(23rd May, 2011)
"No she's definitely still breathing." Hershel's voice sounded, I open my eyes to see most of the group hovering over me. "Ah! What the hell?" I asked angrily as I scooted away from them, "it's time to go on our run, you're eyes were closed, I thought you were dead." Glenn admitted, "yeah, it's called sleeping." I drew in a deep breath, and rolled back my shoulders to calm myself down. "Since when do you sleep?" Carl questioned, I rolled my eyes with a small smile playing on my lips, "since there's cell doors stopping anything from getting at Naomi or Noel." I flung my legs over the edge of the bed, I slide my feet into my boots and laced them up.
"Give me a minute to wake up and get ready." I told Glenn as I ushered everyone out of my cell, I stretched, grabbed my bow and tied up my hair. "Noel?" I call out and the young boy rushes in to see what's wrong. "Just wanted to say goodbye while I go on a run with Glenn." I kneeled down to his height, and pulled into a hug as we both told each other in a whisper to stay alive. "Where's Naomi?" "With Daryl, he's giving her breakfast." I smile.
Noel leads me out of the cell and towards Daryl, "thank you so much Daryl, I needed that." Daryl smiled and nodded at me. I give Naomi a kiss on the forehead, "I'll be back soon, sweetie. Stay Alive." Naomi nods before giggling, "Noel will take her when you get fed up of her or need to do something." Daryl nodded as he continued to hold Naomi as she ate. "Ready Glenn?" He nods as he kisses Maggie goodbye, "don't worry, I'll keep him safe." Maggie chuckles as she gives me a high five.
"Noel behave!" I call back to him as Glenn leads me out of the cell block. "You'll have to drive, I'm not a motorcycle guy." Glenn admits as I settle the bike, "that's ok, I can teach you along the way." I hop onto the bike, Glenn gets on behind me, "you'll need to hold on, I'm a speeder." Glenn chuckles as he holds onto the bike tighter before we took off.
We pull up to my first trap, "how do you know where you left your traps? All the trees look the same." I pointed to a tree that had NLM carved into it. "NLM?" Glenn questions, "it's my initials as well as Noel and Naomi's. Nyx Louise Martin, Noel Lee Martin and Naomi Linn Martin." I informed him as I threw the camouflaged tarp over the bike before heading into the Forrest. "How'd you learn how to do this?" Glenn questioned as the trap came into view, it was skunk, by was I mean a walker was currently eating, "fuck sake." I mumble as I kill the walker and pick up the trap, moving it closer to the edge of the Forrest and away from the walker. "I'm self-taught, I read about things and then use them." "And you really think that reading about treating an arrow wound will help you in real life?" I nodded, "it worked for a stab wound, why not an arrow?" Glenn looks at me as if to say he didn't believe me. I showed him the same scar I showed Daryl back in the house, "how?" "The man Noel killed." I shrugged and moved onto my next trap. It was walker free and had a Badger. I heard a twig break, I quickly armed my bow before seeing that it was Daryl coming towards us.
Daryl eyes moved from our feet to our faces, "why are you tracking us?" I question him, as I checked the Badger for any bites or scratches. "I convinced Rick that three of us knowing your trap locations would be better than two." "Well Noel knows their locations, so now there's four of us." Daryl shrugged, I ignored him and continued to walk, "I might as well invite everyone out and we can do a little treasure hunt." I spoke sarcastically before a snap sounded right next to me and a walker was coming at me, in seconds I had my knife in my hand and then into its skull.
I look up to see where he came from, and Daryl was already shooting walkers down. There was at least twenty of them, I began flinging arrows into the walkers, Glenn covered a few of the close range ones. Once they were all done, I went around collecting my arrows, "why the left eye?" Glenn questions, he seems to be asking a lot of questions, "Something my gran used to say, 'when a person cries and the first drop comes from the right eye it's out of happiness, and if comes from the left eye it's because of pain.' She used to joke that without a left eye, we wouldn't feel pain." "so killing them by shooting their left eye is like you're taking their pain away." Glenn smiles as I nod and continue to move forward.
"Ok, I have another question." I groan as we approach my tenth and last trap. We've been out here for thirty minutes and Glenn hasn't stopped asking me a lot of questions, mostly personal about my skills and family. "Why did you choose the bow and arrow to learn how to shoot?" I chuckle lightly as I grab my fifth rabbit, "it's easier to make arrows than bullets." I shrug and Daryl laughed at my answer, "now detective and hound, we shall return to Homebase and risk our lives as we look for the cafeteria and infirmary." I told them as I reset the last trap. I lead the men back to my bike, turns out Daryl hid his with mine.
