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𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐨𝐯:
By the next morning, the rising tensions were almost palpable enough to choke on. I awoke to hushed arguing between Rick and Shane near the campfire pit. Judging by their clipped tones and furtive glances toward the barn, it was evident the structure's dark secret remained the prime culprit behind the fracturing unity.
I steered clear, not wanting to instigate anything before Daryl and I set out on our planned expedition to continue tracking Sophia's trail. The gruff hunter met me by the stables, crossbow slung over his shoulder as he made some final preparations.
"Mornin'," he grunted, hardly looking up. "You're late."
"Slept in," I lied, not feeling it necessary to reveal I'd overheard the clash between the group's leadership. "Won't happen again."
Daryl just shrugged it off, seeming unsurprised by my lack of punctuality. As we double checked our bags and supplies, Glenn came rushing over looking agitated.
"Thank God I found you guys," the kid said, slightly out of breath. "Shane is handing out firearms to pretty much everyone."
I furrowed my brow, immediately grasping the implications. This was an escalation, no doubt fueled by whatever confrontation had gone down with Rick. Daryl simply scowled, the simmering resentment evident on his scruffy features.
"That ignorant prick," the hunter grumbled under his breath. To me, he added gruffly, "Welp, hate to cut our tracker practice short, but looks like we're about to have one hell of a situation here."
With a resigned sigh, I followed Daryl and Glenn back toward the main camp where people were beginning to gather with a sense of confusion and apprehension. I spotted Shane there brazenly distributing guns from the group's cache as if he was holding court.
Rick came storming out of the farmhouse, Hershel hot on his heels. The former deputy didn't even attempt to conceal his snarling disagreement with Shane's unilateral firearms dispersal.
For a moment, I actually found myself admiring Shane's audacious willingness to force the issue, a clearly born from his growing lack of faith in Rick's methods. But that fleeting respect vanished when I saw him push a rifle into Carl's hands, over Lori's violently objecting protests.
Outraged shouting and arguing erupted from all corners. Even stoic members like T-Dog and Andrea seemed shaken and uneasy about where this was headed. Through it all, Shane stood like an inflexible force, eyes burning with self-righteous certainty.
Just when I thought the situation couldn't become more explosively tense, movement from the previously locked barn door drew everyone's scattered attentions like a violently snapping trance.
Hershel saw it first, the color draining from his already pallid face. The unmistakable groans and scratching preceded the first wave of walkers emerging into the farmyard, accidentally freed from their captor's delusional holding chamber.
"Oh my God," I heard Maggie whisper in a trembling hush as the harrowing realization set in. Her wide eyes met mine for a frozen moment that may as well have lasted an eternity.
