The Walking Dead

Chapter 18

"Let's get outta here." Lee instructed, now that they were safely at the fence's gate. He jumped forward and kicked the gate doors, flinging them wide open. Mark limped as fast as he could, still clutching his shoulder. "You lucky sons of bitches! Go ahead and run! We ain't goin' nowhere!" They ran, arrows landing not too far behind them.

Back at the main area of the dairy, it was quite calm and peaceful. It all changed when Mark and Lee came rushing in. Lee ran ahead, while Mark dragged his feet as fast as he could behind. Andrew noticed the commotion, squinting his eyes, trying to get a better look. His eyes widened when he saw that the duo was not so well and he dashed to their sides.

Lee pushed open the small wooden gate in a hurry, leading the way for Mark. Realizing that they had made it to safe territory, they bent over and caught their breaths, tired from all the running.

"Lee, what's wrong?" Andy gasped, his mouth agape. Danny could be seen observing from the farmhouse's porch.

"The electric fence came on! Some people started attacking from the woods and we got trapped between them and the fence!"

Danny ran over from the house, staring at Mark's wound, "Holy shit! Are you okay?"

Andy quickly tried to explain the fence turning on, "I… I heard Mark yell and thought y'all were giving me the all clear! Man, I am real sorry."

Brenda cried, also leaving the house and noticing the group's shape, "Oh, my Lord! What happened to you, sweetheart!?"

Mark was bending over and breathing deeply and slowly, still in great pain and shock from the arrow stuck in his arm.

Andy turned to his mother, "It was those bastards in the woods, Mama…"

Mark reassured in a weak voice, "Yeah… I'll be all right once it's out, but, goddamn it hurts!"

At that moment, the rest of the motel inn survivor group, minus Ben and Carley, strolled in, joining the scene. "Hey y'all!" Kenny waved. They seemed to not yet notice Mark's injury.

As they got closer, they stood in horror, Katjaa exclaimed, "Mark! Oh my god, what happened?!"

Lee explained worriedly, "He got shot with an arrow."

"Christ! Are you gonna be okay?" Lilly cried.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should just… pull it out…" Mark whimpered.

Brenda stepped forward towards Mark, "Oh no, honey, c'mon, Brenda's got you. C'mon inside now. We'll have you all sorted out."

Katjaa and Brenda guided Mark slowly towards the farmhouse. Brenda took notice of Katjaa, "Well, you must be the veterinarian."

Larry snarled at Lee, "What kind of shit is this?"

"We ran into some people on the way up here… bandits I guess. I think it was them that attacked us."

Andy spoke up, trying not to make eye contact, "They gave us a lot of problems in the beginning, killed a bunch of our farmhands. We were able to get 'em to stop by makin' a deal."

Kenny frowned, "You knew about these people?"

Danny covered for his brother, "Food for protection. Not like we had much of a choice, but they did stop hasslin' us."

Lilly voiced, "Christ, maybe you were right about this place, Lee."

Lee turned to Andrew and Danny, his brow furrowing, "So much for your "deal"."

Andy's expression mirrored Lee's, "Those shitheads broke the agreement! I'm sorry, Lee. If I had any inklin' they were gonna give you guys trouble, we woulda gone out there with you! Listen, we may have had an agreement with those people, but we will not stand for this shit."