GA - Correctional Facility - Main Gate & Field

[Medieval Kevin]

Daryl continued to lay on fire after their leader had achieved his objective. But the mission was changing now to a retreat. There would be no safe haven here. If his friends got cut off, they might be able to last inside the walkway but they would starve. If the fences held that is. Likely the walkers would tear the whole place down to get to them.

    Hershel had stepped beyond the fence now as Carol ran to the cars. She needed a gun. She had gotten good but they just didn't have enough to go around. Daryl cursed at the thought. They needed something if not this. Some place to regroup and rearm... A shout came from down below, "Daryl, help! Hershels down!" It was from T-Dog. Swinging his rifle down he could see the big man below pinning some walkers against the fence but it was taking all his strength. His companions eyes were drawn to the base of the tower just beyond the perimeter. Daryl didn't have a shot. He couldn't see.

    It was time to abandon his post. Throwing open the door he flew down the stairs taking the descent so fast when he hit the bottom landing his ancle screamed as he twisted the tendons. All his weight went into the door but through the pain he pulled it open and limped out into the walkway. Thankfully he was only feet from the gap in the fence so he bull rushed it and as he cleared the hole he fell on the walker attacking Hershel. He pulled it over onto its back and pulled out his knife. Down it came, then he wound up again. Over and over and over. Blood streaked his arms and shirt as he fell onto his back and kicked its body down the hill. From a sitting position he yanked the rifle back up from its sling and fired at T-Dog's captives. Then he took down a few more getting too close, coming from the woods. "We don't have time for this shit!" He bellowed as he and Hershel were helped back to their feet.

[DarkSideCookie]

"Daryl, help! Hershel's down!"

That was the moment when Beth was shaken awake from her trance-like condition. Her heart seemed to skip a beat or two, as her eyes nervously searched the area for her dad. No, please no! She couldn't see him. She couldn't see anyone of the others. Everything started turning around, came crashing down around her ears. No, please no!

The noise of something bashing mixed up with the growling all around. Over and over and over. Very close to her and at the same time far away. Tears were running down her cheeks, her not even realizing them. Beth was still searching for her dad, as she was actually on the verge of losing consciousness.

"We don't... time... for...!

[DarkSideCookie]

"Daryl, help! Hershel's down!"

Rick's heart made a jump at this outcry coming from T-Dog close to the cars. He quickened his steps, but with the injured woman on his side, he wouldn't be able to reach them quick enough. From a distance, he saw Daryl rushing over to the walkers that had a grip on Hershel. Rick wasn't able to fully estimate the situation and if all help would be too late already. No, there was no such thing as being too late. He was counting on Daryl.
They had entered together and they would leave together. He just couldn't bear to have someone else's blood on his hands. Rick shook off that sudden upcoming thought and instead concentrated on his steps to get to the cars.

[Ariel]

Ingrid's drained body held up as much of a fight as possible, with the help of the man who had saved her. Ingrid could only hope that these people hadn't been hunting her, but for now that was the least of her concerns. One arm around the stranger they booked it as fast as the possibly could to make their great escape. Moments became but a blur to Ingrid, the dehydration got to her as her mind grew slightly fuzzy. She saw others nearby who had been assisting their escape, some were shouting. It had sounded like one of their people had been hurt as Ingrid noticed a sudden surge of panic rise within her rescuer. Yet he did not abandon her or let her go, he seemed determined to get his people to safety, Ingrid included. Ingrid contemplated making an exit, continuing on the run in case these strangers were bad. However in this moment of danger these people were her best bet at survival, especially in her weakened condition. 

[Lady Lee-o]

Things were starting to get hairy and Glenn did not like the odds. Especially when he heard that Hershal was down and needed help. Glenn grabbed hold of Maggie and pulled her back, "Maggie, we need to go." He wouldn't leave her behind and she wouldn't leave without Hershel or Beth. Glenn caught slight of Beth, who was looking a little wobbly on her feet. "I'm going to get Beth, head for the cars." He rushed over to Beth and took hold of her, "Hey, focus, we have to go. Daryl has your dad and everything will be fine." He truly hoped things would be fine, she would blame him if things didn't. "Come on."

