Follow Your Heart

Chapter Nineteen: Love

     I walked out of the room and took off the bloody gloves. The Governor walked with me out of the building quite calmly. "I'm surprised you came here." "I don't leave anyone who needs help. No matter who it is." 'I appreciate it. I'll be sure to give you a call if we need you again." I shook my head and leaned against the building. "Look at all this. Are you ready to give it all up for a fight? There won't be any electricity, hot water, or enough food to keep your hunger away. It will all be gone." 

     "Are you ready to lose your life to protect those men?" "I would do anything to protect them. We're more than just a group." I was about to leave when I went back and punched him. "That's for mentioning the baby." I got on the motorcycle and went to the gate. The Governor nodded and they let me through. 

     It was almost dawn when I got back. I opened the gate myself and shut it behind me. I walked inside and went to my cell. It didn't take me long to fall asleep.

    "There she is." I walked over to everyone and sat on the stairs. Rick walked in looking nervous. "How was it?" "He's a psychopath but this time showed it in front of everyone." "Anything different?" "They're preparing for war. They've got military equipment, children carrying guns. It's not sane."

      It wasn't easy walking around today. It felt like I was walking through cement. Merle tried cracking a few jokes but it didn't help. I stood up at the guard tower and looked down. Daryl and Merle were talking near the gate. I sighed and looked through my scope trying to find anything off. "Princess!" "What Merle?" He waved me down and I shook my head. "I'm on watch." "Glenn is taking your post now come on." I walked down and met them at the gate. "What now?" "We're going hunting. Want to come?" 

      I walked through the woods next to Daryl. Merle was a little farther up in front of us. "I'm sorry." "About what?" He looked up at Merle and shook his head. "Yelling at you about the baby." "It's fine Daryl." We were both looking at the ground when we ran into Merle. I fell back and he looked around. "Hell Merle what's wrong?" "Someone's out here with us." Everything was dead silent. There weren't any animals making a sound just us slightly breathing. "Daryl.. I think we're surrounded." "Come on." I followed Merle and started running. Daryl followed close behind. We came to a bridge and looked at both sides. The Governors men stood on both sides with walkers stumbling around the woods. 

      Daryl grabbed my hand and Merle nodded. "Only one way out." "You've got to be kidding me." "Sorry Princess." Daryl put his other arm around my waist. "I won't let you go." He jumped and we hit the water hard.  I stayed under trying to find them but it was way too muddy. I grabbed the cement of the bridge and pulled myself up. I looked around and saw someone floating not too far down. I dove back into the water and swam under the surface trying to not get shot. I flipped the body over and it wasn't Daryl. I screamed and moved back. "Not Daryl.. Not Daryl.."

        "Sunshine!" I swam over to Merle and grabbed onto the tree. "Another name?" "Of course. It's how I bond. You look like you about drowned." 

       "Why don't you?" "I once swam six miles when I was kicked off a boat. This doesn't bother me." The tree broke sending me under the water again. He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto another tree. "Morning darlin'." I looked up at the voice and everything stopped. I reached out a shaky hand but it went through him. "Shane?" "The one and only. What are you doing out here?"

      "We were out hunting. Have you seen Merle or Daryl?" "The Dixons? I'd check the bottom." He looked over at another part of the water and I just barely saw Merle's shirt. I held onto the ground trying to get over to him. I pulled him up and looked back. Shane was gone. I pushed Merle onto the shore and got up. He wasn't breathing. "Damn it Merle.." I started doing chest compressions and heard Shane talking in my ear telling me Merle was gone and I should just give up. It's bad enough Rick was seeing things and now I'm seeing someone I barely knew.