Her light, his fire

11

Suggested Music:
(Take it All - Ruelle)

NOW-
my eyes fluttered, my breathes slow, I could hear people talking, they sounded confused as they mentioned my name. My blue eyes finally opened wide as I noticed I was on a bed, the sheets nice and clean, my hair was all over the place, but my skin wasn't covered in mud or leaves, I looked down to see my ankle propped up, it had been wrapped and put in a black boot. I looked over to see Rosita, asleep in the bed beside mine. The room was lit with two candles, a glass of water sitting on the wooden side-table beside me. My hand shook as I reached for it, I was so thirsty. I put the glass up against my lip as I started taking large sips. I looked around the room, noticing the old painting on the wall, there was music playing. It was soft and calm. Hilltop, I knew I was in hilltop. I slowly lifted myself up, pulling the weight of my boot towards me. I didn't know how we got here, or how long we've been here. I couldn't keep my eyes open long enough to understand, I remembered Rosita and Eugene carrying me, we were still being followed. They had been running from the same horde as I, I was lucky enough to find them.. if not I would've been dead,

Rosita saved my life.. I knew that, and I was grateful. We were in a barn, we hide in there for awhile until they came again, surrounding us. Eugene said something, something I couldn't quite remember, then my eyes closed again, it was just me and Rosita, we were running, she didn't let me go, she kept me on her hip as we struggled to get away. We got behind a tree, Rosita panicking, I felt like I was spinning as I tried to keep my eyes open, Rosita was loosing grip of me as she had started leaning forward. "Rosita." I had mumbled trying to snap her out of it, but she fell forward hitting the ground, I reached for her, but couldn't grab her, then my eyes rolled to the back of my head and my body went completely numb, i fell into the tree and slid down. That's all I could remember.. everything else was just a blur.

I placed the cup back onto the table. And noticed the crutches laid against the end of my bed, I slowly pushed my legs off the bed as carefully as possible, I reached for the crutches pulling them over to me. I slid them underneath my under arms as I pushed myself up, I had used crutches once or twice before when I was a junior in high school. I ran track for my school and had pulled a muscle in my leg causing me to use them. I began walking towards the door, the bottom of the crutches made noise each time it touched the wood floor. I reached for the handle and began turning it, if I was at Hilltop, so was Maggie.. I hadn't seen her in so long. I pulled the door open and heard voices downstairs.
"What do we tell her?" Carol asked. "Maggie isn't here, how do we tell her that?" Tara asked. "She'll be back.. I'm sure she will." She said. "We don't know that, we won't for awhile. Look... Beth is alive, Rosita is okay, and that all that matters. We ask questions later, but Maggie needs to know, Daryl, Michonne, Judith. Everyone needs to know." Tara said. I slowly walked towards the stairs as I listened to them. "I just don't understand.. it's been over six years.. six. This whole time we thought she was dead." She said. "I don't know Carol-" Carol looked up to see me staring down at them. "Beth.. your awake." She said, Tara turned around and looked up at me. "Where's Maggie?" I asked. "You should be laying down.." Tara came up the stairs, Carol behind her. "I'm fine." I mumbled. "It's good to see you, you look great." Tara looked down at my ankle "Besides your ankle." She teased. Carol came over to me, pulling me into a hug. "Let's talk inside." She said gesturing her head towards the room I came out of. I shook my head yes as I placed my crutches on the floor and began to walk back inside, Carol helping me get through the door. I sat on the bed as Tara took the crutches.
"How did you find each other?" Carol asked.
"I was running from a horde.. I had twisted my ankle and tried to hide out for awhile.. but they found me.. it found me.." I paused looking down at my scrapped up hands. "They spoke... or at least I thought they did. They were searching for me, it wasn't like any other horde, they were smarter." I felt the fear rise in my chest. "I heard them." I said looking up at the two. "Heard them say what?" Carol asked. "I'm.. I'm not sure." I admitted. "Was Rosita and Eugene running from the same horde?" Tara asked. "Yes.. I was running through the woods and I ran into them, they helped me get away.. I don't remember much, I kept falling unconscious, Eugene. He's still out there.." I said in a panic. "He saved me and he's still out there." Tara came over and put her hand on my knee. "It's okay! He'll be fine, we will already sent a group out there to look for him." Tara said. "What? No.. they can't handle it alone." I said. "They'll be fine." Carol said. "Daryl's with them.." she hesitated to say. "You don't understand you...." I paused. "What?" I said looking up at her. "Daryl's with them." She repeated. I felt my heart drop to my stomach when she said his name, I hadn't seen him in so long, too long. "Does he know I'm here?" I asked. "No, not yet." Tara said. "He left before we realized who you were, we brought you here, covered in mud. Your hair was practically brown, he didn't even look at you, Rosita had whispered your name, it took me and Carol off guard, that's when I rolled you over on your back and recognized your face, I checked your pulse, and got you cleaned up and taken care of.." Tara said. "You look so different." Carol said as she looked at my shorter hair, her hair now longer then mines. "More mature." She said with a smile. "Just know.. Beth it's been a long time. A very long time, things have changed, people.. just.. take your time. If you feel overwhelmed, please tell us." Carol said.

The rest of the day they kept me in bed, once Rosita woke they realized she heard the same thing I did. It made Carol and Tara worry as the radioed for the boys but no one answered. It felt like hours and loves as I was laid up in bed the whole day, resting my leg, Enid had brought me and Rosita dinner, a bowl of soup, and not the canned kind. Soup Hilltop made from the food they had here. "Hi!" Enid said with a warming smile as she laid the two bowls on the side-table between us. "Need any help?" She asked as I lifted up, pushing my back against the headboard. Rosita rolled over on her aide as she puffed out a breath. "Have they heard anything yet?" Rosita was anxious, she feared what was out there, maybe more then I did. "Nothing." Enid said placing the bowl in my lap. "They shouldn't have went alone." She complained. "It's Jesus, Daryl and Aaron. They'll be alright." Enid reassured. "Do you remember what was out there?" Rosita asked me. "Parts." I said lifting the bowl up to my lips and taking small sips. "Whatever is out there, whatever those things are becoming.. it's not good." Rosita said sitting up and taking the bowl. Enid's walkie-talkie began making static noises, she quickly removed it from her back pocket and pushed down on the button. "Hilltop, Aaron is that you?" She called over the speaker. "Enid!" It was Aaron, his voice quick and panicked. "Yes!" She said. Me and Rosita straightening up. "We... we... they're coming." His voice broke up when he spoke, we could barely make out anything he said. "What? I can't hear you. Aaron where are you?" Enid asked, Tara came flying through the door. "We need..... send help." Aaron said. Tara took Enid's walkie and flipped through channels. "Daryl do you copy?" Tara said, there was nothing but silence then static. "Tara." Daryl's voiced said. "Daryl?! Daryl! Hi, where are you?" She asked. "We... we've found Eugene, We.." he sounded like he was whispering, the static interrupting him, we could hear growls in the background. "Parking lot." Daryl's voice said. I reached out my hand, Tara handed me the radio, I put it up to my mouth and held the button. "Daryl.. help is on the way." I said into the speaker. Tara looked at me as she nodded her head that's all Tara needed, she went to turn on her heels. "Wait! I'm going with you!" Rosita said. "No! You stay here, I'll get help from Michonne, just.. stay put." She said i handed the radio to Enid and watched Tata storm out of the room. Enid looked over at me and Rosita. "What was out there?" Enid asked. Me and Rosita looked at each other before looking back at her. "A storm.." Rosita said.