The Reaper ⚔︎ Rick Grimes

14 - Dusk

The sun was going lower and lower in the sky. Lamps were being lit throughout the cellblock to make up for the lack of light. I sat on my bed with my elbows on my thighs and my head in my hands. Zack's death repeated in my mind.

I stood up and shook my limbs before grabbing my jean jacket that hung on a hook on the wall. I walked past Glenn and Maggie's cell. Glenn was holding his wife. He noticed me and shook his head. Maggie wasn't pregnant. I gave him a nod of understanding then went on my way.

As everyone else went inside for the night, I went to the farthest tower. Rick was already on top leaning on the railing. He was looking out to the forest so he didn't see me approach. I opened the metal door and ascended the stairs. As I came through the door at the top, Rick turned to greet me.

"There you are," he said. "I was wondering when you were comin'."

"Yeah, sorry. I got a little distracted," I admitted.

Rick handed me the rifle and I leaned it up against the wall of the tower closest to me.

I gazed out into the wilderness. The sunset made the sky pink, purple and orange. It was like someone painted the sky with careful, precise stokes. The clouds in the sky only accentuated the vibrancy of the colors.

"What are you thinking about? I can tell somethin' is on your mind," Rick said, breaking my focus.

I looked briefly to his eyes then back to the horizon. "Zack died on the run."

"Yeah, I heard about that. I'm sorry."

I breathed deeply out of my nose. "I just haven't seen someone go out that brutally in months. I almost forgot what that was like."

"I met a woman in the woods today," explained Rick. "She was in really bad shape."

"Did you bring her back?"

"No. She killed herself in front of me."

I instantly turned toward him. His eyes were filled with hurt and regret.

"She was tryin' to bring me back to her camp to feed me to her husband who had turned," he continued. "I couldn't stop her. She stabbed herself in the stomach."

"How are you doing?" I asked him.

"Fine. I think we both just got reminded how brutal things are outside of these fences today."

As I peered into Rick's eyes, I couldn't decide what was more beautiful. The sky or the man in front of me. I spun back to the railing and squeezed the bars tightly.

Stop, Jo. Don't let yourself do this. You'll just get hurt in the end.

The colors above were slowly fading into darkness. The cicadas began buzzing loudly.

"What'd you'd you do before this?" I questioned, trying to distract from the moment we shared.

"I was a sheriff's deputy."

I chuckled.

"What?" Rick asked.

"That makes so much sense. I'm guessing Carl's hat used to be yours then?"

"It did."

"He really admires you, doesn't he?"

Rick ran his hand through his brown hair. "I think he admires the man I used to be. I'm not so sure he does now. I don't think he'll ever forgive me for Shane."

"Who's Shane?"

I grabbed the battery-powered lamp and turned the knob because it was getting too dark to see.

After a moment, Rick said, "He was my partner and best friend. He started losing himself. He was dangerous and erratic. He lied to Lori and said I was dead. He was going to kill me because I was in his way of getting her."

"You killed him first?" I asked.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "Yeah. Carl put him down when he came back. Carl loved him."

"When he's older he'll understand better. Your actions made sure he still had a father. That's worth it." I thought about what Rick said. "Were you not with Carl and Lori when it started?"

"No," he started. "Before the outbreak happened I was shot while on duty and went into a coma. Shane left me in the hospital and got them out of Atlanta."

"Oh my god," I said in amazement. "You went into a coma and still survived everything? How'd you find them?"

"Glenn saved me. I went back with him to the rest of his group and they were there. I still think about lucky I was."

"That sounds like Glenn. Helping a complete stranger."

"It does." Rick smiled, remembering the past. "How'd everything start with you?"

I closed my eyes and imagined those moments. "My sisters, Will, and I were holed up in Will and I's house. Everyone was getting infected and we wanted to be with each other and make sure we were safe and healthy. Our neighbor, John, was the first walker we saw. His wife came over to ask for help because he has passed from the infection but the phone lines were down. Will and I went over to help her, but as soon as she opened the front door John grabbed her and bit into her neck."

I wrung my hands together.

"At that time we didn't know what was happening so we ran back in our house and locked the doors," I continued. "Eventually John started banging on the door. Dakota almost let him in before I explained what happened. We tried talking to him but he looked and acted like a monster. Then more and more of our neighbors were being attacked and turning. Luckily Will and I went hunting on occasion so we had guns but not enough ammo. He insisted on going to the gun shop before it got too bad. I agreed and helped kill John after some trial and error."

"He was gone for so long and it got dark. Then the bombs went off in Atlanta. He was near there. My sisters and I kept waiting and waiting for him to come back and he didn't after 3 days. By then my neighborhood was filling with walkers. It wasn't safe anymore and I had to protect Blair and Dakota. So we packed up our stuff and left."

"You found, Will. Didn't you?" Rick asked.

I nodded. "I did. After Blair and Dakota got ambushed by a hoard of walkers. I felt like I had nothing. I was so lost and depressed. So I decided to try to see if anyone I cared about was alive. I went the direction Will would have gone. I found him with another group of survivors near the gun store he was going to."

"I'm sorry they're gone," Rick voiced.

"I wish they were still here everyday." A tear fell from my eye. I wiped it away, my fingers brushing against the slight rigidness of my scar.

Rick wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me to his side. I became stiff but soon relaxed as he held me gently. I leaned my head against the man. He was warm and comforting. We stayed there for a while not saying a word. We didn't need to. The more we got to know each other the more our souls seemed intertwined. I couldn't tell in what way yet, but what I could tell was that I would do almost anything for the former sheriff next to me. I never thought I'd become such close friends with Rick after punching him in the face.