TWENTY. liars
"Blessed be God, Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ." The words spoken by Hershel were sent down a guilty spiral inside of Adelines mind - caramel eyes locked onto the gathering of rocks that resembled a grave. Guilt washed over her features, head turned down to the ground to hide her truth from the Greene family. The space between the murderers hadn't went unnoticed, the two of the always standing together in any given situation besides this one. Adeline avoided his constant stares, her body stuck between Glenn and Daryl - occasionally having to lean on the redneck in order to put her weight off of her ankle.
Holding a small bible, Hershel watched as his daughter Beth stepped up to place a rock on the gravesite. "Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis," The sound of his name caused the Grimes sister to involuntarily tighten her grip around the stick she used to steady herself. "for his span of years, for his abundance of character; Otis, who gave his life to save a child's, now more than ever, our most precious asset." He continued, two eyes boring holes into the body of the guilty. Shanes.
"We thank you, God, for the peace he enjoys in your embrace. He died as he lived, in grace."
Flashes of memories caused Adeline to stumble in her step, dark skies and screams for help ringing in her ears as Daryl shifted on his feet and steadied her by curling his hand around her upper arm. "Shane, Adeline, will you speak for Otis?" Hershel requested, setting his kind eyes on the couple.
"I'm not good at it," Shane denied - tearing his stare away from his wife and moving to the elder. "I'm sorry." He apologized, looking back to Adeline who only turned her head to the ground and remained quiet.
Patricia let out a choked sob, "You two were the last ones with him. You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear, I need to know his death had meaning." she begged in a cracked voice. At the sound of her grief, Adeline held back the tears of guilt that threatened to pour out of her eyes - hands turning white at the tight grip she held on the wooden stick, splinters harshly digging into her skin.
Taking notice of this, Shane took the burden away from her and reluctantly nodded, limping closer to the gravesite. "Okay." He started, his wife letting out a breath of relief at his voice. "We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols, by then. I was limping, so was Addy. It was bad. Ankles all swollen up." The words he spoke were full of truth.
Then, the lies flooded in. "We've got to save the boy. See, that's what he said."
A breath of shock was caught in her throat, body flinching back and away from Shane as he fired his last bullet into Otis's knee - sending him to the ground. "No!" The scream left her lips, fear of her husband confronting her with cold arms as she felt the wet blood against her face - resembling her new found fear.
"He gave us his backpack and he shoved us ahead,"
"I'm sorry..." The words that left her lips rang in her mind as she snapped out of the frozen state of shock and rushed over to the two men. Wrapping her hands around Otis's vest, she tired to pull him away from her husband - kicking her boot into his back with broken sobs.
"Run, he said. He said, I'll take the rear, I'll cover you."
With one hand wrapped around Shanes sprained ankle and one clawing at her skin, Adeline Grimes slammed her boot into Otis's face - a sickening crack causing her to stumble back and away from the scene.
"And when we looked back..." Shane trailed off, taking his faded away eyes off of his wife and limping towards the barrel of rocks. Curling his fingers around one, he moved closer to the grave. "If not for Otis, we'd have never made it out alive. And that goes for Carl, too. It was Otis. He saved all three of us." He lied - turning to look at the woman he made into a widow, "If any death ever had meaning, it was his." He stated, placing a rock onto the grave of the man he killed.
One by one, the group, who had now merged with the Greene family, made their way back to the farmhouse. Hershel allowed the group to set up a temporary camp in his front yard, giving his knowledge of the area to help with the ongoing search for Sophia. Feeling unbelievably grateful towards the family, Adeline was smothered by an overwhelming amount of guilt every time a small smile or thankful nod was sent her way. Every time she received one of the two, memories of what innocence remained being stripped away flashed around rapidly.
