Chapter 30: The Silence Said It All

Chapter Thirty The Silence Said It All▬ First Person- Electra’s P.O.V ▬ 

     “He’s not here.” I pointed out, slowly glancing up to meet the eyes of Shane who had just entered through the creaking door, treading as if he were walking across hot coals. “Is he?” I questioned him for validation and confirmation, my mismatched eyes straying away from his navy graduation robes and connecting with his soft amber eyes which pretty much said it all.         “No, he’s not here.” Shane sighed, confirming my own thoughts. Exhaling, I nodded at him before resting my head in the palm of my hands, bent over in the uncomfortable blue plastic chair. With another sigh of his own, Shane sunk down into the chair beside mine.      “He couldn’t just sober up, could he?” I enquired, shaking my head slowly, laughing bitterly. “Not just for one day.” I muttered, closing my eyes. “One day, Shane, that’s all I wanted, just one day and I really thought….” I cut myself of harshly, not wanting to continue any more. “I really thought that the day might be today. I mean, whose father is too drunk to come and see their own graduation?” I put the question to no one in particular, though Shane was the only other person present. “Well….I should know by now not to get my hopes up……” I trailed off, biting down hard on my lip. “How could I be such an idiot?” I smacked myself on the side of the head.      “Ellie-”      Shane had attempted to put his arm around me but before he could manage to, I shot up out of the plastic seat. Inhaling, I paced a little, backward and forward whilst Shane slowly raised himself up out of the chair with a pitying frown on his face.      “You-” I started, turning to face Shane, finally stopping my pacing. “You know what, Shane?” I enquired, cocking my head at Shane who awaited for my explanation. “I’m going to get through graduation without him.” I assured him in a whisper, nodding my head slowly. “I am going to get myself a great job, without him.” I foretold, my voice raising in volume so it reached normal volume. “I am going to fall in love with a brilliant man and I am going to walk down that aisle in a wedding dress, without him.” I predicted at the same volume.      “El-”      “Then I’m gonna have beautiful kids who will grow up into beautiful people, without the scars to tell them they’re not beautiful or the scars to tell them that they’re worthless.” I was aware that the volume of my voice was raising but I didn’t care who could hear me and quite frankly, they could hear, I wasn’t ashamed. “I don’t need him, Shane!” I told my brother in a shout.      I flipped a chair and then aimed a kick at the table.      “Why doesn’t he want us, man?” I managed to choke up, fully aware of the tears brimming my eyes as I looked my brother directly in the eye. It was not long before I was engulfed in his warm and strong embrace which is exactly what I needed.      “Woah.”  The voice of T-Dog alerted me that I was daydreaming causing me to snap out of it, with a slight jerk which I failed in hiding. Chuckling, he sat down on the fold out chair beside my own. “Where’d you go?” he enquired curiously, picking at his food with his fork.      “Nowhere.” I told him with a shake of my head. “I went nowhere.” I muttered under my breath without clarity, fully intending to make sure that T-Dog could not here it. Judging by his facial expression, I had succeeded. Glancing down at my good, I took in a mouthful.      “Dale explained the whole Jared situation.” T-Dog informed me before taking a whole mouthful of his own breakfast. Slowly, I turned my head to view him gulp down the last bit. “So there’s no need to clarify anything,” he elaborated, scraping any remains off of the bowl. “And there’s no need for you to worry, this is just between us two.” He added on, reassuring me a great deal.                  “Thanks, T.” I thanked him gratefully with a exhalation of relief. “Can I ask you a question?” I asked him innocently, taking another mouthful. Signalling that I had a go ahead, I chewed at a faster pace. “What’s going on with you and Thea?” I angled an eyebrow at him. “Last time I recalled, you both didn’t return back to camp until early this morning….” I said before waggling my eyebrows at him suggestively.      “Do I even need to clarify that?” T-Dog questioned me causing me to chuckle a little…..Christ, I was immature. “I like her, Electra……a lot.”  He admitted. “And if I could blush, I’d be blushing right now.” He clarified for me, I resisted the urge to ‘Awe’. “I know that she lost her fiancé recently, but this world. We don’t have much time, might as well put that time to good use.” He stated.       “Awe.”      “Shut up!” T-Dog snapped at me but it was in a good manner, but this only caused me to giggle like a little school girl. ♫ ‘I will go down with this ship.’ ♫ “I’m serious, Electra.” He told me, this only made me laugh a little harder. Rolling his eyes, he hit me on the arm playfully.       “Um, guys.” Glenn called out attention but I was too busy laughing to take action, it was T-Dog nudging me that caused me to turn my laugh into a cough before dimming it down into silence. Now, everyone’s eyes were on Glenn. “So, the barn is full of walkers.”      What?      The short silence of the realisation was broken by me loosing grip of my spoon in shock, causing it to drop down back into my metallic bowl, the clinging sound echoing around camp for but a second before the silence entered once more. I didn’t need to turn my head and look around at my group to tell that they were all in shock, the silence said it all. We were dumbfounded.      Rick and Shane shooting up to their feet, kicked us all back into action. Everyone but the children dropped their plates and utensils and followed our leaders who were advancing in the direction of the barn. I motioned for both Carl and Stacie to stay where they were before I caught up with the rest.      