When the dead roam - (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 28 - We're finishing this

Dirt flew around the worn wheels of the jeep as it pulled to a standstill next to an old quarry full of the living-dead. Their combined moans were loud enough to wake a sleeping giant - Lou could barely hear herself speak. As she opened the passenger door the smell of rotting flesh hit her. Her nostrils begged her to breathe through her mouth but after one breath she found herself throwing up next to the tree line - her breakfast leaving her stomach at a rapid pace. Bile followed soon after, burning a layer of skin from her throat as she gagged.  A part of her felt embarrassed but the addition of other survivors' stomach contents near her own added a strange sense of contentment.

Lou held her abdomen tightly and rubbed her mouth with the back of her right hand as she straightened her body out and made her way back towards the jeep. He stood next to Daryl, pointing at horde of 'walkers' that were trapped behind two long trucks at the edge of the dry quarry. The young female had to steady herself as she took in the hundreds of bodies before her. Flashbacks pushed through her mind, screams, cries, dead, anything and everything she didn't want to see. Hollie.

"Yer alright?" Daryl asked. It wasn't until he broke her out of her thoughts that she saw Rick who was now revealing his plan to Alexandria's volunteers.

She nodded at the male. "Yeah. Just... I haven't seen this many since-"

"Hollie?"

"Yeah. Hollie" she mumbled her daughters name, tried to compose herself and coughed awkwardly before sending a small smile his way and heading over to the crowd of civilians.

"I know this sounds insane, but this is an insane world. We have to come for them before they come for us. It's that simple" Rick shouted over the bickering group "This is where it all starts tomorrow. Tobin gets in the truck, opens the exit and we're off. He hops out, catches up with his team at red staying on the west side of the road. Daryl gets on his bike-"

He was cut off by the rumbling of a van. One of the vans.

"Do you see that?" Lou breathed as she watched the horde press against the cold metal of the van. The sheer pressure of them alone was enough to move a vehicle but now that they knew a meal was available, their strength had almost doubled. They were determined to taste the warmth of fresh blood and skin. "Oh my god"

The van buckled under the pressure and swan dived from the face of the quarry.

"It's open! Rick we gotta do this now" Daryl stated.

"We're doing this now!" Rick yelled over the panicked survivors. "Tobin's group, get moving, go! Lou, you're with me"

"Rick were not ready" A man named Carter shouted, racing towards the ex police officer. The group of dispersed quickly and began rushing towards their vehicles, despite being completely unprepared for the battle. Rick ignored the concerns of Connor.

"Sasha. Abraham!" 

"Damn straight, we'll do it live!" The ginger male stated, slamming the red door of his car behind him and taking off down the dirt path. Lou ran through the dirt cloud and towards Daryl who stood, crossbow outstretched, aiming at the growing gap between the last van and its cargo. She followed his stance, tugging her own bow over her head and pulling the fletching of the arrow towards her chest. She was ready. 

"We're finishing this. Get ready to hit the flares!" Rick ordered before red balls of fire burst into the air above the dead. 

Everything was silent in the female hunters mind. 

She could see each and every body of walking mold. 

The forest was crowded.

No. No. The quarry was crowded. 

Why did she leave her with him. She couldn't trust him. 

"LOU!" 

I cant watch her die again. 

"LOU!" his voice rang out "Lou we have to move. Now!" 

Un-voluntarily, she nodded her head. "Yeah. Yeah lets go" 

Her feet moved quickly across the edge of the dry crater. Countless walkers were now tearing the flesh off their bodies as they forced their way through the new gap and towards the breathing, fresh skinned humans. Daryl released her arm from his grasp and pushed her back towards the jeep she had arrived in, before lifting his leg over the seat of his bike and kicking the stand with his foot. 

"Daryl" she shouted, now conscious of her situation "Be careful" 

He didn't reply. Instead, he left her with a simple nod of his head.