Condemned. Sequel to 'Don't Look Back'

Chapter 29

Rayne's pov

"We saw a sign from Glenn." Rick said as I walked out of the house.

"When?"

"Yesterday evening, after you went to bed."

"What kind of sign?" I asked and Rick pointed to the sky.

"A bunch of green balloons. We need to find a way to clear the walkers before he gets here." He walked over to the wall, and nailed a board to reinforce the fence.

"Here, let me help." I said and took the hammer from him. He stood up and and ran a hand over his head.

"You need to go figure something out, I've got this."

"I appreciate it, Rayne." He walked away, and I grabbed the box of nails.

This reminded me of when we were back on the farm in the early days, when we were sure Hershel's place would hold together. When Beth was hellbent on being with Carl. I remember vividly the day when we were reinforcing and she came out in practically nothing, and I remember what I said the moment she walked away.

"I think I'd call that desperation with a dash of hoe."  How I regret saying that now. Beth was my best friend, the closest one I ever had. But now, well now she's gone.

I hammered the board into place and stepped back to look at my work. The board looked straight and strong enough, so I hope it will hold. I grabbed another board from the pile and repeated the boring, but necessary, process.

"I think that's all we need over here, thanks for your help." Tobin, the leader in construction, dismissed me.

"Always happy to help." I said and handed him my hammer.

Deanna was walking down the street and when she saw me she beckoned for me to follow her.

"Rayne, I've needed to talk to you about something." She said and led me into her office where I was interrogated the first day.

"Now, I've already talked to Rick, Michonne, and Maggie about this, but you are the leader of our youth here." She said and walked over to a cherry wood desk.

"I'm the leader of the youth here? I was the one who got into a big fight not even two weeks ago."

"I know, but, you're the one they all look to. Carl looks to you, Kaylee and Dean look to you, and I know Ron and Mikey look to you, it's obvious. Now Enid on the other hand, she might not make it back, and that's a fact we need to face."

"But if she were here, she'd be the leader of the youth, correct?" I questioned.

"Not by a long stretch. Nobody looks to her but herself." Deanna unrolled a big piece of white paper. It was a map of Alexandria.

"This is my plan for this place. It's all mapped out here." I held down an edge of the map and looked over the sketch. She had a corner for livestock, a large garden, everything we could imagine.

"How are we going to do all of this? We haven't even seen a deer in almost a year, let alone any cows or pigs."

"It's called a plan for a reason, Rayne. I need you to start getting those kids into shape for the world that's out there. They will be the ones to carry out this plan, I'll only be here to see the beginning." I shook my head and furrowed my eyebrows.

"How do I even, where do I start?" I asked her, looking into her aged eyes.

"You set good examples. You take charge of situations. Show initiative for the betterment of this place. You and Carl are the only ones who can do this. I don't want to overwhelm you when I say this, but, the long term future of Alexandria is in your hands." I was at a loss for words. This whole complex, the one I hated so much in the beginning, is going to be handed over to Carl and I one day.

"What if we find others, and those kids turn out to be the leaders of the youth?"

"Nobody has the charisma, nobody has the skills like you do." She said, and grabbed my shoulders and looked into my eyes, probably filled with fear.

"What do you see in me, Deanna?" I whispered, needing answers to why she was doing this.

"I see so many things in you, Rayne Grace. It's you who doesn't see those qualities in yourself." She said and walked out of the room.

"What does that even mean?" I called after her. She turned around and smiled,

"You'll figure it out soon enough." And she left, leaving me in a stunned silence. I looked at the map once again, seeing the name Deanna Monroe in the top left. It felt like a weight had been added to my shoulders. The long term fate of Alexandria was in my hands.

I took a moment to compose myself, before walking back out with the others. Deanna had found a small group to talk to, catching my eye with a small smile playing on her face. I turned from her and found the one person who I knew could help me work through this.

"Michonne." I called out to her, and she turned to me.

"What do you need?"

"I need help."

"Follow me." She said and I walked beside her up onto the porch of her house.

"What's going on?" She asked me, as she leaned her katana against the porch railing. I took a deep breath and looked over the railing.

"Deanna pulled me into her office a minute ago, and she-"

"She told you that you were the leader of the youth." Michonne finished, and I nodded.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Because Rick, Maggie, Deanna and I decided on it yesterday."

"Why me though? Why not Carl? Everyone likes him more than me." I said, trying to figure out why I had been handed all of this responsibility.

"Because you're a leader." She said.

"But, Carl is Rick's son, wouldn't he be better suited?" I asked.

"No, we all took a vote, you won everyone's vote."

"Even Rick? I figured he would want his son in the head spot."

"You're like his daughter, Rayne. You were chosen for a reason, you're the one who can do this. Nobody else can." She said and left me with that thought. I rested my elbows on the wooden railing and held my head in my hands. This was not how I expected the day to go.

I decided to get up and do something productive rather than let the anxiety eat me alive. I walked across the the street over onto the large patch of grass when I heard a crack of wood come from behind me.

I looked up and saw the huge watch tower waver in the wind. My stomach dropped, and I looked to see if anyone was standing underneath it.

Time went in slow motion. The tower broke,

"Mom, move!" I screamed, knowing I wouldn't be able to make it over to her in time. She looked over at me with confusion on her face.

The tower fell.