No words were needed. Uneasiness, uncertainty, fear, conscious, insecurity and betrayal were coursing throughout everyone. There surely were in me, along with curiosity. Why would the Greene’s even keep walkers in a barn? Just, why? My eyes slowly trailed away from the barn and too Jared who I could see out in the distance.      As quick as lightening, Shane walked up to the doors of the barn and pushed himself right up against the barn. Resisting the urge to, step forward and pull him backwards I simply watched on whilst he peaked through a crack in the well-constructed barn.          “You cannot tell me you’re alright with this.” Shane said, exhaling as he passed through the small space in between Rick and myself. Uncertainly, I gazed at Rick in the corner of my eyes. He wasn’t….was he? Nervously, I adjusted Shane’s police cap on my head.      “No.” Rick shook his head, causing me to exhale out of relief. “I’m not happy about this, but we’re guests here, Shane.” He reminded my brother causing him to exhale sharply. Rick did have a point though, we had to be smart with whatever plan of action we were going to take. “This isn’t our land.”      “God, this is our lives, man!”      “Shane, lower your voice.” I told him, placing a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down, it seemed to work for a little whilst seeing as he stopped pacing and concentrated on his breathing. Without words, I glanced back to Rick unsurely.      “We can’t just sweep this under the rug.” Andrea pointed out.      “It aint right.” Shane muttered under his breath, beginning to pace once more. “Not remotely.” He shook his head before he looked to Rick once more. “We’ve either got to go in there, we’ve got to make things right-” Shane suggested calmly.      “And what, making it right is right by them?”       “-or we’ve just got to go.” Shane finished his point, not making it clear whether he was ignoring my point or whether he had made up the second option due to my own point. “Now we have been talking about Fort Benning for a long time.” He said to Rick.      “We can’t go.” Rick told Shane.      “Why, Rick? Why?” Shane questioned.      Immediately Rick’s eyes met my own. Of course, why did I even wonder the same thing as Shane? We couldn’t go anywhere collectively. Lori was pregnant. Being pregnant was a death sentence, hell I sobbed my heart out when thinking I was. I knew why Rick looked to me, it was because I was the only one who could make my brother listen nowadays….or at least reason with him.      “Rick’s right.” I backed him up, giving him a knowing glance before transferring my glance on to Shane who had turned so that he was facing me. “We can’t go, Shane.” I told him stubbornly, this caused him to place a hand on his hip and send me a querying look. “We can’t leave Soph behind.” I stated.      “Okay.” Shane agreed with me but it was clear that he did not as he covered his mouth with his hands and inhaled deeply. “Okay, I think it’s time that we all start to just consider the other possibility.” He said, removing the hands from over his mouth.      “Shane,” Rick addressed him head on. “We are not leaving Sophia behind.”      “I’m close to finding this girl.” Daryl stated, gesturing wildly in an attempt to rebuke Shane’s words. “Hell, I just found her damn doll two days ago.” He pointed out.      “You found her doll, Daryl.” Shane laughed, not with humour, covering his mouth once again. “That’s what you did.” He said, placing emphasis on the you part. “You found a doll.”      “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.” Daryl told him, meaning to close the space in between himself and Shane but Rick positioned himself in between them so that Daryl was unable to.      “I’m just saying what needs to be said.” Shane said, holding his hands up in the air as if he were innocent. I resisted the urge to growl and simply shook my head, making it clear that I disagreed with him. “You get a good lead, it’s in the first 48 hours.” He regurgitated his police training to us all.      “Shane, Shane, Shane, be quiet!” I told him, all throughout his speaking, waving my hand at him in dismissal. Poor Rick was also trying to do the same as me, but he appeared to be doing a significantly worse job than I was. “Shane, seriously. Just be quiet.”      “Let me tell you something else, man.” Shane ignored me and continued his point, directing it at Daryl. “If she was alive out there and saw you coming, all methed out with your buck knife, and geek ears around your neck-” Hold up, (A) Since when did Shane refer to them as geeks and (B) Walker ears….around his neck? What? “She would have run in the other direction, man!” he yelled at Daryl now, knowing fully well that he was provoking him      Chaos.      “Shut up!”      “Stop.”      “Watch who you’re talking too!”      “I said stop it.”      Daryl had advanced towards Shane, wanting to challenge him….this really didn’t surprise me at all. Luckily, Rick had once again managed to intervene. But what did surprise me was that Shane was raring for a fight too, and wanted to go for Daryl.      “Hey! Hey! Hey!” Shane called Daryl who was standing behind Rick, Shane himself being held back by Andrea, Glenn and T-Dog. “I’ll beat your ass! You don’t come at me! You come at me and-” Shane warned him over our shouting but now Daryl was simply staring at Shane, squinting at him. “You come at me and I’ll beat your ass!” Shane threatened him causing me to place a hand on his chest.      “Keep your hands off me.” Shane said pointedly, pointing directly at me once I had removed my hand from his chest. I don’t think anyone missed the glint of surprise and pain present in my eyes after he had said this, him included. Now I was staring at him whilst he walked away.      “Ellie, just leave it.” Rick told me quietly, placing a hand on my shoulder as if I were going to start something. ‘Don’t worry Rick…..I will.’  I thought bitterly to myself, still staring at Shane out of disbelief. He had never spoken to me like that in his life. “Now, just let me talk to Hershel. Let me figure it out.” He told Shane calmly.      “What are you gonna figure out?!” Shane roared at Rick, turning on the spot in order to address him directly. A flicker of rage burned in his amber eyes which caused Rick to slowly loose grip on my shoulder. I could only thank God that Stacie nor Carl were witnessing this.      “Enough!”      “If we’re gonna stay,” Rick began, his tone much calmer and more controlled than my brothers. “If we’re gonna clear this barn,” he continued, gesturing aimlessly in the direction of the barn. “I have to talk him into it.” He made clear causing Shane to exhale quickly. “This is his land, Shane.” he reminded him.      “Hershel sees those things in there as people,” Dale stepped forward both literally and figuratively. “Sick people.” He clarified to those of us who were unable to comprehend. “His wife, his his his his stepson.” He informed us, stumbling over his words.      “You knew?” Rick questioned him, tilting his head.      “Yesterday, I talked to Hershel.”      “And you waited the night?”      “I thought we could survive one more night.” Dale turned his head to face his attacked who was Shane on this occasion. “We did.” He spat before slowly turning back towards Rick. “I was waiting till this morning to say something. But Glenn wanted to be the one.”      “That man is crazy, if Hershel thinks those thing are alive or no.” Shane started yelling again causing Rick to start yelling along with him. What is with the yelling? I could yell if I wanted to, but I chose not to. Their yelling however, was cut short by the rattle of the walkers pushing against the barn doors…..slamming against the barn doors. Instinctively, I pulled Shane backwards by his arm over protectively.      “Look.” Rick started as everyone looked to him. “Y’all just need to head back to camp.” He ordered, no one looked convinced. “I’ll talk to Hershel.” He assured us all causing everyone to gradually start gravitating in the direction of the camp. “Shane-”      “I hear you.” Shane snapped at him. “You just concentrate on talking Hershel.” He told him. “ But I’m not going to risk anythin'," Shane added on causing Rick to glare at him. "I’m gonna stay back and make sure the barns secure....you can at least give me that.” "Alright man. Alright," ►►►      “Is everything alright?” Carl questioned us the instant we came into view of our lil’ old makeshift camp, running towards me. “We heard yelling.” He explained to me, jerking his thumb in the direction of Stacie who had just caught up with him.  “Is everything alright?” he queried again as if I hadn't heard him.      “Everything’s just fine, guys.” I assured them both, crouching down so I was at their level, I always hated being taller than people. “Well, it will be.” I corrected myself, glancing over to Rick who was approaching the Greene’s ranch house. “You’re dad’s gonna work it out with Hershel.” I explained, flicking Carl’s cowboy hat before I straightened back up again. In the corner of my eyes I could see Daryl heading towards the stables. “Now run along, I’ve got stuff to deal with.” I stuck my tongue out at them both.      Whilst they turned their backs on me and walked off I stayed stationary, my eyes following Daryl who slipped into the stable. Removing my eyes from him, I glanced around at everybody else. Was no one else seeing this? Apparently, they either didn’t see or they didn’t care.      Shiftily, I looked around once more before seeing that Daryl had completely disappeared into the stables. Sighing, I rolled my eyes and found myself walking in the direction of the stables myself. Treading swiftly, I shook my head and cursed before entering the stables to see him messing around with a saddle.      “I can’t let you do that, Daryl.” I called, making my presence clear. A deep sigh was coherent and he stopped in his tracks. “You do know that, don’t you?” I queried him, treading further inwards. He ignored me and continued. “Daryl, you can’t.”      “I can and I will.” Daryl said dismissively, fiddling with the horse saddle, ensuring that it was in good condition. At least he was being cautious, it showed that he wasn’t being a complete idiot. I made my sigh loud and clear as I placed a hand on my hip. “I’m fine, Electra.” He snapped at me, trying to get me off his back.      “No.” I denied, shaking my head. “You aint.” I corrected him, leaning against a wooden pillar that made up the stables. “Now, I don’t feel like having to prick my wrist again ‘cause you’ve been an idiot and ignored that Doc’s orders.” I told him sternly.  “Hershel said that you needed to heal.” I enforced.      “Yeah, I don’t care.”      “Yeah, well, I do, Daryl.” I stated whilst he moved over towards one of the stalls and opened it to prepare the Arab that I had ridden previously. “Rick and Andrea are going out later to follow the trail, probably Jared and T-Dog too.” I assumed causing him to turn on me.      “What, Jared? The guy who’s trying to hook up with you?” Daryl scoffed, dealing with the horse’s halter, securing it tightly and rightly so.  I growled, was it really that obvious? “What’s stopping you, anyway?” he put the question to me causing me to roll my eyes.      “Look, I couldn’t give two shits about Jared Greene.” I spat at him. “And that is not what I came in here to talk about, I came in here to try to talk some sense into you.” I explained causing him to scoff loudly. “You can’t go out there, Daryl. Not today.”      “Yeah, well, I aint gonna sit around and do nothing.”      “No.” I shook my head, viewing him fully, moving so that I was leaning on the pillar closest to the stall. “You are gonna go ride out there and get yourself hurt even worse.” I warned him. “You are no use to anyone without your rest, Daryl..... your words.” I repeated his words. “You talked sense into me and now I’m gonna talk sense into you because I owe you that much.” I stated. “Look, Daryl, as much as I hate to say it: We don’t know if we’re gonna find her, Daryl.” I said after a short pause of reflection. “We don’t.” I reinforced.      Slowly, Daryl lowered his eye line so that he was looking to the floor rather than dealing with the horse’s halter. Slowly, he raised both his head and his eye line so that it rested on me. He had definitely taken in my words. Slowly, as if he meant to build suspense, he approached me slowly knowing there was more. I turned my head to the side a little so that I avoided his eyes.      “What?”      “Look, even Carol accepts the fact that we may have lost Soph, I-I was talking to her about it yesterday.” I explained, with a deep breath….he didn’t move. “Believe me, Daryl, believe me….I’m not accepting it either.” I informed him. “But….I’m not about to go and lose you, too.” I told him, my eyes boring into his own. “I-I-I mean….I-....I don’t want to lose anyone else, especially a good friend, Daryl.”      With something still in hand, he placed it down before walking off, giving me a little space to breath but his eyes were still glued to me and they were furious. All a sudden, he picked up the saddle he had placed down on a stool beforehand and threw it causing him to bend over in pain and grunt.      “Are you alright?” I asked, unintentionally going to his aid.      “Just leave me be.” Daryl rejected my aid, swinging his arm around dismissively as he walked onwards grunting and clutching the pierced side of his torso. He quickened his pace a little, cursing under his breath. “Stupid bitch.” He growled causing me to stand still.      “I am.” I sighed a little with narrowed eyes. “I really, really am.” I said through gritted teeth before kicking into an action of my own. “I don’t know why I bother, I’m just a stupid bitch for trying.” I grunted right as I passed by Daryl to storm out of the barn myself.  ▬ First Person- Shane’s P.O.V ▬       Lori’s pregnant.      I could be a dad.      Ellie could be an aunt.      Oh God.      Speak of the devil was the phrase. For that was when, as if on cue, I viewed Ellie marching straight out of the stables as if they were on fire. My police cap crooked on her head, her short waved being blown furiously despite the breeze being gentle, and she was speeding in an unknown direction.      “Hey!” I called after her but she kept her pace. “Hey Ellie!” I called but she had made a strict point on ignoring me, I couldn’t deny the fact that she had a point in doing so. “Ellie!” I shouted whilst running to catch up with her. “Ellie, look-” I started, walking along beside her.      “I am looking, Shane.” Ellie cut me off keeping her eyes front. “I am looking at right ahead of me, making sure I don’t happen to walk into a tree.” She breathed causing me to involuntarily raise an eyebrow despite the fact she couldn’t see. “Making sure I don’t happen to try to reach out to my beloved brother to get him to calm down as he explicitly told me to keep my hands off of him.” She snapped at me.      “Ellie-”      “No, Shane.” Ellie cut me off once more, clearly not wanting to hear it. “I really don’t want to hear it.” She made clear. “How could you even lash out like that? At, at, at me and at Rick? Claiming that you were going to beat Daryl’s ass? What happened to being the bigger man? What happened to being an example, Shane?” she interrogated me, not pausing for breath.      “I’m sorry!” I yelled at her before she could intercept once more. “I really am, Ellie.” I enforced causing her to give me a side long glance. “I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that, Ellie. You shouldn’t have to put up with my bullshit, but you did and I’m sorry.” I said before pausing for breath.      “Alright.”      “I just-” I cut myself off, knowing that I was only going to make my sister even more pissed and I didn’t want to risk that. Ellie is my sister. “You can’t think a barn full of walkers is alright, Ellie, you can’t.” I stopped in my tracks causing her to turn around and face me head on.      “Of course I don’t think a barn full to the brim of walkers is alright, Shane.” Ellie confirmed. “You know what I can’t think? I can’t think of leaving without finding Sophia.” I told him. “I can’t think of leaving when our, when our best friend’s wife is pregnant.” She said.      “You knew?”        “Of course, I knew.” Ellie responded. “Being pregnant out there is a death sentence, Shane. Rick, Lori and Carl don’t deserve that. Rick was on the brink of tears when he told me, that man is terrified, Shane. Our best friend is terrified.” She informed me. “I’m terrified, Shane.” She said after a brief pause, looking back up at me with the fear clear in her eyes. “We’ve finally got something here and I’m not prepared to just bail on that.” She said stubbornly. “We need to stay here, Shane, I don’t want to leave. I’m not at my best….Daryl and T are far from their bests and Carl is barely on his feet.” She mentally slapped me. “I don’t know if I can take going back out their again, Shane.” She admitted, looking deep into my eyes.      “El-”      “We’re not leaving, we can’t, Shane.” Ellie cut me off in midsentence, obviously not wanting to talk about herself or her feelings. “We just can’t, okay?” She turned on her heel and speed walked in the direction of her tent, my eyes trailing after her as she left.      ‘Don’t you worry, Ellie.’      ‘We’re not leaving, you’re big brother’s going to make sure of that.’      ‘Believe me, Ellie. I will do whatever I’ve got to do to keep us here at this stupid farm, you leave it all to your big brother, lil sis.’      As fast as I could possibly walk, without gaining any unwanted attention from people thinking there was a danger, I made my way over in the direction of the RV. Glenn shot a short ‘Sup’ at me that I did not return, I didn’t have time for chat. I needed to act and I needed to act now.

