rag doll | TWD

[44] first time again

are you ready --- ac/dc

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[POV]

Alexandria was working on a plan to divert an insanely large herd of walkers, one of the biggest anybody had seen. They met in one of the houses as Rick covered the issue. 

Heath spoke first on the matter. He and another few had been on a run and missed the welcoming of Rick and his group. The few confused Alexandrians soon met Eugene upon arrival back home. Then, they met the rest of their group.

"My team...we saw it early on. Back when we were on one of those first scouts, finding out what was around here, there was a camp at the bottom. The people, they must've blocked the exits with one of those trucks back when everything started to go bad. They didn't make it, they were all roamers. Maybe a dozen of them."

Maggie looked up to Heath from the couch, "No one's been back since?"

"DC, every town worth scavenging are all in the other direction. And I never felt like having a picnic next to the camp that ate itself."

"So all the while the walkers have been drawn by the sound and they're making more sound and drawing more in." Michonne realized. 

"And here we are." Rick looked around to the filled room, "now what I'm proposing, I know it sounds risky, but walkers are already slipping through the exits. One of the trucks keeping the walkers in could go off the edge any day now. Maybe after one more hard rain. That exit sends them east...all of them. Right at us." Rick paused, trying to read the expressions. "This isn't about if it gives, it's when. It's gonna happen. That's why we have to do this now."

"This is-" Carol sighed, "I don't even have another word for it. This is terrifying. All of it. But it doesn't sound like there's any other way."

"Maybe there is. I mean, couldn't we just build up the weak spots?" An Alexandrian who had been there since the start proposed. Carter. He'd helped Reg build the walls that surrounded the community. "I-I could draw up a plan. I worked on the wall with Reg. Construction crew- we can try and make it safe."

"Even if we could, the sound of those walkers is drawing more and more every day. Building up the exits won't change that."

"Deanna stared out the window, but spoke loudly, "we're gonna do what Rick says, the plan he's laid out." 

She'd been distant since Reg had tragically been murdered, only speaking when necessary.

"I told you all, we're gonna have Daryl leading them away."

Daryl nodded to Rick. JJ, who was standing next to the window where Daryl was sitting, looked between the two of them. A wave of nerves flooded her. She had thought about talking to Rick about accompanying Daryl as he led the walkers away.

"Me too." Sasha stated. "I'll take a care, ride next to him. Can't just be him. I'll keep 'em coming, Daryl keeps 'em from getting sloppy."

"I'll go with her." Abraham decided. "It's a long way to white-knuckle it solo."

Rick agreed. "We'll have two teams. One on each side of the forest helping us manage this thing. We're gonna have a few people on watch from now on. Rosita, Spencer and Holly. So they're out. So, who's in?"

Michonne was the first to volunteer. "Me."

JJ looked to Glenn who was busy quietly pleading with Maggie not to go.

"I'll go." JJ offered. 

"No." Rick immediately shot her down. "I need you here with Carl and Judith, keeping an eye on things."