Crossbow Hearts

“Wait nobody fire!” I shouted as I focused in through my scope on the bodies coming towards us. Through my scope I could see them pretty well and I was pretty damn sure they were all alive. 2 were most definitely children, 4 I think were teenagers and the other 3 were adults.
“They’ll be on top of us if we wait any longer!” Rick growled.
“Well unless they’re cannibals they ain’t going to do nothing. And they have kids with them.” Lori gasped and went to Rick a few others lowering their guns. I left my CheyTac on the roof and got down drawing my Berretta. “Who wants to go meet them so they don’t get to close?” Nobody made a move but as I started to walk away Daryl walked up beside me and then Rick and Hershel. Everyone else stayed back as we cautiously approached the oncoming group.
“Guess you’re right Jamie they do have kids. HEY!” Rick shouted taking lead. I felt the need to roll my eyes as I had been the only one willing to meet them half way.
“Hey glad you’re actually alive. We’ve been wondering for what seems like months, but is probably only a couple of days. We don’t mean any trouble or anything just if ya could spare any food we’d appreciate it mightily.” The man who had spoken was black, at least 6’4 his face was weathered due to living out in the elements, but his eyes showed his kindness. With him was a homely looking woman with short blonde hair there was another man I assumed was her husband he was bearded. The teenagers stood just behind 3 boys and girl, two were clearly twins the other boy and girl were holding hands and the girl looked like the man who had spoken so perhaps his daughter. Then stood behind them were the children, but they were hidden from view. We all looked at Rick he said this wasn’t a democracy anymore so it was his choice.
“Sure we can supply you with a few things, we don’t have much though.” I stepped forward and held out my hand.
“Jamie,” The black man smiled and stepped forward.
“Tyreese, this is Donna and Allen. That’s Julie my daughter, her…boyfriend Chris. The twins Billy and Ben we picked up as we escaped Cartersville and the two girls at the back are Donna and Allen’s twin daughters Susie and Rachel.” Tyreese smiled taking my hand.
“Pleased to meet you, this here’s Rick, Daryl and Hershel.” Rick and Hershel shook hands with Tyreese and Allen, but Daryl stayed put eyeing them suspiciously. Then Rick took over in introducing them to the rest of the group.
“Hey Daryl?” He turned to look at me slowly.
“What?” I sighed getting a little annoyed with how one minute he was fine with me and the next I got attitude.
“The Prison, how are we going to go about it? We can’t really take everyone down there and then start emptying it out, I couldn’t see any more walkers, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t any.” He looked at me thinking something over.
“Yeah, we’ll go down tomorrow, check it out. For now we’ll eat and get some sleep.” I nodded in agreement. We walked back to the group everyone getting acquainted though Caleb ran over to Daryl and me wary of the new arrivals. As we ate he stuck close by Daryl’s side, mimicking his movements.
After we’d eaten I pulled out a blanket and slept on the floor by truck a gun at hand just in case. I left my truck for Caleb and Dale to sleep in. I drifted off into a fitful night’s sleep.
“Luna is missing. Jamie you can come with me and help me find her. The others have already split up.” I looked at him suspiciously I didn’t trust him, but I hadn’t seen Luna all day either. Nonetheless I followed him into the tree line in search of Luna. We both stayed silent not wanting to risk attracting any Z’s attention. I kept thinking about Caleb at the camp with those other women. He didn’t like them and I didn’t think we’d be there much longer. Garth had suddenly gone quiet. I could always hear his heavy breathing, but suddenly he’d gone deathly quiet. I turned and couldn’t see him. Where the hell was he?
“Garth? Where the fuck are you?” A stick snapped right behind me I whirled round gun coming up as I turned, but I was knocked to the ground hit round the head with something hard.
There was a weight on my legs and I was cold so cold. I couldn’t move them and they were going dead. I heard something, metal clinking faintly. I made my eyes open and tried to focus on the figure above me.
Garth straddled me as he tried to undo his belt. I realised I was cold as I was virtually naked. I groaned at the pain in my head. He leaned down smirking.
“I’ve been waiting for this since you came. Could a made this so much easier if ya gave it freely.” He kissed my lips his teeth sinking into my bottom lip and pulling. I started to shove him, I would not be raped by this vile excuse of a human being. He started groping my breast as I bucked against him. My heart beating faster, my breathing ragged. He violated me pushing into me. I wanted to be sick he moved his hands to grab my hips and I grabbed at the dirt around me till my hand grazed a rock I lifted it and struck him over and over. Hot tears spilling down my face.
I sat up straight wrapping my arms around me as the tears spilled down. I hadn’t had that dream in weeks, why now? And why so damn vivid? I tried desperately to control my breathing and damn near shot out of my skin as I felt a hand on my shoulder.
“Calm down are you ok?” I looked up meeting Daryl’s eyes. Just looking into his eyes I felt myself calm down, my breathing going back to normal and my heart not beating as fast.
