A Week with a Ghost - A true story of my encounter with the paranormal.

A Week with a Ghost

            This is true as it happened to me in the span of a week. Each night it got worse and worse and the final revelation had me stunned still to this day. It all started early Monday morning. The night before was the same as any other night, nothing out of the ordinary and I went to sleep just fine, until 3 o’clock in the morning. I don’t remember dreaming or even hearing any sound that would wake me. I just sat up from a deep sleep and looked at the bedroom door.

            There standing in the doorway were two distinct black figures. I continued to stare thinking my eyes were playing with me until one of the figures moved. It looked as if it raised an arm up as if absentmindedly touching its own cheek. I quickly lay back down in the bed and brought the blanket up to my head as if that would protect me. I didn’t dare peek out until morning and the world was right again. But that was only night one.

            When I got home from work the next day I was alone but I still checked every room leaving the lights on as I go. I didn’t even realize I was scared until my boyfriend came home, saw all the lights on, and asked if I was okay. I had already told him what happened and he said he didn’t see or hear anything last night. Again, nothing occurred while I was awake until 3 o’clock AM rolled around again.

            The room was dark and my eyes were closed but my mind moved from sleep to awake quickly because I felt someone looking at me. Staring at me. I opened my eyes only a little to see a dark figure standing at the foot of my bed. Tall, broad shoulders, and dark enough that I couldn’t see the objects behind it. I shut my eyes quickly thinking if it didn’t see me looking at it then it would go away.

            It didn’t. It moved to the side of my bed silently and was standing right beside me. I was looking up at it looming over me but something strange happened. I couldn’t move my head. I couldn’t move my body. I couldn’t speak or whimper or anything. The black figure looked to be standing with its left hand hanging nonchalantly in its dark left pocket. I could tell it was a male and it bent over me. It leaned its featureless face close to mine and still I couldn’t move. Suddenly, I heard whispering. Not it whispering but many whispers speaking all at once so quickly I couldn’t make out anything they were saying.

            I felt a tingling sensation touch the top of my head and slowly trace down my spine all the way down to my feet as if someone were trying to feel me out. All I could hear was my own labored breathing until the dark figure disappeared and I was free to move. It felt like I was there in that place for hours but it only lasted a minute or so. Once I was free to move I stayed put in the bed but I was shaking uncontrollably so much so that I felt my boyfriend’s hand touch me and feel me shaking, he turned over and asked if I was okay. I couldn’t say anything, I could only shake with fear. And that was night two.

            By night three I thought two things, either I was going crazy or I was being haunted both didn’t seem like good options. I dreaded going to sleep, I dreaded waking up at three and what horror awaited me. 3 o’clock came and a dark figure stood at the foot of my bed again. This one was shorter and more solid. I closed my eyes and told it to go away; to leave me alone. I heard the whispers again but now I could feel a tugging on my foot. It wasn’t a malevolent feeling but as if someone was playfully tugging at my foot to get my attention. It still was a forceful tug. I opened my eyes to see my side table slowly slip upwards as I was being tugged down to the foot of my bed where the figure stood. I still pleaded with it to leave me alone and soon the whispering stopped and the thing let go of my foot. I slid myself back up to my pillow and went to sleep on this night three.

            Night four and at 3 in the morning I watch a dark figure stand by my window. It was the taller one with broad shoulders. I still couldn’t make out any features yet and the only recognizable thing was its hand in it pocket again. The left hand was always in the left pocket it seemed weird. This time it wasn’t looking at me; it looked as if it was leaning against the wall and looking out my window. I wasn’t scared this time. There were no whispers and my breathing was calm. I was pretty surprised then it slowly dissipated and I simply closed my eyes and went back to sleep. End of night four.