Begging her mind to not let herself reveal the truth, she stayed quiet to protect Shane. After everything that had happened - no matter the anger that was directed towards him, she still found her mind to be deeply in love with him. He was her first for everything, every little experience or memory she shared - they almost all included him. Every surge of happiness, everything reminded her of him. The man she loved, the man she killed for. There was a little part of her that noticed the changes in his actions, the way the light he once in his eyes slowly started to fade away; she noticed.
Pulling her out of the state she was in was Hershels voice, several people leaning against the hood of a vehicle. Adeline stood across from Shane, most of her weight put onto the car and off of her sore ankle. "How long has this girl been lost?" The elder questioned as his daughter laid out a map against the flat metal of the hood.
"This'll be day three." Rick was quick to answer him, eyes glancing at the vet who stood next to his sister. The three on the other side of the car (Daryl, Shane, and Andrea) stood quietly and examined the map Maggie laid out before them. "County survey map. Shows terrain and elevations." She informed - placing flat stones on each of the corners.
Leaning closer, she stayed off of her ankle and moved her mind to finding Sophia, tucking them guilt away for later. The nagging feeling was constantly there each time she looked to the Greens, but Adeline pushed through it the best she could. "This is perfect. We can finally get this thing organized." Her brother spoke, examining the map.
"We can start searching in teams," The Grimes sister spoke up, crossing her arms over the hood. Rick nodded in agreement - ready to speak once again until Hershel cut him off. "Not you two. Not today." He stated, looking to the man dressed in his police uniform, "You have three units of blood. You wouldn't be hiking five minutes in this heat before passing out."
Turning to Adeline, he motioned to her uncomfortable stance due to her ankle. "And you. You shouldn't even be standing right now, push it more than you already have and you'll be laid up a month, no good to anybody." Hershel reminded before glancing to Shane - "Same goes for you." He advised in a strict yet kind tone.
Daryl shifted on his feet, readjusting his grip on his crossbow. "Guess it's just me." He spoke up, trailing his finger against the map as he continued. "I'm gonna head back to the creek, work my way from there." He told, southern accent dripping from his words.
"We can still be useful." Shane started, pointing at his wife. "We'll drive you to the interstate, see if Sophia wandered back." He offered while intentionally forcing Adeline to come with him on his trip.
Rick nodded in confirmation and tapped his fingers against the hood. "Alright, tomorrow then. We'll start doing this right." He instructed with a stern voice.
"That means we can't have our people out there with just knives." The words coming from her husbands mouth caused Adeline to left her head and watch him. "They need the gun training we've been promising them." Shane asserted with sharp eyes.
The movement from Hershel caused their eyes to turn to him, "I'd prefer you not carrying guns on my property." he clarified, "We've managed so far without turning this into an armed camp." His voice was deflective as he spoke.
"With all due respect, you get a crowd of those things wandering in here..." Shane trailed off, a loud sigh coming from his wife's mouth at his words. "And with all due respect, this is his land. He's kind enough to let us stay here, we repay that by being respectful." Adeline interjected, unholstering her pistol and sliding it against the hood. Catching the frustrated eyes of her husband, she only turned her head to avoid them.
Hershel nodded at her thankfully and watched as the rest of the group unholstered their guns and laid them against the cars hood. "First things first: set camp, find Sophia." Rick informed, unfurling his fingers from around his python.
"I hate to be the one to ask, but somebody's got to." The voice of Shane started back up, "What happens if we find her and she's bit?" He inquired - asking the question that was on everybody's chest. "I think we should all be clear on how we handle that."
Placing his hands on his hips, Rick shifted on his feet. "You do what has to be done." He answered after a pause.
"And her mother?" Maggie queried, "What do you tell her?" She questioned in a curious tone.
"The truth." Andrea answered curtly, gripping the strap of her bag on her shoulder as Shane grabbed his pistol off of the car - "I'll gather and secure all the weapons. Make sure no one's carrying till we're at a practice range off site." He informed, taking his wife's gun as well. "I do request one rifleman on lookout. Dale's got experience."
