Leah Grimes

Chapter 36

I pulled a white sheet over myself as Dad covered it in walker guts. "I'm going to grab Judith." He announced. I turned to Carl, and he grabbed my hand. When we are all ready I followed Dad down the stairs reaching for his hand. We were walking between the dozens of walkers all crammed inside the house. He turned back to look at me squeezing our hands. With only a small nod I felt less nervous and continued behind him. Carl was now holding on tighter and I closed my eyes for a moment trying to regain my focus. Once we were through the doorway I stared at the hundreds of walkers surrounding the streets. "Mom." I heard Sam whisper. I turned my head giving him a look that said shut up. He didn't understand that instead he said it louder this time, "Mom."

I looked at Dad desperate for him to do something walkers were beginning to notice us. Dad pulled us behind bushes, "new plan we need to get to our cars at the quarry." I turned to Gabriel as he began to speak, "I can take Judith, I'll keep her safe in the church until all the walkers are gone." I stepped away watching as the walkers continued on their path. "Sams gonna make it." Jessie's whispered. I looked down at the boy not reassured. "Let's go." Dad whispered grabbing Sams hand. All of a sudden I felt like I needed to be behind dad. "Dad." I whispered. He turned to me, "I need to be beside him, he can't start talking again Leah you know that." I sighed turning towards Carl, he gave me a small smile, as I grabbed his hand. I held mine reluctantly out to Ron following Dad as he began to lead us towards the gate.

We lost light quickly and soon it was just us and the walkers surrounded by darkness. I ran into Carl as our line came to a stop. Sam had pulled off, I heard Dad and Jessie pleading with him but he wouldn't listen. He caught too many walkers attention and I watched in horror as they bit into him. "SAM." Jessie screamed over and over again as she watched him get eaten away. "Come with us." Carl begged her pulling her arm our way, she wouldn't move she stayed in place screaming with tears covering her face. I stepped back as more walkers closed in taking bites of her. "No." Dad whispered. Her hand was still clamped onto Carl's. "Dad." Carl whispered trying to get his attention. I grabbed my knife beginning to saw her arm off. Carl used his other hand to pull me back as Dad swung his axe through her arm. "You." Ron said standing directly in front of me. My eyes widened when I saw the gun he had pointed straight for my head. "Please," I whispered. He just glared at me. "Dad," I heard Carl say. Slowly I raised my arms up, "I'm sorry Ron, I'm sorry about everything you've been through. You don't have to kill me." He just glared at me, finger on the trigger. I tried to steady my breaths but gasped loudly as a blade was stabbed through his throat, I was thrown down by Carl at the same time a bullet was shot from Ron's gun. I felt someone collapse over top of me. "Leah." Carl cried. I sat up staring down at my brother, his eye had been replaced by a big bloody hole and I watched as blood continued to spray out. "CARL." I screamed shaking him. Dad pushed me ahead as he scooped Carl up, Michonne grabbed my arm pulling me with her.

We began killing walkers clearing a path for Dad and Carl. My vision was blurred from my tears and I was gasping for air. My thoughts were racing around my head, I couldn't lose my brother, my best friend. "Keep going." Michonne whispered touching my arm slightly.

Once we had made it to the infirmary I collapsed down onto the gurney grabbing onto his hand. I buried my head into his shoulder sobbing. "Carl, I'm sorry. Don't let him die Denise please." She nodded as Aaron pulled me off of Carl. "He's my brother please let me stay." Aaron tried to quiet me, but the only thing that got my attention was Michonne whispering, "Ricks out there." I stared at her, "Dad went back out?" She looked at me, "Leah no." I grabbed the machete out of Aaron's pocket sprinting out the door. I saw Dad surrounded by walkers, he lunged forward swinging his axe it looked like it was coming at me but instead it hit the walker standing directly behind me. I spun around and began fighting them off. "Keep your back against mine." I did as he said trying to see through my tears. I watched as several other people came out fighting with us. We eventually got pushed against the fence with walkers surrounding us and I began to lose hope.

Bright orange flames caught the corner of my eye and I stared in awe as the pond had gone up in flames. Walkers began making their way over there and I kept fighting the ones that stuck to us. "Hey kid," I looked up to see Daryl standing beside me. I set my machete down staring up at him. "You're alive," I whispered. He nodded at the walker coming towards me, "I'm alive."