Chapter Eighteen: Light of Hope

Chapter EighteenLight of hope▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬       This was the second night in a row Electra has not slept.      She simply lay on the thin sleeping matt staring up at the ceiling of the tent with Stacie sleeping soundly beside her, her fragile body cocooned into her own. Cautiously, she managed to slither out of the sleeping bag without awakening Stacie before tiptoeing out of the tent, greeted by blinding sunlight piercing her eyes. Shielding her eyes, Electra continued further into camp.      Her eyes now adjusted to the brightness of the outdoors, she removed her hand to get a better view, laying her eyes on Dale staring at her from his lawn chair and a sleepy Andrea by his side. Sending a small smile at them she grew worried, worried at the fact that Dale just stared at her contemplating on telling her something which of course- he was.      Unbeknownst to Electra, her brother had raised his shotgun on his best friend behind his back. She deserved to know and no doubt she could tell that he was hiding something from her. But, how on earth could Dale tell her something like that?      Before Electra could open her mouth an abrupt cough erupted from elsewhere, causing her to turn her head in the direction of Daryl who looked like he wanted a word. Glancing at Dale once more, she then advanced on Daryl who was eating the berries she had collected from their last hunt together. It had seemed like such a long time ago but in reality wasn’t all that long ago. Silently, Daryl raised his hand offering her some as he chewed. Fluttering her eyes back to his she shook her head.       “Suit yourself,” Daryl shrugged carelessly before throwing the remaining berried into his mouth, Electra’s stomach rumbled. Why did I deny food? Gosh I’m so hungry.      “Er…..” she trailed off, turning her head ever so slightly so that she was giving him a side glance before digging her hands into her pockets.      “You really should get some more eye shut ya know,” Daryl advised causing her to again second glance him. “Remember what happened last time?”      A tingle travelled down Electra’s spine as she remembered how real it had all felt, chasing her ‘mother’ down through the forest in the second day in camp. She could remember the pain and shock she had felt when she realised it was her, so powerful it forced her backwards.      “How-”      “You and your heavy breathing nearly kept me up with you all night,” Daryl interrupted her thinking out loud. “Better than your snoring I suppose….” Daryl mused.      “I do not snore,” Electra snapped at him defensively. “Not my fault I can’t sleep, my mind refuses to shut up,” she stated. “After all what’s so good about sleeping? You can relax when you’re dead,” she added nonchalantly to herself before staring Daryl. “Why do you care?”      “I don’t particularly, I’m just sayin’”      “Particularly?! Long word for you Dixon, five whole syllables!” the words had caused both their heads to turn towards Thea who was coming up behind Daryl.      “I’m just sayin’: Yer no use to anyone without rest,”      Daryl turned back to Electra for just a second before Thea approached the pair. Turning his head again, Daryl threw Thea a scowl before strutting off.      “What was all that about?”      “Nothin’”      “Okay then…..” Thea trailed off awkwardly patting her legs. “So, you all packed, raring and ready to go?” she questioned enthusiastically.      “Pffft,” Electra scoffed. “It’s not like I have much to pack and I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to go,” she stated glancing out at the quarry. “This place is beautiful, it was home….ya know?” Electra continued to star out sighing, they had lost their people and their safe haven was not so safe anymore.      “Amen…..” Thea agreed following Electra’s gaze. She needed something stable in her life, she thought the quarry could have been that but she was wrong. “How’s Stacie? How’s she taking all of this?”      “Like all the other children are…..” Electra told Thea, turning her gaze back onto Thea. “Badly.” She explained causing Thea to frown. “But she’ll get through, I have faith in that little girl,” Thea shot Electra a small little smile.      “Hey y’all! Gather around!”      Shane’s call caused Electra and Thea to immediately turn in the direction of Shane, who was standing nearby Dale, Andrea and now the rest of the survivors who had gathered there. Slowly Electra and Thea re-joined the group, Electra squeezing in between T-Dog and Glenn.       “Alright, everybody listen up,” Shane ordered over the top of the murders that seemed to die out. “Those of yous with CB’s: We’re gonna be on channel forty- best to keep the chatter down, okay?” he firstly addressed the few with CB’s causing Electra to speak up.      “And those without CB’s?”      “Now you gotta problem: don’t have a CB,” Shane continued looking to his sister briefly. “Can’t get a signal at all, you’re going to hit your horn one time. And I mean one time Thea,” Thea dropped her head sheepishly, everyone knew how she got nervous. “That’ll stop the caravan……Any questions?”      “We’re uh….” Morales hesitated, now all eyes were on him and his wife, Miranda next to him. “We’re not going,” he informed everyone causing a few gasps.      “We have family in Birmingham,” Miranda piped up in a form of explanation. “We….Not that there’s anything wrong with you guys……we want to be without people,” she explained.       “You’re on your own,” Shane reminded them wearily. “You won’t have anyone to watch your back,” he said with a doubtful look.      “We’ll take the chance,” Morales nodded before turning his head to look at Rick. “I gotta do what’s best for my family,” he eerily echoed Rick’s words to Shane the day before.      “You sure?”      Rick was still attempting to get them to rethink, to stay with the group. Morales saw this. “We’ve talked about it,” he looked at Miranda, Louis and Eliza before looking back to Rick once more. “We’re sure,” he assured them.      “Alright,” Rick sighed, picking up the bag of guns up from the floor and retrieving a Smith & Wesson Model 586 and a box of ammo.      “Box is half full,”      “Thank y’all….For everything.”      “Good luck man,”      Electra was the first to hug Morales with tears filling her eyes whilst Lori hugs Miranda and the kids all embrace sobbing. Others join in, to put it lightly: they were going to be missed. Crouching down, Electra held one of Eliza/Louis’ tiny hands in her looking at them with a weak smile.      “You two be safe, yeah?” the tears start to stream down Electra’s face as she speaks gently to the two children who she now had full attention from. “Look after your mommy and daddy,” she told them before being tackled into a little group hug which she drew away from sniffing like crazy. Tears in her own eyes, Eliza handed Sophia a doll.      “Chanel forty,” Rick spoke up, ruining the beautiful and sad silence. “If you change your minds, alright?” he reminded them.      “Yeah,” Morales nodded pointedly at Rick before sharing once last glance with the people whom he had shared his apocalyptic world with before turning away to load himself and his children into their car.      “What makes you think our odds are any better?” Shane questioned Rick in a whisper before turning to the rest. “Come on. Let’s move out!”        The group left the campsite behind for good. Dale was driving the R.C with Glenn beside him with the map, Jacqui in the bedroom helping Jim whose fever was worsening. In his Jeep Cherokee, Rick drove his wife sat in the passenger seat beside him as Carol, Sophia and Carl sat in the back. Andrea sat beside T-Dog in the Dodge Ram Wagon staring out of the window seeing Daryl pass them in his Ford F-250 with his motorbike on the back.      ▬ First Person- Electra’s P.O.V ▬       Inside the deep blue jeep wrangler that my brother was driving there was a long lingering silence which was occasionally interrupted by the odd snore. Little Stacie was stretched out on the backseats sleeping soundly whilst gripping Rory tightly. As soon as I had entered the vehicle I had glued my eyes to the windscreen and they had remained there ever since. Though not looking at him I could sense that Shane's eyes had been constantly flickering between Dale's R.V in front and I the whole journey. Sighing, I decided that I should probably confront him about what I had been contemplating on confronting him the whole time.      "Thea...." I blurted out with no intention of doing so, the word I had spoken caused Shane to shift in the drivers seat to glance at me. "Thea told me about what happened....." I started again before turning to look at my brother. "When Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, Daryl and I were in Atlanta," I revealed causing Shane to sigh beside me.       "Oh did she now?" Shane grumbled breathily with a tone to his voice that I didn't like as he turned his gaze back at Dale's R.V.      "Hey! Don't be pissed at her, she did the right thing!" I scorned him causing Stacie to stir in her sleep. "She was concerned about you...." I told him before breathing deeply. "I'm concerned about you," I confided in him resting my hand on his shoulder causing him to look into my eyes. "Give me something to go on....please," I pleaded,      "Lori accused me of lying to her....about Rick being dead, acting as if I had planned it all so-" Shane began to rant. "I was angry and then I saw Ed hit Carol and I-" he cut himself of, we could both see he was getting worked up now. "I couldn't help but remember back when......I-I couldn't help but to imagine that it was....." all his attempts were failing but I knew what he was trying to tell me and it made my heart break.      "Oh Shane....."      "I just lost it." he admitted, his brown eyes shining with tears he was fighting back and succeeding.      "Shane that's all in the past now," I reassured him, not knowing whether I was reassuring him or myself. "We put that all behind us, I certainly did when I moved to England." I reminded him. "That's never going to happen again,"      "I know, I know Ellie," Shane agreed. "But I couldn't help it, I'm never going to be able to forget all of it," he informed me.       "I know Shane... we just have to concentrate on now," I stated. "On...on surviving, the past doesn't matter, it can't hurt us now. The only thing that can hurt us now are walkers, so lets concentrate on them, huh?" I suggested  causing Shane to nod and turn back to face the front.      "Do you...... d'ya think Morales and his family are going to be alright?" Shane questioned me curiously.        "Man.....I sure hope so," I shared my hope with my brother. "Morales is a really good guy, I didn't know his wife very well but she seemed sweet and those kids....those kids were gold man," I reminisced.      "Do you think we're going to be alright?"      "Well.....Dale's been saying that we're not going to get very far with that radiator hose in the R.V but-"      "I meant-"      "I know what you meant Shane," I sighed. "How am I supposed to know whether we're going to be alright? The best thing we can do is hope and try to do all we can manage to ensure the best," I shrugged.           "I think Morales might have had the right idea....." Shane admitted causing me to turn to him curiously. "Separating from the group," he added to make his words make sense to me.      "I don't." I admitted causing Shane to turn to me with a cocked eyebrow. "What? I'm not going to pretend to be the dutiful sister and agree with you. I honestly think our best bet is with these people," I asserted.      "Why?"      "Safety in numbers and all that," I spoke calmly. "These people are more than capable of having our backs," I asserted.      "We are more than capable of having each other’s backs," Shane claimed as I purely just gawked at him.      "Are you seriously considering this as an option?" I questioned him, my voice raising in pitch and volume.      "Aren't you?" he questioned back. "It is a perfectly valid option Ellie and not the worst either," he retorted.      "Please tell me how it is a perfectly valid option Shane because I would really like to be enlightened over here," I conducted.      "Look around Ellie!" Shane commanded causing me to look out of the windscreen to see the R.V and Rick's car, then out of the side window to see Daryl beside us in his pick up truck then behind us at the car that T-Dog was driving. "Sure they're good people but look what has happened, so many have died as a consequence of being in a group this big, Amy, Ed," he continued. "One day that may be me-"      "Shane....." I cut him off, not wanting to imagine any further.      "No Ellie, it's true." he denied my wishes. "One day that's going to be me, or it's going to be you. That's a risk I just can't take Ellie," he persisted.        Before I had time to think a deafening honk of a horn caused Shane to slam his foot down on the break causing us all to jolt forward ever to slightly as he drew to a stop right behind Dale's R.V, from within our car we could see smoke. Shane immediately jumped out of the jeep and slammed the door shut behind him as I opened my door.      "Electra.....?"

      "Don't worry Stacie, just stay in here and sleep baby," I turned my head back to look at her before jumping out of the jeep and speeding towards the smoke which seemed to be coming from the R.V. Great.       "What's up?" Shane asked as Dale got the panel off of the front of the R.V and Rick was standing nearby.      "I told you we wouldn’t get far with that radiator hose," Dale said to Rick as he ignored Shane's question but still answered it. That bloody radiator hose. "I needed the one from the cube van," Dale stated.      "For God's sake!" I resulted to kicking one of the vehicles as I turned around knotting my hands in my hair before I could get an idea. "Can't we just rig it?!" I turned back to everyone and questioned them calmly.        “That’s how it’s been so far,” Dale spoke up casing my eyes to land on him once more. “Duct taped the hose…..and I’m out of duct tape,” he explained.      There goes my hope.      “I see something overhead,” Shane stated causing me to turn around to see him peeking through my binoculars. “Gas station if we’re lucky,” he said removing them from his eyes.      “Y’all!” Jacqui burst out of the R.V doors with such urgency she nearly fell down the R.V stairs. “Jim.” She blurted. “It’s Jim…..It’s bad. I-I don’t think he can take it no more,”      God.      This time I did not result to kicking anything I just bent over.      “Hey Rick, you want to hold the fort?” Shane suggested. “I’ll drive up ahead and see what I can bring back,” he proposed.      “Yeah and I’ll come along too, back you up,” I said as I straightened up fully and ran my free hand through my greasy hair.      “Me too,” Glenn agreed.      “I’ll go as well,” this voice caused me to cock and eyebrow and turn around to see Daryl standing a little bit behind me. “Can’t sit around and wait,” he shrugged.      “Y’all keep your eyes open,” I turned back to Rick, Jacqui and Dale. “We’ll be alright,” I assured them all. “Now go check on Jim,” ►►►      “Some gas station," Daryl scoffed as we approached the gas station which was coincidently next to another lone building.      “Why don’t me and Glenn check if there’s any gas left in this joint whilst you and Daryl search that building for anything helpful?” Shane proposed.      “Sure,” I agreed before walking a little further forward to look at the building properly.      “Door’s locked,” Daryl informed me snapping me out of my inner thoughts to see him attempting to break the door down- no such luck. “You got another one of those hair things?” he enquired.      “Hair clips?” I offered up causing Daryl to nod as he gave the door one last good kick- still nothing. “You can pick locks too?” I gasped, not knowing why exactly I was shocked by this.      “Course I can,” Daryl drawled. “But I don’t have the right equipment on me,” he announced. Proper equipment? How often did he pick locks? “Overheard Glenn saying how you can pick locks with those hair things,” he explained, losing the word again.      “Hair clips.”      “Whatever.” Daryl grunted, clearly having no interest in the name of stupid hair accessories that he would never use or need.      “No….I……” I frantically patted down on the roots of my hair in desperate search of a bobby pin. “I don’t have any, not anymore,” I realised motionlessly. “I mean I wasn’t exactly thinking straight when packing. I must hav- I must’ve left them back at the quarry.” I hypothesized.      “How helpful of you,” Daryl remarked whilst rolling his eyes, the sarcasm practically dripping off of his southern drawl and into my ears.      “Although….” I started curiously, an idea sparking in my mind. “I do have another idea slash option that might work but I don’t think you’re going to like it very much….” I trailed off causing Daryl to sigh and mutter something under his breath, still facing the door.      “What is it woman?”      “Well you see…..we do have another realistic option….”      “Which is?”      “Arrow. Gimme.” I demanded practically jumping to grab one of his arrows out of his quiver but he caught hold of my wrist whilst turning just as I got my hands on one of his arrows, not allowing me to move an inch.      “You’re fast Mismatch,” he commented with no intention of loosening his grip. “But not fast enough,” he smirked at me. “If you think there’s any chance I’m giving you an arrow….you’re demented,” he told me, not realising how hard he was actually holding my grip.      “But-”      “But nothing,” he shot back at me, cutting me off in mid-sentence. “I only have five of these arrows and I don’t have any plans on sacrificing any of them,” he declared. “Use one of your own,” he snapped, still holding my wrist. I wasn’t sure if he was waiting for me to release his arrow or just forgot that he was holding it.      “I would but they’re back in the R.V along with my bow and-”      “Then you best go fetch them, shouldn’t you?”         “You’re such a child,” I scorned. “What I was going to say before you rudely cut me off again: I would but they’re back in the R.V along with my bow and they don’t have the right shaped arrow heads anyway,” I explained causing Daryl to respond with a snort. “Look, you give me that arrow and I’ll whittle you a replacement and five more on top of that,” I said making him an offer I knew he couldn’t refuse. “And I’m awful good and whittling,” I added onto the end, to ensure he agreed.       “They best be perfect,” Daryl grumbled as he reluctantly released my wrist and allowed me to take his arrow at last, I could feel the feeling coming back into my hand.      “Okay….” I approached the lock and crouched down to get a better look. “Here goes nothing,” I muttered before wildly jamming the arrow into the stupid lock as much as possible with my hands before standing up and kicking it further into the lock.      “Have you lost your freakin’ mind?”      “Nope….” I kicked the arrow further in once more. “Well….not recently,” I shrugged causing Daryl to groan. “Oh have a little faith in me Mr No-Sleeves,” I turned around to face him before turning back to the lock. “You may be pleasantly surprised,” I muttered loud enough for him to here as I turned the arrow in the lock before I heard that oh so brilliant clicking noise. “Bingo.” I grinned as I pushed the door open. “After you,” I smirked at Daryl as I held the door open wide.      “You had no idea that was actually going to work for sure, did you?” Daryl second glanced me, pausing before the door frame of the building.      “Not for sure, no,” I admitted. “I heard a story of someone in my family getting locked out and picking the lock with an old arrow….” I exclaimed. “But then again, they were completely shit-faced drunk when telling me this….” I reminisced before shrugging it off causing the corners of Daryl’s mouth to lift ever so slightly. “Wow. Is that a smile Mr Dixon?” I asked causing him to role his eyes unable to wipe the small smile off of his face.      “So hard to believe?” Daryl raised a dark eyebrow at me.      “Never said it wasn’t, it’s just the first time I’ve ever seen you actually smile…..” I elaborated before realising we were meant to be searching this building, not standing outside of it. “Now you going in or not?” I cocked my head at him causing him to pass me, walking into the house before I followed him in.      “I’ll go find a light switch,” Daryl said, it was way too dark to see anything in this blasted building. “Keep your eyes open,” he told me before he truly disappeared.      Keep my eyes open?     Of course I was going to keep my bloody eyes open! Not that it made much difference in this light, I shifted uneasily in the darkness and decided it was in my best interest to try to explore this place in the darkness. Taking a step forward I immediately regretted it feeling pain. Cursing, I lifted up my shoe to find a piece of glass wedged into the thin sole of my worn black boots and pulled it out making a cut along the tip of my index finger.      Not glass……mirror.      I must be in a bathroom!      