A Life Worth Living || Daryl's daughter/Carl grimes X OC

14. Rick

Nell's pov:

Zara said to meet at the end of the bedroom corridor at 12:30.
She said, 'Don't be late or we can get caught.'

It was very important to not get caught. It is life or death.
If they get caught, they die.
If they somehow make it out of here, then Nell has other things to worry about.

But right now, all she has to worry about is escaping the compound. One step at a time.

Step 1: Meet with Zara at the end of the bedroom corridor.

Nell got no sleep. She was stressing too much about the escape.
The moment the alarm clock on her nightstand reads 12:25, she takes one last look in the full-length mirror and takes a deep breath to prepare herself for what's to come.

Before she leaves, Nell makes sure to change back into her baggy, green jean shorts and her huge t-shirt that isn't hers.
When she is done, Nell folds up the soldier bodysuit she was given and tucks it away into one of her closets.
Then, she opens her bedroom door incredibly slowly, making sure it doesn't make a creaking sound.
She quietly closes the door behind her after taking one last glance into the room that she will miss very dearly.

Nell only agrees to this crazy plan for two reasons.

Reason 1: She doesn't want to die on a mission that she will be sent on. Nell also figured that Zara could protect her after they escaped.

Reason 2: She left Snuggles in the woods.

Nell slowly walks through the bedroom corridor on the balls of her feet, trying not to make any noise.
Noise means getting caught. Getting caught means death.

If Nell wants to escape, she's gonna have to be tough. Nell was only tough when her dad forced her to be, but even then, on the inside she was terrified, she just couldn't show it.

'Never show weakness.'
Was another one of her dad's mottos. Her dad believed that all emotions are weaknesses.
Crying, screaming, and even laughing was a weakness.
Nell is going to have to push all of her emotions to the side if she wants to live.

When she reaches the end of the corridor, Zara is already waiting there, leaning against a wall with her arms crossed.
The two girls both say nothing, wanting to make as little sound as possible.

Zara waves at Nell to follow her and she begins walking slowly, Nell close behind.

Zara is tough. Escaping is her idea.
Nell doesn't want to escape, but she wants to be free. She doesn't want to escape, but she wants to find Snuggles. She doesn't want to escape, but she doesn't want Zara to leave her either.
Nell was confused, so she agreed to escape with Zara.

Now, she is regretting it.

The corridors are dark and barely lit. The only source of light is coming from old lamps outside every bedroom door.

'Never show weakness, be tough.'
Nell's dad's mottos repeat over and over in her head.
Be tough.
Be tough.

They are about to turn the corner, leaving the bedroom corridor, when Zara suddenly pushes Nell against the wall with the palm of her hand. They both stay there, backs pressed against the wall as a guard walks by.
Thankfully it was too dark for him to see them.

Once Zara makes sure that the coast is clear, she waves to Nell again and they start moving, sliding against the wall.

They continue like that for a while, in silence, sneaking around the compound. Nell doesn't know where they are going. She is just following Zara, hoping that she is leading in the right direction.

Nell doesn't know if it's been a few minutes or a few hours, but suddenly, high-pitched alarms start to go off all around the compound.
The alarms are followed by bright red lights, finally lighting up the gloomy corridors.

Zara spins around to look at Nell with wide eyes.
We've been caught.

Either they have been caught or they are under attack.
Nell has been taught that the red lights and alarms mean the compound is being invaded.
But Zara and Nell aren't going to risk it.

"Run!!" Zara screams and takes off sprinting, Nell is trying to keep up, but slightly falling behind.
Her heart starts to beat rapidly.
Is this really how I'm going to die?

The alarms are loud. High-pitched, ear-deafening sirens. Nell's ears are in pain.
And the red flashing lights give her a pounding headache.
All of this added onto her heart racing fogs up her brain. She can't think clearly.

Zara suddenly stops, making Nell crash right into her.
Nell winces in pain but quickly looks up at Zara to see what she is doing.
We don't have time to take a break.

"Sorry..." Zara murmurs. Then, Nell realizes why she stopped.
In front of her is another weapon wall. The weapon wall is identical to the one outside of the cafeteria.
"Here," Zara says and holds out a pistol for Nell to take. "You know, just in case anything happens."

Nell grabs the pistol loaded with bullets and stares at it for a few seconds.
I barely know how to use this. I'll do better with a knife.

Nell is about to put the gun back on the wall and grab a knife instead, but heavy stomps from behind her break her train of thought.
The footsteps are coming straight towards her, fast.

"Grace!!" Zara screams. "Run!"

Nell sprints faster than she has ever sprinted before, thanks to her adrenaline rush. She runs and runs, too scared to look behind her.

If the soldiers catch up to her, maybe they won't kill her. Maybe they'll think that she is running to the same place as them.
She's one of them.

Nell follows Zara as she runs around a corner.
Once again, Zara has stopped. But this time, she had her gun out and pointed. Pointed at people.
Zara has quick reflexes. She pulls her gun out in one single swing.

The people that Zara is pointing her gun at also have their guns out, ready to fire.
Nell figures that it's too late to take out her pistol, she'll probably get shot before she pulls it out.

So Nell stands there, staring into the man's face in front of her. She recognizes that face. The blue eyes and the stance that reminded her of her dad.
Rick.

"Nell," Rick says, lowering his weapon completely, the rest of his group doing the same.

Zara still has her gun pointed at Rick's head with her finger on the trigger.

"Grace? Who are these people?" Zara looks down at Nell for half a second before returning her gaze to Rick. Zara is extremely confused.

Nell can't say anything, she's speechless. She just stands there with wide eyes.

"Nell," Rick repeats, putting his hand out to show her that he won't hurt her. "Do you remember me? From the farm?"

Nell nods, feeling both fear and confusion.

"Nell?" Zara chimes in, still not lowering her gun. "Isn't your name Grace?"

Nell shakes her head, still unable to say a word. So much is going through her tiny head right now.

The footsteps from before finally arrive.
An army of soldiers— kid soldiers, the same kids whom Nell trained with, come running with their guns held in front of them.

Rick and his group hold up their guns again.
So does Zara but at the soldiers.
This time, Nell does too.

Something very bad is about to go down...