In the Very End: Book One

Chapter 23

"You'll hear 'em before you see 'em," Daryl whispered.

"It's comin'!" someone yelled, making me jump.

"Shh!" Rick ordered.

Daryl held up a hand, motioning for us to stop. I heard a growl in the distance. Two walkers rounded the corner, too far away to handle at the moment. Daryl held up his hand, and counted down with his fingers. Rick, T-dog, and I are used to looking for hand signals.

They, apparently, were not.

They yelled and ran towards the walkers, weapons raised. Rick, T-dog, Daryl, and I stood back and watched as they beat them everywhere but the head. I finally walked up and used my crowbar to take the walkers down.

"Yeah, you sure know how to take down a man," I muttered as I passed them into the next corridor.

I heard the men behind me as my footsteps echoed through the empty halls. We were met with a couple more walkers around the corner.

Daryl raised his crossbow and shot one in the head. "It's gotta be the brain. Not the stomach, not the heart, the brain." Daryl reached for another arrow.

One ran forward and put the axe in a walker's head. "Like that?"

"Yeah," I answered, a smile on my face.

The blonde with long hair, whom I found to be the nicest, brought his pipe to another's face. Rick took down the third one.

"Stay in tight formation," Rick ordered, hearing more growls. "No more prison-riot crap."

I stood back as walkers rounded the next corner; I let the prisoners take their turn. I heard a yell for help and I ran around the corner to find Big Tiny surrounded by two walkers. I took one down. Next, three gunshots rang out and the other was on the ground. I turned around and saw Tomas standing there.

Big Tiny reached for his shoulder and when he brought his hand back, it was covered in blood. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I was pushed behind a large body; Daryl. Rick came forward and examined his wound.

"I'm telling you, I don't feel anything. It's just a scratch," he tried to defend.

"I'm sorry, man," Rick apologized.

"I can keep fightin'!"

"You cut that old guy's leg off to save his life," Shorty added.

"Look at where the bite is," Rick identified.

"Guys, I'm fine! Just—I'm fine." He lowered his voice. "Look at me. I'm not changing into one of those things."

"There has to be something we can do."

"Maybe we can just lock him up, quarantine him."

"We gotta do something. Why you just standing there?"

"We gotta save him!"

"There's nothing we can do," I said loudly over the chaos.

"You son of a bitch."

As I was about to snap, Big Tiny fell to the ground and behind him was Tomas. He continued to beat on him until he was nothing but a pool of blood.

It was intense and Daryl would not let go of my arm. We continued through the prison. They were in front, we were behind them.

"You see the look on his face?" Daryl asked Rick.

"If he makes one move..." Rick trailed off.

"Just give me a signal."

Daryl gave me a sideways glance before picking up his pace. We entered what looked to be the infirmary. Next to it were two metal doors.