Living in the End || Blake Dixon Book Two

Chapter 2 || Only one way to keep you alive.

Blake was up with the sun the next morning and she reveled in the cool air before trying to squirm out from under Beth. Normally at this time Blake and her dad would head out hunting and see if they could get anything when it was cool. But one look at her dad who was awake but sitting near the smoldering fire not looking at all ready to go anywhere she knew they weren't going out today. So Blake settled back down not waking the blonde laying on top of her and relaxed back into the ground.

Last night Blake got maybe the best night's sleep she had had in months. She had felt safe, not having to worry about waking up in the middle of the night to walkers right on top of them. Maybe the ground was hard and lumpy and the morning dew had settled on top of them in the cool morning but Blake had been sleeping on hardwood floors and sticks for the last few months with the freezing winter temperatures that even a fire couldn't fight off.

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Soon enough everyone was awake, all gathered around waiting for Rick's instructions on how they were going to clear the rest of the prison. It was decided that a group would go in consisting of; herself, Rick, Maggie, Glenn, Blake, T-dog, and her dad. They would work towards the gate that was still open on the upper level of the yard and then clear that out. They were to stay tight in their positions so that the walkers couldn't break their defenses.

Beth fussed over Blake as they stood getting ready to enter the upper yard. Blake finally grabbed her hands in her own and gave them a tight squeeze as she sent a reassuring smile to the girl. Beth gave her a sheepish smile in return and stopped her fretting, settling herself with pressing a kiss to Blake's lips. Blake took it in stride and returned the kiss for a brief moment before turning back to the rest of the group. Glenn sent her a teasing disgusted look that had Blake rolling her eyes and flipping the man off.

"Alright we ready?" Rick asked, glancing around at everyone. Blake nodded, stepping forward and drawing her machete as she got in position right behind her dad. Rick slid the gate open with a little help from Hershel before leading the group in with T-dog right beside him. T-dog took out a walker as the group pushed forward into the yard.

"Daryl," Rick called over his shoulder and her dad stepped forward driving his knife into the skull of another. They stayed in a tight formation as they moved forward, Blake brought up the rear in between Maggie and her dad. The further into the yard they got the more walkers started to surround them, Rick ordered them to stay tight and they did as told, only moving out of formation slightly to knock down a walker. Blake took out a few of her own with her machete.

They were creeping up next to the main building of the prison as they moved slowly together. The rest of the group stood on the other side of the fence trying to call as many walkers as they could to them so they could kill them through the fence. The plan was going well, they were getting closer and closer to the gate and there were fewer and fewer walkers in the yard.

Suddenly T-dog broke out of formation and moved towards what looked like a riot shield that was laying on the ground a few yards from the group. "Don't break rank," Rick yelled at him but T-dog kept going towards the shield.

"We may need that!" T-dog yelled back as he sliced at a walker and pushed it away so he could grab the shield. He moved back to the group as soon as he had it but then Maggie broke forward towards the walker T had knocked over. Rick yelled at her but she ignored him, driving a knife into the walker's skull and then rejoining the group with ease.

They got to a door and Rick opened it slightly making sure it was clear before peeking around the corner. He jolted back so he was flat against the wall and gestured for the rest of them to do the same. Blake flattened assuming he had seen a big group of dead right around the corner that were oblivious to them so far. Just then two walkers dressed in full out riot gear, they had the helmets and everything, walked out from behind a dumpster a ways off. Blake turned trying to catch a glimpse of the walkers that were around the corner but then two more riot walkers appeared a lot closer than the others.