Untold Secrets

Chapter 9- Emotional and Physical Death

I woke up to seeing Daryl leave the tent. I was so tired. It was hard for me to sleep last night because of the news about Lori kept me up all night and I was awake when Daryl came back in the tent, but I kept my eyes closed, not wanting him to see that I was still awake.

I got up, changed, and ate a granola bar. I saw Daryl outside the tent, mending his bow. I sat down next to him and said "What are they gonna do about the walkers in the barn?" "That's between Rick and Hershel for now." He simply said. "How much longer do you think we'll be allowed here?" I asked. "Hard to say. Depends how long Shane keeps up his crazy shit." Daryl said. "What do you mean?" I asked. "I think Shane killed Otis." He said. "What makes you think that? How would you know?" I asked, shocked. "Said some stupid ass story. Plus, he brought back his gun." Daryl said. "Shane's not a murderer though." I blankly said. He stared at me in the eye. "Just stay away from him." He said seriously and then got up and walked away.

*****

Later that afternoon, I walked towards Rick and a few others who were looking at the map on the truck to trace out a route to find Sophia. "Rick, I'm going to need your help." I heard Hershel said. Andrea offered to help too, but Hershel declined her. I wandered back off to my tent, and looked at my knife. I cleaned it and went outside to get a think stick to play around with my knife. I found one, and looked out into the field near the woods. I saw 3 small figures, and I could tell it was Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy. And they were holding....snare poles? I saw Rick look back behind him before they left, probably making sure no one saw where they were going.

I had a confused look on my face as I walked back, trying to reassure myself that Rick would have everything under control. I sat outside the tent, sharpening the stick to a point in boredom. It had taken me about 30 minutes, since it was so thick. I saw everything gathering up around the porch, but I ignored it and started sharpening the other end of the stick, until I heard Daryl call "Casey!" I looked up and he yelled "You comin'?" I dropped the stick and put the knife back in my holster and walked up to him. "Shane wants everyone at the house." When we got there, Shane was telling everyone that this is nonsense that we can't carry guns so so he handed all the guys one, including Daryl. Then, everyone kept asking where Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy went. It started chaos and I said "I know where they went." That shut everyone up and Lori said "Where are they?" urgently. "I don't know exactly but about a half hour ago, I saw them walk into the woods with snare poles." I saw Maggie and Beth give each other a look and then heard T-Dog say "oh shit."

I moved around him and saw Rick and Jimmy with 2 walkers in the snare poles and Hershel was leading them. We all ran towards them who were heading to the barn. "Honey, stay by me." Lori said and grabbed Carl and I's hands. "What the hell is this?" Shane yelled. Then there was tons of yelling between Rick and Shane about how Hershel thinks that the walkers are just sick people. But boy was he wrong. "Hey Hershel, let me ask you something! A living, breathing, person, could they walk away from this?" He yelled and shot the female walker Rick had in the chest. "No!" Hershel yelled, but the walker kept struggling to get out. "Stop it! This is not the time brother!" Rick yelled at Shane, but he ignored him. "That's 3 rounds in the chest! Could someone who is alive, could they just take that? Why is that thing still coming?" He shouted and shot at it again. "That's his heart!" He shot it. "That's its lungs!" He shot AGAIN. I clutched onto Lori. I was actually scared. I had never seen Shane act like this. "That's enough Shane!" Rick yelled at him. "Yeah, you're right man, that is enough." He walked up to the walker and shot it in the head without hesitation.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn of things that are tryin' to kill us! Rick, it aint like it was before! Now, if ya'll wanna live, if you wanna survive, you gotta fight for it! I'm talkin' about fightin'! Right here, right now!" He shouted at us. I watched as Shane took an axe and ran towards the barn door. "Hershel! Take the snare pole!" Rick kept shouting, but it was no use...he was frozen. Shane broke the lock and immediately walkers came spilling out of the barn. Everyone who had a gun started shooting, and Beth and Maggie were crying. I cried too at the horrible sight. After shooting about a dozen walkers, there was a slight pause. Then, there were more faint growls--higher pitched ones. I looked towards the barn and saw 3 small figures coming out of the barn....3 little girls. My stomach dropped as I realized they were my sisters. I let out a shriek and yelled "Mary! Steph! April!" I cried in pain as I yanked myself out of Lori's arms and towards my sisters. I ran past Daryl and he dropped his gun and held me back as we fell on the ground.

"Don't look." Daryl said, but I couldn't help but look at them. They were pale, and their hair was all matted up. Their once beautiful brown eyes were now grey and sunken in. They were terribly skinny and were covered in blood. I noticed that they had bit marks all over their arms. Rick shot me a sympathetic look as I sobbed loudly. I watched as he shot my 3 sisters. As they fell to the ground, I felt my whole world crumble right in front of my eyes. I screamed and cried into Daryl and clutched his shirt into my fists in sadness and anger. I was sobbing so loud that after a few seconds, I barely heard Carol yell "Sophia!" I looked up and saw Sophia, as a walker. I gasped and breathed heavily, knowing I was probably having an anxiety attack. Rick hesitated to shoot Sophia at first, as she slowly walked towards us out from the barn. But then, he shot her. It was ended. Daryl held me tighter then he ever had before. He started getting up, and when his grasp on me loosened, I said "Let go of me!" And ripped myself viciously out of his grasp and ran over to my sisters' lifeless bodies. Their bodies lay on top of each others' as I bawled and bawled. I cradled their heads in my lap and whispered their names in pain. "C'mon." I heard Daryl say to me, as he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me up. "No!" I screamed and then he picked me up from around my stomach and had to drag me away as I struggled to get free. I wanted my sisters back.

He finally let go of me when we were in the front of our tent. I fell to the ground in shock and he said "Calm down!" "No!" I screamed again. "They didn't deserve to die like this! They were so young and scared! It's not fair!" I cried. He tried to hold me still as he said "Everything will be fine." I got up and pushed him away. "No! No it won't!" I screamed and I pushed him again as he came towards me. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you girl!" He yelled at me and grabbed my wrists, so I would stay still. I yanked them away and then ran into the tent and sobbed into my pillow, trying to process what had just happened. My mom was gone. My sisters were gone. And my step dad was probably gone too. What if Daryl dies? I wouldn't even be able to handle that. Everyone I loved would be gone. This is a tragic world to live in....and I would probably be living in it the rest of my life.

A/N: woooow O_o ok so this was a heartbreaking chapter to write. :'( xoxo -Emi