            I didn’t know night five would be the last of the encounters. But this night was definitely different. I woke up again at the same time and looked directly at my window. I saw my boyfriend standing there leaning against the wall. I could clearly see his face but something was off about him. He wasn’t in his night clothes but a suit. An oversized suit at that, he had a white button up shirt, a tie, slacks, and a jacket. His left hand was casually hanging in his left pocket too. He seemed intent on looking out the window at something. I opened my mouth to ask him what he was looking at, I was only able to say his name when he disappeared like vapor. I was shocked. But not as shocked as when I placed my hand behind me and felt my boyfriend sleeping there beside me. It wasn’t him standing at the window but something that looked exactly like him wearing an old fashion suit and his hand in his pocket, just like the dark figure. That was night five and just like that everything stopped. No more nightly visits.

            I only told my boyfriend about my encounters and no one else. I didn’t want people to think I was crazy. He had no explanation as to why I saw something with his face. The story stayed between us until months later and his aunt and uncle came to visit his mom from out of town. I did the girlfriend thing of stopping in to visit and my boyfriend brought up my ghostly visits. His aunt was interested and asked me more. I told her and his mother the whole thing from start to finish. I didn’t realize the two of them were crying by the end. They were speechless and crying full blown tears.

            I thought I had said something wrong and started to apologize to them but they said there was no need. That the two ghosts I saw were their mother and father, my boyfriend’s grandparents. I asked how they could be sure, I didn’t see faces until the end and all I saw was my boyfriend’s face. They said that every day for school their mother would stand at the foot of their beds and tug on their feet to wake them. Then my boyfriend’s mother brought out an old black and white picture of their dad. It was my boyfriend in the same oversized old fashioned suit and what really struck me was his left hand in his pocket. They said he always walked around like that because he had the habit of jingling change in his left pocket. And he looked exactly like my boyfriend except taller.

            I couldn’t believe it. His mom and aunt were grateful to me, they hugged me and thanked me saying that their parents visited their grandchild and maybe because I was open I could have gotten in the way. They may have used me to bring them the message that they are still here. I feel like that was the validation I needed to know that I wasn’t crazy after all.

The Wall Fifteen - Rock and a Hard Place series: This is the conclusion of this series.

The Wall Fifteen

            Year 23, August, Early Morning:      Glenn and Maggie are dead. They died together. We were not able to go back and retrieve their bodies. At least Rick gave them a proper burial; one of the few considerate things he’s done in recent years. I don’t think I can forgive him for this. I don’t think I can even call him Dad anymore. We’re so different and yet…so much the same. We want the same things but go about it in different ways. Rick believes in ultimate control to protect those you love. I don’t. Building a wall will not keep the dead out. Scanning patrols, assigning jobs, making people “earn” their place will only bring about one thing…revolution.

            One silver lining is Beth. She’s beautiful; she has Maggie’s eyes. Marla is leaving the Dead Heads, she can’t forgive what happened to her parents. I sent them on this mission and they didn’t come back from it. She blames me and I can understand it. I won’t tell her about Beth….not yet. I don’t want Marla to do something that would endanger herself. She wants to blend in with the people of New Charleston. I can at least help her with that.

            New name, new identity, new start. We should all be so lucky. I’ll keep an eye on her though. One day, we’re going to need her. I sent Michonne outside the wall with Beth. No one must know she survived the fire.

            Dr. Hopkins analyzed Beth’s blood. I can’t really say exactly what she said with all her technical talk but in laymen’s terms; she’s special. Because she was exposed to the walker virus while still in the womb the virus and her DNA are coexisting somehow. Doc called this Chromosome Fusion? Not sure what that really is but she’ll continue to work on it for the foreseeable future. Not only that, Beth may be the key to even curing this thing. Unfortunately there is also a side effect of changing some walkers into something else. Something…more dangerous. Could this be what Rick wanted? Create an army of controllable walkers? If it is, then the Dead Heads are going to have to act soon. We’re preparing now…for war.

