❛ SURVIVOR'S HEART ! ❜
chapter thirty-two ―― sophia
ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ "YOU GONNA START CALLING ME Robin Hood again?" Charlie asked as she and Daryl made their way back to camp, she'd had a smile on her face since she hit the tree that first time – they had been up there awhile. "I'm gettin' pretty good with this."
"Naw." He shook his head. "I like princess." She rolled her eyes as she, shoving his shoulder a little but her lips stayed in a smile.
"Whatever." She mumbled. "Thanks, I appreciate this."
"Owed you for the jerky." He shrugged. "And I figured you could use a break from Shane. He ever shove you like that before?"
"No." She shook her head. "That was the first time he's ever even remotely hurt me. He used to be my favorite person in the world, we never really argued, at least not until I started dating. But, uh, he's a good big brother. Took care of me when our parents decided to use me to get back at each other. He used to buy me ice cream for dinner when I got good grades or when I medaled at my track meets." He watched as a warm smile pulled at her lips, her eyes distant. "But he hasn't been himself since Otis, maybe even before that."
"I thought you played softball." His eyebrows pinched as he looked over at her.
"I did, but I also ran track. Shane wanted me to play a few sports, said that playing football was the best time of his life." She told him. "I was just gonna do track, but Mason dated this girl for a while, she was on the softball team and she asked if I wanted to play – they had a spot to fill. I said sure."
"Your brother's a dick." He started and she chuckled.
"Yeah, I know." She nodded. "So is yours." She gave him a wide smile and he hummed, nodding his head. "Take it easy, asshole, don't hurt yourself."
"Asshole?"
"You call me princess, I'm gonna call you asshole." She told him before she walked over to Mason's truck and put her bow and the arrows back under the seat – she offered Daryl his arrows back but he told her to keep them.
A little while later, Charlie sat on the banister on the porch, her back against the post. Mason sat in the rock chair and Josh sat with his back against the railing. The two boys were laughing while Charlie told them that she was awesome with the bow, she just needed a bit more practice and she'd be shooting like a pro.
"I'll believe it when I see it." Mason laughed, rocking backwards in the chair.
"I'll show you." She nodded, a smile on her lips. "Prove to you that I am severely badass."
"We know." Josh told her, tilted his head back to look up at her.
"Thank you." She grinned. "At least someone thinks so."
"Oh, I know you can be a badass." Mason quipped. "But I've seen you shoot a bow, not very good."
"I got better." She stuck her tongue out at him and did the same.
"You two are actin' like children." Lori shook her head, a fond smile on her face as she made her way into the house.
"Yeah, Mason, behave." Charlie told him and he rolled his eyes. "Just might have to get a new best friend. Josh, you up for the job?"
"Don't do it, man." Mason shook his head. "She's crazy."
"Jerk." Charlie muttered as she narrowed her eyes at him and Josh laughed at the two, he found them very amusing.
"Do you know what's going on?" T-Dog asked as she and Andrea neared the house.
"Where is everyone?" The blonde asked and Charlie turned to look over at them.
"You haven't seen Rick?" Glenn asked.
"He went off with Hershel. We were supposed to leave a couple of hours ago."
"Yeah you were. What the hell?" Daryl questioned and he and Carol joined them.
"Rick told us he was going out." Carol added.
"Dammit, is anybody taking this thing seriously?" Daryl huffed. "We got us a damn trail." He turned to see Shane walking up to the house, the bag of guns over his shoulder. "What's all this?"
"You with me, man?" Shane asked, handing him a rifle and he took it.
"Shane, what are you doing?" Charlie asked as she jumped down from the railing, her feet hitting the ground.
"Time to grow up." Shane stated. "You already got yours?" He asked, looking over his shoulder at Andrea.
"Yeah." She nodded. "Where's Dale?"
"He's on his way." He answered as he handed T-Dog a gun.
"I thought we couldn't carry." T stated, clearly confused.
"We can and we have to." Shane told him then he turned to Charlie, holding her Kimber out to her. "You with me on this?"
"I don't know." She told him, not even looking at the gun in his hand.
"Come on, Charlie." He ducked his head down a little, his voice low. "I need you on my side."
"Fine." She took the gun. "But you shove me again and I'll kick your ass."
"Deal." He nodded and she checked the chamber as he handed Mason and Josh guns. "Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was safe." He looked around at the group as Charlie gave her gun a once over before putting it on the waistband of her jeans – not having her holster on. "But now we know it ain't." He made his way towards Glenn. "How about you, man?" He held a rifle out to him. "You gonna protect yours?" Glenn took the gun and Shane looked over at Maggie. "Can you shoot?"
"Can you stop?" She retorted. "You do this, you hand out these guns, my dad will make you leave tonight."
"We have to stay, Shane." Carl told him and Charlie looked up at the boy, keeping him safe was her main priority.
"What is this?" Lori asked when she walked out the house.
"We ain't going anywhere, okay?" Shane told the boy as she sat the bag of guns on the ground. "Now, look, Hershel, he's just gotta understand. Okay? He– Well, he's gonna have to. Now, we need to find Sophia, am I right?" He knelt down in front of the little boy and held out a gun. "Now I want you to take this. You take it, Carl, and you keep your mother safe. You do whatever it takes."
