Now that they were on the move, Archie was in the R.V. while Mellody was traveling with Carol, Carl, Sofia, Rick and Lori in the car behind him. Archie was sitting in one chair, looking out the windows at the complicated situation.
"Looks complicated," Andrea said to Shane who was cleaning his guns. Andrea was sitting across from Shane in the R.V.
"The tough part is getting all these parts put back together the same way. I could clean yours, or show you how to do it. Oh yeah, it's a sweet piece." Shane said as he examined Andrea's gun, pointing it at the window while making it clear that he wouldn't be using it.
"It was a gift from my father," Andrea explained, "He gave it to me before Amy and I took off on our road trip. He said two girls on their own should be able to defend themselves.”
"Smart man, your father. Look, the magazine has limited capacity- it holds only seven rounds," Shane explained as he showed Andrea her gun.
"Oh, geez," Dale muttered.
Daryl drove up to the window on his motorcycle. "See a way through?" Dale asked Daryl. Daryl looked back, then drove behind the R.V. to Rick's car. Archie turned his head, Shane did too.
Archie stood up, holding on to the wall so he wouldn't fall as the R.V. slowed down. Many cars were in the way.
"Well, maybe we should just go back," Glen suggested, looking at a map as he spoke. "There's an interstate bypass-"
Archie had walked to the front of the R.V. and was holding onto the back of Glen's seat as they discussed their route.
"Where are we going anyway?" Archie asked, looking at the map.
"Here," Glen replied, pointing to a circled out area on the map.
"We can't spare the fuel," Dale objected, scanning the cars blocking their way.
Dale continued to try to squeeze through the gaps between cars, turning around carefully in an effort to avoid any collisions.
"Can we get through here?" Glen asked, pointing to a narrow space.
At the sound of the broken radiator hose, Archie jumped slightly in surprise. The R.V. came to a stop suddenly, causing Dale to look back at Archie in concern.
"You okay?" Dale asked.
"Yeah... yeah, what happened?" Archie asked, looking at the smoke coming from the vehicle.
"The radiator hose broke," Dale said with a sigh, "It was mostly duct tape and I didn't expect it to last long anyway."
Dale stepped down the steps of the R.V. and walked to the front. Archie followed him and looked behind the vehicle, where he saw Rick step out of his car. Lori then got out, followed by Archie who started walking towards the vehicle. Carol held the door open for Mellody and Sofia to get out.
"What happened, why did we stop!" Carol shouted at Archie, exasperated.
"The damn radiator hose broke," Archie replied, his hands on his hips.
Carol, Rick, Lori and Carl continued to walk towards the R.V. while Archie stopped next to Mellody.
"Well, we might be stuck for a while," Archie told her, "The radiator hose broke and we will need time to fix it.”
"Why!?" Mellody asked in exasperation, looking up.
"Did you not hear me?" Archie snapped, shaking his head in annoyance.
"The f*cking radiator hose broke!" Archie said, grumbling as he glanced at the sun.
"Hey, Archie, look around, gather what you can!" Shane yelled, earning a middle finger in response.
"Well, wanna join Lori and Carl?" Archie asks Mellody, who smiles and nods excitedly.
The group splits up to investigate the cars. Lori, Archie, Mellody, Carol, Carl and Sophia pass by a car where a dead lady sits in the driver's seat, the flies buzzing around her.
"Kids, don't look," Carol says, looking back at Sofia as they pass by. They continue to walk around, examining the different vehicles..
"Hey, Archie!" Mellody pointed excitedly toward a truck. "Looks like daddy's car!" Mellody said enthusiastically.
"Yep," Archie replied, knowing for a fact that it wasn't his father's car, but seeing no reason to spoil Mellody's excitement.
Carol and Lori were rummaging through the trunks and bags of the cars, searching for clothes or other useful items.
"Maybe we can find you some clothes," Archie said, as he walked towards the truck.
"Don't go too far, alright?" Lori called out, waving to Mellody, who nodded and answered, "okay, ma'am!"
Mellody ran over to the truck and jumped into the driver's seat, as Archie walk to the back and got inside. The truck's back was filled with bags, so he took a closer look at the closest one and discovered there were clothes inside. But they were too big for him or Mellody. Mellody continued to pretend to drive as Archie opened and looked through more bags.
"What the hell are you doing, Mellody?" Archie asked as she made car noises and turned the wheel.
"Driving!" Mellody replied, continuing to make engine noises.
Archie sighed and continued rummaging through the bags in the back of the truck. He pulled out a water bottle from one bag, about to screw the lid off, when he heard Lori's whisper-yelling, stopping him in his tracks.
"Get down, walkers!" Lori whispered urgently, pointing down as she crawled under a car.
Archie's eyes widened in surprise as he rapidly closed the door and got on his stomach in the back of the truck. He kicked aside the wall separating him from Mellody, who appeared in the window and glared out.
"Get down, walkers are coming!" Archie whispered to Mellody, who nodded as she shut the truck door and got on the floor of the truck.