                                                                                    -Carl Grimes

            Carl closed his journal after reading the old entry. Marla knows about Beth and he feels a weight lifted off his shoulders. Marla wants to see her, he can’t allow that, not now. New Charleston is in turmoil, the lower ring is flooded with walkers and the survivors are in disbelief. The NCD has yet to make an appearance of at least trying to contain the walkers which leads Carl to believe that they are all hiding behind the inner wall waiting for the inevitable to happen.

            The city is not lost, not entirely. After hours of walking with the occasional Zeek to put down the group finally made it to the inner wall. From their hidden vantage point, Carl observed the NCD patrolling the top walkway.

            “So here’s where all the forces are. Why am I not surprised?” Daryl spoke as he squatted low out of sight.

            “Unbelievable. You have innocent people dying in the streets and the NCD does nothing but patrol a wall?” Hank spoke incredulously.

            “Of course, all the big shots are behind that wall. All the assets, or as I like to call them, the assholes.” Trinity kneeled beside Jen. The group crouched unaware of the elite squad of NCD bearing down on their position.

            Councilman Troy spoke the Major James sitting in the truck beside him. “Now remember James, we want these Dead Heads alive. You can shoot them but don’t kill them. They have valuable information that we need.” Troy smirked as he watched the group on the security camera.

            “Oh they’ll give us a fight, Councilman. More than likely one of those Dead Heads in the leader and a pain in my ass for several years now.

            “Don’t worry Major, I have a feeling they won’t put up much of a fight.” Troy’s smirk turned into a full grin as the NCD converged on them.

            Carl spoke to Daryl trying to plan their infiltration of the Inner Wall when a feeling struck him. He stopped talking midsentence. “Carl? You alright?” A single bullet hit the concrete wall in between the two sending rocks flying. The group turned drawing their weapons.

            “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” A male voice crackled over a loud speaker. “You are surrounded. If you want to die then please by all means try to shoot your way out of this but I’m sure you want to live so drop your guns now.” The voice said sarcastically.

            “Don’t do it.” Daryl spoke softly. “We can’t be taken. If some of us can make it out, I’d rather take that chance.” Daryl fingered the trigger on his bow.

            “Stop it! Please, please stop.” A female voice now pleaded on the loud speaker. A familiar female. “Please, don’t hurt them.”

            “I should have known you were a part of them. I’m glad I had you followed to confirm my suspicions.” Troy spoke. “Drop your weapons or Judith will die.”

            Carl’s heart sank, in a split second he was thrilled to know his baby sister was still alive but now devastated with the reality that she was taken. “Put down you guns.” Carl commanded. No one hesitated, the Dead Heads were not going to win this standoff.

            “That’s good. I’m glad I finally caught the mysterious leader of the Dead Heads. Isn’t that right Carl? I should have known that also. Take them!” NCD dressed in black gear descended on them, efficiently taking them down with blows to the back of the head. Carl watched his people being tied up as he was hit and the lights went out.

            As the NCD gathered what was left of the Dead Heads into a truck for transport beyond the inner wall a lone walker viewed them. It didn’t attack but turned away and rounded a corner to shamble out of sight. Its dead legs carried it along the inner wall to a point where the patrol on the top thinned out.

            The walker reached its hand up and grasped a piece of cement jutting out; it haul its frail frame up the wall hand over hand. It didn’t care that its fingers cracked; it felt no pain and left a trail of blood in its wake. Some entrails splattered on the ground as it lifted itself up and over. It simply stepped over the organs and ambled to the singular guard pissing over the wall unawares.

            It grabbed his neck and dug its teeth into the flesh, the guard only able to let out a gurgled scream. The walker dropped the body not intending on feasting but needing this guard to turn and join him. The walker moved on to the next one.

            The truck carrying Carl and the group moved through the inner gate into the heart of New Charleston to the well-guarded holding cells. It was here where they locked up citizen who break the rules but most were here simply to be experimented on.

            Betty Patterson started the experiment program two years ago under the nose of Head Councilman Grimes who wanted to shut the whole thing down; the fool. If only they could have saved the infant or even retrieved the body the project would be much further along than it is now.

