Dark was the Night, Hopeful was the Day

There were walkers everywhere. I ran through the dead of the night, my knife in one hand and my gun in the other, I was almost out of bullets. They clawed at my back, reaching out for me from every direction. Sticks and leaves materialized out of thin air, smacking me in the face and cutting my skin as I pushed through them. I turned around, jogging backwards as I shot down the closest walkers to me, creating more distance between them and I. The sounds of their screeches made my skin crawl, I was alone, separated from Rick, Glenn, Aaron, and Michonne.

Rick had devised a plan earlier on in the afternoon. How wrong he was for it. Our trip to Aaron's two vehicles checked out, everything he told us had been true so far. Yet, Rick still didn't trust him to take us to Alexandria. Instead of taking Aaron's route back that had been cleared of walkers, Rick chose another. Everything was going fine until our car barreled right through a herd of walkers. The campervan with the rest of our people got away, but we didn't stand a chance. Aaron made a run for it into the woods when another flare gun went off in the distance. We tried to follow him, hoping it would lead us back to our people, but I ended up losing them all.

I fired off my final bullet when my body collided with a walker behind me. I screamed as its fingers gripped onto my right arm. My head swung to the side, its teeth just inches from biting down on my shoulder. I ripped my arm away, sending its body flying down on top of mine. I threw my palms upon its chest, trying to keep it away from my face. It hissed as its teeth chomped against one another, blood and drool dripping down in clumps on my forehead. I gripped my fingers into its t-shirt before using all my might to swing its body down beside me. The walker's head collided with a rock, its skull sinking around the mineral and killing it.

I huffed out a sigh of relief, trying to regain my breath. I picked up my gun and knife from the forest floor. I had to keep moving, I had to find my people, they were in these woods somewhere. I kept running forward when I could finally hear someone within earshot. It sounded like they were struggling. Their grunts and shouts drew me in closer. Then I finally found Glenn stuck in the same position as I was just minutes before. My feet carried me towards him in seconds, grabbing onto the shoulders of a walker that had him pinned and yanking it to the ground. I dropped my knees onto its chest and sank my knife into its skull in one swift motion.

"Thanks," Glenn breathed out, wiping the drops of blood from his face.

"You owe me now," I huffed out. My face remained still, but he knew I was joking.

Without another word we headed back from the way, we came, hoping to find Rick and Michonne still near the cusps of the woods. It took us a couple of minutes, weaving through bushes and trees while following the walker's steps back from where we came running.

"Get off!" a voice boomed from up ahead. We followed the voice, only to find Aaron trapped against a tree. His hands were still tied together from the trip back to Alexandria, he used his leg to push back the walker that continuously came at him.

Glenn looked reluctant to help him, I could see it in his face that he was contemplating on continuing back to the road. If it weren't for Aaron running off at the sight of the flare gun firing, we might all still be together. I shook my head at Glenn and ran off to my left to help Aaron. Thankfully Glenn cared enough to at least cover me as he followed behind. I pulled the walker away from Aaron, sinking my knife into the back of its head. The walker crumpled to my feet and when I turned around Glenn was doing something I least suspected. He untied Aaron, letting him free. The true Glenn I know and love, finally appearing again. A gunshot then roared from our left, all of our heads snapping towards it. Rick or Michonne were not far away.

"Run if you want. We got other things to worry about," Glenn looked at Aaron before heading off in the direction of the shot. I followed close beside him.

"We can make it together," Aaron yelled out, repeating the words Glenn said to all of us when we were at our lowest, causing us to stop, "But we can only make it together," he continued once he realized we were listening. "You said that. I was listening."

Glenn turned around, eyeing Aaron down. "Well, come on then," Glenn said before walking off.

Aaron trailed close behind us as we followed the sound of the gunshots through the woods. We could hear that we were getting close before they eventually just stopped. My heart sped, my brain jumping to the worst of conclusions. My feet pick up their pace until my eyes lit up from a red glow peeking through the trees. We followed the light, rounding our last bush when we spotted Rick and Michonne together. A flare lit up the skull of a walker as the rest of the herd stumbled towards them, only their sword and machete left to use. Glenn and Aaron raised their weapons, gunning down the last of the walkers that were bound to tear right through them.

Rick turned around, looking at us. His chest heaved with every breath he took as his face contorted at the sight of Aaron. Aaron immediately raised his hands in surrender. "If you really want to tie me up again, that's fine, but hurry up," he said, dropping his weapon on the ground.

Rick tilted his head and picked up Aaron's pistol, "No time. We're going that way," he pointed ahead towards the water tower in the distance. It was such a minuscule action and if you didn't know Rick you wouldn't even pick up on it, but we did. He was gaining trust in Aaron.

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It took us about an hour walking down route 16 to get into town. Aaron finally explained why he had run off in such a hurry when he saw that flare go off. His partner was only supposed to signal with it if he was in trouble, which only sent Aaron into a frenzy. The plan to drive us back to Alexandria was called off because he then had more important things to worry about, finding his husband to make sure he was okay. To be honest, I understood the feeling, we all did. That one moment of rational decision-making for the ones that you love.

The streets of the town were dead silent, which put us on edge. We had no idea where Aaron's partner Eric was, or if he was still here and alive, or if our group followed the flare signal as well. We held our weapons close to us, staying fairly close together as we walked down the main road in the center of the town. Rick let out a whistle, calling out for someone to whistle back, but there was nothing. My ears were on high alert while my eyes scanned any house or shop with a source of light to identify someone was inside. Rick whistled once more the further down the street we got. We were silent, waiting for a response when finally a very faint whistle back came down from one of the alleyways. We turned down the alley, picking up into a jog when we stopped someone waving their arms at us.

