Playing For Brains

I walked out of the door checking for anyone who could spot us and alert the rest that we had escaped – thankfully the corridor was empty. I stood outside the door for a little while waiting for them to decide whether they were going to follow me or not. I could hear them whispering to each other, they were all sceptical of me thinking it was some sick joke, but they wanted to get out of here and see who I was with. Rick peered out of the door and looked down the corridor to the left then to the right seeing me standing there before coming out followed by the rest of the group.

"You lot really don't have a sense of urgency do you, you'd be late to your own funeral"

I chuckled slightly before turning and walking steadily down the corridor. I could hear their footsteps behind me, and I rose a hand to get them to stop when we reached an intersection. I peered down the different ways and decided to go straight across, the corridors were empty still which got me worried, where the hell had they all gone. That was when I heard a loud explosion from outside causing the building the crumple a little. I picked up my pace and we found ourselves in the collection room where each person's belongings were brought to when they arrived and were taken for slaughter. The other group rush over to the gun section and start picking up their weapons along with some others as spare. I walk over to another table which had my backpack on, luckily, I hadn't been here long meaning they hadn't emptied it yet.

"We need to leave, I don't know what that explosion was but it will attract walkers for miles and we don't want to be just leaving when they are arriving, else it will be a blood bath"

Rick nods his head at me before walking next to me out of the door and along the last corridor before we made it outside. The sun was up in the sky and the heat hit me causing me to sweat after mere minutes of being exposed. There was smoke coming from the entrance of the train yard with gun fire clearly audible, we snuck around the edge of the building and came face to face with gun fire. I motioned towards the fence while the Terminus people opened fire on the group. We made it to the chain link fence and they pushed themselves over one by one, the weaker members going over first. Daryl looked at me disgusted, clearly wishing he didn't have to take me with him, he stood back and watched me struggle climbing over the fence. Rick came up behind me put his hand out for me to use as a boost up, like he did for the rest of them. I used it to push myself up and over the fence landing the other side with a thud.

Once everyone had climbed over the gun fire had begun to slow down and the growls of the walkers who had made their way in took over. We watched for a few minutes before the walkers started to push themselves up against the fence trying to make us their next meal. I walked away from the fence and move into the trees, trying to figure out a path that would take me back to the place in which I came from. I knew it was somewhere in these woods, just a matter of where. The group follow behind weapons up scanning the woods for any sign of a threat, walker or human. The woods got thicker and then began to fan out once again signalling we were getting close. We came to a dirt road through the trees and we followed that for around half a mile before the wooden cabin comes into display. The group seem to tense up when it is visible clearly still unsure on whether I was leading them to safety or danger.

They have their weapons raised as we approach the cabin and when the door begins to open their fingers go towards the trigger. Out steps a middle age women with greying hair with a baby in her arms. The group drop their weapon sights from the women and a smile creeps onto my face.

"I really didn't think you would be able to do it Arlie, but you did. Thank you" she closed in and hugged me making sure not to squish poor baby Judith in the process. That baby has been through a lot in the past couple of days and I'm glad that she will actually be back with her father and brother. Carol pulls away from me and hands the baby to Rick who then hugs both Judith and Carl simultaneously. Daryl runs towards Carol and pulls her into a hug. He looks over Carols shoulder while doing so and gives me a small nod. A smile pulling at my features.

I stand watching the groups interactions and wonder what my next move would be. I was never one for staying with a group longer than I had to, the longest I lasted was a month and that ended in the death of most of the camp, I barely got out of there alive. But this group felt different. The people were more dynamic and from everything carol told me this group was more like a family. A family in which I wanted to be a part of, however dysfunctional, however short lived; I wanted to be a part of something for once. I didn't want to go back to being alone just because I was afraid of losing people, loss was part of life now and you have to learn to live with it and enjoy all the little moments. Every second counts right?