In the Sound

“Herschel thinks of those things as people. Sick people. His wife. His step son.”

The group turned to focus on Dale, who weaved into the center of control. Each and every one of his words had measured pauses separating them. Almost like the way Grimes spoke when he was trying to calm someone down. Dale waited, eyes widened into hard, perfect circles. I couldn’t help but think that when he was young, however long ago that was, he was one tough son of a bitch.

Rick stepped back, forehead creasing in confusion. “You knew?”

“Yesterday, I talked to Herschel.”

Shane prodded back into the circle, hand jabbing in annoyance. “And you waited the night?”

It wasn’t a question.

“I thought we could survive one more night! We did,” retorted Dale.

When his head snapped into Shane’s direction, I could feel the ferocity in his eyes. The venom in his tone. The harsh scowl that tickled at his lips. But Shane didn’t seem to care. Instead, Shane’s mind wandered into the open fields, looking between the forest line and Herschel’s farm. I could tell he was waiting for someone to come outside of it.

When Dale glanced back towards Grimes, his voice was lowered to a calm one. “I was waiting til this morning to say something, but Glenn wanted to be the one to,” Dale finished.

I glanced towards the Asian boy, guessing he was Glenn. His toes shifted uncomfortably.

Rick sighed, one hand perched on his holster. He rubbed at his beard with the other before turning to me. “And you?”

A sea of bulbs darted over to me. I subconsciously took a step away from Daryl, pressing my fingers against my hips too. “And me what?”

“You think those things in there are people? People you knew?”

Glancing to the rickety barn, I didn’t feel anything pull at my heart.

The old wood was rotting in places and chipped in others. The roof was charred by the fiery sun, and I could smell the rust leaking from the Iron Gate bar. I couldn’t imagine anybody I knew in there. Not my parents, or my friends. The shop keeper from down the road, or my old gym teacher. I couldn’t imagine them with scarred, reeking faces, groaning and trying to claw at my flesh. I just knew that Rick was right. Rick was right because he was all I knew. He was a cop, just like my Dad. And no matter what he thought, I knew siding with him was right.

My shoulders gave an awkward shrug, feeling a little self-conscious in front of everyone like this. “If they’re dead, then they aren’t the people I knew.”

A throaty scoff came from Shane. “And Herschel’s gonna see that! Open the gates Rick, we’re gonna settle this right here-”

“Rick’s right,” I challenged, lids slimming into narrow slits. Shane cocked his head at me in disbelief. “I aint a part of ya group, but I’m not gonna see anybody get hurt for no reason. Talk to Herschel. He’s not forgiving. The minute those boom gates rise, you’re gone. All of you.”

Shane shook his head wildly, ignoring me and striding back to the other cop. “The man is crazy Rick, if Herschel thinks those things are alive- no enough!”

Shane’s incessant shouting was intercepted by the mumble of moans coming from the barn. The door was rattling, the Iron Gate bar thudding back and forth. The girls in the group edged back slowly, their little fluttering heart beats quickening. I felt a stretch in my stomach, before it dropped. My neighbours were in there. My old friends. My school mates? I didn’t know how many. I didn’t know which ones.

Rick’s feet were planted firmly in the ground, attention strict on the barn doors. His brows twisted in stress.

A hush fell over the group.

Grimes turned on his heel, chin pointed to the ground. “We’re gonna clear this barn. But we’re gonna talk to Herschel. This is his land.”

Weaving through the scattered group, he paused before Shane, shaking his head briefly before sauntering off. Lori, with her arms wrapped around Carl’s shoulders, tailed him. And slowly, others joined them in the hurried scamper back to the shade of the camp.

I sighed and turned away from the rattling doors. Whoever was in there didn't know me. They didn’t know Kit. It didn’t matter that I knew them before the new world. I didn’t want it to matter. Stressing both hands through my hair, I peered back over my shoulder.

Carol, the dark man and Glenn weren’t far behind the Grimes family. Daryl trudging back towards the forest line, a tense hold in his walk. Fiddling with his hat, Dale wandered up the hill in a hush, the blonde woman skipping to catch up to him. When she did, her hand snaked around his shoulder in a light pat.

Except Shane. Never moving. Never taking a step away from the barn. Just watching it, just waiting.

Always ready to kill.