✓ᴋɪʟʟᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴇʏᴇꜱ ¦¦ ₜₕₑ Wₐₗₖᵢₙg Dₑₐd

chapter thirteen.

THERE SHE WAS. Trapped in a cycle full of death and despair.

When she started to grow up around the Whisperers, she wasn't always alone. She'd meet someone who she liked and possibly befriend them. After all she was still young and naive even though she was exposed to her crazy father, no choice but to stay. 

But after a while they would deteriorate, making her alone once again. Then Isla realised, being close to people gets you hurt. So much that she shut people out. Although it didn't matter how much she tried to shut out Lydia, that stubborn girl never gave up on her. From that day, Isla was thankful. 

She just wished they met in a better and different time. A place where Lydia hadn't grown up with an abusive mother and where Isla wasn't around her father when he started to go crazy. The girl had seen it all when she was younger. It was like a switch in his brain had flipped for good, no remorse showed in his face any longer. She was forced to deal with his crazy antics.

Isla hated to admit that when she first met Alpha she thought that she had been saved, but she was wrong again. She got hurt again. The woman was just as crazy and lustful for blood just as much as he did. Isla wanted to be scared of the woman yet she was intrigued. The new woman guided her instead of her own daughter, since at the time she was more terrified than anyone.

It was when Isla started to get older, wiser, stronger, was when Alpha wanted her to be their Delta.

That name felt like a distant memory which still haunts her. When she first got that title, Isla felt powerful. But now she wasn't. If she was to meet her past self, she would realise how much of her father and Alpha she nearly grew into. She was just thankful that Lydia and Henry pulled her out of it just in time.

Isla was around thirteen when she killed someone for the very first time. She had witnessed death in the past, but killing someone yourself was a whole different feeling. That was when death and power became the scent that fueled her, before it almost killed her from the inside out. It was so easy for her to get what she wanted as she remembered how to do it just like she had been doing it for a lifetime. Isla felt sick now it was ingrained into her memory, all the lives she had taken.

She never liked guns. They were too loud. But now she was against the Whisperers who had made a mark on her life, she had taken up the habit of carrying a gun around. Mostly for when she saw Alpha or her father. She wanted to shoot them dead on the spot. She didn't care how loud it would be, she wanted that. She desired everyone to hear the death of them.

However death wasn't the first thing on her mind anymore. In fact, she didn't even know what was. The Kingdom had reached its turning point. Burst pipes, rotting wood, broken materials, starving and freezing people. The new winter brought more sorrow onto everyone and was slowly crumbling under people's feet. In the end, Ezekiel had to declare his home unlivable.

All of the Kingdom's residents had to begin their slow journey to Hilltop. It wasn't like that the community had enough space, food, or water for them. But it was better than leaving their neighbour stranded and left for dead. One tragedy after another. Isla's never ending cycle. After taking the residents to Hilltop she decided to join Lydia and come with her and Daryl back to Alexandria.

They walked stiffly, thick coats and heavy boots to keep them from freezing. Even though it did very little to keep them warm and protected from the freezing air, it was their only option. It bit into her face and nose, giving Isla the first feeling she has had in a while.

It didn't get any better when they stopped to rest either, the snow sinking into their boots as they stood. Isla decided to trail away at one point, sneaking into the woods and making sure her feet in the snow didn't sink as much. The trees were frozen solid, so were the lakes and nearly herself as she stopped for a split second when she heard a noise.

But she didn't care. She just wanted to sit in silence again. Resting her back onto the cold bark of the tree, sliding down until she sat in the snow. There was so much silence yet she wanted to hear something for once, any sign of positivity which she would snatch. Nothing.

A soft growl was heard behind her. A walker stuck in the snow, trying to reach for her. Its legs were moving as fast as it could to get out of the snow. Isla just kept looking forward. Hearing the walker ruffle through the thickness as it wandered out of its stuck position. Its arms out in front, hands gripping the air until it nearly landed on the back of Isla's shoulder.

She waited. Waited for it to come close, leaving her gun in her pocket without a care. The growls became more desperate as she stood up from her spot, brushing the snow off her legs. It was close, she could nearly feel it.

A thud was heard after the whizzing of an arrow. Isla let out a sigh which was colder than the air. Looking down to see the walker's head close to her feet. If she had five more seconds then she would've been at peace. The voices and screaming would stop. Unfortunately they continued as the blood seeped from the walker's head and onto the snow.

The girl turned around, looking into the eyes of Daryl who had killed the walker without any hesitation. As much as it hurt them both to look at each other, Daryl still knew one thing:

That he couldn't lose another kid.

He quietly sighed, putting his crossbow onto his back. He gave her a small nod to come back to the group. She obliged, walking around the walker and falling into step with the man. They didn't say anything. There was nothing he could think of to make it any better for her. She saved his life and her intended to save hers, no matter what, they were still all together.

Isla didn't fight it, or fight back to the dirty glares that were trained on her. She just wanted to disappear into a familiar heaviness she once discarded. However she didn't realise until know that maybe some people wanted her to keep living.

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It wasn't long for Isla until they returned back to the safety of Alexandria. Although, she did drown out the voices of everyone else around her, making the journey quicker than expected for her. Some Alexandrians who joined them on their journey quickly went to the warmth of the indoors, however some stayed outside to greet people. 

Isla was going to wander away somewhere else, letting them have their happy moment of reuniting. However when she felt a thick sensation of snow slap her back, was when she turned around to face everyone again. She noticed the familiar little girl again, Judith, with a snowball in her hand and a grin on her face.

Isla finally felt something tug at her lips, letting the sensation wash over her and break out into a small smile. She narrowed her eyes and bent down to the snow beneath her, scooping up a handful of snow to throw back at the girl who erupted in giggles. After that, a large snowball fight had been initiated, tossing snowballs left, right and centre. For once she felt a sense of innocence, like she was a child again and being free. That's what she wanted. A feeling of freedom from rage and grief.

She scooped up more snow, looking for her next target. Once she saw the back of Daryl she instantly threw one at him, Judith let out a laugh in the process. The man suddenly turned around, tilting his head in an accusing but playful way at the girl's sudden action. Isla just shrugged innocently, rolling another snowball in her hands. But before she knew it she quickly received another one to the face.

Spitting out the snow, she replied, "You're so on you punk!"

She smiled, the first time in ages, surrounded by people who actually cared. Flares of happiness travelled through her. She finally heard something other than the traumatic events of that night. Laughter.

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this chapter is short i know so i'll update tomorrow as it's the large timeskip.

i hope you liked this chapter!