HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

042: escape

The group stayed silent, waiting for Rick to lead them back. He did, running through the block as quickly as they could until they were back in the courtyard and the car everyone was stuck inside came into view

Daryl, Bob and Glenn decided to take down the walkers surrounding the car. Rio followed Rick as he ran up to the door first, fumbling over the latch as he tried to unlock it. The door swung open and the man didn't give anyone time to be happy about them not being slaughtered.

"Come on!" He yelled, readjusting his grip on the gun. "Fight to the fences!"

The man rapidly shot down walkers as everyone pooled out of the car. Rio clung to his pole, shuffling down the steps and swinging it as hard as he could across the back of a walker's head. It wasn't very hard.

The Walker stumbled forward and he flipped the pole around, holding it in his hand and pushing it through the walker's head.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and Rio spun around quickly. "You dropped this." Carl said, holding out his knife.

'Thanks' The boy signed, out of breath from the running.

The other boy grabbed him by the loop of his jeans and wordlessly slipped the knife into his pocket, giving him a small smile before running over to his dad.

Rio followed, running with the now larger group as they made their way through walker after walker.  He knocked another creature across the head with the pipe, causing it to stumble. Daryl plunged his knife into its head, finishing it off.

Everyone made do, despite some not having weapons. Rick and Sasha had guns which made things a lot easier.

"Up and over!" Rosita called to them all after stabbing the walker on the other side of the gate. She slung a blanket over the wiry top of the fence.

"Let's go! Move!" Abraham added, waving everyone over. The entire ground lined up by the gate, jumping over. The man offered a boost to everyone, helping them to get across.

As soon as Rio got across he was rushed into the woods with everybody else. His head was still spinning and the rough landing made it worse. They all patiently waited for two more people. Rick and Abraham.

They barely made it in time, walkers grabbing at their legs as they hauled their weight over the fence.

Rick rushed over to Daryl, asking something about the bag. The other man led him through the woods, everyone else following.

Abraham stood behind him, Rosita by his side.

"Hey, kid!" The man called out. Rio turned around, looking up to him expectantly.

"You've got some balls on you." He said. The boy thought for a moment, unsure if he'd heard Abraham right. When he continued Rio realized he had. "Rosita tells me you stabbed the guy."

"Yeah." He replied awkwardly. "Not really worth it, though."

The man clasped his shoulder, shaking the boy. "I have a shitload of respect for you anyway."

"Thanks."

"We both do." Rosita added.

"Um, thanks again." Rio nodded along, hoping to wrap up the conversation. He appreciated them speaking to him but he just wasn't in the mood at all. What he was in the mood for was sleep but he knew that wasn't about to happen.

Daryl stopped up ahead and kicked up some dirt at his feet. He crouched down, passing what he'd grabbed to Rick. The shovel.

Rio headed to the front of the group, standing beside Carl as they watched Rick dig the bag back up.