America in catastrophe

Chatper 8

The days blur as the group settles into the frigid concrete building.

I refused to sleep in a cage, Daryl didn't laugh when he found me dragging a dingy spring laden mattress up a set of guard tower stairs.

He did laugh when he found the disastrous mess of paint splattering the four stone walls that have become my room. Those were curtesy of Beth and Maggie after they made their round to check up on taz for hershel.

I'm not brave enough to go see him after the accident. I could have stopped it. I could have protected him.

Beth pointed out that I couldn't hide in the tower painting forever. But damn sure I could try.

I sway in the open breeze of the stair well, upside down to paint a hard to reach angle on the outside of the staircase.

Rushing steps echo off the walls. "Shade! Shade!" Carl chirps. "Shade come quick!" He stops on the rail below me grin so bright his small face glows.

"Shade come on!" He rushes.

I raise my brows. "Where's the fire?" I tease swinging up to catch the metal rail. I pop over the side and Carl's on me, dragging me down the stairs.

"Carl! Hey! Slow down!" I squeal as my feet slide from step to step barley under me.

Carl breaks through the door at the bottom of the tower into the summer sun.

Across the field Rick and Daryl are churning dirt for the new plot of garden.

The boys wave as Carl drags me towards the courtyard. I wave back.

"Shade!" Beth grins from the bottom of the cell block stairs, and easing his way down them on his new crutches is hershel.

Down in the field the boys cheer. Arms in the air.

"Hershel-"

From the depths of the prison comes a sound violent and vicious. Harsh enough to make us in the courtyard cower.

The alarm.

Walkers stumble from the inner courtyard, dressed not as prisoners but outsider.

"RUN!"

The words leave my mouth as a roar. Beth takes ahold of Hershel the two vanish into the building. Maggie grabs ahold of Lori.

Rick and Daryl sprint for the courtyard. Screaming.

I grab Carl watching the inner door slam there's only one way to go. "Come on!" I catch carol too as I pass her still reeling from the noise.

Maggie and Lori are just inside the door. Maggie fumbles with her gun. "We're on the wrong side of the door! The catacombs are crawling with walkers." She growls. Her hands shake as she points the flashlight.

Carol and Carl pull guns. I draw my knife.

"Lori stay behind me. Carl, Maggie take the back." I order starting into the tunnels. We need to shut off the alarms.

My skin crawls as the dark tunnels descend into chaos. Did Rick and Daryl make it in?

Lori cries out catching hold of me hard enough to stagger me. "Oh god." She moans. Carl turns his back on the tunnel behind us catching hold of his mother.

"The baby," she pants cradling her bulbous stomach. "The baby is coming."

I bite down my frustration. "Keep going." Carol takes the lead again and we guide Lori farther into the tunnels.

Maggie holds the back. Slashing and shooting through walkers.

"Here!" Carol throws open a door. I usher Lori in, Carl and Maggie follow leading a pack of walkers towards the door.