𝙘𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮¹ ━ 𝙩𝙬𝙙

ix.

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The group felt emptier now, there was no Dale to spew out words of wisdom or to talk about that stupid watch of his over the fire. Paola was glad she wasn't there in his final moments because the memory she had of him was untainted, he was like an old grandparent that you didn't see pass but would always remember.

It was their third funeral staying at the farm, Otis, Sophia and now Dale. Glenn had the man's hat in his hands, their heads bowed to show respect for their own.

"Dale could... could get under your skin." Rick began, "he sure got under mine. Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought. How he felt. That kind of honesty is rare... and brave. Whenever I made a decision, I'd look at Dale and he'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he coule read us."

Rick continues his speech, and even though Paola felt like she should cry, she just couldn't, there were no tears that would come out of her eyes and she felt guilty, she lowered her head, Glenn's cap, that she was beginning to borrow more and more, covered her brown eyes, hiding the shame she felt that she couldn't even cry for a man who cared for her.

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Lock down. They were in lock down as Shane came back to the group, his face bloodied and his nose broken, shouting about how Randall had attacked him and escape.

Maggie had hurried Paola back into the farmhouse, keeping the girl in front of her with her hands rubbing circles on her arms. They were both worried about Glenn, the man had gone off with Rick, daryl and Shane to find him, but darkness continued to fall and duo hated the idea of him out there, especially with a dangerous man with a gun.

Paola took her hand and smiled up at the short haired woman, "he'll be okay, he always comes back."

Maggie took all the comfort she could get from Paola, she felt as though she should've been one to comfort Paola but the more her leg shook with anxiety, the more she appreciated the optimism.

"I'm going after them." Andrea says, standing up from beside Beth and headed to the door.

Lori stops her, "don't, they could be anywhere. And if Randall comes back we're gonna need you here."

Then footsteps were heard outside and Daryl and Glenn open the door, "Rick and Shane not back?" Daryl asks, carrying his crossbow. Lori shakes her head, "we heard a shot."

"Maybe they found Randall." She guesses, her arms folded.

Daryl shakes his head no, "we found him."

"Is he back in the shed?" Maggie asks, squeezing Paola's hand.

"He's a walker."

"Did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asks from beside the mantal piece.

"No, the weird thing is, he wasn't bit." Glenn confirms to Hershel.

"His neck was broke." Daryl reveals.

"So he fought back." Patricia says.

Daryl nods, "the thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right in top of each other. And Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together."

Lori interrupts Daryl and gets close to him, begging, "would you please get back out there and find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on."

"You got it." Lori thanks him as Glenn and Daryl leave again, but they didn't make it further than the porch as the rest of the group followed them out

But the night takes a turn from bad to worse when a heard stumbled towards the house. It was bigger than paola had seen and Carl turned out missing.

Surprisingly it was Maggie and Hershel who handed out guns this time, giving them to whoever would help.

Glenn shallows a sigh before he reached into his back pocket. The gun he confiscated from paola was still there, he knew he trusted her with it, and right now, they all needed all the help they could get. He kneels down in front of her and holds it out to her, "use it only when you need to okay? I'm counting on you."

Paola takes it hesitantly and turns off the safety, something she remembered Rick telling Andrea the first time they met. She had little shots left, she had to make them count. Nodding, she follows him and Maggie closely to take care of the herd.

But it was too late, no matter how much ammunition they pumped into the walkers, this wasn't Hershel's farm anymore, it was theirs. It was lost and they had no home.

They had no other choice than to bundle into the cars and Paola shoved herself in the backseat while Maggie was up front and Glenn in the passenger.

The girl fumbled with her gun, she had one bullet left. Just one and as the car started to be surrounded, she hated that she had one thought left in her brain.

"Where the hell are they going? Should I follow them?" Maggie asks, her foot on the gas pedal.

"I'd say yes. Swing it around, swing it around here." Glenn orders, looking through the back window.

Paola yelps as walkers threw themselves at the windows, growling and banging to try and break the glass, she tries to move backwards to the other side, but they were coming in all directions.

"Oh my god. I can't get through." Maggie whimpers

"Head out." Glenn says, he tries to control his panicked breathing to help his girls but inside, his mind was scattered.

"What?"

Glenn repeats himself, ordering, "get off the farm. Now."

"Dont say that."

"Maggie, it's lost." Glenn yells, he didn't want them to die here, they couldn't.

"The others... we can't leave them." Maggie argues, the walker's continue to pound against the glass and now it was only a matter of time.

"Maggie, we'll die if we don't." Paola cries, shaking the womans arm, throwing her gun on the seat behind her.

The woman breathes shakily before reversing, "get off the farm, now!" Glenn yells again, the walker's groans were becoming louder now. She drives through them.

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