All Hope Is Gone

Sophia cried and wailed against Lori's side as she watched two walkers surround her mother on the side of the RV.
It had been just before dinner when all hell had broken loose around them. Geeks swarmed the camp, taking them all by surprise and were now growling and trying to get a bite of fresh meat.
Carl's hand was curled around Sophia's as he cowered into his mother's other side. Anastasia looked at the children with panic stricken faces before looking around as the men took up whatever weapons they could to defend the camp.
But none of them had noticed Carol.

“Fuck.” Anastasia let out a curse. “Lori don't let them or you get bit.”

“Where are you going?” She cried as Anastasia pulled the knife from its sheath belted to her side.

“Just stop cryin' and look sharp!” As quietly as she could manage, Anastasia crept towards the walkers as they growled and lunged at Carol cowering on the ground.

Knife firmly grasped in her hand she had no trouble taking down the first one with a sharp and precise stab through the back of the head. Though the heavy thud of it's dead weight body hitting the ground caught it's partners attention.
The half rotten face turned with mouth wide open and what was left of it's lips shuddered in her direction.
It snarled and lunged in her direction but with a quick side step she was able to narrowly miss it's chattering teeth and crush her blade through the dead things skull.

“Come on.” She held out her hand to Carol who with a shaking arm took the offer and started into the RV when she felt Anastasia's hand suddenly tug from her own.

The woman let out a scream as thick, dead smelling arms wrapped around her shoulders and lifted her up in the air. Kicking out a booted foot Anastasia managed to slam the RV door shut before another shuffler could get their stinking claws on Carol.
Drool dribbled down her shoulder and she could hear the gnashing of it's teeth near her ear but gritting her teeth she wasn't going to let herself go out this way.
Snapping back her head repeatedly saw the arms surrounding her slacken and letting her drop to the ground with a thud of her own.
Gasping for a breath Anastasia quickly got to her feet and balled up her fist as the geek rose it's head and as hard as she could, threw her fist into the side of it's jaw following through with a hard stab through it's head.

“Anastasia!” Her name was shouted across the war-zone in time for her to turn around and come face to face mere inches from a walker.

The things head jerked forward and Anastasia cringed back waiting for it's body to knock her over, but when it didn't happen she looked back.
One of Daryl's arrows was sticking through the geeks eye as it looked up at her motionless and definitely dead.

“Shit.” She cursed breathlessly noting the quiet that befell the camp.

“Did it get ya?” Daryl asked retrieving his arrow.

She shook her head. “Thanks.”

He wiped the gore from his arrow and looked her in the eye. A whole week had passed them by and Anastasia had stuck to her word, this was the first acknowledgement she had given him since.

“Don't mention it.”

“Are you okay?” She asked in earnest wondering if small talk was all that appropriate at that current time.

“'Course I am, woman.” Daryl tucked the bow away and looked her up and down before turning his back and stomping over to his tent.

“Looks like we need to move again.” Shane called to the camp. “Leave the bodies and pack up. We can't stay here tonight.”

“Where are we suppose to go at this time of the night?” Glenn spoke up, his eyes wide and chest heaving with exhaustion and terror

Shane whipped is head towards the ex-pizza delivery boy. “Just pack up and let's go.”



Early morning saw the sun rising over the small fleet of vehicles driving far, far away from the scene of their night time carnage.

“So you and Daryl ain't buddies any more?” Shane asked as Anastasia sat in the passenger seat of his little car.

She looked over with her brow furrowed. “What's that suppose to mean?”

Shane raised a brow, his question wasn't all that difficult to answer. “Ya know, I just meant ya ain't said a word to the man in days.”

“And that's your business how?” All Anastasia had wanted was a silent trip to where ever Rick was leading them to but as Shane probed her about Daryl it was becoming increasing obvious she wasn't going to get one.

“I guess it's not my business but, and tell me if I am wrong, it's got a whole lot to do with Merle being here.” Knowing he was right about the reason Shane sunk back in the driver's seat and waited for Anastasia to let him know.

“Stop the car.” She pushed a hand through her hair and put a hand of the door handle.

“What you talkin' bout stop the car?” Definitely not the reply he thought he was going to get.

