I Saw The Lights Go Out - Carl Grimes

Chapter Eighty Two - Mother Nature

Dreams were a wonderful escape, weren't they? Plunging us into a world that no one else had been to, but we seemed to share with everyone. Dreams took us away from the reality of our day to day lives, and instead, they brought us somewhere we needed to be. I believed dreams were a strong connection to our inner self, our subconscious trying to tell us something.

Sleeping with the sound of a storm humming in the background brought a peace that dead silent sleeps just couldn't offer. Jumping awake from every small sound as your body stayed on high alert was anything but peaceful. However, there was a downside when it came to those deep uninterrupted sleeps; you didn't wake up when danger knocked on the front doors.

A hand slammed against my ribs furiously shaking me from my slumber. My eyes were fuzzy looking through the dark as a figure ran from my side to the front barn doors. My heart pounded against my ribcage at the fright while I tried to regain my surroundings.

I scampered to my feet in suit, slowly registering the danger of the caving in doors. Walkers pounded as hard as my heart, trying to desperately get inside of the barn we had taken shelter in. Others ran from far ends of the barn realizing the severity of the situation while Daryl's feet skid in the dirt trying to keep the decaying fingers from reaching through the doors.

The storm reigned on, cracking lightning and sending whooshing winds through the thin walls. I stopped for a moment to peek though the crack in the door, only to gasp at the sight on the other side. One of the largest hordes I'd seen in a long while pushed as a unit against the old wooden structure we called our sanctuary. Rotting skulls bumped into one another as the wind picked up again, and snapping teeth revealed themselves from behind wet and bloody lips. Matted hair was slick against brain tissue and sharp angled shoulders as the rain only fell harder against their rigid frames.

Within seconds and without a second thought, my hands were against the wooden doors, teeth clenched and boots digging into the dirt. Not a word was spoken as the chain dangling from the handles clanged loudly at each sudden push of the walkers. The decaying creatures groaned and grunted along with us but the sound was barely heard over the raging storm.

My heart beat at a rapid pace as the fog inside my mind cleared and reality set in. My chest filled with fear as the doors heaved against my hands. Splinters skid underneath my palms as Abraham shoved the doors harder from above me. Hands slammed on top of hands and chest were pressed to backs in a mess of desperation. The group worked together to keep the doors secure but the ravenous walkers outside were only more eager to get in from the smell of our nervous sweat. The walkers outnumbered us by double, even more. A hand pushed though the crack if front of me and I reeled back. Before it could latch onto anyone inside Noah sliced it clean off with a machete. It fell to the ground and twitched before I kicked it away.

We all huddled together, Noah's face close to mine as he pressed it against the wooden doors. His shoulder did most of the work as he stared at me with teary but determined eyes. I noticed his eyes had changed since Terminus and Shirewilt Estates, no longer did he hold lost hope and helplessness in them. I saw a courageous man working with his new family to survive every up coming battle. I pushed harder against the door watching as the rusted hinges gave way above Carol's hands.

The intensity of the storm increased, the barn shook and rain poured in through the holes of the roof. I had never heard a wind so fierce, so ear piercingly loud. Rick yelled something through the sound though I could only read his lips. 'The tornado is touching down!' After registering his words for a moment I pushed on the doors harder. The ground shook violently and the wind whistled an octave higher. The earth threatened my stance but I squeezed my eyes shut and braced.

The world couldn't be more against us as of then. Cornered in a rickety barn by dozens upon dozens of walkers itching to get a bite of us and with no where to turn to to get away from the eye of the storm. With no where to run but into death's arms I stayed put. Pushing those doors as if I still had the energy to do so. It was either die at the bite of a walker watching as they devoured each one of us, or die at the hand of Mother Nature. Or maybe she was on our side.