[ Chapter thirty-seven ]
• trail of a thousand tears •
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Numbness that's the only feeling Alessia felt as Casper and her dragged Owen's bloody body away from the prison they once called their home.
Alessia could hear her heart pounding like a drumbeat in her chest. Boom boom boom.
Her mind moving a million miles a minute. Was Ariel okay? Was Daryl alive? What about everyone else? Oh god Hershal...
Alessia could faintly hear the sound of Casper yelling at her to keep going, too just keep fucking moving. Telling Owen to stay with him and not to die.
"Look at cabin come on!" Casper shouted as Alessia and him dragged Owen to the front door.
"Stay here with him, I'll make sure it's clear." Casper spoke sternly.
Alessia's ears were ringing as she held Owen the sounds of his groaning finally snapped Alessia to her senses.
"It'll be okay Owen, just stay with me." Alessia whispered to her best friend.
"It's all clear." Casper stated as he came back outside to help Alessia get Owen inside the abandoned cabin.
"We need to stop the bleeding and get the bullet out." Casper spoke with a rasp of worry in his voice.
"Okay" Alessia breathed out. "Help me with his shirt." Alessia spoke to Casper.
Casper removed a hunting knife from his belt and cut Owen's shirt, exposing his wounded shoulder.
Alessia then took charge, her hands steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. With makeshift tools and a steady hand, she began to work on extracting the bullet from Owen's shoulder. Casper hovered nearby, his worry evident in every tense muscle.
Owen winced as Alessia tried to grab hold of the bullet coursing through his shoulder.
"Stop you're hurting him!" Casper shouted.
"I've almost got it." Alessia reassured.
As Alessia worked, she couldn't help but notice the way Casper's breath hitched with each movement. Alessia focused harder on her task, pushing aside any thoughts of discomfort or unease.
Outside, the wind howled through the trees, adding to the sense of urgency in the small cabin. But inside, there was only the quiet determination of Alessia as she carefully removed the bullet, her brow furrowed in concentration.
Finally, with a soft sigh of relief, Alessia extracted the bullet from Casper's shoulder. Owen rushed to his side, wrapping him in a tight embrace as Alessia leaned back, exhaustion washing over her.
"Thank you" Casper cried in relief. Resting his forehead against Owen's sweaty and bloody one.
"Thank you for not dying today, Owen." Alessia spoke with a smile grabbing one of his large hands tightly in her small ones.
The fire in the small cabin crackled as the three survivors laid in the living room.
Owen had woken up briefly, but fell back asleep his shoulder causing him massive amounts of discomfort and pain.
Alessia and Casper sat around the fire in silence.
Suddenly Casper stood up with a huff.
"We need to move as soon as possible find somewhere to go." Casper spoke as he paced the small cabin.
"We need to find our people." Alessia spoke with a stern stare.
In the cramped confines of the dusty abandoned cabin tension brewed like a storm on the horizon. Casper still paced back and forth, his eyes flashing with frustration, while Alessia stood her ground, her fists clenched in determination.
"They're gone, Alessia!" Casper's voice echoed off the walls of the cabin, tinged with desperation. "We saw them overrun by the biters! We saw the tank! What they did to Hershel! There is absolutely no way that they survived."
Alessia's gaze remained steady, her resolve unyielding. "I refuse to believe that, Casper," she retorted, her voice tinged with defiance. "Daryl is a survivor and he is the strongest man I know! and Ariel... she's just a child, but she's smart. I know that they wouldn't just give up without a fight."
Casper shook his head at Alessia. His frustration boiling over. "Face it, Alessia. We're alone in this! It's just Owen, you and I! Holding onto false hope won't fucking change that."
But Alessia refused to be swayed. "I won't just fucking abandon them, Casper!" she shouted, her voice trembling with emotion. "I can feel it in my gut, that they're out there, somewhere, waiting for me to find them."
As Casper and Alessia's debate raged on, their voices filled with fear and uncertainty, the sound of distant moans from the undead outside served as a haunting backdrop. But even in the face of such overwhelming odds, Alessia clung to her belief that her family was still alive.
Memories flooded her mind, the laughter of her daughter, the reassuring touch of her partner's hand, she drew her strength from them, refusing to believe that they were dead.
Suddenly Owen stirred from his restless slumber, his eyes flickering open with a sense of urgency. Sitting up abruptly, he interrupted their heated discussion.
"I need to find them," Owen declared, his voice laced with determination. "Beth and Maggie, my sisters. I can't just sit here while they might be out there, alone and in danger."
Owen tried to move but the ache in his shoulder caused him to wince.
"Owen you are in no shape to go out there right now." Casper spoke lovingly putting his hand on Owen's uninjured shoulder.
Alessia and Casper exchanged a glance, understanding dawning in their eyes. They knew how much Owen cared for his sisters, how fiercely protective he was of them.
"We'll help you," Alessia said firmly, her resolve unwavering. "We'll search for them together, Owen. We won't stop until we find them. Maggie, Beth, Daryl, Ariel, everybody we are going to find everyone." Alessia stated sternly looking deep into Owen's crystal blue orbs.
"Yeah we will." Casper agreed his hard act finally cracking.
Owen let out a breath of relief putting his head on his lovers shoulder. As Casper wrapped his arm around him.
Alessia smiled and closed her eyes as she leaned back against the dirty wall of the old cabin.
Alessia pictured Ariel's freckled cheeks and bright smile. The way Daryl's arms flexed as he aimed his cross bow. Daryl's little half smile he always would try to hide being insecure of it.
Alessia fell asleep picturing the two people she loved most in the world were the dead walk.
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ARIEL
Ariel found herself aboard a bus packed with survivors. fleeing from the overrun prison they had called home. Gripping her teddy bear tightly, she peered out the window, her wide eyes taking in the devastation outside.
Her mind going back to her moms words
"I will find you, I promise."
But Ariel and the other survivors from the prison escape was short-lived. With a sudden jolt, the bus veered off the road, crashing into a ravine. Screams filled the air as the survivors tumbled from their seats, thrown into disarray by the impact.
As the dust settled, Ariel found herself alone amidst the wreckage, her heart pounding with fear. Clutching her teddy bear to her chest, she stumbled out of the bus, her small frame trembling with each step.
Meanwhile, Maggie, a member of their group, frantically searched the debris for any sign of her sister, Beth. Her heart clenched with worry as she called out Beth's name, her voice lost amidst the chaos.
And then, amidst the rubble, Maggie spotted a small figure huddled against the wreckage. Rushing forward, she fell to her knees beside Ariel, relief flooding her features.
"Ariel, are you okay?" Maggie asked, her voice gentle as she reached out to comfort the frightened child.
Ariel looked up at Maggie, tears glistening in her eyes.
"I'm scared, and I- I want my daddy and my mommy" she whispered, her voice trembling as tears filled her little eyes.
Maggie gathered Ariel into her arms, holding her close. "It's okay, sweetie. You're safe now," she assured her, her heart aching at the sight of the terrified child.
Ariel closed her eyes as she wrapped her arms around the familiar person.
"I will find you, I promise."
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A/n:
finally another update this weekend I celebrated my 18th birthday, hopefully I'll be getting back into updating way more frequently, I know how much you all have been waiting for another chapter, and I know it's a little shorter then my other chapters, but I still wanted to publish another chapter since you have all been waiting for so very long.
Thank you all for sticking with this story and voting, commenting, reading, and enjoying it!!! I love you all so very much and I am so grateful for each and every one of you.
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