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When I was finally done scrubbing, I grabbed my bow and knife, leaving the room with a basket of laundry. "I'll be two minutes tops, please keep them safe." Daryl watched me quietly walk down the stairs and out the back door. He didn't expect two minutes later for me to return by walking out of my bedroom. "Sorry, didn't mean to spook you, I just did a quick perimeter check, made sure the fences and alarms were intact." Daryl shrugs off the my words, we sat down together once again, I pulled out my step dad's old medical book, highlighters and sticky notes from my bag. I put a dim flashlight in my mouth as I read through the book, Daryl just watched me as I made notes and highlighted important potions when treat someone with a bullet wound in the leg.
"What are you doing?" Daryl questioned after 20 minutes of silence, "I like to prepared for anything. In case it happens to Noel or Naomi, I want to be able to treat them." Daryl tilted his head towards me, "you think reading about it will help you out there." I nod, "It's worked for me so far." I pull down at the neckline of my t-shirt, revealing a stab wound I obtained three weeks ago when the two blokes ambushed us. "Bullet?" Daryl questions, I shook my head no, "blade." I shrug fixing the neckline on t-shirt.
"You never asked us any questions." Daryl points out, "the less I know about you the easier it is to watch you leave." I shrug as I speak the truth. "I know what's coming, why you're constantly moving, there's a herd of them and soon they'll overrun this little town and you'll all leave." I stood up, "that's what adults do, leave." I unlocked the bedroom door, stepped inside and locked it once again, leaning against the door taking a deep breath.
(28th of April, 2011)
It was 7am when Naomi began to stir, I picked her up, I put a jeans and a long sleeved t-shirt on her. I sat Naomi on lap as I brushed her hair, braiding it and clipping tightly to her head. "Now darling, you won't get caught in anything." I smile down at the happy girl, who is playing with the strings on my shirt. I strap Naomi to my chest, waking up Noel, "come on bud, we'll get something to eat before we head out." Noel got up and began to get changed, I waited for him to finish. I heard a sound come from mum's old room, "go downstairs, make sure the door is closed." Noel saluted prepping his gun, once he was out of sight.
I slowly opened the door to see Glenn on top of Maggie. A shocked gasp leaves my lips, I slap my hands over my eyes and Naomi's, slowly making my way back out of the room, "Nyx!" A voice called after me, I shook my head trying to shake the image from my mind. I rushed downstairs, "what did you see?" Noel questions as I join him in the kitchen, "oh nothing." I shiver before cutting up some apples and began feeding Naomi in my arms.
"Where are you heading?" Rick questioned as I braided my hair, "out." I spoke shortly, "and you're bringing Noel and Naomi with you?" Beth questioned, "I always do, keeping them close, keeps them safe." I responded as I geared up, tying my shoes and grabbing my bow. I put Naomi onto my back, "we're going to check our traps." Noel explains, as he tucks his shirt behind his knife and gun making it easier for to grab. "Got the climbing gear?" I question, Noel nods displaying the climbing gear in his backpack.
"If we see the herd we'll send a flare, that'll give you a twenty minute warning." I told the group, they looked back at me confused turning to Daryl. "I didn't say nothing. She told me knew the reason of us moving from place to place." Daryl defended himself. "Stay alive." Noel and I tell the group, stepping out of the house. There was four walkers in eye line, Noel took down the two nearby, and I took the two at a distance. Noel grabbed my hand and we began running towards our traps.
Out of our 10 traps, only three of them were walkerless. I reset the traps, whilst Noel was up in the tree looking around to see if he could see the herd. "Send the flare, they're about ten minutes away from us." Noel called, I did what I was told sending the flare into the sky. Noel and I intertwine hands, we run back as hard as we can to the house, we make it there in 10 minutes instead of fifteen.
We rush up the stairs of the porch, "ROOF!" I yell, Noel nods we burst into the house and began to pull together supplies, I got a ton of water and food, our guns and ammo as well as my arrows. I filled a bag of clothes, and my medical book and medical supplies. Noel and I get to the roof and continued to move everything up there. We weren't abandoning the house, I saw the herd approaching from the west. I saw Rick nearby. "RICK RUN!" I yell he looked back at the herd. He jumped into a car and began driving away. "Ok Noel, I need you to keep count for me." I give Noel Naomi, I grabbed my bow, I have 500 arrows. I hope its enough.