“Fuck Shane, I am not gonna sit in this car with you for god knows how long while you ask me about the damn Dixon brothers. So stop the car and let me out!” Reaching over Anastasia yanked the brake up, bringing the car to a swerving stop.

“What the hell you doing you crazy bitch?!” Shane lunged forward just as she opened the door and slammed it shut behind her.

The convoy of movement had come to a halt and Daryl watched from his truck behind Shane's car as Anastasia stormed towards the RV.

“Wonder what that whore is crankin' on about now?” Merle watched as his brother did waiting for the cars to start moving again. “Maybe ya should catch up to ya lil' sweetbutt and ask?” His face was plastered in that trademark smirk.

“She ain't my problem.” Even as Daryl tried to convince his brother of that fact, he was having a harder time convincing himself of it.

“Didn't seem that way to me when ya fist met my face.”

Daryl looked over at his brother. “Yeah well...”

“Yeah well my ass, kiddo. You just remember that good ol' Merle has always been there for ya and not some piece of tight pussy.”

Starting the truck back up again Daryl pressed on as the convoy began their descent into an area surrounded by woods and hell knows what else.



Hot afternoon sun beat down on the back of Rick's neck as he stood in the middle of a long abandoned highway looking from side to side. Fuel was running low and the only option the group had of carrying on was to syphon and steal what they could from the vehicles left behind all those months ago.

“Alright, let's get what we can as quick as we can and get out of here.” He turned to face Andrea and Anastasia. “Both of you sift through these cars and see if there is any food, weapons, clothes and first aid kits we can take.”

Both the women nodded and split up in order to cover as many cars as they could. Lori and Carol were in charge of keeping a close watch on the children while Dale and Glenn served as look outs from opposite ends.
Peering into a passenger side window Anastasia caught site of a box and with its lid open she could see tins piled upon tins of food.

“Nice one.” She muttered taking hold of the handle and slowly opening it.

“Oh shit.” Andrea gasped from the car over.

“Wha-” Anastasia's eyes widened as she looked up to where Andrea was looking to.

A horde, bigger than any of the them had been witnessed to, were slowly shuffling towards them. Their groans alerted the others to their grinding presence.

“Get down!” Rick said as he looked around noting each member of the camp making sure they did as he ordered them to do.

“Aw hell.” Daryl cursed as he ducked down under the car he had been draining fuel from only to look over and notice that Anastasia was lying flat on her stomach under a car barely an arms length from him.

Silently he watched as she didn't notice him with her head turned in the opposite direction. Herself watching the walkers shuffle by. She had a hand planted firmly on her knife ready to whip it out if one decided to drop down for a look.
Daryl held his breath as one of the geeks stopped shuffling, he could see it's raggedy bare feet standing still on the side of Anastasia's car.

Biting her bottom lip Anastasia slowly shuffled away from the feet as hands joined them and frantically waved themselves under the body of the car she was taking refuge under.
She wanted to scream out for help but not being the type of person to put someone else at risk Anastasia slowly began to unsheathe her knife when a sudden and heavy hand wrapped itself around her mouth and an arm tightened itself around her waist.

“Shh.”

Not having to look back she knew it was Daryl shushing into her ear, even his tats sounded with his Southern accent. He let his hand hand drop from her mouth and they watched as the geek straightened itself and shuffled forward.
With his arm still around her waist, Anastasia placed a hand over his skin and let out a long breath. That had been way too close for comfort. Her eyes closed for a moment as a shaking in her limbs that she hadn't noticed became apparent. It seemed Daryl had noticed her trembling as his arm squeezed around her just a little tighter.

Suddenly a scream pierced through the groans.

They both looked in the direction of the scream and dread pitted itself in Anastasia's stomach as she saw Sophia running towards the woodland with two geeks hot on her trail.

“Sophia!” Anastasia shouted tugging free of Daryl's grip and thrusting out from under the car.

Every other walker had already passed and the road was left with only them. Carol screamed after her little girl as Rick took off as fast as he could after her.

Daryl met Anastasia's side listening as Carol wailed in Lori's arms and Carl cried into Andrea's shoulder.

“Rick will fin' her.” He looked down at Anastasia who was still looking towards the trees. “He will.”