Forfeit ~Shane Walsh/OC~

Chapter Seven

“It’s like being baptized,” I told Shane and he smiled at me before pulling me into a hug. I pushed him away and looked at him funny before just walking away. I was happy we found water but still not happy with Shane. I went to the next car over and found some loose fitting clothes. I started separating them into piles until Shane grabbed me and pulled me under the water truck. “What?” I asked him sharply but he just shushed me. I looked around and knew exactly why we were hiding. Hundreds of walkers were making their way through the graveyard of cars. We all stayed perfectly silent just waiting for them to pass through. Shane scooted closer to me and we pressed our backs against each other to be as invisible as possible. After a while, we felt safe enough to get up. We heard little screams that sounded like Sophia. Rick rushed across the road to get to her and we all watched as he chased her.

“There’s two walkers after my baby!” Carol spoke quickly and frantically. Lori tried to calm her down but none of us had any idea what was going to happen. We just stood at the edge of the road and waited for them to return. When Rick returned without Sophia, Carol panicked.

“Where is she?” she asked him.

“She’s not here?” Rick asked her. She shook her head and cried on Lori’s shoulder. “I told her to make her way back here, the same way we came. I had to draw the walkers away from her.

“Well let’s track her down. Abby knows how to do that stuff,” Shane told the group but I shook my head. “No I mean I’ll do what I can, but I would feel better with Daryl out there leading it. I always let Luke do all the tracking when we went hunting,” I explained as I looked to Daryl. He nodded his head in agreement that he would help. Rick, Shane, Daryl, Glenn, and I all made our way out to the woods. Rick led us exactly where he left her by a little creek.

“You sure this is the spot?” Daryl asked him as he studied our surroundings.

“I left her right here,” Rick pointed to a small cave made from the roots of a tree. “I drew the walkers way off in that direction up the creek.”

“Without a paddle. That seems where we’ve landed.” Daryl said as he followed Rick.

“She was gone by the time I got back here. I figured she just took off and ran back to y’all. I told her go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder,” Rick pointed for us like he did Sophia. I followed his eyes and they led to Glenn.

“Hey, Glenn, come this way. You’re on the trail,” I waved him over. He quickly jumped to one side and Daryl looked closely at the ground.

“Assuming she knows her left from her right,” Shane told the rest of us.

“Shane, she understood me fine,” Rick said looking at his feet.

“She’s tired and scared, Rick. She had a close call with two walkers. Gotta wonder how much you said stuck,” I sided with Shane on this one, knowing I would be terrified in Sophia’s situation.

“I’ve got clear prints right here,” Daryl told us. “She did like you said and headed back to the highway. Let’s spread out, make our way back to the highway.”

“She couldn’t have gone far,” I said following close behind Daryl.

“We’ll find her. She’ll be tuckered out hiding in a bush somewhere,” Shane helped Rick out of the creek before following Daryl’s lead. Once Daryl saw some trouble he kneeled on the ground and I did beside him, trying to see what he saw.

“She was doing just fine til right here. All she had to do was keep going,” Daryl said pointing at a spot on the ground.

“She veered off that way,” I pointed to our right. Daryl nodded with satisfaction that I kinda knew what I was doing.