            Betty paced her lounge with the two way mirror into the holding cells and labs. She wanted to be able to see the testing without the subjects seeing her. She would never admit to anyone the rush she feels when watching the subjects suffer. She felt almost God-like to have such control over their lives. Her lounge was fully appointed with a Persian rug, satin chaise lounge chair, velvet pillows, a sparkling crystal chandelier, and expensive turn of the century art stolen from some of the more prestigious museums.

            A new group a test subjects were being dragged to their cells. This was a special group, the remains of the Dead Heads and their leader. Carl Grimes was just waking up as Betty sipped her glass of merlot and sat down to watch.

            Daryl kicked at the closest guard’s legs causing him to fall. He was not going to be put in a cage. Two more guards wrestled him down to the floor kicking him in the sides and cracking a rib.

            “Be easy, they won’t make good candidates if they’re injured.” A man’s voice spoke in the darkness. Troy Hudson stepped forward hauling a struggling Judith with him.

            “If you hurt her, it will be the last thing you ever do.” Carl threatened, his eyes locked on Troy.

            “Empty threats Grimes, you’re locked up and can’t do a goddamn thing.” To prove his point, Troy violently twisted Judith’s arm behind her back, she let out a painful scream. Carl flinched as if in pain himself upon seeing his sister hurt. “You’ll do well to listen to what we say from now on, if you want to survive this.”

            “Stop bullshitting us. You’re not going to keep us alive.” Daryl said leaning against the bars of the cell he was thrown in. “The people who come in here don’t make it out.”

            “Clever. You know you’re not as dumb as you look.” Troy looked behind him at the mirror knowing Betty was watching. She liked to watch and he wanted to put on a show for her. Carl flicked his eyes to the oversized mirror and quickly back again noting it. “So doctor, which do you want?” Troy asked the shadows.

            The click of heels on the floor sounded as a woman stepped forward with a clip board. Carl recognized her immediately. “I’ll take this female and this male.” She spoke pointing to Trinity and Jason.

            “Aww hell no!” Jason yelled as he was yanked to his feet, hands still tied behind his back. Trinity was lifted too but didn’t say anything. She simply looked at Jen as if to say goodbye.

            “No! Trinity! Jason!” Jen yelled as they were escorted out of the room. Hank was placed in the adjoining cell to Daryl while Jen was place in the cell directly across with Marla.

            “Dr. Hopkins. I was wondering where you had gone off to for the last few weeks. Didn’t know you were ‘sleeping with the enemy’ so to speak.” Carl ground out the words with venom. He was tired of people he trusted turning on him.

            “I’m sorry Carl, but you tasked me with finding out how the walker virus can live in a healthy person and the facilities you provided were inadequate. Not to mention the benefits Councilman Hudson promised me outweighed what the Dead Heads could offer. I’m so close Carl, can’t you see? I’m so close to solving this thing. I’m going to save the world, just like you wanted.”

            “Or destroy it.” Carl added.

            “No…” Dr. Hopkins whispered, she wanted Carl to understand. “The world didn’t end when the dead started to rise up. This is just the next evolutionary stage of mankind’s existence. We have to evolve too. Our DNA is made up of 20,000 genes, do you know that 97 percent of that is not used at all. It’s inactive…97 percent. How have we risen to the dominate species on Earth without using more of our DNA? The 3 percent that control our physical makeup, our hair color, how tall we are, our intelligence is called Exons while all that wasted space is called Introns.

            “I’ve found that test subjects that have a genetic mutation of using more than 3 percent of their DNA, the Exons, are what we need for Chromosome Fusion. Remember Carl when we talked about that? Chromosome Fusion is when the walker virus and normal human DNA can live together.”

            “That’s why you have the scanners! They’re not testing for the infected, they were testing for the subjects you need.” Hank put two and two together.

