Tiptoe Through the Tulips

My hands were stinging from my slip, friction burns covering both palms as we made our way back into the building, this time on the ground floor so we could attempt to find our weapons that had been confiscated, male voices echoed and we were careful to stay low, to hesitate around corners, that was until we heard one.

“I’ll talk to Tyreese,” I hissed as we approached the large kitchen, “You guys go ahead, some of these rooms must be used as storage.” they nodded and continued, our plan was to remain undetected, we didn’t want to kill anyway unless necessary.

These people were pretty much prisoners here.

But that in itself led to a conflict within me, why didn’t we stay and help? We couldn’t. It was simple, we had to save ourselves but the guilt remained that there were children here who would suffer the consequences from this maniac.

“Get back to the prison, get Rick. He’ll know what to do.” I breathed to myself, slipping in through the light grey doors, listening as Tyreese ate, a privilege we three females hadn’t been offered which only encourage my theory that we would have been killed during the night.

Which meant we didn’t have much time until they would notice our disappearance.

The other person left, no word to this new man about the horrors of here, about what he would go through. It complexed me. “Tyreese.” I hissed, standing warily and instantly grabbing a large chef knife, he looked shocked, thoughts flooding him that I was going to kill him.

“Not you, you twat,” I hissed, slapping his arm, “I’m returning the favour. You saved me from there, and I’m saving you from here.” much like Andrea he listened horrified as I recounted the events earlier, his fists clenching as I finished.

“I’m going to kill him.” I shook my head, urging him not too, we needed to leave without knowledge, we couldn’t help here.

“I feel this is a good time to say I told you so." I half teased as we left the kitchen, no longer hiding as Tyreese had announced his plans to stay here.

He would simply say I was going to join him.

___

Michonne left the room machete’s in hand, a grim smile on her face as he spun them around testing herself, Andrea passed me a gun that was definitely not one of ours claiming they had found the guards storage room.
Tyreese was still quiet, his fumbled attempts to apologise to me had ceased, instead he now grew angry at himself for being gullible, too trusting. It had never been a good trait, especially now.

We managed to leave the town hall surprisingly quickly, the moon was now bright and illuminated the sky, it must have been close to midnight.

“I think he car is still where it was.” Andrea whispered, her hair glinting in the moonlight, “It must be close to a mile walk.” I nodded, the others mimicking the movement as we crept down the smaller side streets, Michonne had recommended a route her brilliant mind remembering the route of the guards from earlier.

“I would definitely not want you on the opposite team to me.” I had told her earnestly as she led us, she smiled slightly as we continued until our luck ran out. “OI!” a shout rang out and we turned, the Guard from earlier close behind us, it was the one who had shown emotion at loosing Randall.

I expected him to call for help, to shout but instead he drew closer, “You cant get out from here!!" He urged desperately, sweat appearing on his face, “He knows about your friends at that prison and he will come!”

“Then why do you stay with him if you know what he is?” I exclaimed, desperate to understand why the only man I had seen today that showed emotion and sense was still so idiotic.
“Because a lot of people here believe him, he has kept us safe so far, people are brainwashed.”

“You’re not.”

He nodded, tears visible in his eyes, “I’m not. But he has my wife locked up to keep me sweet.” he spat bitterly, “I can’t do ‘nothin without her being killed by one of the lunatics that believe him.” I bit my lip once again, wishing there was something we could do.

“Im sorry but...” he cut me off, watching as Michonne indicated we had to leave with a desperate gestures, “The patrols get back in a few minutes with some more Walkers, that’s you're only chance to sneak out, I’m heading to the gate. I’ll hold it open as long as I can give you.”

“Why would you risk so much to save us?” Andrea breathed, tears dripping down her face at the plain, insignificant man in front of us.

“I can’t do ‘nothin about this, but if you get out. I like to think you can.” I nodded, instantly promising we would return, we would help.

I’m sure there was no doubt in his mind that the promises were worthless.

We followed behind him until the gates, waiting again in the shadows, hidden behind some cars used as extra cover, waiting.

Waiting.

___________

We had slipped through the gates successfully, the men distracted with one particularly strong walker had allowed us time to put some distance between us and them before the gates closed. The surrounding land was dark and uneven but we continued, meeting only three Walkers in our journey who were all fairly easy to kill. The car was where we had left it thankfully and we all shakily climbed in.

“We can’t put the lights on,” Tyreese said, his only speech since we had left the town hall, “It will attract them.”

“Then go slowly and carefully” Michonne instructed, “We don’t have time to waste and we know the basic way”. Tyreese nodded, looking solemn and turning the car on, a breath of relief as it started rather quietly. He turned around slowly, the moon our only light and began to drive as Michonne pulled the tatty map from the glove-box, beginning to guide him as I felt my eyes grow heavy, exhaustion overtaking me.

By the time I awoke I could see the large grey turrets of the prison in the distance, the sun just starting to rise and painting the sky orange. “It looks like a castle.” I remember mumbling, sleep still disorientating me as we drew closer, the double metal wired gate becoming visible, followed shortly by a couple of figures I recognised by the large front gate.

Tyreese turned and grabbed me before I had chance to run out, “You two need to go out first.” he said to Andrea and myself, causing me to roll my eyes as the excitement pulsed through me.

“They don’t know me and Michonne and they won’t trust us.” I nodded, Andrea’s face was as lit up as my own, all anger at them, all thought of how they left me was shoved to the back of my mind as I saw a very familiar capped man looking uneasily at the car.

“Glenn!” I shouted as I clambered out, tripping in my excitement but already wrapped in arms before I could land, tears and sobs into my shoulder as his arms surrounded me, I heard another exclamation and knew someone had seen Andrea, seen us.