I pack my stuff into the storage units, before getting onto my bike, Glenn looked hesitant to get back on. "You ride with Daryl, I've enough weight on mine." I tell Glenn, who looked slightly relieved at my suggestion. "Race ya back." Daryl laughed, "oh it's on old man." And we both took off, racing to the prison. Glenn looked a little green when we got back home, "ok there buddy?" I question, Glenn doubles over and pukes, I scrunch my nose up in disgust as I watch the fountain of sick. "Damn you ate a lot of breakfast." I commented once Glenn finished puking, Daryl chuckled at my words as he leads us up to through the field.
"You didn't ask any questions." Daryl pointed out for the second time since we've met, "I told you last time why." I snarked back at him. "Nyx, we're not going to leave you." I shrug, "not on purpose," I answered back to him, as Glenn opened the gate, I rush into the C cell block and spot Noel holding Naomi as he talks to Carl and Beth. I sigh in relief as look over at them, "Nyx!" Noel chimed as he looked up to see me, I rushed over to him and gave him a hug hello, I turned to Beth, "did he behave?" Beth chuckles and nods, "I did rip up the mattress that was on your top bunk, to make a crib for Lori's baby." I smile down at the small brunette, "thanks for telling me." I gave Carl a fist bump hello, and Beth a smile and a squeeze on the shoulder.
Glenn, Rick, Daryl, T-Dog, Maggie, Hershel and I were gearing up to go find the infirmary and cafeteria. "You don't need that, I need you to stay put." Rick spoke to Carl that was going to put on one of the helmets. "You're kidding, you're letting Nyx go." Carl argues whilst I tuck any loose clothing away, "we don't know what's in there, if something goes wrong, you could be the last man standing, I need you to handle things here." Carl agrees once Rick explains, "great," Rick hand Carl the keys before telling us that we're going now. Daryl hits T-Dog and leads the rest of us out.
Daryl, T-Dog, Hershel, Me, Glenn, Maggie, and then Rick. I turn on my flashlight, as I follow Glenn, I prefer his company this way when he's not asking 10 million different questions. I tripped over a dead walker's legs and hit the ground with a slap, "I'm fine." I spoke up in a whisper as I sprung back onto my feet. I regained my composure as we continued down the dark hallway.
Ten minutes in we turned a corner and four walkers came into view with others rounding the corner. "Go back, go back!" Rick order as I jog backwards, shooting down as many walkers as I could whilst trying to escape. We ran through the corridors, Glenn and Maggie got separated from the rest of us and soon I was separated from everyone. I hid in a closet, taking a few deep breaths as I hear the walkers pass. I counted down from ten once all I heard was silence, I opened the door quietly and slipped out. I headed back towards where we lost Glenn and Maggie, I whisper yelled their names as I make my way through the halls. "Nyx?" I heard Daryl call close by, suddenly all their lights turned onto me, "we need to find Glenn and Maggie." I whisper to them as Daryl did a once over on me to make sure I was good.
We search the halls, Hershel was at the back of the group, and all I heard was a yell, I ran around the corner and killed the walker that had bitten into Hershel's leg. Glenn and Maggie came into view, the walkers rounded the corner as Glenn and Rick got Hershel off the ground. "Daryl!" Rick called to start taking down some of the walkers, I helped him but when the group was forced to change direction, I got knocked over again. Daryl lifted me off the ground and carried me into the cafeteria. T-Dog held the door shut as I helped Rick remove Hershel's pant leg off of the bite, "there's only one way to keep him alive, Rick." I told him, Rick caught my drift pulling his belt off and wrapping it around Hershel's leg. He picked up his hatchet and began to cut off Hershel's leg. I pull off my flannel that I wore over my vest top, and grabbed a chair nearby and reached Daryl's side as Rick finally separated the bite from Hershel. "He's bleeding out," I sat down on the chair threw my flannel over my lap and raised Hershel's leg, hoping to slow down the bleeding via elevating the wound.
