To Give A Life

Chapter 13

Andrea sobs as she hauls Amy's body into the hole. Carl is holding my hand while crying into his mother's leg.

A tear slides down my cheek.

Amy was a friend, the only adult my age. We'd entertain ourselves by playing "kiss, marry, kill", until the reality of our situation caught up with us and we changed it to "kiss, marry, smash".

She had cried in my arm's when the group wasn't back from Atlanta in 3 days, she'd resolutly told me that Andrea would come back, she'd raged at me when we almost got someone on the radio.

Now she's quietly lying in the ground. A bullet in her brain.

Carol sniffles but hasn't shed another tear for her dead husband. After releasing her abuse on his dead body only hours earlier, she hasn't even mentioned his name. Sophia had asked to bury the body, so we did, but Carol didn't help prepare the body or lower it into the ground. She'd watched, releasing a long breath when the stone was placed above where his head lay.

When the "ceremony" is over we all return to camp. I'm sure others want time to mourn, but as soon as we arrive Shane stops us saying, "We can't stay here."

"Where do you think we can go?" Morales asks.

"I . . . I don't know yet. But we lost more than half the camp, we can't stay. It's not safe anymore."

Rick walks up besides Shane, followed by Lori. "We should head to the CDC."

"No. Rick, that's too far. We should head for Fort Benning. From what I heard they were well off."

"Yea well off. 3 weeks ago. Look how much changed here in less than 1 week. We can't be sure." I put my word in. I know that ultimately it will come down to Shane and Rick's decision, but I thought it couldn't hurt. After all Rick did listen to me back in Atlanta.

Rick speaks to Shane again, "You know that in the event that the country falls the government would keep the CDC running at all costs. They're probably working on a cure right now."

"I don't know man. It's such a long shot."

Carol tucks Sophia behind her and then says, "This isn't a decision to be made hastily. We should spend some time, everyone, thinking over what to do."

Rick takes two steps forwad, turning and placing a hand on her shoulder.

He's not looking when she flinches from the touch.

"Carol's right. Every family here should decide what they want to try to do." Gesturing to Shane he states "Lets do some rounds, clear the forest."

Without much fuss Shane follows him.

*******

I hug little Eliza and Louis, telling them I'll miss them, to look after each other and to keep learning.

Sophia crys a little when Eliza hands her the doll shes never been parted from, and Carl sniffles with Louis as they hug goodbye.

The Morales family was going to head for Fort Benning, while the rest of us are going to head for the CDC.

Packing up camp was a bustling mess. And arranging who is riding with whom is providing an even larger challenge.

Morales is taking a little car for his family. But that leaves Shane, Andrea, Dale, T-Dog, Jacqui, Glenn, Daryl, the Grimes, Carol and Sophia, and myself. Jim will be riding in the RV.

Already he's feeling too sick to move.

Dale offers the RV up to anyone comfortable enough to ride with Jim, making it clear however that he will need at least 1 other person, just in case. Glenn and Jacqui agree to accompany him and keep an eye on Jim.