The group gets under cars and stays absolutely silent as a horde of walkers pass by, their feet shuffling, groans echoing, and the cries of Carol filling the air. Archie lifts himself up just to see the walkers--how many and where everyone is? Carl and Sofia were hiding under different cars. Sofia looked more scared than Carl, as Carol and Lori were under the same car. There were many walkers--possibly 30 or even 40 more than they could kill. Archie looked around for a sight of Daryl--he had gone in a different direction, but he couldn't be far.
Archie didn't hear or see any more walkers that had finally passed, so he lifted himself a little more to get a better view. Then, he suddenly heard screams--it was Sofia. Archie looked over to see Sofia running into the forest with two walkers chasing her. He jumped out of the truck running after her.
Mellody watched Archie run into the forest. Rick ran after him, but he was farther back.
Archie was close to Sofia, but not close enough. He saw Rick, too..
"Fend them off that way, I'll get Sofia!" Rick whisper-yells, pointing.
"Hey, hey you dead shits!" Archie yells, waving his arms and clapping to get the walkers' attention. One Walker stumbles towards him while the other is still after Sofia. Archie backs up, leading the Walker away. There's still one walker after Sofia, but at least it's not two.
"Yeah, yeah, come on! Come on!" Archie yells, leading the Walker further in the direction of Rick.
Maybe 30 minutes later, Archie was heading back. He had lost the walker he was trying to find Rick and, hearing voices, followed them. He heard Rick and Daryl's voices, not far, so he walked down a creek.
"She was gone by the time I got back here," Rick said. "I figured she just took off and ran back to the group. I told her to go that way and keep the sun on her left shoulder."
"Ay where did you girl go?" Archie shouted, he was across the creek but still within sight. Daryl looked up.
"Dunno, she ran off, probably got lost." Daryl replied carelessly, holding his crossbow in hand and keeping it ready for any potential walkers.
"Hey, short-round, why don't you step off to one side?" Daryl told Glen sharply. "You're mucking up the trail."
"Assuming she knows her left from her right," Shane chimed in.
"Shane, she understood me fine," Rick said, sounding annoyed and a bit worried.
"Kid's tired and scared, man. She had a close call with two walkers. Got to wonder how much of what you said stuck," Shane said, seeming to be trying to console Rick.
"Got clear prints right here," Daryl said, gesturing with his crossbow at some tracks by the edge of the creek. "She did like you said, headed back to the highway. Let's spread out, make our way back.”
"She couldn't have gone far," Rick assured Archie. "We're gonna find her."
"Okay, then I'll go this way and look around," Archie pointed in the opposite direction of where they were going.
"Why, we have tracks, it's better to stay together," Rick replied, looking over at Archie, who drew his knife.
"Nah, I'm better by myself, and you know, just in case," Archie argued, putting on a tough act.
"Why? What do you mean 'just in case?' Are you underestimating me?!" Daryl yelled angrily.
"Did I say I was?" Archie shot back. "Nah, I didn't." He knew he would just make Daryl angrier if he said anything else.
"Let's not start a fight, not now. Anyway, we gotta find the girl," Shane said, trying to defuse the tension. He walked over to where Daryl was standing.
"Rick, he can handle himself. He knows how to track, he can find us. He got a knife, he's fine, and it's a good idea. If she wandered off, we don't even know where she's going." Shane whispered almost inaudibly, trying to reassure Rick.
Rick nods looking down at the dirt then back at Archie. "Fine, alright, meet back up at the road alright," he says acquiesced, though he still seems concerned.
Archie watched as Shane, Glen, Rick, and Daryl walked the other way into the forest and disappeared into the distance.
Archie turned and walked through the forest, his knife in hand, not hearing anything aside from the leaves under his own feet.
"Sofia, are you here?" Archie yelled out, knowing that he likely wouldn't find her this way, but it was still better than spending the whole day wandering around the forest and wasting his time.
Archie heard footsteps behind him. He turned and, keeping it quiet, tried to figure out who it was. Could it be Sofia? Was it just an animal? He wasn't sure.
The footsteps continued, and he spun around again but saw nothing. Another turn... nothing.
Suddenly, Archie heard the footsteps, but they were louder. It sounded like running, like someone running. He turned his head and saw a person in the distance, running. He couldn't see their face but noticed they were barefoot, so it definitely wasn't Sofia. Or, maybe it was Sofia and she had just lost her shoes, but the person looked different.
"Hey! Get back here!" Archie yells, beginning to run after the person.
Archie tries running after the person but is unable to keep up. After a while, feeling defeated, he pauses to catch his breath. Back on the road, Mellody is sitting on the side watch Lori and Andrea move cars. Archie, Daryl, and Rick still haven't returned.
As Carl runs towards Shane and his momma with something in his arms, Mellody looks up from the grass and watches.
"Shane!" Carl shouted,
"Carl?! What happened?" Lori asked, running over to Carl, who was rushing over to Shane. Mellody got up and ran over as well.
"What's that?" she asked Carl, who now lay their arsenal down on the ground. There was an assortment of weapons inside, and the sight made Mellody uneasy.
"Shane, look, it's an arsenal," Carl says excitedly. Mellody smiles and walks over to stand beside him.
