Glenn took a box of food down to the prisoners, enough of it to last them a week. Rick, Glenn, Daryl and I were going to cut them loose once we got back from collecting fire wood while Carol, Maggie and T finished up with the cars and began piling up some of the walker bodies. We were to burn them between the two fences in the area that Rick called "the dog run." Originally Glenn had wanted to burn them so as not to draw attention with a fire, but Rick had plans to plant crops and he didn't want to be doing that in walker rotted soil.
"Should I take her out?" Glenn asked once we spotted a walker on the other side of the still creek that was just outside the prison.
"No. If that armoury hadn't been picked clean, we could spare the ammo." Rick explained.
"I'll start making runs. The sooner the better." Daryl added after Rick.
Glenn and Rick walked off, Daryl and I trailing behind at a slight distance to keep a look out for walkers and cover their backs. We kept watch, only needing to take out two walkers that came too close while Rick and Glenn gathered some wood. They had an arm full each and went back and forth throwing it into the dog run through the gap in the wire we had cut when first arriving. We could have gotten more faster if Daryl and I were carrying some as well, but Rick insisted that we just keep watch for safety.
Daryl held the wire back for Glenn and Rick as they carried more through. I had my back to them, looking out at the thick of trees until Daryl caught my attention.
"Looky here." I turned and followed his gaze up to where the others were standing just outside the prison. Carol, T and Maggie were all back over near the cars, but were just now starting to head towards where Lori, Beth and Carl stood with my dad moving along on his crutches that had been found in the infirmary.
A smile spread across my face as I stepped towards the fence and lightly grabbed hold of the wire at the sight. It was the first time he had been properly up and about since the incident.
"He is one tough son of a bitch." Glenn said before chuckling happily.
Daryl motioned for me to come back to the other side of the fence and take a break. He held the wire back as I did, walking over to where Glenn and Rick were watching the scene.
"All right Hershel!" Glenn yelled out happily.
"Shh. Keep your cheers down." Daryl shut him up right away, pointing over to where a couple more walkers started heading towards the prison.
"Oh, man. Can't we just have one good day?" Glenn muttered under his breath.
I continued to observe, the broad smile now replaced with a small proud one, until all ounces of joy were snuffed out by Carl yelling one simple little word.
"Walkers!"
"No!" Rick yelled back, reacting at the same time I did, my feet taking off before I had the chance to process a reaction.
I couldn't be sure, but I think Glenn fixed the wire before running after us, but Rick, Daryl and I sprinted for the gate. Gun shots were fired, but I didn't have the heart to look up, only focussed on my first job... reaching the gate.
"Get out of there! Go! Lori!" Rick was yelling, his feet carrying him faster than Daryl or myself.
The dog run was never ending and somehow by the time we reached the gate, Glenn had managed to catch up, him being the fastest runner of us all. Rick fiddled with the keys until he found the right one and unlocked the padlock.
"Get out of my way!" Rick yelled at Axel and Oscar as we past them, heading to the second gate and lock, this one we didn't bother locking again behind us, only left it open and hoped that maybe they would help.
Amongst the sound of a snarling, growing and moaning walkers as we ran up the final stretch I heard a yell of pain followed by a voice that could only belong to Carol.
"No!" She yelled. "Hurry!"
By the time we reached the front of the prison none of our people were out in the open.
"Dad! Beth!" I yelled after shooting a couple of walkers in the head, noticing the two up on one of the landings after they had made it up the stairs and shut one of the gates.
"We're okay!" Beth replied.
"What the hells happened?" Rick demanded.
"The gate was open!" Beth yelled back as Glenn, Daryl and I continued on, taking out a few more.
"Where's Lori, Carl... everyone else?" Rick pressured.
"Maggie led Lori and Carl into C block." Dad replied.
"And T was bit!" Beth yelled back in a panic just as Daryl came up behind a walker and grabbed it's arms so I could get a clean hit to it's head with my blade.
"Anyone else?" Rick asked.
"I couldn't tell."
"Stay put!" Rick yelled to them both before turned and continuing to help us.
Glenn had run ahead to check what had happened and was just now coming back.
"Those chains didn't break on their own." He informed. "Someone took an axe or cutters to 'em." Rick's head spun around to face the just now catching up prisoners. "You think they did it?"
"Who else?" Rick growled back just before the prison alarm went off, blaring loud and clear and echoing all around.
"Oh, you gotta be kidding me!" Daryl yelled.
Walkers began to come out of the bush and forest one by one, each slowly making their way to the fence, following the dinner bell. Rick raised his gun up at the speakers and fired at one, taking it out. We all followed suit, shooting the down one by one, but still the alarms continued.
"How can this be happening?" Rick turned his gun on Oscar.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." He held up his hands in defence. "It has to be the backup generators."
"Well, how do you turn those on?" Rick demanded.
