FLASHBACK: GA - Roadside House (Day 84)

[Storyteller]

The walker gripped the crowbar as Maggie raised it, pushing back at her while she tried to keep him at bay. All it managed to do was keep him at arm's length- his force against the weapon was fierce and the cold metal of the crowbar digging into the flesh of his long dead hands didn't cause the pain that it did to her living ones. Carefully she judged the balance of his weight against hers. She had to keep her footing. One false move, one misstep would send her down and his teeth tearing into her skin.

But they had reached a stalemate and she knew something was going to have to give soon. It came when suddenly, the walker shifted. His pressure against the crowbar changed and Maggie felt her leg give out. The ground swiftly met her head with a sickening crack and for a second all she could see was white. 

Her vision cleared just in time to see the walker's face startling close to her. He was going in for the kill. Someone cried out and vaguely she realized that it was her. In a last, desperate attempt, she pushed back up on the crowbar in her hands. With a groan, her attacker hit the metal bar but didn't stop his pursuit. It gave her a few, precious inches- the walker's teeth gnashed violently just out of reach. Her victory was short lived as the crowbar began to slip through the sweat building up on her bruised palms.

A single tear dripped down her cheek and into the dirt beside her head. She'd reached the end of the line. Just as she began to say a silent prayer, a gun shot pierced the air and the rotting flesh fell like dead weight against her. Blood dripped from its decaying scalp onto her shirt. A reprieve. She looked up, chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath. Beth stood a few feet away, shaking with Maggie's gun clutched in her hands. A million different emotions rushed through her all at once but all she said as she rolled the dead walker off was, "Next time I tell you to watch the cars, remind me of this, okay?"

She stood, her own legs feeling rather shaky from the close call but with a renewed vigor she hit another walker that had begun making its approach as she had pushed the last one off and ran forward, grasping Beth's arm. "Lets get to those cars."

[Hershel Greene]

Hershel

    For just a moment he thought they would be able to make a clean break for the cars. The walkers weren't coming at them with enough force to be unmanageable. Then Hershel heard the cry from behind. Maggie! The man turned in time to see his daughter fall, overwhelmed by one of the dead. The blood drained from his face. He charged forward unaware of the rest of the group but he needed to help her!

    Hershel was determined but so where the two walkers that crossed his path, cutting him off. A very different feeling came over him then. Anger. In that moment he didn't care why, but he clutched the shotgun in his hands and swung the butt into the nearest ones skull. He faintly heard the splintering bone and turned the other end towards the remaining creature and pulled the trigger.

    Those precious moments could have cost the Greene family dearly but he heard one more shot ring out. Maggie rose to her feat unhurt it seemed and joined Beth heading for safety. Relief washed over Hershel but now was not the time to express it. Their father fell in behind them covering their flight.

[DarkSideCookie]

Beth was still thunderstruck, as the walker's head went back and with a thud fell against her sister's body. Her hands still shivering hold the gun. Her eyes were wide open, as they met with Maggie's.

"Next time I tell you to watch the cars, remind me of this, okay?", Beth heard her saying, as she rolled the dead walker off her body.

A lonely tear dropped down her cheek, while Beth was sending an inwardly thank you upward. She didn't know what she would have done if Maggie... no, she even don't wanted to think about it.

"Lets get to those cars.", Maggie grasped at her arm, to drag her forward.

"Are you ok?", Beth suddenly asked behind her, after they had went some metres. She know it wasn't the time to have a talk, but she was afraid of Maggie could have biten by the walker. She just have seen the walker really close to her. But would her sister admit if that was the case?

[Daryl Dixon]

Daryl

    This was not going to way he had hoped. Daryl had to keep his head which was next to impossible having to keep switching his attention to all the little groups of people. They had needed to stick together but it was too late now. T-Dog and Carol were already at the cars followed by Lori and Carl. Walkers were converging on them there which gave the group even less time now than before. Rick bolted ahead to help them while Beth was firing her gun. She didn't see the walker coming over the railing of the porch above her. Daryl took aim and his arrow sailed through its eye pinning the head to the post, stopping it dead. It hung just inches from them, no longer a threat.

    "Glenn!" he shouted getting his companion's attention. "See to your girl." he gestured towards the Greene family bringing up the rear. Rick had things under control at the suburban so Daryl had to move to clear his chopper. Loading an arrow he fired it at another walker. The shaft broke right through the bridge of its nose and the body fell to its knee's. Daryl put his foot on its chest, yanking the bolt out of its skull with his free hand. The body crumpled to the ground as he slung the crossbow over his back and jumped on the bike.

[Storyteller]

"Are you ok?"

What a loaded question. Was she okay? Her head was throbbing from where it had hit the ground and she could feel a warm, sticky liquid on the back of her neck. Must have a gash back there. She'd lost count of the amount of times she or someone she cared about had almost been killed that day. She was tired, hungry and filthy. 

