Is This The End?

09

The next morning Rick wakes up alone in the tent. Rick looks at the food on the bed. His uniform has been replaced with a pair of blue jeans, t-shirt and canvas sneakers. After he's dressed he walks out into the camp "Morning" Rick said "Morning" a man said Rick walks up the hill and passes a young woman and her child "Hey" Rick said "Hi" the woman said Rick stops by Carol. She is pressing his uniform on an ironing board. "Morning" Carol said "Morning" Rick said "They're still a little damp. The sun'll have 'em dry in no time" Carol said "You washed my clothes?" Rick asked "Well, best we could. Scrubbing on a washboard ain't half as good as my old Maytag back home" Carol said "That's very kind. Thank you" Rick said Rick walked over to Glenn. He's watching Dale, Jim and Morales siphoning gas, removing parts from the sports car "Look at 'em. Vultures. Yeah, go on, strip it clean" Glenn said "Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it. Sorry, Glenn" Dale said "Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days" Glenn said "Maybe we'll get to steal another one someday" Rick said Rick pats Glenn on the back and walks over to where Lori is hanging newly washed clothing on a line "Morning, officer" Lori said "Hey" Rick said nearby Andrea and Amy are hanging their wash. They share a smile at seeing Rick and Lori together "You sleep okay?" Lori asked "Better than in a long time" Rick said "Well, I didn't want to wake you. I figured you could use it" Lori said Lori sees that Rick has something on his mind "God, what?" Lori asked "I've been thinking about the man we left behind" Rick said Lori stops smiling "You're not serious" Lori said

Shane gets out of a jeep "Water's here, y'all. Just a reminder to boil before use' Shane said Rick nods to Shane "Are you asking me or telling me?" Lori asked "Asking" Rick said "Well, I think it's crazy. I think it is just the stupidest way to break your son's—" Lori said before they were cut off by Masie screaming "Daddy!" Masie yells "Masie?" Lori said she and Rick run out the camp and into the nearby woods where Carl, Masie and other children are calling out in alarm "It's over there" a man said Shane runs toward Carl and Masie, too, with his shotgun "Dad!" Carl yelled "Baby!" Lori yelled "Mama! Mommy!" a girl yelled out "Rick!" Morales Rick catches the shovel thrown to him "Carl! Masie!" Lori said "Over here, Boy! Come on, come on" a man said "Carl! Baby!" Lori yelled to Masie and Carl "Dad!" Masie yells "It's okay. I got them. I got them" Jacqui said "Nothing bit you? Nothing scratched you?" Lori asked the two kids "The men run under the tin can alarm system and pass Jacqui Lori, Masie and Carl "No we're ok" Masie said In a small clearing they see a man hunched over a deer carcass. Shane covers him with his gun. With his back to the group the walker looks like a man as he tears meat away from the carcass and feeds on it. Andrea and Amy run up onto the scene.

The carcass has arrows sticking out of it. Circling the deer, the men attract the walker's attention. He turns and growls at Rick. Rick takes his shovel and hits the walker. The walker keeps trying to get up so Morales, Glenn, Rick, Jim and Dale continue to beat on it with their weapons until Dale cuts its head off with his axe "It's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain" Dale said "Well, they're running out of food in the city, that's what" Jim said the group raises their weapons ready to kill any other walker. Shane raises his shotgun and scans the forest. A man with a crossbow comes around a rock outcrop. Shane lowers his gun, everyone relaxes "Oh, Jesus" Shane said "Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this...Filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy bastard!" the man said "Calm down, son. That's not helping" Dale said "What do you know about it old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to "On Golden Pond"? I've been tracking this deer for miles" the man said as he pulled his arrows out of the carcass "Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"  the man said "I would not risk that" Shane said "That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel—about a dozen or so. That'll have to do" the man said as the head of the walker starts snapping "Oh God" Amy said she and Andrea leave in horror and disgust "Come on, people. What the hell?" The man said he shot the head with an arrow through the eye. He puts his foot on the head and pulls the arrow back out "It's gotta be the brain. Don't y'all know nothing?" the man said, the man started walking back to the camp but was stopped by Masie "Daryl" Masie said nodding at him "Asskicker'' Daryl said, Daryl and Masie walks back up to the camp Rick watches him, sizing up Merle's brother. Daryl calls out "Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrels! Let's stew 'em up" Daryl said "Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you" Shane said "About what?" Daryl said "About Merle. There was a—There was a problem in Atlanta" Shane said "He dead?" Daryl asked "We're not sure" Shane said "He either is or he ain't!" Daryl said Rick walks over to Daryl and Shane "No easy way to say this, so I'll just say it" Rick said "Who are you?" Daryl asked "Rick Grimes" Rick said "Rick Grimes, you got something you want to tell me?" Daryl said "Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him on a roof, hooked him to a piece of metal. He's still there" Rick said T-Dog comes into the camp with his arms full of firewood "Hold on. Let me process this. You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof and you left him there?!" Daryl said "Yeah" Rick said Daryl threw the rope of squirrels at Rick. Shane body slams Daryl knocking him to the ground. T-Dog drops the firewood and runs up "Hey" T-Dog said Daryl pulls out his knife and goes after Rick "Watch the knife!" T-Dog yelled