This Is How We End It

Chapter Thirty Nine

The sun began to shine faintly through the windows as it rose, illuminating the old brick house. It was warm, or somewhat warm. At least there wasn't frost, everyone thought. Everyone was glad that the frost was gone. It'd been a while since it had visited the group, as the heat was turning up again. Everything felt better again, but Rick had noticed that walkers were more active. They were becoming more alive again, and more of a threat again. For most of the winter, the cold threat was not walkers; it was the grim realization that people could die from lack of food, water, and heat.

In the morning, it was quiet as always. Everyone keeping to themselves, staying silent. That is, until T-Dog had woken up, seeing the others still half asleep. Outside, there were walkers closing in on the  house. He made quick action of waking everyone up, and everyone quickly packed their belongings up, marching out the door. 

It was now necessary to check the windows for walkers. Natural instinct, Brittany thought. Soon enough, everything was packed into the cars, and like that, they were gone. 

On the road, it was time to map out the plans that would set their fate. The green hyundai was pulled over, and everyone filed out of the cars. Carol stood on watch, looking around for walkers. Lori stayed inside of the car, just in case. She was too tired to move. The baby had grown in her stomach; finding new clothes for her was an average.

Rick laid out the map on the hood of the car, putting rocks on the edges. Maggie stood behind him, Adam behind him. Taylor stood with Carol on watch, tilting her hat so she could block out the glare of the sun. Ethan held the axe he'd found months ago, in his hands. He was ready for anything. 

Heather stood by Rick, looking at the map as Ellen stood behind her. Scott was next to Brittany, ready to hear the plans. Rick looked over the map, finding their place. Adam got out of the car after checking on Lori, making sure she was alright.

"We've been going in circles," Maggie said, tracing her finger over the map.

Rick nodded, "I know," he said, running a hand over his beard to scratch it. "We can shoot down 95, swing back by Greenville."

"When this herd meets up with this one, we'll be blocked off," Ellen noted as she traced her finger where the herds would be. 

"Then we'll go down 96.. and turn toward Senoia." Rick said, looking at the map.

"We can't keep moving much more," Hershel noted, looking at Rick. Over the winter, Hershel had grown a beard too. "She's gonna need a place to stop. The baby's getting near," Hershel said, glancing back at Lori who sat in the car.

Rick nodded slowly. He barely talked to Lori anymore, nor even bothered her. Their marriage was destroyed when the bullet flew into Shane's skull.

"You mind if we fill up the canteens?" T-Dog asked, looking at Rick.

Rick nodded. "Yeah. I'll take Adam and Ethan with me to hunt for something we can cook later,"

Everyone nodded, knowing their positions.

In the forest, Rick and the two boys walked down the path. Rick and Adam hardly ever got along anymore, seeing as Rick killed his father. If Shane would've gotten lost, maybe he would've been alive, but Adam learned that Shane stuck up for Nick. What really happened.. it devastated Adam.

The three walked down train tracks, seeing an opening ahead where the faint sun shone through. The tracks were rusted, and covered in last year's leaves that'd fallen in the fall. The grass was still dead, but it'd return soon enough.

Adam kept his knife close to him at all times. Ethan carried the axe, ready to swing it whenever it was necessary. It was hard to not carry a weapon anymore; it was in everyone's instinct. The three were silent, going down the tracks, reaching the opening as Rick glanced over to his right. On the tracks, there was a path leading down to a prison.