“Yeah thanks.” Again I found myself leaning towards him our lips so close, but this time he stopped it. Pulling away and standing up. He offered me his hand and pulled me to my feet.
“Well while you were…sleeping. I spoke to Rick he doesn’t want any more than us two going, hell he’d rather we didn’t, but he agrees it needs to be done. He’s just not too trusting of that group.” I nodded.
“Ok that’s understandable. When we going?”
“Now, take a couple of hand guns, plenty of ammunition, a knife and that baseball bat of yours, you got another one?” I smiled and walked to the back of my truck.
“No but I do have this.” I told him handing him a crowbar. “Does just as good as this.” He took it without a word. Caleb was suddenly there and hugged my legs.
“You’re leaving?”
“No sweetie we’re just going to check out that building, get you a nice little room to yourself hopefully.” He nodded and turned to Daryl.
“You’ll make sure she comes back?” Daryl actually smiled, though only slightly and ruffled Caleb’s hair again.
“I said I would didn’t I? Give us a day or two and we’ll be back.” I was looking down at the prison not paying attention. “Jamie.” I blinked coming back to the conversation and couldn’t help the silly little smile that crossed my face as Daryl actually called me by my name. “Jamie I asked what distance the radios have?”
“Oh erm I should think they’d work from here to the prison. But I have a dish to increase signal in the back of the truck.”
“Ok well, Dale come here.” Dale walked towards us wiping the sleep from his eyes.
“Good morning Jamie, Daryl what can I do for you?”
“Jamie’s going to show you how to work the dish with the radio’s so we can keep in touch while we’re down there. You need to look out for Caleb and drive Jamie’s truck.”
An hour later we riding up to the prison gates my arms wrapped loosely round Daryl’s waist. I had shown Dale how to work the dish and radio, left him my keys, grabbed a few provision’s and left not looking back as we rode off.
“We’ll leave my bike here and open the gates big enough for us to quickly slip in and out of, but hopefully keep anymore from getting in.” I nodded fastening in my gun and knife while gripping my bat. The stench as we walked through was nauseating. The bodies I had shot yesterday being picked apart by crows as they came scavenging. We checked the whole of the outside, closing gates as we went to make it secure as possible and killing very few walkers. Then we came back to where we had started.
“Shall I radio the others tell’em we’ve cleared the perimeter?”
“Yeah do that.” I walked back to Daryl’s bike and pulled out the radio from one of the side pouches.
“Hey, it’s Jamie.”
“Jamie how is everything?” It was Rick.
“It’s good the perimeter is clear, we’re about to go inside.”
“Ok well just try to clear a nice simple path, safe and secure for us to stay in. We’ll move the cars down to the exorcise yard.”
“Ok Rick, later.” I switched off the radio and jogged back towards Daryl who was stood ready at the door. I took a deep breath and he opened the door running to stand by me so we could face the walkers inside together.
They spilled out the walkers all coming towards us with one thing on their minds. We didn’t want to have to shoot them so as one came close enough we swung, me with my bat and Daryl with the crowbar I had given him. Then we would back up so not to get surrounded. It felt never ending once or twice we had to dodge so not to get hit by one of them. We were both breathing heavy by the time the last body fell to the floor.
“You ok?” I looked up at Daryl then checked myself.
“Yeah you?”
“I’m fine, let’s move inside.” It was pretty easy going inside, most of the walkers had filed out when we opened the doors. We came to a fork in the path, one to the cell blocks and one to the cafeteria. “I’ll take the cafeteria you take the cell block, back here in five to decide what to do.” Before I could argue he walked away. I knew he’d given me cell block as any walkers were almost guaranteed to be behind bars. I crept down the hall twisting my hands round my bat. I pushed through the door to find.

Nothing. Absolutely fuck all.
I couldn’t understand it, unless the prison guards had let all the inmates out when the shit hit the fan. No one or thing being in there I headed back to the split in the hallway. I was contemplating going down, but when I heard raised voices I broke into a run. Voices meant people and people didn’t always mean good things. I drew my gun and burst through the door seeing Daryl drop to his knee’s holding his side as one man stepped back from him with a shank. Then Daryl slipped to the floor. I aimed my gun at the men.
“Whoa lady put that gun down.” Another man said soothingly. But another man came up trying to get the jump on me. I twisted my body and lashed out with a kick to the solar plexus taking him down.
“I’ll put the gun down when you all stop moving. We came looking for shelter. We have a group and they’re on their way down now. So back the fuck up. I need to check him.” Daryl hadn’t moved and I could feel tears prick my eyes.
“Now lady we didn’t know that he just came in wielding a crowbar and things got outta hand.” An elderly man with a beard assured me. “Guys just back off let the lady take care of things.” They backed off, so I moved to Daryl and crouched down beside him. I couldn’t see to him with one hand. So I tucked my gun in my waist band.
“Daryl? Can you hear me?” I asked shakily turning him over.