Yes, yes that seemed right. I could feel the sound of my shoes clunking against tiles at every slight movement I made. Bathrooms are small….there’s got to be a light switch somewhere. Unable to make anything out, I fumble for the light switch and finally graze the outline of one. I desperately flip the switch but…nothing. No light, just nothing. Furrowing my forehead I began to flip the light switch over and over again in desperation.      Giving up at last I gave out a deep breath before turning on the spot and walking out of what I had declared the bathroom to wander down the never ending corridors alone wishing that Daryl would find a source of light anytime soon. A torch would be best, I knew that finding an actual light would have been wishful thinking.       Suddenly I felt a pair of arms lock around my waist and a hand being plastered against my lips. Before I could even hope to fight back, I was pulled back into something, the door slamming shut in front of me. I screamed against the hand lashing out in the tiny space.      “Shhhhhhhhhhhh,”      Opening my eyes again I came face to face with Daryl who had removed his hand from my mouth and had just resulted in pressing his finger to my lips instead. My throat dry I simply stared back into his blue eyes which were stern, he obviously had a good reason in pulling me into this closet because I doubt Daryl wanted to be this close to anyone. With every breath felt by both parties, so close to each other that we could smell each other’s breath. I could feel my body trembling against his wondering what kind of danger we were in.       Creak.      We had company.      There was barely any space for me to maneuver but somehow I managed to get my hand on my gun and fish it out of its holster as Daryl melted back into the wall probably wishing he could become one with it at this moment in time. Anyone could tell that Daryl had a problem with touching.      The creaking was getting further away.      Not much longer now. I thought to myself.      Then the door slammed open.      Though I was momentarily startled and blinded I raised my gun almost instantly out of instinct, pointing it in the direction of the source of the light.      “WOAH!!!!!!!!!! Don’t shoot!”      Our attacker shifted the light source out of my eyes. When my eyesight had been restored I could see a man holding one of his hands up in surrender and clutching a flashlight in the other. I could see now that he was maybe a little taller than Daryl with curly golden hair, sculpted features and leaf green eyes.      “Who the hell are you?!” Daryl demanded in a gruff voice as I, not lowering my gun, stepped out of the closet causing him to walk backwards.

     “Noah Little,” the stranger said immediately, his pitch or voice getting higher out of fear. “Don’t shoot me man! I mean you no harm.”      Not knowing what to do I turned back to glance at Daryl who was now holding up his crossbow ready to fire it at the man before looking back forward again.      “You scared the living crap out of us Noah Little.”      “I’m real sorry I scared you two. I’ve been cooped up in this building for God knows how long, I thought you were those monsters.” he explained.      Uncertainly, I lowered my gun but was still in defensive mode. Judging by the look on Noah’s face Daryl hadn’t lowered his cross bow.       “Daryl….” I turned my head ever so slightly to connect eyes with him but when I did he just immediately shifted his eye line back to Noah. Rolling my eyes I turned again to face the man. “I’m not gonna lie to you man, our groups not at its best right now. We’ve had a really fucked up couple of days.” I informed him.      “Group???” he questioned. “The-There are more of you?”      I could practically hear Daryl growling from behind me. “There were alot more….a lot more but our camp got attacked by walkers,”      “I’m sorry to hear that….” Noah trailed off, obviously searching for my name.      “Electra.”      “I’m sorry to hear that Electra,” Noah said sincerely before turning ever so slightly to look behind me. “Daryl….” He added on to the apology. “He doesn’t seem very trusting,” Noah assumed, saying it only to me.      “Oh he isn’t,”      “Should I tell you something about myself?” Noah turned to Daryl who just stared right through him. “Okay then…..I’m Noah Michael Little, born and raised in Macon….I’m a doctor-” he searched for things to tell us.      Doctor.      He’s a doctor.      A doctor.      “There’s about 15 of us now” I told him. “Three children, seven men and five women. We’re headed towards the Centre for-” before I could finish my sentence Daryl grabbed my wrist and pulled me backwards where we could speak privately and I subdued a wince.      “What the hell do you think you’re doin’?”      “He’s a doctor Daryl,” I reminded him in a whisper whilst rolling my eyes. “Might come in handy during the zombie apocalypse,” I remarked in a hiss before turning back to Noah. “Our group….we’re headed towards the CDC in Druid Hills.” I opened up. I could hear Daryl groan from behind me but chose to ignore him. “The CDC stands for Centr-” I started, noticing Noah’s blank expression.      “Centre for disease control, yeah,” Noah finished off for me. “Yeah, I know what CDC stands for,” he confirmed causing me to feel embarrassed.      “Sorry…..” I apologized sheepishly. “You want to tag along?” I proposed.      “Nah,” he denied causing my eyes to bug out, out of shock. “I’m more of a lone wolf, I don’t do groups…” he stated honestly.      “So is he,” I jerked my thumb back at Daryl who seemed to be glad that Noah would not be joining us on our little journey. “And he’s with us….pretty sure he all hates is all but still,” I elaborated.      “Naw, I’ll be fine,” Noah assured me before walking closer to us. “But that you for the offer….” He trailed off stopping in front of me. “Electra,” he drew my name out before he forced his lips against mine.      Shock.      I didn’t know what exactly I was doing in that specific moment but I was way too shocked to be able to move, let alone push him off of me. I don’t know how long it lasted but when I ended all I could do was stare at him whilst he disappeared back into the darkness.      “Come on Mismatch, we got work to do.”     ►►►      “Why the hell didn’t you do anything back there?” I questioned Daryl as we emerged from within the house out into the bright sunlight again. “When Noah kissed me…..?”      “Why would I?”      “Why wouldn’t you? I mean you clearly did not trust that guy at all yet you stood by whilst he just freakin’ invaded my mouth,” I grunted.      “You can stand up for yourself Mismatch, I aint your daddy.” Daryl retorted causing me to pause on the spot for a second before continuing.      “I was startled!” I shot back at him. “You could have defended my honour at least,” I mumbled underneath my breath in bitterness.      “Never had honour myself and I’m doin’ fine. Don’t see why yours needs to be defended,” Daryl stated, obviously he had better hearing than I had expected. “Don’t think anyone has honour in this world….not anymore,” he mused to himself.      Shane does.      Rick does.        Dale does.      T-Dog does.     I don’t know definitely about anyone else, especially after what had happened back in Atlanta but these people had their morals. I know they do.      “Y’all get anything?”      Shane’s voice interrupted my thought tracking causing me to lift my gaze to see him approaching us with a gas can in his hand. In response, I lifted up a hoyt recurve bow that we had come across to show him.      “Sweet.” Shane grinned examining the bow. “Ya can use it?”      “Of course I can,” I shot back at him arrogantly as I dropped it down by my side. “Not much inside,” I lied, deciding against telling him about Noah. “You have better luck?” I asked him, peering over the top of the gas can.      “Naw, nothing. The whole gas station is cleared out.” Shane explained causing a frown to form on my face. “Though I did find some duct tape,”             “Well, let’s get back then,”▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬       “It’s what he says he was,”      But Rick’s assuring words flew straight over Electra’s head as she looked at the dirt underneath her feet trying to absorb the information that she had just been told. She thought the atmosphere at the gas station was tense but it was not nearly as tense and consuming as the atmosphere back in camp with Jim’s condition growing worse.        “And he’s hallucinate?” Carol enquired, unsure of the whole idea herself. Who in their right mind would want something like that?      “He seems to be,” Rick answered after a thoughtful pause. “I would say yes,” he nodded at Carol before his eyes landed on Electra who didn’t seem to be listening to anything that was being said.      “Back in camp….” Dale started, drawing Rick’s attention away from his Ellie. “When I said Daryl might be right and you shot me down you misunderstood.” Dale told him causing Rick to feel a pang of surprise. “I would never go along with carelessly killing a man,” Dale announced with his hand on his heart. “I was going to suggest that we ask Jim what he wants….and I think we have an answer.” He continued just before Electra looked up for the first time.      “Are you serious?” Electra questioned with her forehead furrowed, wondering whether or not she had heard Dale correctly.        “We just leave him here? Take off?” Shane pretty much mirrored his younger sisters reaction as he looked at Rick who was saying nothing. “Man, I’m not sure if I can live with that.” He admitted, speaking to Rick solely.      “It’s not your call,” Lori called them out from the side, overhearing the whole conversation but never being actually involved in it. “Either one of you.” Her eyes flickered from her husband to Shane and then back to her son who she was sitting next to.      It was only for a second but Electra’s eye line went for Lori and connected eyes with her momentarily. It was the first look they had shared since they had argued back at the Atlanta Survivor Camp but it wasn’t a look of loathing or forgiveness or regret. It was a look of understanding…..and with a sigh she looked to Shane and Rick showing her support of Lori’s words.        It was then that Rick and Shane shared a look of their own and headed up the R.V stairs, knowing exactly what they were going to do, no matter how reluctant they both were. Watching whilst they helped Jim out of the R.V was probably the coldest thing Electra had ever done but she couldn’t do anything but watch. And she continued to watch as they placed him by the tree trunk of a tall oak tree.      “There you go.” Rick said as he let go of Jim.      “Hey,” Jim exclaimed as he looked up to see the green leaves which were rustling in the gentle breeze. “Another damn tree.” He finished, jabbing at Shane a little.      “Hey Jim,” Shane called as he crouched down in front of the man. “Man you know it don’t need to be this.” He reminded Jim of his options, secretly hoping he would change his mind.      “No it’s good,” Jim replied causing Shane to look at him in confusion. “The breeze feels nice.” Jim closed his eyes and soaked in the feeling of the coolness against his flaming hot body completely ignoring the real meaning behind Shane’s words either consciously or unconsciously.       “Okay,” Shane nodded after a little sigh as he stood back up. “Alright.” He turned away and walked away from Jim a little bit allowing the others to get their turn.      “Just close your eyes sweetie.” Jacqui told him with a ghost of a smile as she crouched down in front of him before she pecked him on the cheek and copied Shane’s actions.      “Jim, I may not have been extremely close to you but I’ll miss you.” Electra said as she kneeled down in front of Jim, not caring about the state that her jeans were going to be in. “I know you think you’re a bad person for leaving your family behind but one action doesn’t define us Jim. We all make mistakes and I believe that you’re a good guy,” she told him causing Jim to smile slightly. “And I really do like your scarf.” They both laughed a little, not because Electra’s attempt to cheer Jim up worked but the fact that they knew they needed to. “Goodbye.” Electra kissed Jim’s forehead before shooting up to her feet and allowing Rick to approach Jim now.      “Jim, do you want this?”      Jim’s vision was filled with a gun that Rick was currently offering him, dismissively he looked up at Rick’s face instead to see guilt written all over it.      “No.” Jim shook his head. “You’ll need it.” He stated but Rick looked doubtful and still held it out to him. “I’m okay…..I’m okay.” He assured both Rick and himself.      Everyone was standing by on the brink of tears but no one else approached Jim they just watched on sadly. With a final nod, Glenn retreated back to the R.V causing everyone else to gradually disperse back into their vehicles but Daryl who had been at the back of the crowd was still there, staring at Jim. Weakly, Jim managed to put on a small smile causing Daryl to walk away before throwing him a short nod of appreciation. ►►►      The journey towards the CDC was even more awkward and tense than before they had dropped Jim off, despite the fact they thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse. Finally when they arrived the sun was setting in the sky. The building was huge and surrounded by numbers of barricades and tanks that no doubt the military had placed there in order to protect the valuable building from walkers. But judging by the number of dead military personnel scattered in disarray over the ground they had failed.           Inhaling the horrifying stench of rotting dead bodies that Electra knew oh so well, she covered her nose and mouth to prevent herself from throwing up. The buzzing of flies filed everyone’s ears as they began to cough and gag themselves, Stacie burying her face into Electra in order to avoid the stench and the sight which were equally as terrible.      “Come on,” Rick broke the silence though coughing a little himself. “Keep moving,” he ordered as he began to plot a way through the maze of dead bodies. “Keep quiet,” he instructed causing everyone to stop coughing and rejecting the poisonous odour from their lungs. “Come on lets go.” He started leading them towards the building.      “Okay keep close,” Shane was now barking orders with an arm placed around his sister, keeping her close to him. “Keep quiet, come on.” He urged them forward as Stacie erupted into a fit of coughs as she was buried in Electra. “Shhhhh.” Shane said softly to her.      “Careful,” Sophia pulled her daughter closer to her before she could walk straight into a dead body that was swarmed with flies.      Upon approaching the metal doors that were locked tightly shut Shane banged on the door but gained no sign of life from within.      “There’s nobody here.” T-Dog stated causing Electra to frown. She didn’t want to believe such a thing but it seemed to be true.      “Walkers!” Daryl yelled, notifying everyone as he shot one down with his crossbow as the others pulled their weapons out, ready to defend themselves. “Led us into a damn grave yard!” he shouted at Rick, storming towards him but Shane intervened. “It was the wrong damn call!”      “Shut up!” Shane snapped at Daryl as he pushed him back. “You hear me? Shut up!” he growled at Daryl before turning to look at Rick. “Rick, this is a dead end.” He told him.      “What are we going to do now?” Stacie asked, gripping on tighter to Rory in her arms and chattering involuntarily out of both cold and fear.      “You hear me?” Shane asked as Rick was still playing with the call box. “No blame.” Shane assured him but Rick was ignoring him.      “Jesus!” Lori clutched Carl tightly. “We can’t be this close to the city, not after dark.” She voiced, Electra could hear the worry in the mothers voice.      “Fort Benning Rick,” Shane stated level-headedly in the madness but Rick wasn’t even looking at him, let alone paying attention. “Still an option.”      “On what?” Andrea asked with her hands on her hips. “No food? No fuel?” she elaborated gesturing back to the R.V. “It’s a hundred miles.” She reminded them all.      “One hundred and twenty five,” Glenn corrected her quickly causing Electra to look away from the CDC and back to Glenn in disbelief. “I checked the map.” He explained to her causing her to roll her eyes.      “Forget that,” Electra ordered them all. “We need answers tonight,” she looked to Shane. “Now!” she exclaimed before her eyes drifted to Rick.      “Come on,” Shane said to Rick, now beside him. “Let’s go please!”  Shane pleaded but Rick still wasn’t listening only staring at the CDC in desperation.      “Lets go!” Daryl grunted causing everyone to start to head back into the vehicles cautiously, everyone but Rick.      “Ellie, let’s go.” Shane said to her as Electra stood still waiting for Rick to follow them, Shane was about to grab his sisters arm before she moved forward to Rick and stood beside him.      “Rick?” she asked quietly but Rick was staring up at something. Following his eye line Electra laid her eyes on a little camera which twitched ever so slightly.      Good God.      “The camera!” Rick cried out causing everyone who had headed off to look back to him. “It-” he began as everyone waited on him. “It moved.” He informed them moving closer to the camera as Electra stayed glued to her spot, dazed.      “You imagined it,” Dale stated as everyone eyeballed Rick doubtfully, secretly wondering whether the man had lost his mind.      “No,” Electra denied, shaking her head, eyes still on the camera. “He’s right,” she spoke up for him. “It did move.” She reinforced before Shane treaded towards her, now by his sisters side.      “Rick, Ellie,” he addressed them both but Shane was only looking at his sister. “It’s an automatic device, now come on,” Shane stated.      Automatic device of course.      She was wrong to have had hope.      Sighing Electra turned, knowing that Shane was right but Rick was still ignoring him.      “Come on man.” Shane said loudly to Rick as Rick investigated the camera. “It’s dead,” he told him. “It’s dead Rick,” he informed him a little louder. “Let it go!” he was shouting at him now.      Movement.      Rick slammed his fist against the metal shutter causing everyone to jump out of their skins, terrified. Electra moved towards Rick but Shane kept a hold on her.      “Rick!”      “Rick! Nobody’s there!”      “I know you’re in there. I know you can hear me. Please! We’re desperate! Please help us! We have women and children. No food. No water. Hardly any gas left.” Rick made a case causing Lori to march in front of her husband and place a hand on his chest.      “Rick!” she begged. “There’s nobody-”      “Nowhere else to go!” Rick continued to plead his case, ignoring Lori completely looking right into the camera that Electra saw was focusing on him.      “RICK!”      It was then that Shane marched forwards and grabbed Rick by the shoulders and started dragging him backwards but Rick continued to fight against his hold.        “YOU CAN’T LEAVE US! YOU CAN’T LEAVE US!” Rick screamed at the camera still fighting against Shane’s hold. He was acting like a crazy man now. He had surely lost his mind…..      Or was it just desperation? Electra thought to herself making the realisation: It was desperation. Desperation for his wife, for his son, for his group, for Shane. Desperation for her.      And she was desperate too.      “Look!” Electra shouted drawing everyone’s attention away from Rick as she stepped forward into the camera’s line of view.      “Oh for God’s sake!” Daryl yelled at the sky’s as he paced up and down.      “Ellie, come on!”      “No I won’t.” Electra snapped turning around to see Rick giving up. “Just give me a chance, I’m clever Shane. More clever than any of you estimate me to be,” she stated as she turned around. “I know you’re in there, I don’t know how many of you there are but someone is in there, you know how I know that?” she was now addressing the camera. “Because the shutters are down! Shut off from the rest of society, of course you are. Who wouldn’t want to be? And let’s face it, this is the safest building in the radius. Going to be protected at all costs!” she stated before looking back at the dead soldiers. “And it was protected well because you’re still there, protected and safe inside a metal box.” She spat. “I am Doctor Electra Walsh,” she introduced herself. “And I am accepting your job offer!” she finished in a gutsy shout, waiting expectantly for something to happen.       But it didn’t.      “You wanted a chance Ellie and I gave it to you,” Shane said breaking the awkward silence as Electra and everyone around her began to lose every ounce of hope they had ever had. “Ellie.” Shane whispered to his sister with a hand on her arm. “We have to go.”      With closed eyes and a sigh Electra turned around reluctantly, ignoring the stares of those around her and started to walk away from the blasted CDC.       Clink.      The little movement caused her and everyone else to turn around as the shutters suddenly flew open and they were drowned in pure beautiful light.      The light of hope.