Tiptoe Through the Tulips
Ten.
He grabbed my arm, dragging me closer towards the doorway wher Rick, Daryl and Hershel stood.
“We need more vehicles,” Hershel said, “We can’t all get away with the stuff in the two cars, we need another one.” Daryl nodded, eyes scanning the area.
“There’s a working car round the corner,” The stranger said pointing to the left, “Its a 4 by 4.” I saw Rick weighing up his options.
He nodded, “You,” he said, pointing to the stranger, “You’ll lead us to it, me and Daryl. Ariella, Hershel... get T-dog and get the others in the cars, and get out of town the same way we came in, don’t wait for us, don’t stop until you’re fair enough away, either the gas station or where we camped the other night.”
We nodded and my eyes met Daryl.
I didn’t want to leave him.
A second shot fired through the air, “They testing us,” Daryl called, “Not shooting at us yet, trying to scare us out like rats.”
“We’ll get them to move, “ I told him, “We'll drive through them, scatter them, that should give you enough time to get to the car.”
The others nodded, faces taut, and Rick turned to the rest of the group still hidden in the lobby, “We’ll leave and you get in the cars, and get down. Ariella take one and T-dog the other, Glenn, Maggie I want you shooting out, try and cover us if you can.”
Lori drew to him and kissed him quickly, Maggie doing the same to Glenn.
Daryl stood still, eyes still scanning through the group outside, they had slowed, surrounding the building and blocking the exit, not for long once we were driving.
I made my way over to Daryl as another shot echoed in the air, he noticed my coming over and his eyes instead scanned my face, I paused, as always feeling vulnerable under his gaze. “Try not to die.” he whispered, a small smile coming across his face,
"I’ll do my best.” He bent down kissing me quickly before stepping out of the building, Rick and the stranger behind him.
There was still no sound of shots and I looked around, “Okay, Glenn you wanna come with me?” he nodded, and followed, the others divided themselves up and we crept to the cars, strategically placed in front of the entrance.
“Prepare to drive like hell!” T-dog called, the silence was unbearable. They just stood there, in a line, watching us.
I glanced to my left and saw the three men, creeping through the overgrown foliage in front of the motel. “Okay, Go!” T-dog shouted and we piled into the car, the shooting and shouting started immediately and the tight formation of the group broke up, swarming towards the car.
“Drive!” Carol screeched and I put my foot down, flinching as bodies came into contact with the car.
“There’s too many people!” Glenn called, “They’re going to block us in!”
There were people surrounding us, pressing against the car, causing me to lose sight of the others. I pressed my foot down harder, willing the car to persevere, to push its way through them.
“Make sure the doors are locked.” I told Beth, the car almost stopping completely.
My voice was oddly calm.
I was oddly calm, the panic in my veins fading as something else took over.
Despair.
“You can’t stop!” She yelled, terrified, tears running down her cheeks as she clung to Hershel.
“There’s too many people.” I pushed my foot hard down on the accelerator once again and the engine roared to go, but being stopped by the mass around the car.
“Oh fuck!” Glenn whispered, glancing towards me and then back outside the car. They were scratching against the side, pulling against the doors, their faces still glowing with a red hue.
They were far more dangerous than Walkers, they had a strategy. They had wanted to split us up, force the cars in two different ways, and force us to stop.
Overwhelm us.
Take us.
The car window next to me smashed, glass shattering and covering me, arms reaching through, trying to grab my own. I yelled and flung myself back into Glenn, kicking at their hands, “Move your feet!” he screamed, pulling the trigger and stopping one set of hands. The body fell, the higher part of his torso un-moving, hanging into the car, blood slowly seeping into the seat.
There seemed to be a pause, and then chaos started again.
The body was dragged out of the way, thrown carelessly to the floor and the door was opened, roaring faces, hands reaching in, finding their way around my ankles.
I screamed as I was pulled forwards, Glenn's arms struggling around my waist trying to keep me in the car, Carol was leant over the seat, shrieking and hitting the arms.
There was no point.
“Glenn let go.” I said, “Let go and drive.” His grip tightened.
“I am not leaving you!” I growled as I was yanked forwards.
“You can’t stop them Glenn, there’s too many, just get the fuck out of here!” I heard a sob and his arms loosened, Beth let out a scream mirroring my own as I felt myself being pulled, falling, the gravel scratching my back as I was pulled further away from the car.
Bodies swarmed me again and I curled up, desperate to protect my head as random hands and feet beat me, trying to remain conscious enough to hear the car, to know everyone else would get away safe.