After three hours I had successfully took down every walker. "You two stay here, I'm going to make sure I got them all." Noel nods, I grab an empty bag to collect up my arrows that were sitting in the left eye of 487 walkers. I covered ground quickly, I collecting all my arrows and double checked all the walkers were dead and that there were no more coming. I saw a letter sitting on my neighbour's motorbike, I walked over to it and picked it up, 'Huntress, come find us when you're ready to be around adults again- Dar-dar' I chuckle as I read the note, I look up to the roof to see Noel nodding at me as if telling me that he wants to join them. I looked at the bike to check if it was working, but it wasn't there's something wrong with the clutch. I push the bike into our back yard, hiding it into our shed.
I bring Noel and Naomi back into the house, "the bike needs to be fixed. It'll take me two day to get it ready. I'm trusting you to pack up everything we're taking with us and to build a carrier for the bike. We'll hide whatever we leave behind just in case we have to come back, do you understand?" I question Noel, he nods smiling, "everything on your list?" I nod. Noel hands Naomi to me, I strap her onto my chest and began working on the bike. "Did you know what bike it is?" Noel questioned, I nodded, "Harley-Davidson Iron 1200. It was Aunt Claire's from across the street. Remember when she would babysit us?" Noel nods.
After Noel disappears for an hour, he returns and he takes a seat next to me as he begins to measure the bike. Noel begins drawing possible designs for storage unit we'll be attaching to the bike. "You got the supplies ready?" I question him as I continue trying to fix the clutch on the bike. "Yeah, a months worth for the three of us, I packed extra water because it's a summer month, and we'll dehydrate." I smile at the small boy giving him a kiss on the forehead.
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I was sat on the roof, looking in the direction that Nyx, and Noel ran off to. Nyx promised to send a flare if they come across the herd. I was on watch while everyone else packed up the cars, Nyx gave us ammo and she made Daryl some extra arrows. Nyx gave us some of Naomi's old baby formulas, clothes, and bottles. I wish they could come with us, it's been a long time since I've see a kid my age, and Nyx is a total badass. She can do anything, but I'm worried that if something happens to Noel or Naomi that she'll fall apart. My thoughts were interrupted by something red flying up, I knew instantly that it was the flare. "DAD, FLARE!" I yelled, climbing back into the house and rushing downstairs to everyone else.
"I just saw the flare, we have to go." I told him, "alright everyone clear out." Carol guides mum into the car, dad drove to the edge of the town, I saw Nyx and Noel running. "Dad there they are." I pointed over at the two kids, who rushed into their house. Dad got out of the car, they were looking around to see where Noel and Nyx went, and trying to plan their route.
"RICK RUN!" Nyx yelled, dad looked up at her and then at the herd before getting to the car and flooring it. I looked through the back window, Glenn did too, "she's killing them." Glenn told the group, I've never seen someone shoot so fast and with perfect aim. "She's already got about 40 down, we can go help her." I tell my dad as he continues to drive, he shook his head. "It's a suicide mission and a chance I ain't willing to take."
We lost sight Nyx, Naomi, and Noel, and all I could do was feel guilty for leaving them behind. They could've fit in the cars, they could've stayed with us, and I could have friends my own age. "I still feel bad for what she walked in on." Maggie spoke looking at Glenn, "yeah, we should've locked the door." Glenn looks extremely uncomfortable, "is that why she looked so pale this morning?" Lori questioned, "must've been." Maggie mumbles, Glenn was trying to hold in a laugh, "yeah, poor thing had seen enough before walking in on you two." Lori joked, "I bet she's more traumatised from that over everything else." Rick adds and the four adults laughed, and I was just confused on what so funny.
(21 May, 2011)
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It's been three weeks and two days since the herd arrived in our little town, three weeks and two days since Rick and the others left, and three weeks after fixing a motorcycle. I screwed the storage unit onto the back of the bikes seat. We added the deer skin to our survival storage as well as a painted tarp that will blend into the forest so that we can hide the bike at night. We hid everything else in the bunker under our shed, hiding it using old bikes and basic clutter to throw off others from stealing it. I had Naomi strapped to my front and Noel holding tightly onto my waist as I sped along the road.