Hershel gave a reluctant look towards Rick, who stepped up and glanced to him. "Our people would feel safer, less inclined to carry a gun." He pleads, hands still on his hips. The elder nodded his head slowly, which in return received a short thank you from the Grimes siblings.
"That stuff you brought," Maggie trailed off as Shane and Daryl walked away from the car, her eyes set on Adeline. "Got anymore antibiotics, bandages, anything like that?" She questioned, bringing up the duffel bag of medical supplies she had given to them.
The Grimes girl shook her head, "Just what you've seen." she answered softly while shifting her weight off of her injured ankle. Maggie nodded before looking to her father, "We're running short already. I should make a run into town." She informed, which sent Adeline on high alert. "Not the place Shane went, right?" Rick questioned, knowing it was still overrun from the shape his sister and Shane returned back in.
"No, there's a pharmacy just a mile down the road." She answered with squinted eyes. "I've done it before."
"Hey, Glenn's good with that kinda stuff." Adeline spoke up in attempts to help the Greene family in any way possible, as if that would repay what she had taken away from them. "The boy setting up the tent." She informed, turning her head and pointing towards Glenn that stood just a few feet away from them.
Rick nodded in confirmation at the look Hershel sent him, "Yeah, he's our go-to-town expert. I'd ask him along just to be cautious." He added - just as Adeline carefully pushed herself off of the hood and wrapped her hand around the stick she had been using to steady herself as she walked.
Nearing the new camp setup, she made her way over to area Shane had attempted to put up their shared tent. Knowing she would have to confront him sooner or later, Adeline sighed deeply and lifted her ankle to lower herself down to a wooden log. "How tha' hell you'd end up making it worse?" A southern drawl entered her ears, head turning to find Daryl leaning against a tree with his crossbow.
A sorry attempt at a laugh left her lips, the expression failing to reach her which the redneck noticed. "When we were um... when we were escaping, I fell out of a window." Adeline informed as she twisted her body around to face him. "Shane caught me, softened the fall."
Daryl let out a laugh that resembled more of a scoff, "I'd say. Must be awful damn clumsy to fall outta window. You flat footed or sumthin'?" He inquired while perking an eyebrow up at the woman who chuckled underneath her breath.
Before she could answer - her eyes trailed over to a picnic table next to the RV. Shane sat against the wooden bench, Andrea on the other side with a flirtatious expression. Daryl followed Adelines stare, face softening slightly in a sympathetic way as he turned back to the woman only to find her back to him and head in her hands. Feeling the need to say something, it soon washed away as Glenn approached her with two small pieces of paper in his hands. The redneck walked away with his hand against his crossbow, leaving the two to talk.
"Hey, Adeline." The voice caused her head to perk up, rubbing underneath her eyes and looking to Glenn with furrowed brows. "Hey, um.. Can you help me?" He questioned, handing her a piece of paper. "Lor... Someone gave it to me and I don't know where to find it in the pharmacy store. I figured you would, you know because... female things." He trailed off.
Nodding, she unfolded the paper and skimmed her eyes across the messily written words. In an instant, she recognized the hand writing and felt her stomach drop in disappointment. One Step Urine HCG Test was sprawled out across the paper - a feeling of nervousness and anxiety itches at her skin as she folded the material back up and quickly handed it to Glenn. "Feminine hygiene section." Adeline informed, tearing her eyes away from the boy as Maggie came into sight, her body situated atop a horse with another next to her. "I think your rides here." She spoke up, grabbing her stick and pushing herself up and away from the scene with trembling hands.
Preventing the two from leaving and Adeline from disappearing from the group for five minutes, Dale and T-Dog were rushing over to their makeshift campsite with panicked eyes. Gathering every wandering body, several of them made their way to a Well in the field that was used for cattle. Relying heavily on her thick branch for balance, the Grimes sister leaned over the edge of the Well and looked down into the dark area. A fat walker clawed up at the sight of her - causing her to stumble back and scrunch her nose in disgust.