[Lady Lee-o]

Carol was out of breath by the time she got back to the cars. She felt like some coward and she was scared, she should have stayed by the cars in the first place. Her being there could have caused someone to die and she couldn't have that on her. She felt that guilt already whenever she thought about her daughter, she should have never let Sophia go. Carol kept her eyes peeled for the others, ready to run or hide- whatever she was told to do.

[DarkSideCookie]

Maggie
- tempplay by DarkSideCookie -

"Maggie, we need to go."

It was this voice, Glenn's voice, that managed to arouse Maggie from the sudden shock, that she had allowed taking control over her for indeed not more than seconds, but too long for her to accept. She threw one last look over at Daryl to assure herself her father was, thanks to him, out of danger.

"I'm going to get Beth, head for the cars."

Maggie sent one last restrained and yet deeply grateful nod in Daryl's direction, before finally turning to face Glenn, answering him with not more than a quick nod as well. They were running out of time, so a nod was sufficient right now. In fact, it had become a sufficient way to communicate between all of them since they had grown to more than just a group of surviving people. A family.

On her way back to the cars, knowing that both, her sister and her dad, were in good hands, Maggie spotted Carol close to her. "Everyone's alright. Let's head back.", she called out to her, as she took notice of the somehow worried expression on Carol's face.

[DarkSideCookie]

Suddenly something was taking hold of her. The touch on her arm immediately threw her back into the here and now, even almost rouse a defensive reflex in her, she was able to restrain at the last moment though. It hadn't been something, but someone.

"Hey, focus, we have to go. Daryl has your dad and everything will be fine."

Beth's eyes cleared up again when she recognized the face belonging to that someone. Glenn. She still felt the urge to turn around in search of her dad, but she knew there was no time to call things into question. Everyone was alright. Everyone had to be.

"Come on."

And that was the signal to finally get her focused. "Let's go.", she confirmed, before following him to the cars.

[DarkSideCookie]

Slowly but surely, Rick and Ingrid were closing up to the others, him making sure that the woman he supported wasn't getting too close to the fence. They had managed to fight most of the walkers inside the walkway, at least it seemed their way back to the cars was secured, but there still were some on the other side of the fence.

When the group seemed to converge again and Rick was sure everyone was through the entryway they had created themselves, he started to bar the gap in the fence to make sure the walkers didn't find a way out until someone would want to find out what was laying behind by all means.

Rick didn't say any word for the while of his effort. After he managed to provisionally repair the fence leading to the walkway, he produced a red marker out of his pocket and labeled the wooden beam next to it with a concise warning.
Dead inside.
A warning that let him remember his very first day in this new apocalyptic world. An effort he made to keep not only themselves safe but also a potential group of other people that could find their way here.

[Ariel]

Ingrid hobbled through the entryway with her rescue team as they made their attempt to get to safety. As soon as the man who had saved her relieved her, Ingrid's hands fell onto her knees in exhaustion. She peered up to notice the man barring the gap in the fence with everything that he had left within him. Coming from a proactive group of survivors,  Ingrid wanted nothing more than to help him fulfill his duty to protect his people but the fatigue took over as she watched him succeed in his task. With the thought that they needed to get far away from here, Ingrid looked up to her savior as she awaited the call for their next move.

[DarkSideCookie]

After Rick had finished the task he felt like he would have owed other survivors coming this way, he turned around to his own group of survivors. His eyes seemed to just search for every one of them for a moment before he allowed himself to take up a less haunted attitude.

"Were you alone?", Rick suddenly addressed their newcomer with a mix of caution and resoluteness, as he made some steps in her direction. He had yet not stopped to keep to the human principles Dale had tried to make everyone remember at the end of his days, but it had been just the same times that were causing him to act much more distrustful.

[Ariel]

"Were you alone?",

Ingrid managed to ground herself through the whirlwind of events that sent her head spinning. She could feel that he was wary of her, and Ingrid couldn't blame him. She was a stranger, and he had a group that depended on him for security. 

"Yes...yes it's just me," Ingrid nodded affirmatively as she slowly made her way to her feet, her hands displayed outwards in a surrender like motion, "How did you find me, all the way out here?" Ingrid questioned their leader as she peered around at the group of people that surrounded her.

[DarkSideCookie]

"Yes...yes it's just me,"

Of course, she simply could have lied, but in a world like this maybe trust was the only thing keeping people humane. The wariness didn't vanish from his features yet though; not because Rick feared she could be a danger to him personally, but to his group as a collective; and as their leader, he had to protect them at all cost.