     Marching straight into the vehicle I realised that the bag of guns was not in its usual placement, on the table. Assuming that someone must have moved it, I peeked underneath the table but it wasn’t there either. Moving onwards I decided to search the cupboard, emptying its whole contents out until I realised it wasn’t there either. Growling, I flipped over the mattress to see that the guns weren’t their either.      “Son on a bitch.” I growled under my breath, slamming my hands down on the kitchen counter out of frustration. Dale. Dale had moved them, he was hiding them from me, damn Dale. Grunting, I made my way out of the R.V and looked up to Glenn who was seated in Dale’s chair with his hat on his head. “You see where he went?” I demanded, causing Glenn to turn his head to look at me.      “Who?”      “Don’t even try to shit me, okay?”      “What?”      ‘God, this kid was oblivious.’ I thought to myself before sighing. “Dale, Glenn.” I said loudly, putting emphasis on the son of bitch’s name. “Did you see where Dale went?” I interrogated him but judging by his expression and his whole body language…..there was no hope.      “Yeah, he asked me to run and get him some water.” Glenn called back to me in explanation. “He said he’d cover me on watch.” He claimed.      “And he was gone when you got back, huh?”      “Yeah.” Glenn confirmed, giving me a once over before worry spread across his features and he shot to his feet and stood up straight. “You think he’s okay?” he questioned in concern.      “He’s fine.”      “Why’d he bail then?”      “So you wouldn’t tell me which way he went.”      “I don’t get it.”      “No, man, you don’t.” ▬ First Person- Electra’s P.O.V ▬       “You should count yourself lucky I’m even here, Dixon.” I told him for the hundredth time, moodily walking alongside Daryl. “I am not having a good day today, so this best be worth it.” I warned him with a watchful eye as he started to lead me a little.      “Yes, mam.”       “You know, you’re endangering my life out here,” I snapped at him, folding my arms over my chest. “I mean, the barn’s full of walkers, that means there must be walkers roaming around in this forest somewhere.” I pointed out. “We are not in possession of our weapons, so if we die it’s on you.” I pointed at him.      “You’re not gonna die, Electra.” Daryl told me dismissively causing me to roll my eyes, I was still a little confused as to why he had decided upon calling me Electra rather than Mismatch or Woman but I chose not to bring it up, it didn’t matter.      “But I’m a stupid bitch, so I’m probably going to end up getting myself killed one way or another.” I responded with venom in my tone.      “Hey,” Daryl called, drawing to a stop in front of a bush that was bursting at the seams with Cherokee roses. “For the record, I don’t think you’re a stupid bitch.” He informed me causing me to give him a side long look. “You’re many things but not that.” He told me.      “Okay, I think I can accept that as a form of an apology.” I gave a shrug of my shoulders, bringing my nose down so I could inhale the sweet scent of one of the Cherokee roses. “Daryl.” I dragged his name out for as long as I could manage before I withdrew from the rose. “Can I ask you a question?”      “Shoot.”      “You have looked for Sophia for all this time, you nearly died out there searching for her on your own and yet you still wanted to look for her this morning.” I explained. “For all this time I just wanted to ask you……Why, Daryl?” I questioned him, looking up at him through my eyelashes.      “Cause I think that little girl is still out there.” Daryl told me truthfully as a response. “Truth is, what else I got to do?” he questioned me.      ‘You’ve got plenty to do, Daryl.’ I thought to myself but refused to say the words out loud, I didn’t want to get in another fight, it wasn’t worth it. “I don’t care what my brother thinks,” I admitted, picking the Cherokee rose off of the bush. “We’ll find her, Daryl, we will.” I said, slowly placing a hand on his arm earning him the chance to flinch a little but not to withdraw his arm.      “You know what, I think you’re right, Mismatch.” ▬ First Person- Shane’s P.O.V ▬       “Man, this is a good hiding place.” I commented, making Dale who was holding the bag of guns to take notice of my presence. I had managed to track him all the way from our camp out to the swamps. Damn, he was a determined son of a bitch. “We aint been in the swamps much, huh?” Dale slowly turned his head in order to catch a glimpse of me, his face was overwritten with bitterness.      “Just imagine if you applied your tracking skills to finding Sophia,” he retorted, fiddling with the bag of guns. “And here was everyone thinking that your sister was the only amazing tracker in the family.” He added on to the end causing me to smile cruelly at him.       “How about you just give me that bag, huh?” I proposed to him, I was really getting extremely bored of this stupidity. I didn’t have time for this.      “I’m not gonna do that.”      ‘Stubborn bastard.’ I thought to myself. “Yeah, you are, Dale.” I told him, dismissing his refusal. “Unless, well…..” I trailed off as my eye trailed to the rifle he had slung over his shoulder. “You do have that rifle over your shoulder.” I pointed out, clarifying how this was going to go down.      “What, you gonna shoot me, like you did Otis?” Dale questioned me with a judgemental look on his face, I couldn’t help but stiffen up at the sound of Otis’ name. Luckily, Dale, however managed to not see this which was good; I didn’t need a lecture or to be ‘saved’. “Tell another story?” he challenged.      “Heh.” I laughed a little with a shake of my head. “No, man.” I denied, looking back up at him from the dirt. “Hell, when you look at it in the cold light of day, you’re pretty much dead already.” I shrugged easily. “Just give me the guns.” I proposed. “Do it now.”      “You think this is gonna keep us safe?” Dale enquired causing me to roll my eyes at him, it was pretty damn obvious that it was. “Do you really think that this is what is going to keep your little sister safe?” he questioned me, I nearly laughed at his attempt to guilt trip me or use my love for Ellie to get his way.      “Mmm-hmm.” I nodded in reply, sticking my thumb through the loop in my trousers. “I know it is, Dale.” I told him surely. “Let me ask you something Dale, did you really think bringing Ellie in this was going to change my mind?” I laughed, his expression was bewildered. “I’m doing this for her, Dale. I’m trying to keep my life in order, okay? And I’m doing that for my family, I'm doing that for her.” I told him.      “Rick is trying to get Hershel to-”      “Dale, shut up.” I interjected causing his bewilderment to be multiplied by a thousand. ‘God, I am tired of this shit’ I shook my head. “Just shut up and give me the guns.” I ordered but his next move even shocked me, Dale slowly raised the rifle on me.      “Am I gonna have to shoot you?” Dale questioned me. “Do I have to kill you?” he continued to quiz me. “Is that what it’s gonna take?” he interrogated me. ‘Be smart, Shane. You just gotta be smart about this, Dale’s not gonna shoot you, don’t show hesitation.’      I scoffed and approached Dale who cocked the gun. Shaking my head, I closed the space in between myself and him so that all that was between us was the gun that was resting against my pectoral. “Kill me? Yeah. That’s what it’s gonna take.” I responded. “It’s a pity Dale, you’ve sort of become this father like figure to Ellie. Not that she has high expectations of a father, I mean ours always beat us around when we were kids, but killing me would destroy that.” I elaborated on my thoughts.      Slowly, Dale lowered the gun and I hid a smirk. “This is where you belong, Shane.” Dale told me bitterly, turning towards the bag of guns.      “How’s that, Dale?”           “This world, what it is now, this is where you belong.” Dale repeated himself for my benefit. “And I may not have what it takes to last for long, but that’s okay.” He admitted. “Cause at least I can say, when the world goes to shit, I didn’t let it take me down with it.” He forced the bag of guns into my arms roughly.      “Fair enough.”      “Electra’s like me, she’s not going to last long in this world and you know it.” Dale stated causing me to stop in my tracks. “She’s a light in darkness, Shane, you can change yourself and anything you like but you are not going to be able to change that. Sure, she’s one hell of a fighter but she’s too pure.” I began to walk. “What are you going to do, Shane?” he questioned me loudly from his spot. “Force a gun into her hand? Force her to slaughter the living? Force her to steal? Force her to cheat? Force her to do anything in order to survive?” Every question got louder and louder as I continued to walk away from Dale. “Is that what it’s gonna take, Shane?!”▬ First Person- Electra’s P.O.V ▬         “Do you know what’s going on?”      “Where is everyone?”      “You haven’t seen Rick?”      Questions being thrown around broke the serene silence that Daryl and I had managed to keep whilst walking side by side back to the farm. Glenn and Maggie were seated on the porch steps whilst Beth, Patricia and Jimmy were seated on the chairs on the porch. Andrea, Thea and T-Dog, like Daryl and myself, were joining the group causing a murmur of conversation of come from the Greene’s who were listening in.      “Yeah, you were.” Daryl spoke up in reference to Andrea’s word before we drew to a sensible stop in order to talk to everyone around. “What the hell?” he questioned. “Damn it. Isn’t anybody taking this seriously?” he interrogated with a roll of his eyes. “We got us a damn trail. Ah. Here we go.” He pointed out gesturing to the forest before everyone caught sight of Shane who was approaching with the bag of guns. “What’s all this?” he questioned him as soon as he reached us all.      “You with me, man?” Shane questioned him in return before he held out a rifle to Daryl. I couldn’t help but give him a side long look myself. ‘What was he doing?’      “Yeah.”         “Time to grow up.” Shane stated curtly whilst Daryl cocked the rifle. ‘Oh no. Oh please no.’ “You already got yours?” Shane was now questioning Andrea who placed a hand over her gun that she had tucked carefully into the belt of her dark blue jeans.         “Yeah. Where’s Dale?”      “He’s on his way.”      “I thought we weren’t allowed to carry, Shane.” I said rather loudly whilst Shane handed guns to both Thea and T-Dog. ‘Please.’ “Due to my calculations, we’re still on Hershel’s land which means we’re not able to carry guns due to respect of his wishes.” I continued.      “We can and we have to.” Shane responded without even looking at me. “Look, it was one thing sitting around here picking daisies when we thought this place was supposed to be safe. But now we know it aint.” He gave his pep talk. “How about you, man? You gonna protect yours?” Shane held out a gun to Glenn who nervously looked at Maggie before taking it from Shane. “That’s it.” He said as if he were a puppy, what was next? Good boy? “Can you shoot?” he questioned Maggie with a tilt of his head.      “Can you stop?” I questioned him whilst Maggie stepped backwards with a shake of her head. “You do this, you hand out these guns, Hershel will make us leave tonight.” I spat at Shane who still wasn’t facing me. “We have to stay, Shane.” I stated causing him to turn around, stand in front of me and face me dead on.      “What is this?” Lori.      “What’s going on?” Stacie.      “Mom?” Carl.      “We aint going anywhere, okay Ellie?” Shane assured me, placing his free hand on my arm causing me to glance down to it. “Now look, Hershel, he’s just gonna understand. Okay? Well he’s gonna have to.” His hand was warm and sweaty. What was wrong with me? All I was thinking about was his hand, why? “Now we have to find Sophia. Am I right?” he questioned. Looking back to his eyes, I found myself feeling a lot like a five year old. “Now I want you to take this.” He said, my eyes line dropped down to his hand which was offering me my own gun. “Now I want you to take this.” He told me, my eyes glued to the gun. “You take it, Ellie, and you keep Stacie safe. You do whatever it takes. You know how. Go on, take the gun and do it.”      “N-”      I suddenly found myself being pushed backwards by Lori who stood in front of me, breaking the connection between Shane and I. “She does not want to Shane, you know that so I don’t know why you bothered asking.” She backed me up. “Rick said no guns. This is not your call. This is not your decision to make.”          “Oh shit.”      With a slight turning of my head I witnessed something so unreal, that I had to do a double take before scrutinizing the video playing out in front of me. With a snare pole, both Jimmy and Rick were leading in two captured walkers in the direction of the barn.      “What the hell is that?” Shane questioned, evidently, he like me was in disbelief. “What is that? He demanded before he began to sprint in the direction of Jimmy, Rick, Hershel and the two captured walkers. No one bothered to call out to him, they simply ran along with him. “What the hell are you doing?” Shane demanded, looking between Jimmy and Rick with a furious expression on his face.      “Shane, just back off.”      “Why do your people have guns?” Hershel enquired, turning his head in order to look at Rick who looked extremely uncomfortable with the situation. ‘Rick, what are you doing?’ I wanted to ask out loud but Rick’s eyes were darting around all around.      “Are you kidding me?” Shane cocked his head at Hershel in disbelief before turning to face the rest of us. “You see?” he gestured wildly towards Rick and Jimmy. Jared’s eyes were glued uneasily on me and I shook my head out of disappointment. “You see what they’re holding onto?” he enquired.      “I see who I’m holding onto.” Jimmy stated, struggling to keep hold of the captured walker whilst backing up his and his fathers work.      “No, man, you don’t.”       “Shane,” Rick began with addressing me brother, he too struggling to keep hold of the walker. “Just let us do this and then we’ll talk.” He vowed.      “What do you want to talk about, Rick?” Shane interrogated him, clearly not wanting to talk to Rick. “These things aint sick.” No, they’re not sick. “They’re not people.” They were people. “They’re dead.” Yes, they were. “Aint gonna feel nothing for them cause all they do, they kill!” Shane roared. “These things right here, they’re the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They killed Jim.” He began to list the names of the dead. I, myself, couldn’t help but look over to Thea who had lost so much in so little time. She had lost Jem, Mark and Aaron. “They’re gonna kill all of us unless we do something-” he was successfully getting everyone who was armed revved up and ready to go in for the kill.      “Shane, shut up!” Rick and I chorused.      “Hey, Hershel, man.” Shane clearly ignored us, turning to Hershel now. “Let me ask you something.” He proposed. “Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?” he questioned him before drawing his gun. Three gun shots echoed out and hit the walker in the chest.      “Stop it!”      “That’s three rounds in the chest.” Shane was quick to point out to us all. “Could someone who’s alive, could they just take that?” he questioned him, hoping to get Hershel to agree with his way of thinking. “Why is it still coming?” he demanded, firing two more shots. “That’s its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?” he quizzed Hershel, firing three more shots.      “Shane, enough.”      “Yeah, you’re right, man.” Shane agreed with Rick much to my surprise. Oh thank Christ. “That is enough.” At point blank he shot the walker straight in the head causing me to jump out of my skin out of fright. Hershel dropped straight down to his knees. “Enough risking our lives for a little girl who’s gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough!” he roared before turning to me. “Ellie, it aint like it was before!” he shouted as if he were hammering the words into my mind along with the idea. “Now if y’all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I’m talking about fighting right here, right now.”      Without another word Shane made a run for the barn, I went to run after him, try to stop him in this madness but I found myself being held back. “Jared, if you don’t get off of me right now, I swear to God I will castrate you.” I threatened, watching on as Shane found a pickaxe. Jared did not loosen his grip. “Jared, these people are your family, let me go and I can stop this!” I pleaded with him, but he still didn’t let go.      “Take the snare poll Hershel, take the snare poll.” Rick was trying to get Hershel to hold the walker so he could stop Shane but Hershel looked as if he was in shock. “Hershel, listen to me, man, please. Take it now.” He tried to gain his attention but Hershel was in a different land. “Hershel! Take it!” he roared at him whilst Shane began to attack the lock with a pickaxe.      “Get off of me and I can end this, Jared, just let me go!” I hissed at him but he seemed pretty intent on holding me back. Growling, I took back to the method of shouting, hoping that I could somehow reach Shane through that. “SHANE!” No response. “SHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANE!”      “No, Shane!” Rick began to shout too having given up on his other option. “Do not do this, brother.” he pleaded him but Shane was too busy and heated to listen. “Please!”      “Don’t do it!” Glenn cried, watching Shane from his place besides Maggie.      “Rick!”      “Please!”      “Shane!”      Finally being successful in breaking the lock off, he tore away the planks that also held it shut before slamming on the door to lure the walkers out. Growls erupted and Shane soon started backing away from the barn with his gun raised, taunting them. This was when Jared decided that he saw fit to release me. This was it, the walkers began to slowly trickle out from within the barn. Without any words, protectively, I forced Stacie behind me whilst Shane began to shoot them one by one.      It wasn’t too long before Andrea ran up beside Shane to start shooting them too, something had made her sway to his way of thinking. I couldn’t be swayed. His was of thinking was clouded, he was working out what survival was, that was it because this sure as hell wasn’t Shane. Daryl raised his shot gun and began to shoot along with Shane, Glenn though reluctant took to shooting them too with the approval of a sobbing Maggie and then T-Dog.      Finally, I saw Shane’s face with nothing in his amber eyes as he shot the walker Rick was holding. With a stern look on his face, Rick let go of the pole and allowed the walker to fall to his feet. Carl ran out beside me but I dragged him backwards by the arm and pushed him towards Lori and Rick. ▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬       This went on for what seemed like hours to Electra, until the last walker dropped to the ground at Daryl’s hand. Lifeless walkers lay in disarray in front of the barn. Electra could no longer blame the Greene’s for wanting to keep this secret from them. Sure, at first she had been pissed, but now? She pitied them.      Hershel was still on his knees, his face blank and expressionless, there was absolutely no doubt that he was now in shock. Maggie was trying her best to keep it together for her father but she was sobbing like crazy with a hand on her father’s shoulder.      Beth clung helplessly onto Jimmy, she too was sobbing her eyes out whilst Jimmy was trying to keep strong but was failing. They were barely young adults, no one deserved to witness that playing out in front of them. Let alone when it was Beth’s mother who was in that barn.      The last Greene she looked at was Jared who, like Hershel, was emotionless. Unlike his father, he wasn’t in shock. He stood there, slightly slouching his eyes glued to one body in particular. His step-brother, Shawn. Shawn wasn’t just his step brother, Shawn was his best friend.      Aware of her brother’s eyes on her, Electra finally looked up to meet them. She found herself barely able to keep eye contact with him, she could barely shake her head in disapproval at him. Trying to keep her breaths slow, she looked down to the ground before closing her eyes.      Growls erupted once more.     Slowly, she raised her head to witness her brother turning back around with the intention of taking out the last walker. The final walker stepped out of the barn and into the sunlight. With that, everyone was redeemed silent and stationary. No one knew what to do.      “Sophia?”      No one could find themselves able to move, they were frozen in shock and in fear. She was still clad in her blue vans that matched her blue rainbow t-shirt, but her skin was pale and flaky and her face was in the snarl of a reanimated corpse. All guns were drawn but no one dared to make a move.        Carol ran forward in anguish, desperately and weakly screaming out her daughter’s name. Electra took a step forward but Daryl dropped his gun and caught Carol instead before she could pass him. She weakly cried out Sophia’s name in sobs before collapsing to the floor.      That was when Stacie began to sob greatly. Without hesitation, Electra forced Stacie into her so that she was crying into her rather than being exposed to the horrifying images she was. Lori held Carl in her lap as he too began to sob, Electra wanted to sob too but she insisted on staying strong……for that point.      Snarling, Sophia slowly steps over the bodies of the slain walkers, her eyes eagerly glued to her prey as she inched towards them. Nobody dared to shoot, they couldn’t shoot. Instead they agonized, Electra was eagerly watching for any signs of the little girl who was once there.      Even Shane, who moments ago was in a furious rage over the group’s inaction, was now taken aback and stunned into silence along with the others. His head dropped, he couldn’t find it in himself to raise his gun on Sophia. Guilt was one word for what his was feeling.      Rick suddenly found his gun and walked past those who had currently taken part in the brutality beforehand with a determined, but pained, expression on his face. As Sophia neared the group, he raised his arm shakily, aiming it at her head. The shot rang out and Sophia collapsed on the ground in a heap with the rest of the walkers. ____________________________________________________________________________Hi guys, I'd just like to add something before someone calls me on it. My friend read this and thought that Electra was acting out of character with Shane when he was forcing the gun into her hand. He said that he thought Electra was unusually 'weak'  This was in fact my intention, I kinda wanted to see Electra being reduced back to a child and caving under her little brother....or nearly anyway. Not much else to say but thank you so...Thank you                   Tasha xox