"There's three that's connected to a diesel tank, okay? Each one controls a certain part of the prison. The hatch shut them all off when the prison was overrun." Oscar explained.
"Can someone open up the main gates electronically with full power?" Rick asked.
"I only worked in there for a few days. I guess it might be possible." Oscar shrugged in response.
Rick grabbed him by the collar and shoved him forward. "Come with us. Let's go!"
Rick ran for where my dad had said Maggie had led Carl and Lori. C-Block was crawling with the dead as well. We took them out and Rick yelled for Lori and Carl while I yelled out for Maggie, but there was no reply.
"They must have been pushed back into the prison." Glenn spoke.
"Somebody is playing games!" Rick yelled in anger. "We'll split up and look for the others. Whoever gets to the generators first, shut 'em down!" Rick ordered.
Rick took Oscar with him and gestured for Daryl to follow which left me and Glenn with Axel. There were more walkers in the corridors, but thankfully only travelling in reasonable sized packs, the largest being about five meaning Glenn and I could easily take them out while Axel stood behind us. He wasn't what I would call a fighter.
We made it to the generator room, the doors shut as three walkers tried to push on the door with another two dead ones at their feet. We took them out and relieved the pressure on the door as it slammed back into place, closing completely. However, just as soon as it had shut it was ripped open again as we had a crossbow shoved in our faces.
Daryl realised who he was aiming at and quickly dropped it, but said nothing before turning his back and taking off further inside. We followed just as a gunshot sounded and we saw the body of Andrew, the prisoner, hit the ground and Oscar standing with a gun in his hand. Daryl came up behind him wearily, his knife at the ready as I tightened my grip on the machete. Oscar didn't even look our way, only spun the gun around in his hand and held the handle out for Rick to take.
Rick nodded a thank-you before Oscar turned and pulled one simple lever that silenced the blaring alarms.
"Come on, we have to find the others." Rick wasted no time, not bothering with an explanation and none was needed really. Andrew had survived being shut out with the walkers, probably thanks to our small training session, and had come back for revenge.
The hallways were clearer this time, the two groups having taking out most of the dead on their way, until we heard a silent distant gurgling sound and the tearing of flesh. Quietly we rounded a corner and then saw them. Three walkers, chewing away at a fresh bloody corpse. The lights brought their attention to us and in seeing the body Rick didn't care about saving bullets or remaining quiet. He simply fired three times and took them out like dominos.
Flesh was torn and exposed in a raw red manor, but I only needed to see the clothes to know who it was. I squeezed my eyes shut and turned my back on what remained of T-Dog, only opening them again when I knew I wouldn't be staring at the mess. Instead I saw a crossbow. My eyes fell a little more until they found the ground and a smear of blood that led me to a piece of cloth on the ground lying beside a small handgun.
Daryl seemed to notice my distraction and locked eyes with the items as well before leaning down to pick up the scarf that belonged to Carol.
"Let's keep moving." Rick whispered.
I remained still as everyone took their first steps until Daryl placed a hand on my upper arm and waited for me to walk in front of him. We didn't find anything else and were soon back outside. Nothing was said as we kept moving. Not now, not until this was over, then we could grieve.
"You didn't find them?" My dad asked from where he and Beth had remained since we left them.
"We thought maybe they came back out here." Glenn explained.
Beth shook her head as reply just as the two of them opened the gate and came to the top of the stairs.
"What about T? Carol?" Dad asked.
"They didn't make it." Daryl responded.
"That doesn't mean the others didn't. We're going back." Rick stated. "Daryl and Kat you..." Rick trailed off as the sound of a crying baby interrupted him.
It seemed like the only sound in the world, everyone else going dead silent before we all turned to see Maggie and Carl coming out of a gate, Maggie holding a baby, blooding covering her arms up to her elbows, Carl looking exhausted, drained and completely shattered as his gun rested at his side.
Rick took a few steps forward, the axe that was in his hand, clattering to the ground as he shook his head. Maggie held back sobs as she kept her gaze locked on him as Rick began to pace back and forth.
"Where... where is she? Where is she?" He asked. The sobs broke free as Maggie's reply, everyone else just looked on. Both in shock, sadness, but a hint of fear about how Rick was about to react.
Rick looked over Maggie's shoulder towards the gate they had come from and took a step forward.
"No. Rick, no!" Maggie finally managed to yell, reaching out and grabbing his arm, holding on to the baby with the other.
Rick easily walked out of her grasp, but his legs stopped after a few paces, a sob managing to break free from his throat.
"Oh, no. No." Rick shook his head, looking in Carl's direction, the boy who couldn't seem to look up from the ground. He stumbled back followed by more unbelieving cries accompanied by the word "no," over and over. A hand ran through his hair before his legs finally gave out from underneath him and he fell to his back.
Three. Three were gone in less than half an hour.