Home Is Your Heartbeat ('Home Is' Book Two - Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 3 - Bedlam Bridge (Midnight Oil)

NATE

So, I'm guessing this is what my hell is going to be like....for all eternity?

I'm in a padded coffin that reeks of death. Unable to move because of the weight bearing down on me. Can't even roll my head to the side so I can avoid throwing up on myself.

'Must be in a coffin with a sunroof?'  I thought stupidly when my eyes opened and the glare hit them.

No....not hell and not a coffin. You Derpa!

I came to my senses with sudden realisation and then scrambled to get my arms free. My fingers sank into rotting flesh when I struggled to push the dead again walkers away from my upper body.

My movements became frantic. Rolling over I clawed desperately at the earth to drag myself away from the corpses stacked on top of me Jenga style.

Went to wipe the puke from my mouth and chin but stopped in horror....seeing the bits of flesh and walker rot covering my hands. So I had to settle for a good old head shake and spit to clear my mouth instead.

Sitting up, I peered around in a daze. Then everything came back with a solid wallop.

Not dead. You're not dead, nitwit....just passed out for a bit.

Goodness knows how much time has elapsed. But at least it's been long enough for the walkers who'd descended upon me to stagger off. It's also clear the attack is done and dusted as well.

Apart from my three dead doonas, I'm all alone. The four Woodbury people who were with me have now joined the ranks of the un-dead. Wandering the field and prison proper.

Hundreds of them. Heads down, shuffling and bouncing off each other like they're taking part in a Halloween rave.

I wonder how many of them were formerly part of the Governor's army? Even worse....how many were once my own family?

"Get off your ass, you shitty excuse for a human being"  I croaked to myself.

Get up and do your duty. Go find them and if they've turned....then do the right thing.

Yeah, Nate. Just like you did for Jeanette, eh?

That's totally on me and I'll have to try and live with what I did....or rather didn't do in her case.

Try....

"What's done is done, no going back"  Again I spoke aloud as I slowly got to my feet.

Almost fell again when I reached down to get my knife. Hobbled over to my rifle and lifted it shakily.

It was Mich's actions that'd given me the idea to cover myself with the walkers. She told me how they masked her 'alive'  scent and made it safe for her to walk amongst them without their noticing.

But there's something I have to do before I can think about going up to the prison buildings. Better get it over with now before I lose even more of my stomach.

I returned to my little pile of walkers and lay down on top of their bodies. Writhing like a snake all over, covering myself totally in their stench and fluids....until I'm soaked in them.

To be sure....one thousand percent sure....

*

It took me a quarter-hour to wander, walker-like. Up to the prison courtyard.

The first one was the hardest....the real test?

I stood there and they just stumbled blindly past, not even pausing for so much as a sniff. Pretty sure I peed my pants a bit though.