Daryl stood up and shone his flashlight revealing five prisoners behind the kitchen grate, "holy shit," the short blonde one spoke up. "Who the hell are you?" Daryl questioned, one of the prisoner responded by asking Daryl the same question. "He's bleeding out. We got to go back." Rick told us, he looked up at me, "put pressure on the knee. Hard, hard." I do what I'm told, but Glenn takes over, I grab my bow and join Daryl's side, keeping a watchful eye on the prisoners.
Daryl nodded at me, before looking back at the prisoners, "come on outta there," Daryl ordered, "slow and steady," I instructed, "what happened to him?" The first prison that came out asked, "he got bit." Daryl informed him, "bit?" he repeated before pulling out his gun, "woah, woah, woah, I suggest you choose your next movement carefully because I will not hesitate to let one of these fly straight through your skull." I warned him, T-Dog pulled out his gun pointing it at him as well, "easy now, nobody has to get hurt." Daryl spoke up as the prisoner started waving his gun around at each of us, "do you have medical supplies?" Glenn questions walking straight passed them after Maggie took over with Hershel.
"Who the hell are you people anyway?" The blonde looked over his leaders shoulder, "you don't look like no rescue team." "If a rescue team is what you're waiting for, don't." Rick told them, Glenn grabbed a table with wheels on it for Hershel. "Come on we gotta go." Rick and Glenn lift Hershel onto the metal table. "Holy Jesus." The blonde speaks in disgusts. "Open the door." Rick ordered, I make my way over to the others my bow ready, "oh we got this." T-Dog spoke as he opened the door.
A body armoured walker walked in, T-Dog took care of him. I went in front of the cart, covering Glenn's back as he helped Maggie manoeuvre Hershel. We rushed through the corridors, Daryl and I focusing on killing the walkers, I could hear the prisoners following us. We got to the cell block, I stood at the top of the stairs out of sight, T-Dog went into a corner out of sight and Daryl stood in the middle of the room in full view, whilst the rest went with Hershel to save him.
I readied myself as I watched the five prisoners walk in, "that's far enough." Daryl told them, their leader smiled, "Cell Block C, cell 4 that's mine gringo. Let me in." Daryl didn't budge, "today's your lucky day fellas, you've been pardoned by the state of Georgia. You're free to go." The leader stared Daryl down, "whatcha got going on in there?" Daryl told him that it wasn't anything to his concern.
The prisoner pulled out his gun, Daryl straighten up, the biggest of the criminals spoke up, saying how 'the dude's' aka Hershel's leg is messed up and that they're free asking why are they still there. "Man's got a point," Daryl adds, the leader suggests that us being here has made him think that there's nothing else out there, Daryl asks him why doesn't he go find out. "Maybe we'll just be going then." The blonde spoke up, "hey we ain't leaving," the leader spoke up. "You ain't coming in neither." T-Dog spoke and I decided it's time to make myself known.
"This is my house, my rules. I go where I damn please." I sat came into view, "I suggest you leave, puta." I spoke causing him to raise his gun in my direction, he laughs at the sight of me, "whatcha going to do little girl? Kill me?" I smirk and nod, "with this very arrow, straight through your right eye." Daryl nods, "I wouldn't provoke her, she has a perfect shot." Rick spoke coming into view behind Daryl, I smiled at him before nodding. "How many of you are in there?" The leader asks Rick, "too many for you to handle." Rick responds without blinking.
"You guys rob a bank or something? Why don't you take him to a hospital?" I look down at Rick, I swung my leg over the railing and dropped to the ground, aiming straight to the leader's head once again. "How long you been locked in that Cafeteria?" Rick questions, the other prisoner were still stunned over the fact that I dropped from that height without injury. "I don't know, like over a year or two," he shrugs, "lucky bastard." I mumble, Daryl turns to me, "Huntress, go help with the doc, you have the most medical knowledge other than him." I nod, and make my way towards the door, "cowboy, let me in." I call to Carl, he looks as me strange but does as I ask and locks the door behind me.
"Cowboy?" Carl questions in a whisper, "Daryl's idea not to give them our names, so address me as Huntress." Carl tipped his hat at me as I rush over to my cells, grabbing all sheets I had and made my way over to the group. "What's going on out there?" Lori questions as I give Carol clean sheets, "five prisoners have been locked in the cafeteria since this all started. Now that we accidentally set them free, they want us out and them in." I inform her, I took over Carol's job as she went to search my bag for anything useful, the blood stopped coming out a few minutes after I took over. Now all we can do is wait.