But she was alive. They were all alive. That's what mattered. So, without taking her eyes from the task at hand, she called back to her sister, "Yeah, I'm okay."

They were nearing the cars. She could see Carol, T Dog and the Grimes family already piling into the Suburban. Daryl was at the head of the line, clearing his bike. She could hear her dad fire off a shot behind her. Where was Glenn? Her heart fluttered for a moment, panic beginning to set in until she caught a glimpsed of him not far off- in one piece and nearing the vehicles himself. Pouring on the speed, she pulled Beth behind her. If they didn't get there soon, there would be no pulling those cars out.

Though it seemed like the flight to the cars had taken forever, it must have only been seconds between her close call and reaching the cars. She swung hard at a walker the was a little too close for comfort to the Hyundai's passenger side and he went down like a sack of bricks. Hurriedly, she yanked the back door open and push Beth towards it before turning to check on Hershel. "We need to keep the car clear until they make it over here," she said over her shoulder to Beth, "I'll take the front, you cover me. If they get too close, jump in the car and shut the door."

[DarkSideCookie]

"Yeah, I'm okay.", she finally heard her sister saying.

Well, of course she wasn't ok. No one of them was. But that was easier to ask than Have you been bitten? or something like that. Beth tried to feel adequate with her answer and so concentrated back on their way through the herd towards the cars. She could already see them. Parts of the group have already reached them. Beth' heart was beating faster. She still was dragged by Maggie's hand. Will they reach the cars before the walkers catch up on them? They had to. They just had to.
Beth noticed the sudden panic on her sister's face. Glenn! She saw a glimpsed of him behind, before Maggie pushed her towards one of the cars.

"We need to keep the car clear until they make it over here,""I'll take the front, you cover me. If they get too close, jump in the car and shut the door."

Beth wasn't able to say anything, still holding the gun in her hand. Looking down at it for a little moment. Then she looked up at Maggie again and with a nod she indicated her that she will do everything she can to help. Beth clasped the gun more tightly, ready to use it a second time if he needed to. For the first time she didn't feel like a drag within the group.

[Hershel Greene]

Hershel

    "Yeah, I'm okay." Hershel heard his daughter's words. She was well enough to reply, they still had the fight in them. He saw them both covering the Hyundai so he started looking for Glenn, the only one he hadn't seen beside them. Then Hershel saw him bringing up the rear, followed closely by a walker. Hefting his shotgun the older man fired giving his companion the time to reach the vehicle. "Go on son," Hershel nodded to the back as he helped Beth into the front passenger seat. "Maggie it's time." he called out as he headed for the other side. The driver's door flew open but he wasn't getting in until both his girls and Glenn were safe, he leveled the gun once more to cover them. They were so close now, only a little longer he thought and they'd be away!

[unwrittentales]

Near to panic there is some state of mind that appear if those you love are in danger but you were unable to help them. Sometimes it helps you to overcome greatest dangers or to manage impossible situation but sometimes it let you fall into despair. For Glenn it was the latter. On that one second he was in the front of the group but when he saw those walker attacking Mag, he felt like he was losing the ground. It might be only seconds but suddenly he was at the rear of the group and even lost the direct contact. Would they leave without him? Glenn shook his head to clear his mind. Two Walker already came that close that they had blocked the direct way to the car. With courage born out of despair he tried to sidestep them. Swiftly he ran to the left and almost managed to outrun both of them as his feet lost the grip. The dark moaning voice was close to his ear. 'This is the end..' he thought as one single shot disrupted the silent night. Glenn looked up and saw Hershel only a few yards away, still aiming with a shotgun in his direction.

"Go on son" All doubts fell of him and he finished the way to the cars at a brisk pace. "Thanks... you... you saved my life." He wasn't able to say more but his eyes expressed he would give his own one's to return this favour.

[Storyteller]

One after another, the crowbar found its way into the skulls of the oncoming walkers. They were losing the higher ground here. She couldn't look as she heard her father fire another shot, this time closer to them then he was before. The voices around her barely registered as she focused all of her anger, frustration and fear into wielding the hooked piece of metal, blood and brain matter exploding each time it found its target. 

"Maggie it's time."

Hershel's voice cut through the tunnel vision, its closeness startling her. She knew he was right. Other sounds filtered in and Maggie could hear Daryl's motorcycle and the loud engine of the Suburban already speeding down the road. They needed to get out of there. A few more swings cleared her immediate area and she quickly lunged into the open back passenger side door, pulling it shut behind her. Two other door slams followed and the Hyundai was tearing down the road.

Maggie's heart was still pounding, her adrenaline racing through her veins even as they left the danger behind. Had they really all made it out of there alive? It didn't seem possible, yet here they were. Her hand reached across the backseat to grasp Glenn's. Making sure that he was truly sitting there beside her.

Once the hoard was far in the distance behind them, no longer even visible down the stretch of pavement in their wake, she finally spoke.

"Shouldn't be too long before we catch up with the others." 

*The survivor's exit to The Open Road*