THICK SKULL , twd [ 1 ]

2. new day

𖦹

KOA'S BLADE SITS FIRM in the palm of her hand. Walkers roam and snarl behind the gate. The group slept for once, like they actually slept. Koa woke up with lines on her face from her bracelets that wrap around her wrists, that's how well she slept.

            "Ready?" Hershel asks and without giving an answer, Rick swings open the gate. T-Dog is the first one in, stabbing a walker in the head with his weapon. Koa is right behind Maggie and Glenn, ready to clear this place and have a home.

           Squelching and blood ring in her ears. Rick hadn't wanted Koa fighting, he wanted her to stay behind that gate with Carl but Koa refused. Shane drilled it into her head that she won't survive this world. And Koa will be damned if she proves him right.

             Koa isn't religious. Shane would sometimes drag her to church when her grandma badgered him about it but the three of them never bothered with it. Koa knows one thing though—if heaven is real—Shane Walsh isn't in it.

         And grandma is probably mad as hell as she glares down at her son from heaven. Maybe he's stuck in purgatory, maybe that's worse than hell. Koa hopes when she dies it's just black. Nothing calling to her, just death.

              They stand back to back, ready as they come closer. One comes at Koa and her heart drops for a moment, it always will when one of these fuckers are right in front of her. She dives the blade into his head till the ridges meet its skull. With a quick yank, blood splatters across Koa's face. She makes sure to shut her mouth, and goes onto the next walker.

             Rick has one hand around Koa's bicep and the other on his weapon. She tries to tug away but her breath gets caught in her throat when even more imprisoned walkers emerge. T-Dog races for a Swat shield, ignoring all their pleas to stay tight. T-Dog knocks the walker down and then Maggie quickly shoves her machete into the monster's head, killing it finally.

           "Almost there," Rick says, hand still tight around Koa's arm no matter how much she tries to tug away. They get to the red, rusted door but Rick curses, silently motioning for them to hide against the wall. Around the corner from them there's even more walkers in prison clothes. Rick finally lets go of Koa only to motion for her to go back with the others and be the distraction, to be safe.

              'No,' Koa mouths, grip on the hilt of her blade tightening, knuckles white. 'Yes,' Rick mouths between pants. Koa just shakes her head with a vigorous no. But when two walkers come out decked in Swat gear, a part of her wishes she complied. They're practically protected from head to toe. More come out and spot the group against the wall.