Broken Haven

Chapter I

Izabel is now four months pregnant. Life has been relatively easy. Peaceful. Daryl has become a sort of celebrity. We've grown a garden and raised a few animals. The prison has become our haven, and we're thriving. We've made our own little community from the people from Woodbury and stragglers that we'd come across. We’ve gone thirty days without an accident.

The walkers have been building up against the fence in larger and larger numbers. I'm afraid that the few people on fence duty aren't enough. We're going on a run soon. Daryl might bring in food (he’s become quite the celebrity around here) but we're still in need of plenty of things. Beth has herself a new boyfriend. Zach. Hershel has a prosthetic leg we found on a run a couple of months back.

Life is good.

But I get this feeling that it won’t be this good for very much longer. I keep watching, waiting. I know this will end. I just don’t know when.

Michonne disappears for weeks at time. I know what she’s doing. She’s searching and failing. I can only imagine her frustration at not finding the Governor. He’ll come back. I know he will. He wants me. Me, Michonne, and Rick. It’s only a matter of time.

That’s enough worrying for now. It’s time to go on a run. We found a Big Spot. The place was crawling with walkers. We put a boom box hooked up to two car batteries to draw them out. The place is a desert. There’s falling down army tents, army trucks, a body or two.

Zach’s been trying to guess what Daryl was before the break out. Today’s guess: homicide cop. Wrong, of course, but amusing. We’re ready to go in. We make our way into the building in formation for the initial sweep. There’s something about an abandoned store that gives me the creeps. That or knowing something could appear out of nowhere trying to eat my face. I think it’s the empty building though. 

Once the place is cleared we begin our search for necessities. I was looking at some canned goods (peaches or pears? I never knew what to get) when I hear it: the sound of shelves collapsing onto somebody. I rush towards the commotion. Bob was underneath the beer and wine shelves. Hmm… Why was he there? Then I looked up. My first thought? Holy shit.

There were walkers falling through a hole in the ceiling. The building was filled with moans and groans and yells and gunfire. I made my way to a stack of boxes and climbed. I surveyed the area around my little sanctuary. I saw Zach and Daryl helping Bob. I also saw the walker that was behind Zach. I aimed. I shot. I missed. Zach was bit and went down. The guilt was unimaginable but I didn’t have time to think about that. I didn’t have time to think. I couldn’t allow myself to think. I’d shut down if I did.

Once we got back, I went to my cell and I sat down. I put my head in my hands and just sat there. After a while, I heard someone stop at my door. I looked up. Izabel walked in and sat down beside me.

“What is it?”

“I killed Zach.”

“I heard he was bit.”

“He was. But I had the chance to stop it. I shot and I missed.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I shot the damn gun and I missed, Izzie! I missed! And he was bit and now he’s dead. Why does this keep happening? We had it so good.”

“Nothing is certain in this world, Celeste. It never has been. It never will. People die every day and we can’t stop it. Especially nowadays. You know that.”

“Yeah, but he was so young."

“I know. Darlin, I know.”

**********READ ME**************

And here you go ladies and gents. The long awaited sequel to The Dead Shall Rise. It's forever, I know. But it's great to be back. And I have a fun idea. In the comments section below or inbox if you want to be different, I want you to ask me any question. It can be serious or off the wall, about the book or about me, or just anything. I will select a few of these questions to answer in an author's note, such as this, for every chapter until I run out of questions.

Thank you so much for waiting so long. And thank you for no death threats. That's always a plus

Toodlies my fantastic readers!!!!!!!!!