Maybe then it would be worth it.
“We need more vehicles,” Hershel said, “We can’t all get away with the stuff in the two cars, we need another one.” Daryl nodded, eyes scanning the area.
“There’s a working car round the corner,” The stranger said pointing to the left, “Its a 4 by 4.” I saw Rick weighing up his options.
He nodded, “You,” he said, pointing to the stranger, “You’ll lead us to it, me and Daryl. Ariella, Hershel... get T-dog and get the others in the cars, and get out of town the same way we came in, don’t wait for us, don’t stop until you’re fair enough away, either the gas station or where we camped the other night.”
We nodded and my eyes met Daryl.
I didn’t want to leave him.
A second shot fired through the air, “They testing us,” Daryl called, “Not shooting at us yet, trying to scare us out like rats.”
“We’ll get them to move, “ I told him, “We'll drive through them, scatter them, that should give you enough time to get to the car.”
The others nodded, faces taut, and Rick turned to the rest of the group still hidden in the lobby, “We’ll leave and you get in the cars, and get down. Ariella take one and T-dog the other, Glenn, Maggie I want you shooting out, try and cover us if you can.”
Lori drew to him and kissed him quickly, Maggie doing the same to Glenn.
Daryl stood still, eyes still scanning through the group outside, they had slowed, surrounding the building and blocking the exit, not for long once we were driving.
I made my way over to Daryl as another shot echoed in the air, he noticed my coming over and his eyes instead scanned my face, I paused, as always feeling vulnerable under his gaze. “Try not to die.” he whispered, a small smile coming across his face,
"I’ll do my best.” He bent down kissing me quickly before stepping out of the building, Rick and the stranger behind him.
There was still no sound of shots and I looked around, “Okay, Glenn you wanna come with me?” he nodded, and followed, the others divided themselves up and we crept to the cars, strategically placed in front of the entrance.
“Prepare to drive like hell!” T-dog called, the silence was unbearable. They just stood there, in a line, watching us.
I glanced to my left and saw the three men, creeping through the overgrown foliage in front of the motel. “Okay, Go!” T-dog shouted and we piled into the car, the shooting and shouting started immediately and the tight formation of the group broke up, swarming towards the car.
“Drive!” Carol screeched and I put my foot down, flinching as bodies came into contact with the car.
“There’s too many people!” Glenn called, “They’re going to block us in!”
There were people surrounding us, pressing against the car, causing me to lose sight of the others. I pressed my foot down harder, willing the car to persevere, to push its way through them.
“Make sure the doors are locked.” I told Beth, the car almost stopping completely.
My voice was oddly calm.
I was oddly calm, the panic in my veins fading as something else took over.
Despair.
“You can’t stop!” She yelled, terrified, tears running down her cheeks as she clung to Hershel.
“There’s too many people.” I pushed my foot hard down on the accelerator once again and the engine roared to go, but being stopped by the mass around the car.
“Oh fuck!” Glenn whispered, glancing towards me and then back outside the car. They were scratching against the side, pulling against the doors, their faces still glowing with a red hue.
They were far more dangerous than Walkers, they had a strategy. They had wanted to split us up, force the cars in two different ways, and force us to stop.
Overwhelm us.
Take us.
The car window next to me smashed, glass shattering and covering me, arms reaching through, trying to grab my own. I yelled and flung myself back into Glenn, kicking at their hands, “Move your feet!” he screamed, pulling the trigger and stopping one set of hands. The body fell, the higher part of his torso un-moving, hanging into the car, blood slowly seeping into the seat.
There seemed to be a pause, and then chaos started again.
The body was dragged out of the way, thrown carelessly to the floor and the door was opened, roaring faces, hands reaching in, finding their way around my ankles.
I screamed as I was pulled forwards, Glenn's arms struggling around my waist trying to keep me in the car, Carol was leant over the seat, shrieking and hitting the arms.
There was no point.
“Glenn let go.” I said, “Let go and drive.” His grip tightened.
“I am not leaving you!” I growled as I was yanked forwards.
“You can’t stop them Glenn, there’s too many, just get the fuck out of here!” I heard a sob and his arms loosened, Beth let out a scream mirroring my own as I felt myself being pulled, falling, the gravel scratching my back as I was pulled further away from the car.
Bodies swarmed me again and I curled up, desperate to protect my head as random hands and feet beat me, trying to remain conscious enough to hear the car, to know everyone else would get away safe.
Maybe then it would be worth it.
♠ ♠ ♠
<3