Charlie grabbed the gun before the kid could touch it and Lori pulled her son away from Shane as he looked up at his sister, her eyes searching his eyes for any remainder of the brother she grew up with. "This is too far." She let out a sigh when she saw nothing but anger then she moved away from him.
"Rick said no guns." Lori told him, clearly angry. "This is not your call. This is not your decision to make."
"Oh, shit." T-Dog's voice got everyone's attention and they all turned to see Jimmy, and not far behind him Rick and Hershel, each with a walker on snare poles.
"What is that?" Shane mumbled before he took off across the yard, the others following close behind, Charlie handed Lori the little revolver and pulled her own gun from the waistband of her jeans before she followed the others towards the barn.
Shane and Charlie were the first ones to the gate, Shane pushed the gate open and veered towards Rick. "Man, what the hell you doing?" He shouted.
"Shane, just back off." Rick told him,
"Why do your people have guns?" Hershel asked when he spotted the silver Kimber in Charlie's hand and seeing a few other people with guns.
"Are you kidding me?" Shane shouted as he circled them, the others stopping close by. "You see? You see what they're holding into?" Charlie's hand tightened around the handle of her gun as she looked at the walker on the end of the snare pole Rick held, her breaths were heavy as her hands shook a little.
"I see who I'm holding onto." Hershel corrected.
"Naw, man, you don't." The oldest Walsh shook his head, circling them again.
"Shane, just let us do this, then we can talk." Rick told him.
"What do you wanna talk about, Rick?" He asked as he dodged the walker as it came at him and those with guns moved closer to them, Daryl had his gun aimed at the walker Rick held and Mason had his gun aimed at the one Hershel held. "These things aren't sick!" Shane shouted. "They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for 'em. 'cause all they do – they kill!"
"Shane!" Charlie shouted.
"These things right here!" He continued, ignoring his sister. "They're the things that killed Amy! They killed Otis! They're gonna kill all of us!"
"Shane, shut up!" Rick shouted.
"Hey, Hershel, man, let me ask you something." Shane stopped, blocking their path to the barn and pulled out his gun. "Could a living, breathing person, could they walk away from this?"
"Shane! Stop!" Charlie tried to rush forward but Josh wrapped his arm around her waist and kept her back as Shane fired off three shots into the walker's chest, but she kept moving, unfazed by the bullets.
"Stop it!" Rick shouted.
"That's three rounds in the chest." Shane continued. "Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?! Why is it still coming?"
"Shane!" Charlie tired again, her throat getting raw as she fought against Josh, but he held her tightly against him and Shane fired off two more shots.
"That's its heat, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" She shouted, raising his gun again then he fired three more times, still it didn't fall.
"Shane, enough!" Rick shouted.
"Yeah, you're right, man." Shane nodded as he made his way towards the walker he'd been shooting. "That is enough." He raised the gun to its head, fired off a shot and it dropped to the ground, Hershel dropped to his eyes, unable to look away from the dead walker on the ground. "Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn full of thighs that are trying to kill us. Enough!" He turned towards the group again. "Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now, if y'all wanna live, if you want to survive, you gotta fight for it. I'm talking about fighting right here, right now." He turned and ran towards the barn, Charlie had tears in her eyes as she shook Josh off. She could see it, her brother, then one she looked up too, was gone.
"Take the snare pole!" Rick shouted, but Hershel was unmoving from his place on the ground.
"Shane! Shane, stop!" Charlie shouted as she made her way towards the barn as Shane hit the lock with a pickaxe. "Shane!" She pulled on his arm, but he shook her off, sending her to the ground once again.
"Charlie!" Mason rushed over to her as Shane broke the lock and moved the piece of wood that kept the doors closed. "Come on." He lifted her to her feet and pulled her back as Shane hit the door a few times before he backed away, his gun raised. The first walker left the barn and Andrea ran forward with T-Dog behind her, after the first gunshot rang out, Charlie moved forward, her gun raised as she shot one in the head, then Daryl joined them, stopping next to Charlie. Then Mason and Josh rushed forward to help.
"Maggie?" Glenn moved forward, his gun in his hands.
"It's okay." She nodded, staying next to her dad as Glenn ran to help the others, then Shane turned and shot the one Rick still had on the snare pole. Charlie took one last shot and the last walker hit the ground before she turned towards her brother.
"You stupid, selfish son of a bitch!" She shouted as she jumped towards him, knocking him off of his feet. "What the hell were you thinking! You could've gotten all of us killed!" She shouted in his face, her left hand fisted around the collar of his shirt. "What is the matter with you?" She reared back, throwing her fist into his face. "Bastard!" She punched him again, tears flowing down her cheeks.
Then the door creaked as growling came from the barn and they all turned, guns raised – with the exception of Charlie and Shane – as one last walker stumbled out of the barn. Charlie's eyes grew wide when she saw who it was and she fell off of her brother, her butt hitting the ground as she moved her hand to her mouth.
"Sophia?" Carol cried, running forward. "Sophia?" Daryl stopped her before she could get close and Charlie let out a choked sob as she shook her head. Everyone else was frozen as they watched the small walker step over the bodies, making her way towards them. Rick eventually made his way towards her and Charlie squeezed her eyes closed when he stopped in front of her, his gun raised and she flinched when the gunshot echoed.