We just drove around for three weeks in search of the group, I left markings on trees for Daryl to find us if he ever goes back to the house for us. I was giving up on hope, but I couldn't tell Noel that, he kept talking how nice it would be to have a big group of friends. Me, Noel, and Naomi were up in a tree, checking the perimeter and listening for the sounds of cars. That's went I heard the sounds of gunshots and Noel narrowed it down to being at the prison.
We climbed down, killed a few walkers before driving towards the prison. I told Noel I wouldn't stop driving unless I knew for sure it was Rick and the others. "It's them Nyx!" Noel spoke excitedly as the prison came into, I saw T-Dog, Maggie, Beth and Glenn between the two fences. I notice Rick was in the field surrounded by walkers. I took Naomi with me as I climb a tree and began to shoot down walkers as Noel covered the ones outside the fences. He had gotten pretty good at using a crossbow, I found two weeks ago as I searched the nearest town.
We then rode up to the fence, finishing off the last of the walkers on the outside. "Nyx? Noel? Naomi?" Maggie questioned in disbelief, "you found us!" Beth squealed happily as she smile at the blonde, "wasn't easy. Daryl did a good job covering your tracks." Daryl came into view and began to open up the fence where they had cut to get in. Glenn rushed to his side to help, whilst they did that, I kept my eyes pealed for walkers, six showed up. I gave Noel Naomi, and began to shoot down the walkers with my arrows, but two of them were too close, so I drew my knife and took both of them down and Noel carried most of our supplies through the gate.
I put my knife back into its holder, collected my arrows before stepping through the fence. I was immediately pulled into a hug by Maggie and Beth. "You knew me for less than 24 hours and you missed me this much?" My questioned was muffled by Glenn's shoulder as he hugged me. Daryl did a once over on me as if you check for wounds, he gave me a quick hug before taking Naomi off Hershel. "There's my favourite Martin woman." Daryl spoke admiringly as he smiled cheekily at Naomi, "gee thanks Daryl." I mumble as Naomi laughs and asks Daryl for a hug. "You're all still alive." I spoke with a sigh of relief as I took in all their faces.
"How far ahead of the herd are you?" T-Dog questions once we position the cars at the exits. "They've been dead almost a month now." Noel informs them whilst I rock Naomi to sleep, "you got them all?" Rick questioned in disbelief, "yeah she did, three hours, 487 walkers." Noel informed them as I hummed, Naomi let's out a big yawn and not long after soft snores escape her lips.
I smile victoriously as Daryl begins to prep the fire, he wasn't having much luck lighting it. "Little help here, Huntress?" I shook my head no, "I can't disturb her. Bud, why don't you do it?" Noel saluted, squatted down next to Daryl and began to try light the fire. He was at it for about 40 seconds before the fire got going. "Nice work, Noel." Glenn praised the eleven year-old. Noel nodded and sat back down next to his sister, "we got a few rabbits earlier today if you want to eat them." Noel informed the group pointing to my rucksack, "there's also peas, carrots, beans, peppers and mushrooms in there." I spoke up, knowing that Noel didn't mention it because he didn't want to eat the peas or mushrooms or beans. "Naomi doesn't have to eat beans." I heard Noel mumble, I chuckle lightly, "that's because her farts could knock you out and I'm not willing to take that risk." Noel laughs lightly before getting up and helping Carol with the cooking.
"Can I hold her?" Lori questioned looking at Naomi, who was cuddling her stuffed turtle, I slowly nod and move slowly towards Lori cradling Naomi. "Can you keep her safe? I'm going to go on watch." I ask Lori as I hand Naomi over to her, "yeah of course," "If she needs anything, Noel can help you." I grabbed my bow, a cluster of arrows, a pliers, and my night vision binoculars, so I can man my ground when the sun goes down. I began to climb the fence, pliers in my mouth, I cut the barbed wire and tuck it away from where I was sitting. The wind kissed my cheeks as the sun began to set, I took down a couple of walkers.