𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐎𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 | 𝐭𝐰𝐝 ¹

25.

   Tears streamed down Nicole's face as she limped through the woodland. She held Sophia's dead weight in her arms, causing her severe pain in her ankle. Nicole knew that it was probably damaging it more than it already was, but she had to get Sophia back to her mother. Carol needed that closure.

   With each step, Nicole became more and more exhausted. Her arms slowly became weak from the 60-pound girl she was carrying. Nicole could practically hear the clicks of her ankle as she walked. Nicole could hear the monsters starting to fall in line behind her; they were ever so slowly gaining on her.

   Those snarls were something that Nicole was used to. She got used to cracking their skulls open with her bat, which she currently could not use. Nicole found the dam that Sophia and her hid in days ago. She finally knew where she was.

   The water sloshed through her shoes as she walked through the shallow water. She reached the small drop and lifted Sophia onto it. Nicole turned around pulling her bat from the inside of her shirt -- the only way she could carry both Sophia and her weapon.

   Nicole held it high as she watched the monsters waddle from the woods. She shifted her weight to try and ease the pain in her ankle. "C'mon, you sumbitches," Nicole murmured to herself. She was ready to swing, before one by one they fell down with a splat in the water.

  A woman stood there with a small, bloody sledgehammer. She had long, black hair -- which was tied up into a ponytail. Her brown eyes portrayed a sense of exhaustion that Nicole could relate to. She had caramel skin that showed her Indian heritage. Her skin was dirty from the muck of the new world and the blood of the monsters that now roamed.

   She glanced up to Nicole -- brown meeting green. The two stood there, observing each other. The woman took note of the dead child behind Nicole. "Thank--" Nicole's voice cracked. She quickly cleared it. "Thank you."

   The woman nodded, stepping forward slightly. "You looked like you needed help. It wasn't a problem." She offered a small smile. The two's silence got awkward after that; they didn't know what to do.

   "Uh," Nicole stuttered as she glanced to her soaked feet. Her ankle throbbed. Nicole hoped that her makeshift support would hold out a little while longer. "I'm Nicole."

   "Nadia," the woman answered. Nadia glanced to the dead girl behind her. "Who's that?"

   Nicole looked down, ashamed of herself. She failed at her job of protecting that little girl. "Her name was Sophia."

   "Where are you heading?" Nadia piped out, taking a few steps closer to the battered woman. Nadia's brown eyes scanned over Nicole and her ripped clothing. She took note of the makeshift support on her ankle. Nadia wondered how the hell she was still adamant on moving.

   Nicole cocked her head sideways a bit. "Why do you want to know?" She didn't mean to sound ungrateful, but her family was where she was heading.

   Nadia chuckled softly, "You're on the verge of passing out. You're carrying deadweight and you've seemed to have royally screwed your ankle." Nadia pointed to the strapped sticks. "I was going to offer some help," she continued. "Maybe I could properly patch up your ankle."

   Nicole sighed. Tears burned her eyes at the mention of the deadweight. "What were you a doctor before?"

   Nadia shook her head. "Veterinary assistant. I was on vacation when this all started. I got stuck in Macon."

   Nicole smiled softly, "That's where I grew up."

   "It's not much anymore," Nadia sighed, playing with the small beaded bracelet on her left wrist.

   "Oh," Nicole stuttered.

   Nadia cleared her teary throat. "So, do you want some help or not?"

   Nicole thought for a second before nodding. "I'm trying to get back to my group. Last I saw them they were on the highway."

   Nadia walked forward and climbed on top of the drop where Sophia's body rested on. "Well, I'll get you home," Nadia said as she offered Nicole her hand. She warily took the woman's hand and got pulled on top of the ledge.

   Nadia sighed and shrugged off her backpack. She pulled out a blanket and placed it over Sophia's deadweight, before picking her up. Nicole wasn't sure about a stranger holding that little girl, but she wasn't going to complain. The two began making their way back toward the highway.

   It was close to dusk when the two reached the steep hill that connected to the rail guard above. Nicole glanced to Sophia's covered body and then to her ankle. "Shit."

   Nadia thought for a moment before blurting out, "I have some rope in my bag. We can tie her up and pull her up."

   "One of us has to go up first though," Nicole sighed. She hoped that her family was moments away. Even if she feared the inevitable confrontation between her and Carol, she wanted to get back to them.

   Nadia nodded and bent down to place Sophia on the ground. "I'll boost you. If your friends are up there, they won't shoot you," Nadia explained as she dug through her backpack for the 9-feet of rope that seemed to take up a majority of her backpack. She handed it to Nicole.

   Nicole slid it over her head and shoulder. "Okay," Nicole uttered under her breath. "You boost me, I climb up, throw the rope down, pull Sophia up then you climb up."

   "Yes."

   Nicole briskly nodded. "Let's get this over with." Nicole knew that this was going to hurt her ankle. Nadia walked in front of Nicole, facing the dirt as she kneeled down.

   "Step on my shoulders. I'll stand up when you get on."

   Nicole gave her a shocked look, "Won't that hurt you?"

   "Nah, I'll be okay," Nadia responded. Nicole huffed out a breath before climbing up onto Nadia's shoulders. She could hear her ankle click as she placed her weight on top of it. Nadia stood up, and Nicole started to climb up.

   She grabbed the rail guard and pulled herself underneath it. "I'm up," Nicole whisper-yelled to Nadia. Nicole through the rope down to her accomplice, who began tying it around Sophia.

   After a few moments, Nadia finished. "Pull her up." Nicole complied and began pulling up the little girl's body. When she pulled her onto the pavement, Nicole immediately picked her up. She held Sophia's body with remorse. Nadia seemingly appeared as she pulled herself through the rail guard.

   Nicole gave her a grim smile, before turning toward the snarled highway. Nicole's heart dropped when she didn't see the familiar RV and Daryl's motorcycle. "They left us."

   Nicole's eyes filled with salty tears as she limped toward the area where Dale's RV was parked. Something caught her eye. She saw paint -- or something -- on a windshield of a faded yellow car. Nicole, Sophia. Stay here. We will come every day. Nicole grinned as she looked down to the food on the hood.

   Nadia placed her hand on top of Nicole's shoulder. "We'll find them."

   "I know."

hey y'all! this was a shorter chapter, i know. but it's main purpose was to reset the scene and introduce my baby, nadia amin. there isn't a whole lot of backstory for her in this book - just bits and peices- but there will definitely be more in the sequel if I decide to post it as nicole and her's friendship grows. Also, I've decided that each chapter im going to try to dedicate to two readers (you can do this by voting, commenting or adding to a reading list). This chapters dedicatees are VesperFrey , who added CG to their daryl reading list and NightmareHalo, who also added CG to their reading list (thank you both so much :)) anyway, i hope y'all had a good day/night. Kiss your parents goodnight. Be good, be safe. I'll see you on Friday :) peace babies -erin