The group had gathered for breakfast around the firepit. Most were sitting on fold-out chairs or tree stumps, quietly eating or chatting in pairs.
Then Amy's laughter cut through the quiet.
She walked into camp beside Itachi, still a little out of breath, grinning as she told him sothing between laughs.
He was slightly smiling, responding to her story.
As they walked closer, Jenner looked at Itachi and gave them a quick nod as they passed.
Andrea stood near the fire, handing out plates.
She glanced over as Amy and Itachi approached.
"Back already?" she said, smirking. "That's a new record."
Amy grabbed a plate without looking at her. "Shut up."
Andrea handed one to Itachi too. "Didn't say anything."
Daryl, sitting nearby with a tin bowl in his lap, spoke without looking up.
"As long as they ain't bringin' walkers back with 'em, I don't give a damn."
Amy sat down next to Itachi. He set his plate on his knees and started eating in silence.
For a while, the group just ate.
Then Glenn stood up.
He looked around at everyone, visibly nervous.
"Um… guys."
Everyone turned.
"So…"
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"The barn is full of walkers."
Everything stopped.
Forks froze. Nobody moved. All eyes were on Glenn.
The group gathered around the barn.
Shane stepped forward and peeked through the gaps in the wood.
Inside, walkers shuffled around aimlessly, groaning and scraping against the walls.
Shane turned, walking straight up to Rick, angry.
"You cannot tell you're all right with this."
Rick looked back at his best friend.
"No, I'm not. But we're guests here. This isn't our land."
Shane's voice rose.
"This is our lives!"
Glenn stepped in quickly.
"Lower your voice."
Andrea crossed her arms, tense.
"We can't just sweep this under the rug."
Amy gave a small nod, already hovering her hand over her kunai.
Shane shook his head.
"It ain't right. Not remotely."
He looked back at the barn.
"Okay, we've either got to go in there and make things right... or we've got to leave. But we're not sleeping near a barn full of walkers inside."
Rick faced him again.
"We can't go. Not yet."
Shane's voice snapped louder.
"Why, Rick? Why?"
Rick finally snapped back.
"Because Lori is pregnant, okay!"
Shane stumbled back a step, stunned.
He looked at Lori, then Rick, saying nothing.
Rick's voice dropped lower.
"Just... let figure it out. I'll talk to Hershel. It's his land."
He looked back at the barn.
"If we're gonna stay... if we're gonna clear that barn... I have to talk him into it."
Silence held for a mont.
Then Dale stepped forward.
"Hershel sees those things in there as people."
He looked around the group.
"Sick people. His wife. His stepson."
Everyone turned towards him, surprised.
Andrea narrowed her eyes.
"You knew?"
Dale nodded slowly.
"Yesterday I talked to Hershel."
Carol pulled Sophia closer into her arms.
"And you waited the night?"
Dale t her eyes.
"I thought we could survive one more night. We did. I was waiting till this morning to say sothing. But Glenn wanted to be the one."
Carol's voice tightened.
"We have kids out here. One of them could've tried sneaking inside, just to see what was in there."
Amy looked at Dale too.
"Sorry, Dale... but I have to agree with Carol. You know they'd want to get inside more just because we're not allowed near it."
Jenner stepped forward.
"I think you're all forgetting sothing important."
Everyone turned to him.
"Hershel sees those things as people. If we just kill them... we'd be murderers in his eyes."
Shane looked away, jaw clenched, then turned back towards Rick.
"The man is crazy, Rick. If Hershel thinks those things are alive, he's lost it."
Most of the group nodded, so muttering in agreent.
The argunt started to rise again.
Then a loud rattling cut through it all.
Chains scraped and clanked from inside the barn.
Low growls. Fingers poked through the cracks in the wood, clawing at air, desperate.
Everyone went silent.
Carol quickly grabbed Sophia's hand and turned away, walking back towards the camp. Lori did the sa, pulling Carl away.
No one said anything.
They just stared at the barn.
I arrived at the house and knocked once at the door, then heard his voice.
"Co on in."
I stepped inside. He was at the table with an old book open in front of him.
"A little light reading for lunch?" I said, trying to ease into it.
Hershel didn't look up. "Been working so hard lately… I get my studying where I can."
"You know we can help you out with your work," I said.
"It's my field to tend."
There was a pause.
I took a slow breath.
"We found the barn."
He looked back at , with a serious look on his face.
"Leave it be."
I kept my voice steady.
"Well, I'd like to talk about it. But either way… your barn, your farm, your say."
"I don't want to talk about the barn," he said flatly. "I don't want to debate."
"Not a debate," I said. "A discussion."
He closed the book this ti and looked in the eyes.
"I need you and your group gone by the end of the week."
I stood there for a second, trying to choose my words carefully.
"I talked to Dale," I said.
"You and I have our differences with the way we look at the walkers. Those people… they may be dead, they may be alive. But my people—us—we're alive. Right now, right in front of you. You send us out there, and that could change."
"I've given you safe harbor," he said.
"My conscience is clear."
"This farm…" I looked at him, trying to get my point across.
"It's special. You've been shielded from what's going on out there. Dale said you saw it all happen on the news. Well, it's been a long ti since the caras stopped rolling."
Hershel picked his book back up and started walking away.
I followed him, not ready to let it end just like this.
"The first ti I saw a walker… it was just half a body. Crawling. Snapping at from the ground. I didn't kill it. Didn't even think to. But the world out there, it's not what you saw on TV. It's worse. It changes people. Either into one of them… or into sothing less than who they used to be."
I stopped walking.
"Please. Don't send us back out there." i said my voice quivering a bit.
He didn't turn around.
"My wife's pregnant," I said quietly. "That's either a gift here… or a death sentence out there. If we stayed, we could help. With the work. Securing this place. We can survive together."
He stopped and looked back at .
"Rick," he said. "I'm telling you. We can't."
"You think about what you're doing."
"I've thought about it," he responded, raising his voice, getting annoyed.
I took a step forward, my voice rising to matching his.
"Think about it again. We can't go out there."
On those words, I left, closing the door behind .
I sat down on the porch steps, rubbed my hands over my face.
I didn't know what the hell I was supposed to do. The farm looked safe. It felt like the right place. But he wasn't budging. And I wasn't sure I had it in to keep trying.
The prison crossed my mind. Ugly. Cold. But maybe the only real fallback.
But Lori? Carl?
No. I didn't want to move them there. Not yet. Not unless I had no other choice.
I ran my fingers over my forehead, taking a deep breath.
I stood up and started walking.
I needed to find Itachi.
I know he wants to move… but he might be the only one who can give so kind of answers.
Reviews
All reviews (0)