The Reaper ⚔︎ Rick Grimes

04 - Cowboy

Rick, Carl, and Michonne came back from their run with many more guns, ammo, and a crib for Judith. I wanted to go along with them. I felt like I had given up my freedom when I came here. I had to be watched 24/7. Couldn't go off somewhere around or outside the prison by myself. Rick didn't want to risk me stabbing them in the back. I was starting to trust most of this group but that sentiment was not reciprocated. Rick was erratic at times. I kept my guard up around him.

I had been put on watch with Carol. She had left a few minutes ago to help with the new weapons. I had been up in this tower a few times now so I was pretty familiar with the layout of the prison. Glenn had cut open another area of the fence closer to the courtyard incase we needed a quick escape into the woods. I used the scope on the rifle to look around. No one could see me directly. Everyone was busy with something else. This was my chance.

I used the strap on the gun to sling it on my back. My handgun was in my holster already. I grabbed my cowboy hat and put it on before I made my way down the tower. I continuously checked my surroundings as I went to the hole in the fence. I saw no one, so I began undoing the wire closing the fence. Some corpses spotted me from a good distance away so I quickened my pace. I got it undone enough to where I could squat down and get through. As soon as I got the wire looped through again, the two corpses got close to me. I grabbed the switch blade out of my pocket, released the blade, and drew one of the corpses away from the other.

"Yeah, that's it, this way," I said as I backed my way into the woods.

This corpse had turned recently. It wasn't as decayed at the others. It snarled and chomped its teeth at me. The other corpse followed closely behind. I had to take this one down so I could deal with the other.

I ran around a large tree and waited for the corpse to follow me. As soon as it started turning the corner around the trunk, I whipped around the other side and stabbed it in the back of the head. Blood splattered back on my face. I used my sleeve to wipe it out of my eyes.

The other corpse tried grabbing at me so I kicked it in the leg and threw it off balance. It fell back. I took that opportunity to rush over and put the blade through its skull.

I slowed my breathing a bit before I continued through the trees. I had to get moving so I could get back before dark and my destination was a couple miles away.

The blood on my face had dried but I wasn't safe enough to stop and clean it off. I had already killed a few more corpses that I couldn't avoid by running and I still had half a mile to go.

I heard leaves crunch behind me. I turned around quickly. I didn't see anything and I only heard the wind blowing through the trees. I turned back around and moved faster. I heard footsteps again. I stopped abruptly.

I slowly unholstered my gun. My thumb sat on the safety.

As I turned toward where I heard the noise, a body tackled me to the ground. My hat flew off my head and I landed on my back. The wind knocked out of me. My gun fell out of my hand and landed a few feet away.