Changing To Adapt ➵ TWD

➵ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɴɪɴᴇᴛᴇᴇɴ

"We need live bait."

Hershel's farm had three separate drinking wells, filled with fresh rain and groundwater for the Greene's to spare, one in which they handed over for them to use.

Emphasis on the had.

Here they stand now, staring down at it in matching expressions of disgust.

It just so happens that when Dale and T-Dog went to quench their thirst, the former had heard a wet gurgle. Just seconds before T-Dog tried to drink the contaminated water.

The walker staring back up at them is something you'd see in a nightmare. Eyes popping out of its head, body sickeningly bloated, clothes destroyed, teeth gnawing at the air in a desperate attempt for food.

Lucas sniffs, hands leaning against the rock around the well. "I'll do it."

"Nah," Shane says, shaking his head. "Maggie says you're recovering from a fever."

Lucas scoffs, eyeing Maggie in betrayal. He then meets the eyes around the circle with a shrug, "It was nothin'. I ain't gonna die."

Shane narrows his eyes.

Lucas prods his tongue against his teeth and steps back. "Whatever."

Instead, all pointed gazes land on Glenn.

Small, skinny, and reliable.

Glenn looks up, notices this, and promptly sighs. 

He goes down, with Maggie keeping watch. Now and then she'll call out how much further they can lower him, every centimeter filled with a tense silence.

Lucas has positioned himself behind Shane and in front of T-Dog, holding securely at the rope.

Things are working perfectly. Despite the Georgia heat soaking everyone in sweat, and the injuries a few members of the group still sported from days prior.

But then the pipe snaps.

And it flings all four of them with it, the rope going slack. Glenn, in turn, shrieks as he falls further towards his death.

"Glenn!" Lucas exclaims, barely a moments second of panic before he dives.

Fighting to stop the metal from going over the edge, Lucas scrambles for purchase against the dirt - before finally, the only thing preventing him from following Glenn into the depths of hell is his feet against stone.

"Jesus, fuck! Help, help-!" he's yelling at the others, quick to grab any empty space they can and haul ass.

"Go, go, go! Pull!"

Their feet are scrambling wildly against dry dirt, and Lucas is glad Shane is here to do most of the heavy lifting. Glenn's head pops out of the well, and they grab madly for his arms. He's finally free.

"Glenn, Glenn-" Lucas pants, grabbing onto his shoulder. "You good?"

Bent over on his hands and knees, Glenn lifts his head for a moment to nod. His chest is rising and falling rapidly. But he's okay. Alive.

Dale breathes out, pressing a hand against his face. "Well. Back to the drawing board."

Suddenly challenging, Glenn shoves himself up onto his knees, "Says you."

He dumps the second rope - specifically for the walker - into Dale's hand.

For a moment, no one moves. Processing.

Lucas's fingers reach past Dale, curl around the twine, and give a firm tug - only to feel it go taught.

Amidst the chaos, Glenn had done it.