This Is Only the Beginning

Today started as any other. The sun shined throughout the house and the morning breeze blew the wind chime. Except, today everyone was gathered in the yard. Saying goodbye to a friend.
"Blessed be God, father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to him for the gift of our brother Otis, for his span of years, for his abundance of character."
I zoned out of listening to Hershel's prayers for Otis. It didn't feel right standing around an empty hole in the yard. It wasn't fair.
I hadn't realized he had finished til Beth was pulling me forward. Patricia, Maggie, Beth and I placed flowers in the empty grave. Jimmy filled it in.
"Shane, will you speak for Otis?" Patricia spoke suddenly.
"You were the last one with him. You shared his final moments. Please. I need to hear. I need to know his death had meaning." She cried, almost begging.
Shane hesitated. Something was really off about him.
"We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols, by then I was limping. It was bad. Ankle all swollen up. "We've got to save the boy." That's what he said."
I was probably just me, but something told me none of what Shane was saying was the truth. Call it witches intuition. No one else seems to have the same thought as me.
"He gave me his backpack. He shoved me ahead. "Run." He said. "I'll take the rear. I'll cover you." When I looked back." Shane paused, he looked around the group.
"If not for Otis, I'd have never made it out alive. That goes for Carl too. It was Otis. He saved us both. If any death had meaning, it was his." He breathed what sounded like a sigh of relief.
He was hiding something and I was going to find out what it is.

The air around me was heavy. I needed to blow off some steam. Let out my emotions in a healthy way.
"It's feeling crowded around here. I'm going to get some fresh air. I'll be back in a little bit." I told Beth heading back to the house to get my stuff.
She wanted to come with me but I told her she needed to stay. That Patricia needed her right now. She conceded but she wasn't all that happy about it but she knew I was right.
I love being outdoors. Even now, though the dead walk the Earth I refuse to hideaway inside. Yes I know it's dangerous but I don't care. I can't be cooped up. I'll go insane.
The rustling of leaves caught my attention.
Goddess guide my arrow.
When I turned around I thought I would see a walker. Not even close. It was Daryl.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I asked angrily.
"I could say the same bout you."
"I can take care of myself thank you." I turned around hoping he would take the hint.
"After what's happened, you really think it's smart to be wondering around out here. Ya dumber than I thought." He scoffed.
"I am armed you know. I'd watch what you say next." I threatened.
I heard him chuckle followed by the rustling of leaves. I turned around and watched him walk back up the hill to the house.
He knows how to really irritate a person.

I was able to spend sometime to myself without any disturbances. I was a nice time. When I heard more leaves starting to rustle I sighed.
What does he want now?
However, it wasn't Daryl who had come down the hill. It was Shane.
Great.
"I thought I heard someone down here. Didn't expect it to be you. Let alone you throwing knives at a tree." He grinned.
"Gotta keep my skills up some how."
He chuckled.
"You shouldn't be out here by yourself. It's not safe." He walked closer to me. I backed up.
"I can take care of myself." I retorted throwing a knife straight into the tree, hitting it dead center.
"That'll dull them ya know." He said smugly.
"I have a sharpener."
He was really starting to bug me.
"You just have an answer for everything don't ya."
I ignored him.
"I take it back." He laughed.
Ugh please just go away before I throw one of these at your head.

Unfortunately I was stuck with him for what seemed like hours but was probably only a couple of minutes. He just couldn't take the hint that I did not want to talk to him. Luckily, I was saved shortly by Beth's sudden appearance. She said she needed my help with dinner. I was happy to get the hell away from Shane and back around regular people that I felt I could actually trust.
"What were you doing with him?" She asked concerned.
"Fighting the urge not to kill him. There's something about him I just don't trust." I whispered, unsure if Shane was following close behind.
"You think he's up to something too. I thought it was just me." She breathed a sigh of relief.
"Yeah I do. That story he told about what happened to Otis sounds just like that, a story. I don't believe a word of it."
"What do you mean?"
I just looked at her. I couldn't bring myself to call him murderer. No matter how strongly I felt he was one.
"Do you think he did something to Otis?" She asked sorta shocked.
"Yeah, I really do." I sighed.
When we reached the porch Beth stopped to sit on the step as though she was taking a breather. I joined her. It was hard to think that someone would just outright kill someone as good as Otis. Now a days I was willing to believe it was more than possible. The world is no where near the same as it used to be. The dead aren't the only things you should fear.
At that moment Shane came into view. He walked over to his group. His eyes never left mine.
"How do we find out the truth?"
"If there's a way, we'll find it." I said breaking eye contact.
I will not rest until I and everyone else knows what really happened on that run.