            “Brilliantly deduced Mr. McAdams. You and your daughter carry those genetic mutations too with high potential. I’ll be saving your testing for last in this grouping.”

            “The man at the Processing station. The one that was taken away when the scanners showed he was infected. He wasn’t was he? Jen asked.

            “Of course not, and he actually saved the two of you that day. I only needed one more subject and since he scanned positive first, he was taken. Your scans were noted and saved in the system for pick up later. The frequent scans are so we can keep track of you and your movements throughout the city.”

            “How can you do this Beverly? How can you turn people into monsters?” Carl asked her.

            “I was hoping you would understand Carl. I need to go now, my subjects are probably prepped and ready for me.” Dr. Hopkins turned on her heels and walked out of the room leaving Troy to speak with Carl.

            “I think I’ll hold on to Judith here. In case you try anything…stupid.” Troy forced Judith out of the room and slid the metal door closed behind him.

            Betty enjoyed that display and she now moved down to the next window to peer into the adjoining room where Trinity and Jason were strapped to metal tables. She took another sip of wine.

            “Please, please don’t do this.” Jason pleaded straining against his wrist straps.

            “Jason, I’ve always liked you. You made me laugh.” Dr. Hopkins smiled remembering how they joked with each other as she prepped a syringe with bright pink fluid and a very long large needle.

            “I can make you laugh some more just please, please let us out of here. You don’t have to do this. This guy said I don’t even have that, that...mutation thing.” Jason tried to reason with her.

            “No you don’t but a good scientist always has a control subject. Now, I have to say the quickest way to get this into your brain is to go through your eye socket. It will be painful but that won’t last long because when your brain begins to die that will be excruciating.” Dr. Hopkins said with all the emotion of a science teacher about to dissect a frog.

            “No! No please God no!!” The guard strapped his head down and Dr. Hopkins positioned the needle at the corner of his left eye. He screamed as the metal syringe plunged into his flesh drilling its way through the eye wall and into the brain. Dr. Hopkins pressed down on the plunger and push the concentrated pink fluid into the brain. Blood tears ran down his face.

            Trinity closed her eyes and tried to drown out Jason’s screams with thoughts of her sister. Her twin waiting for her on the other side. Her skin was clear of open wounds, her jaw was back into place; she looked as she did before she was bitten. That’s how Trinity wants to remember her, smiling and happy. Jason’s screams were replaced by the groans of the undead. Trinity made the mistake of opening her eyes to see a large syringe hovering over her right eye. She thought of her sister again.

            “Trisha….I’ll see you soon.” Trinity whispered as the syringe entered her eye. Betty behind the mirror took her last sip of wine with satisfaction. She left her lounge to find Troy. It was time they let Councilman Grimes in on the secret that his son is the leader of the Dead Heads.

            “We need to get out of here.” Daryl spoke from his cell.

            “Already working on that.” Jen said as she attempted to squeeze her body through the bars on her cell.

            “Jen, what the hell are you doing? You won’t fit.” Marla urged her to stay inside.

            “I’m not that big, I can slip through and get help, maybe find the keys.”

            “No it’s too dangerous.” Hank yelled.

            “Hank, I think it’s more dangerous to stay put.” Carl said solemnly. Jen continued to wiggle her way out while in the next room a groaning Jason lay next to a still Trinity.

            “Umm, perhaps I was wrong about this one. But the scan showed she had the potential right?” Dr. Hopkins asked the guard. “Let me see those scans again.” As Dr. Hopkins reached over to take the scanning unit Trinity’s arms shot up breaking the wrist restraints and grabbing the doctor by the head. In a quick motion, Trinity snapped her neck easily. The guard had no time to react as Trinity sat up and captured both his wrist in a vice like grip. She popped his arms from his torso as if he were a Ken doll. The guard screamed in pain as he fell to the floor in a wet thud.

            The thing that was Trinity stepped off the metal table and looked at the thing that was Jason clawing to get free. Trinity ripped the wrist restraints off him and allowed him to leave with her.

