Undead

Screams. (316)

MADISON'S POV.

"Mads! Mads!" Somebody shakes my shoulder while somebody else tries grabbing my hand to pull me back to reality as I stare at the herd of walkers swarming the building and the body dangling from a rope a hundred feet from the ground. Maybe starvation or exposure killed them before the fall could.

"Hey! Madison!" Somebody yanks my hand and I nearly fall back but when I look up it's Carl who catches me.
"Stay with us okay." He pleads with me.
I nod but I notice the trace of urgency in his voice. He turns back to the rest of the group that huddles together to form a new plan.

I can tell by the way they move and act panic is riddled through them as we all stand only a few yards from the building, the only thing protecting us is the corner of a building.

Somebody continues to shake my shoulders again. I look around at Kai who stands with his hands on my shoulders, waiting for me to respond. And when I do it takes us both by surprise and I throw my arms around his shoulders and tilt his head down so when I stand on my tippy toes I can whisper in his ears.

"I need to tell you something."
"What Madison? You're scaring me."
"I was trying to tell you before. When I was in-"
"Madison! Kai!" Rick whispers with a force that makes us both freeze on the spot as if we were caught doing something we shouldn't have been doing. Then I notice my arms around his neck. I pull them away immediately. Nobody seemed to notice except Rick, but when I look at Carl he has a scowl on his face.

"Get away from there! Come here!" Michonne urges.
"Look, if this is about the kiss the other night then-" Kai starts.
"It's not. It's about your si-"
"Now Madison!" Rick finalizes.
My jaw sets and my teeth start to grind together in frustration.

"Come on." Kai grabs my hand and tows me back towards the group. I rip my hand from his, unsure how to feel, especially with so many eyes watching us, but only one other person concerns me.

"New plan. It's too dangerous to all go in together. Daryl and Jerry have gone to get the stray walkers we seen earlier coming into the city. We need to blend in. You all know the drill. So, we need to split into groups-" Rick arranges.
"We should stick together." I interrupt before he can continue with the plan.
"Madison. Trust me, we'll be fine. Two groups. In my group, Michonne, Carl, Madison, Kai, Daryl, Tara and Rosita. Carol you look after your group. Ezekiel, Jerry, Aaron, Gabriel, Beth, Jenna and Morgan, you're all with her." He finalizes.

"You can have the map of you need it, Madison can show us where to go if we get lost. If something goes wrong meet back here and if it's taken by the walkers try and find a car to get home." Rick plans.

"What about Fangs?" I argue.
He lies at my feet with his head drooped into his front paws, closing his eyes to snooze, unaware of what's behind the corner.
"What about him?" Rick shrugs.
"We can't leave him alone! He'll die out here by himself."
"He's a dog Madison. He'll get us caught."
"No, he won't. He can blend in too."
"You think a dog will walk in there covered in guts into a building full of walkers and not bark once." He argues back.
"No, not a normal dog. But fangs can, I know he can."
"Fangs is no ordinary dog." Ezekiel quotes me from earlier.

I smile a little. I guess the king isn't so bad. I nod in agreement.
"Fine, but one yelp from him and I'll kill him myself." Rick orders.
I want to snap back at him for how he's talking about fangs but if I do there's a chance Rick won't let him come so I keep my mouth shut.

In the distance I can see Daryl and jerry coming back in the RV and parking it far enough away that the walkers won't hear the engine. They quickly hop out of the RV and drag four walker corpses from the back and drag them over to us.