𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐑 - 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐝.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.

They retreated, going back the way they came, following the white arrows that had been painted in their path.

The sound of a crunch caught Riley's attention, her head spinning to find Hershel falling into the concrete wall to their right. She was quick to pull him to his feet and correct his steps from their swaying.

"This way!"

They dove right, only to come up empty handed when they were cut off by another stream of walkers.

This time they went left, Maggie being pulled from the close jaws of a walker.

They ran again, going left then right, narrowly missing another stream of walkers that appeared from the left. Riley gasped, jumping to the right to dodge a rotting hand that came reaching out for her.

As she missed the walkers weak grip, she felt someone grab her by the bicep and pull her into a room. She looked up to see Daryl, his grip on her arm loosening when Rick pulled the door closed behind them.

They ducked down, flashlights the only thing illuminating their faces, their voices nothing but a hushed whisper.

"Where's Glenn and Maggie?"

"We have to go back."

"But which way?"

Riley thought for a moment. She knew they were behind her when they'd rounded that last corner before the last batch of walkers. But she didn't know which direction they would've fled in. There were countless options.

They didn't say a word, just rose from their feet and made sure their weapons were at the ready.

Daryl had his crossbow, as per usual. Rick had a handgun with a silencer and the rest had their blades. They hoped it would be enough.

Rick pushed the door open, the hinges creaking from the year of no maintenance. It made Riley's ears squeal.

The lack of maintenance to the doors made Riley realize how much time had passed since the world died out. It made her realize that she had turned nineteen within the last few months and hadn't taken notice.

They passed rusting metal doors and dead bodies, empty corridors and bloodied sheets strewn about. But there was no sign of the pair they'd lost.

Rounding another corner, Hershel came to a halt, his eyes darting back the way they came. Riley turned to find him tiptoeing back, his voice carrying through the halls softly, "Mag?"

He stepped over a body, "Maggie?"

Riley watched the body come to life and take hold of his leg within a split second. She dove forward, her knife aiming for it's head, her hand reaching to push Hershel away from it's rotted mouth.

But by the time her weapon seethed itself in it's skull, the undead had taken it's pound of flesh.

Maggie and Glenn rounded the corner at the sound of the older man's screams, the other members of the group right behind Riley.

She was already ripping the sleeve off her shirt and tying it around his thigh, his screams of pain never ceasing. Just as she tied the knot off, her hands retracting from his bloodied leg, Rick and Glenn were already swooping him to his feet.

Riley looked up from her blood soaked hands to see walkers headed their way, Hershel's yelling of pain having attracted them.

"Daryl!" Rick yelled urgently. The hick rounded the front of the group and took aim.

They turned to go the way they were originally going, but walkers pooled in from behind them. So they went the way Glenn and Maggie had come from. They didn't have any other option.