Bridges | Rick Grimes

f o u r

A month passed, and only then did I become the best of friends with Merle, Glenn and Shane.

But he said he was going into the city; and not by himself. Andrea, T-Dog, Jacqui, Merle and Morales were coming, too, Glenn Rhee being the five survivors' escort into the big, undead, killer city.

I insisted on coming with originally, but they had already left, and I was stuck working with mushrooms alongside Amy and Lori, which quickly became just Lori, the widow of Rick Grimes.

When she left, I followed close behind, watching my step as I did so.

Soon enough I was walking back, nearly staggering as I held my head in my hands, holding back tears. Shane, the man I felt a true connection, and had a kindergarten crush on, was screwing Lori Grimes. She was having grief intercourse, as she was tightly holding onto her wedding ring and watching it intently, groaning into Shane Walsh's shoulder.

As I reached the campsite I was out of breath, but I tried to shake off my facial expression. Dale noticed, and grabbing my shoulder lightly he squeezed it, "You alright?" I looked at him with a sad smile before giving a curt nod. "Sure?"

"Peachy," I lied, squeezing his hand, just seconds before feeling my gut tighten, and before I knew it, I was curled up, hunched over as I groaned lightly. I began to sniffle as fresh, hot tears burned my eyes, and a single tear slowly made its way to my chin, to which Dale replied with a scoff.

"You never have been good at lying, tried it five times in a month on me," he snickered before picking up my lack of laughter. "Hey, come on, lets go get you cleaned up."

>>>>>

I walked up the hill of the quarry with Dale by my side, holding my shoulders to support me. I told him everything and he scowled at nothing, staring into a void that resembled that of an imaginary Shane, and he replied with a hug. Dale had been a nice man, and I thought of him as the grandfather I'd never had, or a second father figure.

After I'd reached the top, I went straight to bed. The radio atop a cut tree trunk read '6:52 pm', and I felt sore and tired.

But I couldn't sleep. All I could think of was the widow and the sleeze bag.

Suddenly, I heard the mechanical squeak of an engine and the loud crunching of gravel outside. I opened the door slightly, revealing a sickly looking pale woman, scowling at the blinding light, seeing through it to reveal the sudden cleared image of a red, shiny sorts car.

I watched as Dale walked over to none other than the rebellious, lively Glenn Rhee, holding tightly to his ears.

They spoke in what sounded like Gaelic tongue, yet I heard the shrill voice shouting at Dale, "I don't know how!" The young Korean insisted.

Shane walked up, shutting off the engine and the deadly silence creeped upon the sky for moments.

Amy immediately got on Glenn's back, jumping from one question to the other in a manner of 6 seconds before Glenn waved his hands, violently thrashing the air in front of him as he tiredly brushed Amy off to the side, "She's okay! She's okay!"

"Where is she? Why isn't she with you? Is she coming back? Why isn't she with you?" I began to groan in annoyance as I turned back around.

"Yes! Everyone's okay... Well," Glenn said. "Merle not so much," at the name stated I paused, hesitantly turning around. I closed my eyes, sighing sadly before walking in as Dale spoke.

I made my way up the small set of stairs when I heard another vehicle's wheels come to a screeching halt. My head turned, wondering if Merle were in the back of the white van.

Morales came out first, after leaning over the seat he was in, speaking to the passenger seat. He walked out towards the base of the camp, and his children ran towards him and in seconds, they jumped on him.

He walked forward, greeting his wife with a small kiss. Andrea walked out, and Amy ran as they met half way, speaking to one another with mouthfuls of hair.

"New guy helped us get him out," Glenn told Shane, which brought everyone's attention away from the Harrison sister's reunion, onto the teenaged Korean.

"Who?" I asked with a small grunt to clear my throat. Glenn Rhee glanced at me before pointing back towards the truck.

Then, I watched as a clean man wearing a sheriff's uniform slowly walked past the truck. My eyes scanned everyone, as though to look for some relations.

Shane's mouth went agape. He nearly dropped his shotgun as he watched the man strut behind Amy and Andrea.

Suddenly, I heard Carl let out a loud cry of joy. "Dad!" They young boy yelled shrilly. The sheriff began to falter at the sight.

"Carl," he stuttered, as his pace quickened, until the two met at an impacting yet graceful thud. The man nearly cut his knees up as he slid down the air around him, clinging to Carl as though he were his lifeline.

The sight made everyone smile. Everyone other than Shane and Lori, who held looks of bewilderment. Lori staggered forward, and the man followed her lead as they grasped one another with Carl Grimes in between the two beloved beings. One could only presume they were married.

"Rick," a small whisper stumbled out as my eyes moved from the tangled heap of the three ecstatic people, and onto Shane Walsh. A feeling of disappointment washed over my body, and rage etched its way into my face as I glared at the man. Warm, acidic-like tears rimmed my swollen eyes, and a boiling temperature steamed from my ears. I held my eruption, as I could just simply not ruin the moment. I turned, practically slamming the door shut. The moment must have broken, as the stifled laughs came to a hault for moments.