            Jen bent her leg in an odd angle and fell to the floor outside the cell. “I’m out.” She said as she rubbed her thigh.

            “Good, now I want you to take a metal bar and throw it through that mirror.” Carl commanded.

            “The mirror? Why?” Jen asked

            “It’s a two way mirror. I’m sure of it.” Carl responded.

            “You mean someone could be watching us right now?” Marla asked concerned.

            “I doubt it, there would alarms by now or guards rushing in.” Daryl pointed out.

            Jen grabbed the bar when a sound from the sliding metal door grabbed her attention. Jen could see Trinity through the glass but she wasn’t Trinity anymore. She’s infected. Knowing she couldn’t get through the door, Jen turned back to her task when the click of a latch drew her attention back to Trinity. The door slid open slowly and Trinity stood in the doorway glaring at her through blood red tears. She would have to kill her friend just as Trinity had to kill her sister. It was the only way.

            “No Jen, don’t go near her. She’s not like the other infected.” Hank warned. At that point Trinity rushed in going for Jen. “NO!” Hank yelled helpless shaking the bars through clenched fists.

            Jen swung the bar at Trinity’s head but she ducked out of the way. She clipped Jen at the legs knocking her off balance and to the floor. Jen brought the bar up as Trinity rolled on top of her holding the bar and pressing it down.

            Jen felt cold metal touch her neck and pain radiated downward. It was getting harder to breath as the pipe cut off her air. Trinity growled as she pressed down harder. Jen’s lungs burned for air and finally she kicked her bottom half up throwing Trinity off her. Trinity held onto the bar and wielded it like a weapon. Jen was on her feet and dodged the first swing.

            “Keep moving Jen, keep moving! Stay on your feet!” Hank coached from the cell.

            “You got this Jen. You’re a strong girl.” Marla encouraged all the while her heart was racing with fear.

            Jen dodged the second swing but the third caught her in her gut knocking that precious air right back out of her. Her vision blurred as she fell to her knees. Trinity set herself up for another swing to Jen’s head but Jen fell back as the pipe caught the very top of her head causing it to bleed. Trinity swung down and Jen caught the pipe in her hands. Placing her foot in Trinity’s belly Jen used her momentum to through Trinity up and over her.

            Jen spun to her feet and brought the pipe down on Trinity’s head with a heavy thud. She did it again and again until her face was completely smashed in.

            “You did it Jen.” Hank assured. She looked at her father, she saw the pride in his eyes. But just to make sure, Jen slammed the pipe down on her head again sending bone fragments and coagulated blood flying.

            “Quadruple tap. Nice.” Daryl approved. Jen walked to the mirror and sent the pipe flying through. On the other side was a very expensive looking but empty room. Jen crawled through the opening and found a table stand with a set of keys in it.

            “Hank, you need to take your daughter and Marla and get out of here. I’m not sure how much longer this city is going to last now. We’re going to find Judith…and my father.” Carl instructed.

            “No, we’re going to help you end this. These experiments can’t continue; we need to stop it here and now. No matter what.” Hank stated with confidence. The group left the holding cells picking off weapons from down NCD agents.

            “Trinity must have taken them out.” Hank observed.

            “Not all of them. There must be more.” Carl stated ominously.

            “Shit’s hitting the fan, big time.” Daryl added. The Dead Heads nor the NCD knew that the inner wall was filling with the dead as Troy forced Judith down the corridor.

            “Judith?” Rick came upon them in the hall.

            “Dad!” Judith cried out but Troy stopped her from running to him.

            “Troy! What the hell is this? You let her go!” Rick instinctively reached down to his hip only to grasp air. He hasn’t had to wear his gun in years but never missed it more than now.

            “Councilman Grimes, I’m actually glad you’re hear so I can tell you that we finally found the leader of the Dead Heads. He’s in a holding cell now but your daughter here, Judith is also one of them.” Troy laughed.

            “What? Judy is this true?” Rick asked.

