Condemned. Sequel to 'Don't Look Back'

Chapter 14

Rayne's pov

Abraham kept chugging the booze, Rosita and Tara were getting annoyed with him, and the rest of us were just done, and wanted to sleep. But, as the world would have it, none of us, except Judith, would be sleeping any time soon.

Carl was cradling a sleeping Judith in his arms while Rosita and Tara kept indirectly scolding Abraham. I rolled my eyes and just thought how much more peaceful everything would be if they just shut up. I sighed, rubbing my eyes and laid back on the ground, maybe I'll get a little bit of a nap?

Of course not, that would be too easy, wouldn't it? I sat up when I heard the barks. From the woods emerged four dogs, covered in dirt, blood, and who knows what else. They got into a small pack, bared their teeth, and barked at us. Daryl drew his knife, and got into a crouching position.

"I'll take her." I whispered to Carl, and he handed Judith over to me. Carl grabbed his gun and turned the safety off, just in case things got bad. Neither sides would move, it was a sort of standoff.

The dogs dropped to the road dead within seconds. Their whimpers were hard to hear, and it broke my heart a little with each dog that fell. Sasha was standing off to the side, gun raised and aimed for the dogs. Rick nodded, and stood up, his bushy beard prominent, and went into the woods, and grabbed a long stick. He broke it into five smaller pieces,

"Everyone grab some big rocks and sticks." Rick piled the pieces of sticks on the road. Abraham capped his drink and stumbled into the woods, followed by Rosita.

"I'll stay here with her." I told Carl and he nodded, going off into the woods with the others.

Judith was starting to wake up, her arms moving around while she kicked her legs.

"Hey there, Judith." I said in a light voice, wanting her to wake up in a good mood. She opened her eyes and gave me a small smile. I smiled back down at her and shifted her so that she was in my lap facing me.

She looked around with wonder in her eyes, and she laughed at the fly buzzing around us.

"You can't eat that nasty fly." I lightly bounced her on my knee and she kept reaching for the fly.

One by one everyone returned, rocks and sticks in their hands. Glenn placed the rocks in a circle and piled the sticks into a tepee shape.

"I have a lighter." Eugene said, handing the lighter over to Glenn.

"I'll get the meat." Daryl said gruffly and walked over to the dogs. Even though I had skinned many animals in my life, I didn't want to see those poor dogs be cut open.

Roasting dog meat over an open fire was not how I imagined this day would go. People all around tore meat off of their stick, not saying a word as they looked into the fire.

Ever since Tyreese died, Sasha has been going off the deep end, and now she's probably threatening Noah, who she blames Tyreese's death on. Noah was nice, but I never talked to him probably because I just don't care.

Back on the road again, the daily cycle that drives me closer to insanity. We all trudge down the road, not knowing where we're going.

Maggie and Glenn were talking about Beth, which I couldn't stand to hear. I can't think about Beth, or I'll just fall into a crying mess. I focused my attention on Judith, who was in Carl's arms. She was so happy almost all the time, even in the 90 degree weather.

"How does she do it?" I asked Carl.

"Do what?"

"Stay happy all the time."

"I don't know. Maybe it's because she doesn't have to walk." I smiled and shook my head.

"True, I know I'd be happy if someone carried me all the time."

"Wouldn't we all?" Carl rhetorically asked.

"What the hell?" Rick asked and we all stood off to the side of the road. There in the middle of the road were bottles of water with a note that read, "From a friend".

"Don't drink it, we don't know who left it." Rick said, but it looked so tempting. I licked my dry lips but refrained from lunging at the water and sucking down every last drop.

"I for one, would like to believe that it is indeed from a friend." Eugene said, eyes locked on the water.

"If it's not, they put something in it." Carol said, but Eugene cracked and grabbed one of the bottles.

"Quality assurance." He said as he opened the bottle, but Abraham knocked it out of his hand.

"We can't." Rick said. Carl shifted Judith to his other hip and bounced her up and down a little to keep her calm.

The Gods must have finally turned to our favor, because at that exact moment, rain poured down from above. We all looked around to make sure we weren't hallucinating.

Rosita and Tara laid on the road with open mouths. Carl had his mouth open as well, but covered Judith with his hat.

"I'm sorry, my Lord." Gabriel knelt on the road, arms open wide.

I opened my mouth and stuck my tongue out hoping to catch as much rain water as possible.

My mom walked over to me and said,

"I always knew rain was a blessing." I looked at her and smiled.

"Is that why you named me Rayne? Because you liked the precipitation?"

"No."

"I always knew Rayne was a blessing." Carl said with a wink and smile.

"Quit making puns out of my name." I laughed. My laughter was cut short when a loud rumble of thunder broke through the air.

"We've gotta keep moving!" Rick yelled, and Judith's cry broke out. Carl rubbed her back.

"There's a barn!" Daryl yelled and we all followed him through the heavy downpour to an old barn back in the woods.

Maggie, Carol, Rick and Abraham went in to clear the place out before we all went in.

"It'll be ok." I whispered to Judith who was still crying.

After it was all clear, we all rushed into the barn and claimed our spots. I chose the corner in the far back, and laid what little I had down.

Carl handed Judith off to Rick and joined me in the corner.

"This sucks." I said, wringing out my shirt, which still had small rips from Terminus in it.

"Yeah, just a little bit." Carl said, wringing out his own shirt. He had his hat by his side, and I saw just how long his hair was.

"Oh my gosh, you need a haircut, you look like a baby sasquatch." I laughed, and ran my fingers through the back of his hair.

"Nah, I think I'm going to grow it out."

"I think it is grown out." I teased.

"Whatever." He laughed and I went back to wringing out my clothes.

We started a fire, and everyone was drying out, Abraham drinking once again.

"She's asleep." I said, rocking Judith in my arms.

"We should be getting some sleep too." Carl whispered and I nodded. We situated in a way that Judith stayed warm and comfortable.

"Good night." Carl whispered.

"Night." I said back, and closed my eyes, welcoming the much needed sleep.

"Rayne, get up!" A panicked voice woke me up.

"What's going on?" I asked hurriedly

"Walkers, help us keep the door shut." I was pulled up and rushed to the door, and I put all of my strength into keeping this door shut.

Wind was blowing rapidly, walkers were growling constantly, Judith was now crying, and I could barely make out what was even going on.