"That disgusting." She commented, watching as Dale shined a flashlight down the well with furrowed brows. "Looks like we've got us a swimmer." He commented, Andrea standing beside of him as Shane claimed the spot next to his wife.
Glenn looked over the edge, "How long do you think it's been down there?" he questioned with curious eyes.
"Long enough to grow gills." Andrea retorted.
"Can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doing to the water." Lori spoke up, reminding Adeline of the list Glenn had showed her which caused the woman to avoid looking at her at all costs. Pushing her feelings down to deal with latter, she focused on the task at hand.
Adeline shook her head, "What makes you think it's safe to drink when we take it out? Obviously it's been there for a while, which means it's been rotting in the water." she informed with her fingers gripping the stick tightly.
"We still gotta get it out." Shane asserted with his hands on his hips. T-Dog nodded, "Easy. Put a bullet in its head. I'll get a rope." He informed, holding his injured arm that Patrica had restitched for him.
Maggie was quick to deny his idea, "Guys, no."
"Why not? It's a good plan." Glenn spoke with squinted eyes, hand reaching above his brows to block out the sun.
"It's a stupid plan." Andrea said, "If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing it's brains out will finish the job." she added onto Adelines suspicions.
"I've got throwing knives." The Grimes girl suggested, unsheathing one of the blades and showing it off to the group around her.
"That you don't know how to use." The blonde retorted with sharpened eyes.
Adeline released a breathless chuckle, sliding her tongue over her lips as she done so. "Yeah? Go stand a few feet away, you can be my practice." Her words dropped with venom, her anger and guilt building up with every shove as she smiled wryly at Andrea.
At this, Shane whistled lowly and brought his hand to his wife's shoulder - his touch resulting in a scared flinch that only himself and Dale noticed. "Oo-kay, ladies. We can't risk a blood splatter, period." He informed, keeping his hand on her tense shoulder that slowly started to involuntarily relax at the touch.
"So it has to come out alive?" T-Dog questioned, breaking up the tense silence. "So to speak." Shane answered while moving his hand away from his wife.
Glenn leaned closer into the well, "How do we do that?"
After the plan of lowering a ham into the well proved to be futile, Glenn found himself having a rope tied around his waist and body sitting against the edge of the well. "Have I mentioned that I really like your new haircut?" He questioned, looking up to Shane who tightened the rope around the boys waist. "You have a nice shaped head." He added with hopeful eyes to get out of the situation.
Adeline crossed her arms over her chest and looked to the ground, "Do we really have to do this?" she inquired with a worried face. She had grown rather fond of Glenn, which meant she didn't quite like the idea of him being lowered into a death trap. "Can't we lower like a... live chicken down? Y'all have those, right?" She proposed, looking to Maggie with an arched brow who nodded.
"Yes," Glenn shouted gleefully, "please listen to Adeline! She's the only smart one here." he begged as Shane patted his shoulder, "Don't worry, bud. We're gonna get you out of here in one piece."
"Living peace. That living part matters." The boy corrected, reluctantly holding onto the rope he was handed.
Adeline was given the easiest job due to her ankle, bracing her uninjured foot against the pipe the rope was tied to and holding it tightly in her hands. Shane walked away from Glenn and stood behind his wife in the line, grabbing ahold of the rope and tightening his grip on it. "Nice and slow, please." The boy attached pleaded.
"Oh, you people are crazy." Maggie winced, crossing her arms over her chest and watching the situation happen.
Shane looked back to her, "You want to get it out of your well or not?" he questioned with furrowed brows.
"Give us an eye there, Maggie." Dale instructed from the back of the line, holding the rope in his hands.
Glenn lowered himself down into the well, the material in Adelines hands growing straight as she curled her hands around the rope. Keeping her weight off of her injured ankle, she pressed her able one against the red metal. Slowly, she released some of the rope and gave the boy more leverage into the well. With the instructions to lower him even more, she shifted on her foot and raised her fingers slightly to let the rope slide through.
