ᴀɴɢᴜɪsʜ » ᴅᴀʀʏʟ ᴅɪxᴏɴ

{30} No Hope: Part One.

Rick slowly shoves his python back into his holster, searching his group's face for any type of answer. Anything to help him verify why this had been done in the first place.

Daryl struggles to help a grieving young woman to her feet. Jodie holds onto him, hiding her tears in the pit of his neck. Unable to see what is to be of her Anthony. Willow flashes a grimacing stare towards Anthony's motionless body. The fresh bullet wound oozed with blood that held the same color of a beet. Flies gravitate towards the dead bodies, including his. Acting as if they've hit the jackpot.

Willow lets out a small sniffle, hiding her face behind her hands. Listening to Beth's soft sobs dance with the approaching fall breeze. At first, her cries are nothing but a whimper, and after a moment of allowing the scene to sink in: Beth's cries become loud and hysterical. Everyone - including Willow - turns their sorrowful glances onto Beth.

Beth pulls herself away from Jimmy's grasp and stumbles past her father and older sister. Willow holds her nose to block her runny nose, Beth passes, and Willow permits it. Rick, on the other hand, reaches out to the teenage girl. Pleading for her to keep quiet and wait, but she ventures forth. Stepping over the slump figures.

"Mama," Beth breathed whilst reaching the middle of the crowd of dead walkers.

With her high-pitched sobs, the girl carefully pushes one body from off of the once mother, and wife. Gently turning her mother onto her back, Beth wail like a child.

"Ma -" Beth began, but her calls for her mother become a screech like a scream.

The rotting mother animates and reaches for the blonde's pigtails. Yanking her downward. Snarling with hunger. Everyone rush to save Beth. Shane and Rick struggle to pull Beth away, but they succeed.

Glenn held Beth's mother by her wrist. Attempting to keep her from biting him or anyone else who staggers near. Skin from her left cheek flap with every snap of her jaw. Every muscle and tended can be seen. Even the glimpse of her cheekbone popped from under the large chink of eroding muscle.

With quick thinking, Andrea swoops up the ax Shane had discarded. She rushes over to the action and jabs the end of the ax right into the back of her skull. The tip of the tool peeked from out of her forehead. Scrambling her brains for good.

Dropping the tool, Beth's mother crashes to the ground along with it.

Inhaling and exhaling rather hard from the sudden action, Willow backs away. Looking in between Beth and Mrs. Greene. The smell of decay becoming overwhelming. All of this tension mixed with the smell, cause Willow's head to ache.

"Are you okay?" Dale cooed from beside her. Offering a gentle hand onto her shoulder. Willow snaps her tearful eyes towards the old man, attempting to read his red face.

What was supposed to come out strong and positive, comes out weak and fragile:

"Yes. I am okay...."

Jodie, still crying uncontrollably, tore herself away from Daryl. Walking away from the scene. Willow is quick to follow behind her little sister. The younger Hunter is quick on her feet as the eldest Hunter sister calls out for her. Pleading for Jodie to slow down and think about what they had just witnessed. Willow knew what they had seen, although they had assumed Anthony had died long ago, the pain of discerning what he had become peeled away any heals scabs. No more praying the boy had lived and somehow managed to keep fighting. That ended.

With no sounds coming from her throat, Jodie paced the gleaming fields minutes after. Her hazel eyes enlarged with rage and confusion. Had she just remained with Edwin and Jackie, all of this pain would never exist. All of this chaos would have ended.