            “Daddy, please.” Judith pleaded.

            “Yes, your son is the leader. He’s the one that has been sabotaging New Charleston for years.”

            “Liar!” Carl burst through the double doors and yelled. “You’re the one sabotaging New Charleston. Making these super walkers, experimenting on people like Trinity and Maggie.”

            “What? I told you to stop those tests. I told you I didn’t want to do that anymore. You bastard.” Rick advanced on Troy but a bullet fired through his right shoulder sent him to the ground.

            “Dad!” Judith cried out.

            “You sentimental old fool.” Betty Patterson emerged from the alcove pointing a gun at them. “You never really embraced the progress we were making.”

            “You bitch. You killed them. I was trying to save them and you killed them.” Rick accused.

            “No. You killed Maggie when you approved of the testing.”

            “That was a mistake. I never should have…”

            “Well we can’t change the past Rick. Only move forward and I think new leadership is in order perhaps….” Betty’s words stopped as a walker plunged its abnormally long forearms through her abdomen. Betty looked down to see the arms dangling through her expensive Dior dress but all she could manage to say was “son of a bitc-“ as the arms pulled apart and ripped her in two.

            “Betty!” Troy let go of Judith and pointed a gun at the walker. Its neck was unusually long and its mouth was ripped open from ear to ear in a grisly permanent smile. The thing dodged Troy’s bullets, none hitting their mark and it slammed its mouth down on Troy’s neck lifting him off the ground.

            “GO!” Carl yelled as the group ran down the corridor. Carl held out the bag he picked up from a dead guard; inside were grenades. Daryl and Hank fired their weapons back at the creature but it did nothing to slow it. It ran for them on all fours like an animal with its bobble head bouncing on its long lanky neck.

            Carl pulled the pin from a grenade and sealed it in the bag. He sent the bag flying back into the corridor. Daylight peeked from ahead; the main doors to city hall was slightly ajar. Daryl and Hank forced the tall heavy doors open enough for the group to squeeze through and they slammed it shut just as Carl exited.  

            “Fire in the hole!” Carl yelled as the group took cover. The massive explosion sent glass and debris flying in all directions knocking everyone to the ground. The heavy doors contained the initial blast but not the residual ones. They came flying off the building and into the sky; sailing overhead. City hall, the centerpiece of New Charleston came crashing down.

            “Holy shit!” Jen exclaimed.

            “Is everyone alright?” Carl asked. Judith helped Rick to his feet. Hank lifted Marla up as she dusted cement from her clothes. Daryl’s focus was ahead of them to the inner wall.

            “What do we do now?” Marla asked. “I need to find my sister.”

            “Sister? Beth’s alive?” Rick asked Carl surprised.

            “Yes, and so is Michonne.” Carl closed his eyes and breathed deep relived to know that his father wasn’t the cause of all this suffering. That people he trusted betrayed him. They would have to have a long talk eventually.

            Rick also breathed a sigh of relief trying to contain his emotions. He’s had to be strong for so long that he leaned on Michonne and Carl when it got to be too much. Thinking Michonne had died was devastating and driving his son away made it worse.

            “Yeah, but first we gotta get through that.” Daryl said as he pointed to the inner wall and the hundreds of former NCD agents were now shambling out as walkers.

            “With this group, I think we can handle it.” Carl spoke as a leader. Daryl loaded another arrow in his bow, Hank cocked his Glock back filling the chamber with another round, and Marla held Judith’s hand as they pulled out their weapons.

            “Dad, you’ll need this.” Carl handed Rick the heavy silver Colt Python. Its barrel gleamed in the sunlight.

            “You had this? I thought…” Rick asked his son.

            “Thought you might want it back someday.” Carl smiled as they looked to the wall and the charging walkers. They readied their weapons, took aim, and began to fire. They were free and they would have to continue to fight for their freedom still but when they made it out of New Charleston they’ll find a new home. One without walls.

The End.