"How did you find me, all the way out here?"

Of course, she had questions as well and Rick wouldn't hesitate to answer them, but the last life they had saved without asking enough questions and instead serving with too many answers themselves had cost them several lives of their own and a home. A mistake he wasn't willing to repeat.

Rick's eyes were wandering to some of the others, each of them seemingly waiting for their leader to conduct this conversation, before he finally turned his attention completely back to the stranger. "It was the place we found first. Did you come from inside?" Maybe this was one last try to find out if the prison building could do for a new home. But then again, even if the woman affirmed, Rick probably wouldn't dare to lead everyone in there another time. No, they had to find another place.

"Never mind.", he suddenly put off that last question before she even could have served with an answer. "You're out of danger now." And with that Rick turned away from her, heading for the car only meters away. On his way, he caught several objecting looks from some of his group members. Rick halted. Being a leader really meant to fail in pleasing everyone. People complained anyway; when you were granting a stranger a place, or more precisely, a community to stay, and also when you were not.

[Ariel]

"It was the place we found first. Did you come from inside?" 

Ingrid stood in her place, slightly stunned that she had found herself in this position with these strangers. They were a godsend in her time of need, however she grew just as weary of them as they were of her. After all, the last couple of groups she had encountered weren't so forgiving. Ingrid began to open her mouth to answer his question, however the leader was quick to serve her an answer.

"Never mind." "You're out of danger now."

This man was the most gracious human that she had come across in a really long time. Ingrid wondered if he was too good to be true. He turned his back to return to his vehicle, and at that point she debating on walking away and leaving these people to their business. Though, she was in no shape to be out on her own. And if the people of Woodbury crossed her path,  she feared she might not live long enough to see her true family again. If she was going to stick with this crew. Ingrid needed an alibi. 

"My name's Ingrid," She called out to the leader. Ingrid wouldn't blame them if they sent her on her way, but at least she had to try. She had to just survive somehow.

[DarkSideCookie]

"My name's Ingrid,"

Rick sighed, still on pause but also still standing with his back turned to her. The sighing actually had come out barely audible, even almost happened only inwardly. With slightly swinging movements Rick turned his head downwards. So now this was about granting a stranger a community to stay or not, as in days like these there had grown something like an unwritten rule that said, if a person tells you its name, it either wants to attack you or join your group.

At heart, a decision has already been made anyway. Rick probably wouldn't be able to send someone away, a debilitated young woman at that, and with that most certainly to die. If not walkers would cross her path, then another group of humans would, and he actually wasn't sure which of those two possibilities would be the worse.

"If you come with us", he eventually spoke up again, turning around in the middle of the sentence to face her. "you gotta answer at least three questions first." Rick felt the quizzical looks on him but decided to ignore each of them, as, due to the latest events, he has come up with something like a condition of admission just now. The only one that seemed to be not too surprised about this move was Daryl, who was silently keeping a wary eye on the situation.

[Ariel]

"If you come with us",  "you gotta answer at least three questions first."

Ingrid slightly hesitated before nodding in compliance to what this man needed. It was understandable that he would have some questions, however Ingrid would be sure not to surrender too much information. Or else she would need to come up with that alibi a lot quicker than she anticipated. 

She stared at the ground nodding before looking back up at their leader, "What do you need to know?"

[DarkSideCookie]

"What do you need to know?"

There was a short pause of silence following, maybe even perceptible for himself only, in which Rick tried to completely concentrate on the young woman's body language, the actual answer to what he had set as the first of three questions rather subsidiary.

"How many walkers have you killed?", Rick started, his voice sounding very technical. And yet again did he feel some quizzical looks at him from some of the others around. He ignored them once again.

[Ariel]

"How many walkers have you killed?", 


Ingrid chuckled inwardly as she thought about the question for a few seconds. She thought it was a rather funny question to ask in a world where they were fighting them daily. Though, from a certain stand point she figured that they would want someone in their crew that knows how to take care of themselves.

"As many as it took to get this far. I've lost count, to be honest," Ingrid spoke truthfully as she slightly shifted her hips where she stood, ready for anything else the leader could throw at her.

[DarkSideCookie]

Rick noticed her inner surprise at that question, so did he notice everyone else's surprise at it.

