Tiptoe Through the Tulips

“A lot of the bodies are gone.”

His body tensed once again, “What do you mean gone?”

“I mean they’re not where they were before. There were, fuck, a good hundred Walkers, we killed quite a few of them... and there’s no bodies.”

“So someone is here?”

I shrugged, “Maybe.”

“Dangerous?”

“Probably, isn't everyone dangerous nowadays?”

The bullet wasn’t going to stretch far enough.

We both got off the motorbike about half way down the lane, eager to avoid making any more noise in case some of Randal’s friends had turned up, and equally because it is beyond uncomfortable on that thing.
“Don’t understand how Daryl can stand so long on that thing.” I murmured, giving it a small kick and earning a chuckle from Tyreese.

“Well he’s not worrying about that at the minute.”

I felt myself flinch.
Every mention of Daryl’s name made me fill with worry.
It had been over 24 hours since they had left me.
Well since I had been taken.
They must definately assume by now I’m dead.

They hadn't even bothered to check.

I wonder it Tyreese thinks about the things he says, its almost as if he wants to drill into me that they think I’m gone.

But then, I’m the only person he’s got.
I wouldn’t want him to up and leave either.
Leave me alone.

I need to stop running this all through my mind. It really isn’t helping.

“I’m fucking starving.” Tyreese suddenly groaned, making me jump and earning a smirk from him.

“There’ stuff in the bag on the bike.” I yawned watching as he pulled out a Reese’s peanut cup Glenn had obviously forgotten to grab, he offered me some and I shook my head, “I’m allergic.” I said softly, used to the routine response.

That was until an image of Glenn appeared in my head.
Dead.

I paused for a moment, taking several shallow breaths and forcing the images out of mind until I had regained my composure, raising my grubby hand to rub my face.

The pain in my ribs had lessened to an ache whenever I raised my arms or bent, it was more uncomfortable than painful.

My neck was still stiff as fuck however from having my head resting at a weird angle the last few nights.

Tyreese saw me rubbing it and glanced at me quickly, “The guy who did that to you...” he started, indicating the finger shaped bruising. “... he dead?” I nodded, furrowing my brow.
“Good...” he concluded.

“Or else I would’a killed the bastard myself.”

_________________________________________________

The barn was completely destroyed, bit of wood lie charred against the burnt ground. Walkers lay in lines similar to that at the hospital in Coalville.

“I’m guessing when you guys left you didn’t exactly have time to do that.” I shook my head, eyes wide, gripping the baseball bat tighter.

Two figures caught my eye; we stepped faster, the distance between us and them lowering until we could tell who they were.
Or what they were.

“Who the hell chained Walkers to your porch?” Tyreese gaped, his figure slowly moving in front of mine as we reached the steps, the small protective gesture almost made me smile.

A shadow appeared at the top window; Beth’s old room causing me to jump, my gun shakily pointing in that direction, “Someone is definitely here!” I hissed.

“No fucking way...” Tyreese continued, staring, mouth still agape as a woman stepped out, she was tall, beautiful with rich dark skin and dreadlocks.

“What are you doing here?” She asked, her eyes fixed on Tyreese.

It took a second to click, she was the woman he had been speaking of before, the Walkers chained to the porch were the ones he claimed she kept chained to her.
Tyreese seemed more startled at the fact she had spoken than anything else, stuttering as he went to answer her.

I wasn’t listening.
I focused on the Walkers; she had removed their hands, their lower jaws and their teeth.
Smart.

The net curtains upstairs twitched again and my attention shifted, I could hear heavy fast footsteps on the wooden stairs.
A body shoved past the mysterious woman suddenly, it was someone I recognised.

I felt my throat clog instantly, tears already forming into my eyes as the body launched into my own, arms crushing my painful ribs.

“Andrea.”