrenaline still pulsed through my veins as I slowly gained control of the slightly erratic horse. I had been trying everything I could think of and soon it settled over the chaos from before. If it weren't for the imminent danger I would've laughed at myself.

Pleading with a horse to slow down and not throw me off was not something I'd ever seen myself doing in my life but I'd never expected the world to go to shit either. I'd never expected to have to wake up one day without my brother, never expected the dead to return with a hunger for flesh, never expected to have to see people torn to pieces by their friends and family. The only certainty seemed to be in uncertainty...and death.

I tried to slow my breathing taking in deep breaths and clinging to the horse's reigns. My eyes darted around the area searching for any signs of movement finding none was both a relief and disappointment. It meant there were no walkers but it also meant the group wasn't here. Not knowing what had happened to them was weighing me down more than I thought it ever could. I pushed the thoughts aside and focussed on heading in the direction I hoped was the highway and one of the roads down to the farm.

I had been riding through the forest for some time now. The light shone down through the trees almost making the place look tranquil save for the walkers shuffling through and groaning and moaning. They had begun to sweep through the area seemingly having dispersed from the farm now there was no meal to be found.

I could help but let my mind wander. Thinking of the group. I had no idea who made it out. Didn't know who was alive or who wasn't. No idea where anyone was. Whether I would ever see any of them again.

The worse part was I don't think I had ever really told a single one of them what they'd really done for me in one way or another.

I couldn't go back to being on my own. Not now, I wiped my eyes furiously stopping any more tears that threatened to fall. Sniffing slightly I tried to keep my focus on the odd walker I could see in the distance coming from the direction of the farm. I felt foolish for thinking that it would be safe for a long time.

But that didn't matter now; I needed to find the highway.

When I broke out of the trees onto a road I nearly jumped for joy. I knew this road I could get back to the highway from here. I just hoped there was someone to get back to...

I spurred the horse onwards as best I could, galloping down the road, gripping the reigns so tightly my knuckles turned white. Every metre closer was either a metre closer to my friends or the crippling realisation that they were gone forever.

I was so focused on what could be I never saw the walker push out from the trees growling with decayed arms outstretched. It stumbled towards the horse nearly tripping over but it terrified the horse which reared up and flung me from the saddle and straight onto the solid dirt floor.

I coughed and spluttered trying to suck in air that had been thrown from my lungs as I crashed against the floor. The horse charged off and the walker lunged for me. I rolled out of the way and the walker comically fell over flat. I would've laughed if it weren't for the pain I was in. Not just from the fall but from where I had gotten sliced by the tree.

I had to keep going the highway was just ahead. I keep pushing and pushing forcing myself up and over the long metal barrier.

I stopped. What if they weren't here? What would I do? Where would I go?

My heart raced as I forced myself to move again.

"We can't just leave her Dad!"

A smile broke out onto my face despite the words uttered. Rick and Carl at least were here. I pushed on weaving through cars and I could make out more voices. Beth, Lori, Glenn, Hershel, Carol but I couldn't hear the one I wanted to most.

"No! I ain't leaving her here! I'm not leaving here without her!" The redneck yelled.

I moved past a car and caught sight of the group. Before I could even utter a word Carl caught sight of me and came running.

"You're alive." I hugged the boy tightly I wide smile gracing my lips.

"Takes a lot to kill me, bud," I replied releasing him from my grasp.

"I'm glad to see you made it out too," I smiled.
The others came over to greet me too. Rick was smiling wide and clapped me in a tight hug.

"Thought I'd lost you English," He muttered.

"Rick Grimes, you got shot, I moved states, the dead came back to life and I still managed to find you. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried." I declared with a small smile. Rick moved away back to his family as Carol wrapped me in her arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay," She muttered quietly, a soft smile on her lips as she moved away. Looking around the group I noticed many missing, Shane was one of them and I felt relieved at the fact but also a little guilty.

"We're moving out," Rick called and the others headed back to their cars. I finally caught sight of Daryl who was staring at the floor then glancing up at me every few seconds.

"You gonna tell me you're pissed at me for no doubt almost getting myself killed again?" I asked, nervously rubbing the back of my neck and walking a little closer and tucking a few strands of hair that had fallen from my ponytail.

I never thought I could be so afraid to lose someone else after Noah. Never thought I could care about anyone else at all but here I was with a group I would do anything to protect and a man that made me feel a way I never had before. I felt like I had been standing there waiting for him to speak for an eternity when in reality only mere moments had passed.

I stepped closer to him still waiting, growing a little worried in the process.

He grabbed me by the arm and yanked me into his. I don't think I had been held so tightly in my life.

"Damn right, I'm pissed," he said as I wrapped my arms around. Him burying his head into the crook of my neck and me smiling, resting my head on his chest, glad to know he cared as much as I did. "Ya said ya weren't goin anywhere. Then I couldn't find ya."

"I was worried I wouldn't see you again but we're both here and as much as I love you being a softie. I think we might want to get that lovely bike of yours before the others catch on," I laughed lightly trying to enjoy the small moment before I would be brought back to the reality of those we had lost.

"I ain't being a softie," The redneck object a light shade of pink could be seen below the mud covering his face.

"Whatever you say, Angel," I teased sitting down on the bike behind Daryl wrapping my hands around his waist as we set off for a new place.

It was sat on the back of the motorbike that I took note of what I'd seen. Those walkers, that herd. If we ever got caught by one of those out in the open we would never survive, more and more people were joining the land of the dead. More teeth to bite, more nails to scratch. We've lost Sophia, Dale, Jimmy, Patricia, Shane, Andrea and no doubt the group lost more before I showed up.