Whispers of the Past || TWD

Chapter 26: Lake

"Need ya ta take this. Then after," Daryl pulled out a bottle, "Take two of these."

Cassie stared at him, hesitantly grabbing the box and bottle. Her eyes widened as another tear fell down her cheek. A pregnancy test and abortion pills. She sniffled.

When Cassie came back, seeing her trembling, Rick and Daryl knew the result. She went to walk away when Daryl pulled her into a hug.

"It's gon' be alright," Daryl muttered, stroking her hair. "Yer gon' be alright."

Cassie didn't respond. Instead, she just continued staring at the ground, ashamed.

~~~

Cassie, Rick, and Daryl walked in silence. 

The girl trudged along behind them, looking down at the ground sullenly.

No one really knew what to say to help the situation. 

The same thoughts kept running through Cassie's mind as they walked. Was she going to die? She couldn't hide this forever. People would figure out what happened. A tear slipped out her eye as her face heated up in embarrassment.

Rick glanced behind his shoulder to see Cassie angrily kick a rock. 

The girl thought up a list of ways to get rid of the baby. She was taking those pills... maybe if she took more than two? Cassie pulled the bottle out of her bag and turned it over, inspecting it. 

Take two tablets every twenty four hours for best success of pregnancy termination. 

Cassie scrunched her face up in disgust and anger at the words "best success." That meant these weren't a guarantee that she's get rid of it. Without thinking, Cassie hurled the bottle onto the road, watching as it bounced a couple times before rolling off to the side in the grass. 

She breathed heavily, before stalking past a shocked Daryl and Rick. 

"Cass... the hell was that for?" Daryl said from behind her.

Shaking her head, she continued marching forwards, when all of a sudden she stopped.

"Cassie?" Rick asked, walking next to her, before also pausing in his tracks. In front of them, was the truck that Jesus stole.

"Would you look at that," Rick said, jogging up to it, right as Jesus walked out from the side of the woods. 

"Hey!" Daryl yelled, slinging his crossbow off his shoulder and pointing it at the man's head. 

Cassie watched as Rick and Daryl pulled their weapons on the guy as he fearfully threw his hands up in the air. She walked past them tying him up and opened the door to the truck, sitting in the back.

She didn't care what was going on behind them. She didn't flinch when she heard a gunshot- knowing that if Rick or Daryl were hurt, another shot would follow. 

She stared mindlessly at the back of the passenger seat's headrest, as Rick and Daryl climbed into the truck.

She didn't care to ask what happened to Jesus. 

~~~

The drive- just like the walk- was silent. 

Until something thumped onto the top of the truck.

"The hell?" Daryl yelled, swerving. "I think that son of a bitch's on the roof!"

Cassie looked out the side of the window to try and get a view of Jesus. 

Daryl pressed the gas of the truck, driving it into a field before slamming down on the brakes; causing Jesus to tumble off of the roof. 

Daryl wasted no time in jumping out of the truck to fight Jesus. He began to chase Jesus, as Rick hopped out of the truck, running right at his heels.

Cassie huffed, crossing her arms in the backseat. She watched out the window as Daryl caught up to Jesus and they both tumbled to the ground. Cassie stifled a laugh as she saw the two roll around in the grass. 

It was then that Cassie felt the truck moving. She unbuckled the seatbelt and moved to the middle seat to see the truck slowly inching forwards towards a lake. 

Without thinking, she clambered into the drivers seat.

Cassie panicked looking out the windshield, noticing that the truck was now gaining speed on the downhill slope. She fumbled around trying to reach the brakes of the truck when she heard a splash. 

Cassie yelped, seeing water spray on the windshield, and begin to flood inside the front of the truck. Realizing the supplies were now a lost cause, she went to open the door. 

Which as her luck would have it, was locked. "Shit!" She yelled.

Rick, Daryl, and Jesus, paused for a moment in their fighting to see the truck hit the lake.

"No!" The three shouted as they ran towards to the slowly sinking truck.

Cassie furiously tried opening the front doors, before giving up and climbing into the backseat to try opening the back doors. 

With no budging, Cassie pulled out her knife, squeezed her eyes shut, and stabbed the window with all her force. 

The glass cracked, right as the water began seeping in the back. She closed her eyes and stabbed it again, and again, until finally the glass shattered. 

Daryl, Rick, and Jesus sprinted towards the partly submerged truck, when Daryl realized Cassie wasn't in the grass. 

"Cassie!" He yelled, with the others on his heels. 

Without hesitation, Cassie shoved her legs through the window and finally maneuvered herself out of the truck. 

She landed with a splash (and a yelp) in the water, her head going under. 

Cassie broke the surface, treading water, and breathing heavily. She stared at the water filling up the spot where she just was in the truck. 

She watched as the truck fully sunk in the water.

Cassie went to stop treading water, putting her feet on the bottom of the lake. Her head went under a few inches; when her feet hit the ground she pushed up and continued treading the water. 

"Cassie! Are you alright?" She heard Rick yell. She turned around, to see him and Daryl splashing into the water.

She let Rick pull her up into a tight hug. "I'm good," Cassie said, pulling away. The water didn't even make it up to his shoulders. 

"Jesus, Cass," Daryl sighed, hugging her. "Ye could've drowned."

"But I didn't," She mumbled into his chest. She felt him chuckle in response. 

"C'mon, let's go home," He said, slightly lifting her up so she didn't have to swim to shore.

Cassie stared quizzically at Jesus in front of them. "What about him?" She asked, pointing at Jesus. 

"He's coming with us," Rick answered, walking towards the man.