Sneaky

Chapter 20

"You sure this is the spot?" Daryl asked Rick, looking under a fallen tree in the creek bed Rick's lead us to.

"I left her right here." Rick stated.

"I drew the walkers way off in that direction up the creek." he motioned, before bracing his hands on his knees.

"Without a paddle— seems where we've landed." the water lapped at the back of my legs as Daryl moved behind me, looking off into the forest.

How did this happen? How did we let this happen? Why did you run for the forest, Sophia?

6 people less than 50 feet from her, she was right smack in the middle of the majority of the group and she still gets chased into the forest.

It took us longer to get out here than expected. She could be getting farther and farther away every second we waste.

The water swished around my calves as I moved, keeping a sharp look out of the other side of the creek, so Daryl and Rick can focus on tracking.

I chewed on my lip, tightening and loosening my grip on my knives as I scanned the treeline; every small movement I caught having two separate reactions. One, hope that it's Sophia. The other, dread that it's a walker.

Shane and Glenn are up on the bank, keeping watch from the way we came.

It's almost unsettling how quiet it is out here after what's happened in the last hour alone. Even more so with how dangerous these woods are. I wouldn't have expected them to be so infested with walkers but the numbers are dwindling every minute. Like they're deserting the area.

If only that were true. Although any place where not even walker's would stick around, I'm not sure I'd like to be at the center of.

"She was gone by the time I got back here." Rick's boots swished the water around and splashed the back of my legs as he came up next to me.

"I figured she just took off and ran back to the group. I told her, go that way. And keep the sun on her left shoulder." I glanced over my shoulder to see where he was pointing; almost directly at Glenn.

I took a couple steps back towards them as Daryl went over to the bank.

"Hey, short round, why don't you step off to one side? You're muckin' up the trail"

"Assumin' she knows her left from her right." Shane chimed in.

"Shane, she understood me fine." Rick went on the defensive.

I stepped back again and put my hand on Rick's shoulder.

I know you feel this is your fault, Rick, but fighting won't help us find her. She doesn't need that right now, she needs us to work together.

"Kid's tired and scared, man. She had her a close call with two walkers. Gotta wonder how much of what ya said, stuck."

"Got clear prints right here. She did like you said, headed back to the highway." Daryl spoke up before this could turn into a full blown argument.

"Let's spread out, make our way back." Daryl reached up, taking Shane's outstretched hand.

"She couldn't have gotten far." Shane helped him up out of the creek.

My boots splashed in the water as I went over and Daryl held out his hand for me, helping me up the 4 foot muddy ledge before he took point.

"Hey, we gonna find her. She'll be tuckered out, hidin' in a bush somewhere." Shane helped Rick behind me as we started moving again.