One wrong move was all it took for the pipe she braved herself against to break loose - the metal slamming into her knee. A yelp of pain left her lips as the pipe barreled towards the well, ends Glenn's life in an instant if someone didn't grab it. "No, no!" The yells were overlapped with screams as she jumped forward and wrapped her arms around the pipe, the weight of Glenn sending her flying towards the well.
Simultaneously, the group rushed over to the brunette and held her back. Shane situated his knees on either side of his wife and wrapped his arms underneath her armpits to grab the metal. Sweaty arms and hands gripped her skin in order to pull her back, a cry of frustration mixed with pain escaping her throat as her feet braced against the concrete hump of the well. Pain burned through her ankle as everyone tugged her back until the rope was free to grab. Hurriedly, T-Dog and Dale reached the rope and pulled it with the help of everyone else excluding Shane and Adeline who held onto the pipe together.
Once Glenn resurfaced and cupped his hands around the concrete to pull himself out, Lori, Maggie, and Dale rushed to his side in order to help him. Breathless pants left Adelines lips as she fell back into Shanes hold, throwing the pipe out of her arms as pain shot through her knee and ankle. Her husband tightened his hold on her body - everything that had happened between the two vanishing for a split second as he held her closer into his chest and cupped the back of her head.
"Back to the drawing board." Dale panted, his hands on his knees as Glenn raised from the ground and threw the dirt in his hands into the well. "Says you," He retorted with an accomplished smile.
Adeline released herself from Shanes grasp and crawled over to the well, eyes widening in surprise at the sight of the rope attached to the walker. "Holy shit." She breathed, falling back into her bottom and tucking her knee to her chest. Rubbing the sore spot, she winced in slight pain at the feeling. The fresh scratches on her chest burned, eyes squinting shut as she breathed deeply and backed away.
Several minutes later, they found themselves in the same predicament. Instead, a horse helped them pull the walker out of the well while Adeline sat useless on the ground and encouraged them to pull. Leaning over the well, she scrunched her nose up in disgust at the blood seeping off of the walker and into the water. "Yeah, keep on pulling. He's almost out." She informed with a nasty voice.
The stalker surfaced out of the well, her body crawling back and hand gripping her knee as it snarled at her. "Watch out, Addy." Shane yelled from his spot, his eyes glued to his wife as she sent him a thumbs up and slowly stood to her feet with the help of her stick.
Stumbling back as blood splattered across her shoes, she let out a gag at the awful reel it released. "Keep pulling." Adeline informed, stepping around its body and examining its skin. "Nasty as hell..." She muttered.
The walker ceased, the fat on its back causing it to stick to the concrete. "Uh, guys?" She started but received no response. "Guys, you might want to stop for a second." She tried again, stepping closer towards the walker. "It's stuck!" Adeline yelled - "Guys, stop!"
In a split second, the walker ripped in half. Blood covered the bottom of the boots she wore, jaw dropping in disgust as she stumbled back with the help of her stick. The stalker snapped its teeth up at her, clawing at her pants legs as she simply stepped away and out of its reach. The guts and blood from the walker tumbled into the well, indefinitely contaminating the water. "I told you guys to stop." Adeline said, curling her fingers around the handle of her machete with her words.
"We should seal off this well." Dale spoke, motioning towards the mess before them. Shane nodded in agreement while rubbing his head - "Yeah, might be a good idea." He added in a bored tone.
"So what do we do about-"
Andreas voice was soon cut off by the repeated smashing of T-Dogs pipe he held, slamming the metal into the walkers head as Adeline stepped back and allowed him to have his moment. "There you go, big guy." She commented with a scrunched up face, head turning to the sound of a choked up cry coming from Maggie Greene.
"Good thing we didn't do anything stupid like shoot it." T-Dog retorted after finishing the job, throwing the pipe down to the ground with an exhausted face.