"That's cool, bud. Give them to Dale," Shane says, not bothering to look at Carl or Mellody. He just keeps working away on the engine of the car.
Carl reaches down and pulls out a hatchet. Mellody backs up, a smile on her face.
"Check this one out," Carl says, holding the hatchet with both hands.
"Wow, it's a hatchet," he says excitedly. Lori steps forward, her hand on her hips.
"Be careful with those," she cautions Carl. Carl holds the hatchet out so Mellody can see. He looks over at her, waiting for a reaction.
"They're really sharp," Carl says, showing Mellody the hatchet.
"What did I just say?" Lori asks, walking over to Carl's side, her tone not harsh or demanding but more caring and cautious.
"Mellody, don't play with those. We don't want you to get hurt, okay hun?" Lori says, putting a hand on Mellody's back. Carl asks Lori if he can keep one.
"Can I keep one, please mom?" Carl begged. Lori took the hatchet from Carl and kneeled down to put it back.
"Are you crazy?" she asked, clearly thinking this is a bad idea.
"Shane... Shane tell her to let me keep one," Carl whined.
"I want one!" Mellody said, going on her tip-toes, making her request known. Shane looks at Carl and Mellody like they're crazy for even asking such a question.
"Hey man, go give them all to Dale, now both of you, what would your brother think?" Shane said, sounding mad or at the very least annoyed.
Mellody couldn't decide if he was mad or just really annoyed, but he definitely had no patience for this nonsense.
Carl stopped smiling as Lori took the entire arsenal and pushed him toward Dale. Mellody followed quietly, trying to think of something to say to make Carl feel better, but coming up short.
"...Do you think Shane's mad at me?" Carl finally broke the silence, turning his head toward the ground while walking.
"I hope not...he's probably just stressed," Mellody nods, smiling back at him.
But Mellody's smile quickly fades as she remembers what she saw at the CDC.
"Hey... Carl... I think you should stay away from Shane," Mellody tells him. She can't forget what she saw going on with Lori... was Lori scared... scared of Shane?
"What... why?" Carl asks, not expecting much of a response.
"Nothing... he probably just needs some alone time. You know how Shane can be," Mellody says, trying to deflect his question.
Carl walks over to Dale and hands him the arsenal. "Hey Dale. Shane told me to give these to you," he says.
"What is it?" Dale asks, taking the arsenal from Carl.
"It's an arsenal," Carl responds, holding it out. Dale accepts it, smiling, and puts it inside the RV. Carl sits down on the side of the road, his knees tucked to his chest.
Mellody sits down next to him. "Sofia is gonna be okay," she smiles, trying to reassure Carl. She can tell that he's worried, and she wants to help him feel better.
"Yeah, I know," Carl says, his head on his knees.
"Carol must be real worried. She's been standing looking in the forest waiting for Sofia to come back," Mellody remarks quietly, watching as her friend watches the forest for a sign of their missing friend.
"Hey Carl," she stands up in front of him, her hands on her hips, an impish smile on her face. "What?" Carl asks, looking up at her.
"I bet I'm faster than you," Mellody says, her mischievous smile growing wider. Carl raises his eyebrows, amused but skeptical.
"What? No way, I am!" Carl retorts, standing up.
"Prove it!" Mellody says, smirking.
Carl looks confused for a moment, but then smiles as he realizes what she meant. "Tag! You're it!" Mellody yells as she starts to run. "What? No fair!" Carl yells playfully as he takes off after her.
Carl and Mellody run around, laughing and smiling, while their friends, Lori and Dale, watch with delight.
"Don't go too far, be careful," Lori yells out worriedly, fearing for their safety as they run around the clearing.
Mellody hides behind a car, trying to stay as quiet as possible in the hope that Carl will be unable to find her. He circles around and then suddenly grabs her by the shoulders from behind, making her jump in surprise and causing Carl to chuckle.
"You're it!" Carl yells excitedly as they play tag in the evening. The sky is a beautiful golden-yellow color as the sun sets, and the temperatures begin to drop. Mellody smiles and starts to chase him again, but suddenly Carl stops and she runs into him accidentally.
Daryl suddenly appears and sounds irritated, as though Carl had gotten in his way.
"Carl, baby, come on, it's time for bed," Lori calls to him from a distance. Carl nods and runs over to join her.
"Hey!" Daryl yells, his voice full of irritation. Melody turns around and sees him lying in the car, the seats pushed back like a bed.
"Get in or you're sleeping in the cold!" he yells, his voice filled with concern and care for her well-being. Archie is already in the car, lying in the front seat, seemingly unconcerned about the situation.
Mellody walks over and lies down in one of the seats in the back while Daryl lies in the front.
"Night," she says, and closes her eyes, not bothered by the chill but also not too hot.
Archie must have already been asleep, since he's laying on his back with his eyes closed. Daryl simply grunts in response, his eyes still closed.
(I'm gonna start working on little worm girl another fanfic of you wanna check that out you can !! I only have one chapter right noe but I'm gonna post another one later this week)
(🔔Sorry I've been really tired this week so sorry if my writing is worse then it usually is🔔)