The single lantern hanging by the door loomed over Daryl's head, everyone was okay. Then Maggie and Carl came running out from inside. Both of them ran into the arms of Glenn and Rick.

"Dad!" Carl yelled as he collided with Rick.

I jogged forward when Lincoln came running out. My body crashed into his torso as he hugged me tightly. Aaron then went running past us, rushing inside the shop to see if Eric was here.

"Eric! Eric!" he called out.

"I'm in here!" I could hear a faint voice respond.

People then began to filter back inside. I let go of Lincoln, my eyes landing on Daryl as he stood by the door, waiting for everyone to go back into the safety of the shop walls. I was happy to see him, but I couldn't figure out how to approach him. He still hasn't said a word to me since I called him out in the field. I walked up towards the door, we were the only two still left outside. I treaded carefully, looking up at him and waiting for him to say something.

He looked down at me, his brows furrowing with worry. His hand cupped my cheek after wiping the blood from my forehead. The hairs on my arms jumped up right from his touch as the pad of his thumb grazed over my scar. He then pulled me into him, hugging me tighter than he ever has around my waist. I was taken aback for a moment like my limbs had gone numb. Finally, I breathed out a sigh of relief, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck.

"You're with me from now on, Red," he said quietly.

I didn't say anything back to him, I didn't feel the need to. I let out a breathy laugh and nodded my head as he let go of me. We then went inside, grouping together with the rest of our people. I gave Carol a hug and then Maggie when Aaron finally came back up to us.

"Excuse me," Aaron quieted us politely, "Thank you. You saved Eric. I owe you. All of you." he stuttered out, grateful. "And I will make sure that debt is paid in full when we get to our community. When we get to Alexandria. Now, I'm not sure about you, but I would rather not do any more driving tonight," he let out a breathy laugh. We all smiled nodding our heads agreeing after the night we've had. "Maybe we can hit the road tomorrow morning?"

"That sounds fine," Rick's voice echoed from behind Aaron. Aaron turned around to look at him. "But if we're staying here for the night, you're sleeping over there," Rick pointed ahead towards another room, making it clear.

"You really think we gotta do that?" Maggie objected.

"It's the safe play. We don't know you."

"The only way you're gonna stop me from being with him right now is by shooting me," Aaron stood up to Rick for the first time since we met him.

Rick was silent, eyeing Aaron up and down to size him up.

Glenn leaned over to Rick, speaking quietly, but we could still hear him in this small room. "Rick, he told us where the camp is. And he really was only travelling with one other person," Glenn sighed, "They're both unarmed. One of them's got a broken ankle. I want us to be safe, too. But we can't give up everything else."

"Alright," Rick finally agreed. Even though it was Aaron and Eric's community that we'd be headed off to tomorrow, they were now finally a part of our group too.

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My stomach churned with anxiousness and very deep down some excitement by the time morning rolled around. Even after a long day and night I still found myself tossing and turning with the thought of what today will bring us. We were finally on the road to Alexandria, the right one this time. My leg bounced nervously in the back seat of the car. We'd be arriving at the gates of Alexandria any minute now. Again most of the group sat hauled together in Eric's campervan, but this time I had Daryl sitting to my right like he said he would. Rick sped the car down route 16 like Aaron instructed him to before we'd take the last exit and it would be the first street on the left. Michonne sat in the passenger seat beside him, staring down at the map.

"The fight's over," Michonne said quietly as she looked over at Rick. "You gotta let it go. I know it's hard. After it's kept you… warm and fed and… alive. But the fight… it turns on you. You've got to let it go."

"That's what Bob was trying to tell me back at the church," Rick responded. "What to risk. When it's safe. When to let someone in," he sighed, "The rules keep changing." He finally looked over at Michonne.

"They did for me," she smiled.

We were now taking the last exit off of route 16, spotting the first street to our left just up ahead. My heart leaped to my throat, causing me to instinctively hold my breath. I looked over at Daryl, his arm leant upon the window as he bit the skin around his thumb anxiously.

He looked over at me when he realized, nodding his head, "You good?" he asked.

I finally took a deep breath in as the car veered to the left, "I'm good," I smiled.

As soon as we hit the street we could see the walls looming over the trees. From what I could see they looked just like the pictures Aaron handed to us, proving that this was real all along. Rick slowed the car as we approached, coming to a halt at the front gates as the campervan stopped behind us. The rusted bars of the gate stood tall with another steel slab built up behind it. We couldn't see a thing that lay on the other side.

Rick sat still, not wanting to get out of the car just yet. He rolled down all of the car windows like he was waiting for something. My ears perked up at the sound and I watched Rick's shoulders relax from behind him. It was something we've never heard before. Not at Woodbury, or Terminus, or Shirewilt. It was the sound of children talking and screaming, and laughing through the streets just on the other side. I smiled at the sound of it, looking over at Daryl to see if he heard it too. Rick then looked back at us and I laughed, the relief washing over every inch of my body.

Michonne placed her hand on top of Rick's. "You ready?" she asked, a large grin beaming across her face.

He nodded his head in disbelief, "Yeah. Yeah," he said quietly, turning off the engine of the car. Everyone from the campervan had already made their way out, crowning around the front gate. I finally got out of the car, standing with my family as we waited for someone inside to welcome us into our new home.