"As many as it took to get this far. I've lost count, to be honest,"

The answer to this, admittedly, had been rather irrelevant, but the tone and the readiness with which she gave one anyway was what motivated him to go on with his next question.

For the split of a second Rick's eyes wandered downwards, as he took one deep breath to go on. "How many people have you killed?"

[Ariel]

. "How many people have you killed?"

Ingrid's mind immediately went to the only kill she made that forever made an imprint in her life. Her expression took a turn down south as she looked at the leader regrettably. "Only one." Ingrid wasn't about to give away more information about her past then was necessary but she knew that this man needed to make sure that they weren't about to welcome an murderer into their group. Ingrid was thankful that she had made it this far without having to be in an situation where she had to kill another human being. All thanks to Negan, who had protected her from those kinds of situations ever since that dreadful day with Grant. 

[DarkSideCookie]

Rick noticed the changed emotional state on his interviewee's features at once. Yet this second question was rather irrelevant as well, especially when standing by itself, but still already a lot more expressive than the first had been. In a world like this though, Rick was aware of the fact, that a given number would be relative. That was not the point anyway.

"Only one."

Rick nodded his head in reaction to the regrettable look on her face. There was no doubt she was telling the truth. But now onto the more unpleasant part. And another time was he lowering his head downwards only to look up again at her a second later.

"Why?" It seemed that with this question Rick's attention had raised to a maximum, trying to gauge the mental state and character of the person in front of him. The last question to find out if she could become a potential new member of their little community or not.

[Ariel]

"Why?"


Ingrid was quick to answer, as she had nothing to hide or hold back, "Because she was my sister...and I wasn't going to let her memory be tarnished by a mindless corpse." There was a slight moment of silence between Ingrid and the party before she spoke up again, "Anything else?" Pain struck Ingrid's tone as she questioned the leader, wondering what more he could possibly want to know from her to prove she wasn't a threat. 

[DarkSideCookie]

"Because she was my sister...and I wasn't going to let her memory be tarnished by a mindless corpse."

The human side of him compassionated her for the content of her answer while the leader side of him was only concentrated on the given information from a neutral view just as on the fact that she had served him with an answer with no time of hesitating. It seemed like the slight moment of silence following it, was covering them up like a thick fog on a dew-fresh morning.

"Anything else?"

Rick remained silent for some more seconds before he finally released the young woman from his analyzing eyebeam and so from a confrontation that might have been to both their discomfort but had been a necessity to assure everyone's safety.

With a sigh that rather was a long expiration of breath Rick first turned his head to his people and then back to Ingrid, who would be part of his people from now on as well. "Welcome to the group, Ingrid. I'm Rick.", he finally said, and with that also everyone else around seemed to relax at once, starting to introduce themselves to the new member of their little community, one or two still acting a little wary yet on a different level than before. It seemed everyone was respecting their leader's decision no matter what.

[Ariel]

"Welcome to the group, Ingrid. I'm Rick."

Ingrid let out an exhale of relief as the leader broke the few beats of silence to finish initiating her into the group. She was no longer alone and she could only hope she was now in the company of good people. As generous as they seem to be, Ingrid had to keep her guard up. She could practically hear Negan's reprimanding words you can't trust anybody ringing through her ears like it was yesterday when she was adamant that the nearby community were worthy collaborators. Ingrid learned the hard way to never take Negan's word for granted when the community betrayed them and violently retaliated after receiving punishment. Leading her to this very moment. She needed to get back to him, and Rick and these people were the key to survival.

Soon after Rick welcomed her into their little team, the members wasted no time in respectfully following their leader in introducing themselves with as warm of greetings as one could give in an apocalypse. And as they came up one by one, Ingrid acknowledged each member with thanks and gratefulness. 

"Hey, I'm Glenn. And this is Maggie" a young man who appeared to be around the same age as Ingrid came forward with a woman who seemed to be either his wife or a lover of sorts. Maggie stepped forward to join Glenn, who noticed Ingrid's rough condition, "You look like you've had a day. My daddy is experienced in medicine, he could take a look at your injuries if you like. Make sure there's no sort of infection." 

"That would be nice of him. Thanks," Ingrid smiled at the warm couple as she walked with them, "So, where are you all from?"

***

[DarkSideCookie]

---

Several days later...

DAY 307

---

[DarkSideCookie]

---

Day 308

---

[DarkSideCookie]

---

Day 330

---