The girls back from the dead.

“Oh god Ariella, fuck!” Glenn choked, pulling away from me, “I’m so sorry, we left and we lost everyone and I left you a note but I thought you were dead and...” I cut his rambles off with another hug, sniffing and smiling,
“Look who else I found.” I said, my voice croaky from the tears as I saw his mouth drop at the site of Andrea hugging sobbing Carol.

“How did you?” he asked, his eyes wide, he shook, “You need to come inside and tell everything I just... I can’t believe. I should have come back, and when I told Daryl...” he froze, “Daryl has been losing his mind honestly I’ve never seen him so upset and...” again I cut him off,

“I...I was so fucking angry and scared and I just... oh God Glenn.” his hands ran up and down my arms quickly, a cold gathering around me as he kissed my forehead, murmuring and walking to Andrea, embracing her in a much less dramatic way then he had me.

“I can’t believe this!” Carol exclaimed, darting backwards and forward with no plan, “ I.. just... I saw you both die and... oh lord, this is a blessing.” I felt myself roll my eyes, already bored with her dramatics.

“Who are you” she stopped suddenly, staring at Tyreese and Michonne who had left the car, “You were the man from the town, Rick said you died and, oh gosh I’m so confused. I’ll go get Rick an...and Daryl!” she half screeched his name a strange look coming over her face, pointing at me.

“Everyone has to.. has too...” I stepped forward, gently placing my grimy hand over her mouth and letting an unwilling large smile meet her,
“Calm down Carol. We’ll come inside.” It didn’t feel real, that for almost the last week we had been separated, every poisonous thought that had filled my head, the things we had seen in Woodbury, the men that had tried to kill me, everything seemed so long ago. So irrelevant, nothing mattered apart from the group.

Andrea gripped my hand, I knew why Carol was so excited at her return in particular, she was the one so convinced Andrea had died, she had been determined, persuaded herself and others wrongly. I’m sure with the happiness guilt was coursing through her. She rambled as we walked, Tyreese and Michonne looking uncomfortable even as Glenn shook both of their hands introducing himself before returning to me, his hand tightly wrapped in my own.

“I didn’t believe it for a second,” he whispered as we entered through the main door, the building was cold instantly, slightly damp, “I just... couldn’t.”

“But everyone else did.” The thoughts were back, “We waited there, we waited at the gas station and we waited where we had camped and no-one came looking, they must have decided I was a lost cause...” he frowned and I felt bad for ruining what should be such a happy reunion.

After what seemed like forever travelling down dark dingy hallways, "We've only cleaned one block out..." We reached two large doors with the word Cafeteria printed above them, my body flooded with nerves and I felt sick.
I don’t know why, I should just feel excited but instead I felt a sense of dread as Carol opened one door, the tears had dried and she had a huge smile plastered on her face as I heard Lori ask her what the matter was.

She babbled something no-one could understand and instead flung the door open, the harsh lighting cause me to wince and squint as I heard a bout of reactions, my eyes still scrunched shut as tears threatened to leak from them. I felt arms around me but they felt strange, too cold, I was too cold.

Voices blurring in and out but I couldn’t breathe, I was choking, drowning on the air.

And then it went black.

______

A drip onto my forehead work me up with a start and I coughed as air filled my lungs too swiftly, my eyes un-blurring and meeting Rick’s concerned but yet happy face, a grin that made him look ten years younger instantly filling his face.

“Did I faint?” I coughed out, grateful for the slightly grimy glass of water he handed me which I downed in seconds. He nodded and I copied the action,
“Always the theatrics ay?” I teased, my eyes watering slightly as one of the people I trusted most in the world finally sat back in front of me.

He cleared his throat, beginning to try and explain why they hadn’t come back when I silenced him, “I don’t care Rick, I was so angry sometimes, I thought you had abandoned me but I know it was never like that, I know it would never be like that.” he nodded, running his fingers through his hair before offering me as hand as I stood, stretching and wincing as my joints popped.

He went to speak again but stopped himself, so I asked the question that no doubt he had been aiming to answer, “Where’s Daryl?” it came out as more of a squeak, a pitiful noise.

“I can erm.. he’s in his room...cell.” Rick finished awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.

“And he knows I’m here?” I asked, hurt, pain striking me like a dagger, Rick nodded, instantly jumping to his defence, how hard it had been, how distraught he was.

“If he was so fucking distraught he would be here jumping for fucking joy.” I argued, pulling away from Rick and storming towards the directions he had given me, the other’s who I hadn’t properly seen yet shrinking back as I walked, all clearly knowledgeable of what was going to happen and scared to interfere.

I reached what was once a cell, a thin blanket hung over the outside shading it from view, I heard breathing from inside and felt my own leave me at once, my hands shaking as I gently pulled the corner back, stepping into the dingy space, my back travelling against the far wall as I watched him.

Seated on a thin bed, hunched over with his head in his hands, he tensed at my footprints, aware I was in the room, yet still silent and still.

“Daryl?” I again heard myself whimper, my eyes sore as they flooded again, he still made no movement other than to lower his hands further, “Daryl please.” I begged, slowly stepping closer, eventually resting my hands on his only to have it shoved off seconds later.

He stood, swinging around hands still on the back on his head as I saw his reddened face, he pulled one hand down, lightly pointing it at me, “You died.” he muttered, looking me up and down. I shook my head, trying to move closer only to be shoved back.

“You fucking died!” he roared, ripping down the blanket and storming from the room, his heavy footsteps echoing through the tense atmosphere. I stopped crying; maybe I had simply given up.

I leant down onto the bed slowly, laying on my side with my head leaning on a shirt he clearly used for sleeping and inhaling the familiar scent.

“You fucking died!”