SEVEN MONTHS. That was how long it'd been since they lost the farm, Andrea and Shane. Since then everything was different, which Ella didn't like, but she just had to get used to the change. Everyone just kept going after the other, and it was never going to stop, because one by one they were going to be picked off and soon there'd be no one left to save humanity if there even still was any humanity left.
Finding closure for so many people at once was even harder. No one even had the chance to mourn Dale's death before four more people died right in front of their eyes at the farm. It only made Ella wonder who'd be next every single day they saw a walker or killed one. But Ella knew they were safe when they were together, so she didn't think anyone else would die unless they were separated or ambushed.
Glenn opened the car door for Ella. He grabbed her gun, checking the bullets in case they ran into some big trouble and she ran out of bullets for not having enough. Ella took her gun back without saying anything, before the two followed Rick, Carl and Daryl towards the house they would scavenge for some loot if it hadn't already been ransacked, maybe stay there if it was safe.
Rick spoke up, "The plan is-"
Ella ignored him and walked past him into the house, aiming her gun at her surroundings, eyes looking for any kind of threat. Rick glared at Ella as Carl followed her in pursuit, then Daryl followed, and so did everyone else, before Rick was able to walk in the house.
She knew Rick was the man in charge and he's always protected them for the greater good, but she couldn't ever forgive him. It was bad to hold a grudge, but being forced to follow a man who killed your father was different than a simple 'he lied to me' or 'he stole my dvd player'. He betrayed her trust and her love, for good.
Once she did leave the group and went on her own for about four months before they somehow found her again, but Maggie convinced her to come back. . . for Glenn, for Beth, for Carl, for T-Dog, for Hershel, for Carol for Lori and for her unborn sibling. Of course she would've came back for everyone else too, but those people cared the most for her.
Ella walked down the hallway, cracking open doors and checking inside the rooms. She came upon a room that was designed to be a nursery. Her heart quenched as she stared at the baby mobile. Babies don't belong in this world anymore, Ella thought. It was true, babies didn't belong in a world that killed no matter where you turned.
Ella wanted a child, she did, but she wasn't sure how she'd be able to care for a baby if they couldn't find a place to stay for awhile. They were constantly moving, they were constantly going on runs, they were constantly having to hide in cars from walker hordes. How would a baby be able to endure that without killing them all by crying and alerting the man hungry undead.
One day they'd figure it out. Maybe.
"Hey, Daryl found a-" Glenn cut himself off when he saw what she was looking at. He noticed there was blood in the crib. He prayed she didn't notice that. "E-"
Ella set her gun in its respective holster. "I always wanted one. . . a kid," she looked to Glenn. "Well, I wanted a lot of things like marriage, building a house with some cherry trees and rose bushes, buying a mustang," she smiled at the thought. "But I can't have those anymore either. . . n-not in this kind of life, you know."
"You can still have all of that." Glenn whispered.
"How?"
"Find a ring to get married, find some an island with no walkers or people and build the house, then when you feel secured and tight, have that baby," he paused, a small smile forming on his face as he took her hand to give it a squeeze. "First, you gotta find that person to do all that with though."
Ella glanced at the nursery, her eyes twinkling. "Sometimes I think I already have." she bluntly told him.
"What?" Glenn chuckled and dropped her hand, jealousy hinting at his eyes.
"Glenn! Ella!"
She raised her eyebrows. "We should get back."
He nodded in agreement.
Glenn had his hand on her back as they returned to the main room. She found Lori sitting on the ground. She smiled and sat down with Lori. Ella put one hand on the side of Lori's stomach to feel a kick from the baby. Lori stared at her stomach and Ella's hand, a numb happy feeling brought to her heart.
Carl began to open the can of dog food. Right as he got it opened, Rick ripped the can from his hands and read what it said. He scoffed and threw the can at the wall. Ella kept her gaze on the ground, Rick didn't have to be so rude sometimes. He scared the majority of everyone at times.
T-Dog caught everyone's attention by making a hissing noise, his head tilted towards the window. Ella and Beth stood up from the ground to help Lori up the best they could. Ella put her hand on Lori's back, telling her it was okay.
The group picked up their belongings and exited the house through the backdoor as quickly as they could, looking around the area before they went forth to the cars.
Thankfully, they managed to get away before the walkers found them.
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"WE GOT NO PLACE LEFT TO GO," Rick spoke up to the group as Maggie sprawled out a map on the car hood. He was right, of course. They had to find a place, before things turned extremely ugly for them out here on the road. Ella didn't care where it was, she just wanted to be safe, she wanted everyone to be safe.
Maggie pointed at the map. "When the herd meets up with this one, we'll be cut off," she sighed. Ella pressed her pointer fingers into her cheek, her elbows laid up against the car hood. "We'll never make it south."
"What would you say?" Daryl questioned Glenn. "That was about a hundred fifty ahead?"
"That was last week," Glenn stated. Ella's eyes flickered to him as Carol came up the other side of her. "It could be twice that by now."
"The river could have delayed them. We might have a shot if we tear right there so long we move fast." Hershel explained.
T-Dog shook his head. "Yeah, but if that group joins up with this one, they could spill out this way."
Ella frowned, standing up straight. "So no way out this one."
"Yeah, we're blocked." Maggie agreed.
Rick put his finger on the map. "The only thing to do is double back to twenty-seven and swing towards Greenville." he stated.
"Yeah, but we picked through that already." T-Dog mentioned.
Ella nodded. "Yeah."
"It's like we spent the winter going in circles."
"Yeah, I know. I know," Rick snapped. "At Newnan, we'll push west. We haven't been through there yet. . . we can't keep going house to house. Need to find someplace to hole up in for awhile."
"Okay, okay," T-Dog said. Everyone started to get in the cars. "Is it cool if we go to the creek? We need some water, we gotta refill. We're running low on it. We'll boil it later."
"Knock yourself out."
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ELLA FOLLOWED RICK AND DARYL on the train tracks. Instead of filling up on water with everyone else, Ella decided she'd go hunting with the two older men. The owl just didn't fill up anyone, and she wanted Lori to eat some more food for the baby she was carrying inside of her.
There was a handful of walkers groaning nearby, they could tell. As they came to a halt, they saw a prison stretching beyond them for miles it seemed. Ella widened her eyes.
"That's a shame." Daryl spoke up.
"A shame?" Ella laughed. "No, that's a miracle."
This could be their new home, a place to stay in for a real long time, a place they could rebuild, a place that could be their safe haven.
It would be theirs, it had to be.