The Devils Daughter

22

"I'm bit."

The words kept replaying in my head over and over like a broken record. I felt my entire body and soul go numb, I couldn't move it was as if my body had been overtaken by something else.

I stare down in horror as the women who ever so greatly let us in this place begins to deteriorate is front of my eyes. The color drained from her skin, her eyes sunken in and the happiness now placed with a new type of feeling. Trepidation. That was it.

Not only was her life being taken away from her so was her home currently. She isn't going to be here to watch us take this place back. I refuse to let my tears fall, I do not wish to show her how weak and fragile I am she needs support and it's what I am going to give her.

"It's okay Deanna. You're going to be okay, you hear me?" I say once my eyes go back up to meet hers. She nods her head before grabbing my hands and giving them a tender squeeze.

I fight with my whole being to hold back the tears that threaten to spill out. She looks so vulnerable standing here in front of me, her eyes glossy and her skin cold to the touch. "We going to make this place stand. For you. We are going to take it back."

She pulls me in for a hug, the sweat from her fever dripping down staining my once light grey shirt making it dark. At this point I couldn't tell the difference between her sweet and tears. Her small fingers push my hair behind my ear.

"I know you will. You're a leader, show them that." She whispers before pulling away. I watch as she blinks a few times then loses her balance. Carl comes up behind me quickly and helps me hold onto her.

"We need to get her upstairs and put her in the bed." Carl says waiting for his dads approval. Rick's eyes twitch a little before he finally agrees. Carl picks her up with ease and makes his way towards the staircase, I follow behind him closely as I watch her fade in and out of sleep.

We open one of the rooms and place her down on the bed. Her eyes stay shut, and her breath raggedy as her chest begin to heave up and down slower than before.

"Please don't die yet." I whisper as I caress her face. Her eyes open a little and a small smile falls upon her lips once her vision focuses on me.

"When the time comes. I want to do it myself." I watch her hand reach out for my extra gun. I shake my head and grab her hand placing it back by her side.

"Don't think like that." I feel Carl place his hand on my shoulder and turn me around to face him, I recognize that look on his face. I shake my head and whisper a tiny 'no' at him. He widens his eyes a bit more and motions them towards Deanna's dying body.

I turn back around and grab my gun and placing it in her hand. "What if the walkers get in here before you have time to shoot yourself? I don't want them eating you alive." She chuckles before closing her eyes once more.

"Then I'll go out kicking ass." I let a small laugh slip out, I nod my head and bend down giving her a small kiss on her forehead as one last goodbye. I turn to Carl and grab his hand pulling him along with me.

We make our way back down the stairs, and gather in with the rest of the group that was waiting. I watch Jessie peer out the window and her eyes switching directions every few seconds.

"The knock down the sculpture it's going to draw more." She whispers, fear dripping off each word. We hear Judith crying and I look towards Rick who just nods his head once.

"I'll get her." He mumbles before making his way upstairs. We hear distance talking, I'm guessing Deanna is still alive. Finally something good. I sigh and lean my head against Carl before we hear distant groans.

"Oh shit." I hear Carl mumble. I forgot they had broken the window. Jessie makes her way upstairs screaming helplessly for Rick as the rest of us uses our body weight to keep the door shut.

"The couch! Get the couch!" Rick screams on his way back down the stairs. Ron and I stay against the door as the other help push the couch against it. I wipe sweat from my forehead and look around, everyone's eyes told something their mouth couldn't. They are losing hope.

"We need bedsheets." Rick demands. We all look at him oddly waiting for his reasoning. "We are all going to the armory. We need to disguise ourselves." He finishes.

"With bedsheets?" Jessie asks still not catching on to it.

Rick nods then sighs looking at us all. "We are going to gut them, cover ourselves with their insides. It works. Glenn and I done it before back in Atlanta, we will smell like them and blend in."

I gag quietly, earning a small laugh from Carl. I smack his chest gently and glare at him. "Don't laugh too much pretty boy you have to do the same thing asshole."

(Time skip)

I look around at everyone as we are covered in walker guts, I try to hold my breath to avoid even tasting the smell.

"We sure smell like them." I say earning a disgusted look from Jessie. I look over at Sam who seems to be pissing his pants right about now. Rick grits his teeth together, nobody is ready to go out there yet not even him.

I begin to observe everyone's face, their posture. We all knew what had to be done, but still none of us had the guts to do it. I mean we have guts on us but still. I feel Carls fingers intertwine with mine as he gives it a few squeezes trying to calm me down.

Rick makes everyone grab hands before he opens the front door slowly and we begin to make our exit. The evening sun beaming down makes wearing these bedsheets almost impossible. I hope we make it to the armory before sundown, because in that case Sam and I will both be pissing our pants.

We make our way onto the porch, a few of the dead sniffing us before continuing on their way. I squeeze Carls hand every time one came near me, usually I wouldn't be afraid but considering if I was to kill just one the entire herd would be on my ass in seconds.

We make our way off onto the porch and push our way through. Rick eventually stops us and begins to whisper.

"Judith I don't think we can take her much further." He whispers. Gabriel steps up closer to Rick and gives a small smile.

"I'll take her. It's the least I can do. I'll keep her in the church it's safe there." Rick looks around before giving in. Gabriel easily picks Judith up and places her under the bedsheet before nodding to us and walking away.

Rick begins to continue walking once more. I can feel us being held back a few times by Sam considering he didn't want to walk. Every so often Jessie would have to tell him to pretend again and again just so we could move again.

If he keeps this up, he's pretty much dead already.