Rock and a Hard Place 12- The Wall Twelve

The Wall Twelve

            “Jason, you missed one.” Marla pointed at the walker on the ground at Jason’s feet. It stumbled towards him in vain trying to walk to what remained of its limbs as the walker was missing its legs at the knee.

            “Oh, a Dragger.” Jason spoke as he stabbed it in the head with a hunting knife; a crudely drawn skull and crossbones emblazoned its side.

            “A what?” Marla asked confused furrowing her brow.

            “A Dragger, ya know, a walker with no legs.” Jason spoke as if this was common knowledge.

            “A walker with no…you actually have a name for that?” Marla asked surprised but slightly amused, the beginnings of a smile tugging at her face.

            “Well I can’t really call ‘em ‘walkers’ now can I?” Jason smiled. Sometimes he could be a bit arrogant but he was young and headstrong. For those people unlucky enough to be born after Year One, this world of walkers and Draggers was all they knew. So of course theirs would be a somewhat warped sense of humor.

            Marla looked up at Carl leading the group north to the outer wall, his walk is confident. He wasn’t born after Year One but was young enough to be considered raised in the change. He was one of the lucky few who still had a mother and father at a time when whole families were being wiped out. The relationship between he and his father was complicated, a rollercoaster of amazing highs and awful lows. But the one beacon of light for both of them was Judith. Marla’s thought drift to Judith and she wonders what happened to her childhood friend.

            Miles away in a dark junk filled basement Judith sit with her back against a wall listening to the sound of walkers shuffling their dead feet across a concrete floor. Her eyes adjust as much as they can to what little light penetrated the blackness and her head was clearing. Judith allowed herself short shallow breathes just enough to breathe but not enough to draw unwanted attention. She couldn’t stay here, she couldn’t die here.

            She slowly slid up against the wall into a standing position, if she had a knife she could take out the walkers one at a time then make her way to the flight of stairs and door. Just then, a shaft of orange light beamed down the stairs and screaming could be heard at the door. A woman’s body flew end over end just like Judith had landing on the floor with a thud. Judith used the opportunity of light to glance around the room, attempting to commit to memory the layout while she inched towards the stairs.

            The walkers converged on the whimpering mass on the floor. They were getting close but Judith got there first grabbing her up and pressing her against the wall. The girl was older than Judith with matted brown hair and deep black eyes. She put a finger to her lips, the international sign of keep your damn mouth shut. The woman obeyed.

            Behind them, they watched as the walkers investigated the now empty space where the woman had been as the shaft of light slowly disappeared. She was taking her time closing the door, was the crazy woman upstairs upset she didn’t hear any screams of pain and torment? Was this her form of entertainment?

            “Keep quiet. If we stay calm we can find a way out of here.” Judith whispered directly in the woman’s ear.

            “I’m not going anywhere, hon.” She answered back. Judith looked at the pained expression on her face and followed her eyes down to the woman’s leg. As the last of the precious light faded, Judith saw a large bone protruding from the woman’s calf just above the ankle. When you’re on the run, a broken leg is a death sentence and the woman’s black eyes echoed that thought. The light went out.

           

            Hank didn’t know how to start this conversation with his daughter and felt this was surely not the time but when we’re they going to have another time?

            “Jen, why did you leave the house?” Hank began tentatively.

            “Now?” She simply asked looking around at the group. In a time where living people are in short supply one made quick friends or quick enemies. Hank looked at the girl Jen had been traveling with he recalled her name was Trinity.

            “Yes now. Why don’t you listen to me anymore? I’m just trying to protect you.” Hanks spoke in low tones as the pair fell back further to have more privacy.

            “How? By bringing me into a city full of walkers and locked gates?” Jen immediately regretted the words as they left her lips.

            “That’s not fair.” Hank whispered. He already blamed himself for putting her in more danger than when they living on the road but to actually hear his daughter say that hurt him deeply.

            “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that….it’s just…” Jen stated but was interrupted by Carl raising his clenched fist in the air. The group stopped and converged on his position. It seemed like the outer wall had been looming over them for hours that Hank didn’t even noticed they had arrived.

            “There’s an access door just beyond that little house with the red roof.” Carl pointed. “There’s usually a guard stationed inside.”

            “Isn’t there another way in?” Hank asked not wanting to walk blindly into a fight. He glanced at the wall that seemed to rise into the clouds.

            “It’s either this or wander up and down the wall looking for another.” Daryl added. “We don’t have time for ‘another way.’”

            “How are we gonna do this? We’re black on water and ammo.” Hank informed. Even though Carl didn’t serve in the military before the change he knew what Hank meant.

            “We only have what’s already loaded but once we get inside we’ll have all the resources we need.” Carl responded.

            “Yeah,” Daryl said as he loaded a fresh arrow. “I just hope this doesn’t turn out to be a real Charlie Foxtrot.” He looked at Hank.

            Hank never pinned Daryl to have been in the military before. “Yeah, because no one likes a cluster fuck.” Hank smiled having found more confidence in going against this well armed enemy.

            Judith played out scenarios in her mind over and over again. None of them ended well. She and Mandy were still pressed against the wall trying to avoid contact with the roaming walkers. After Judith’s quick survey she determined the only way out was the way they came. Up a flight of stairs to a locked door and a crazy knife wielding maniac spouting government conspiracies.

            “Here.” Mandy whispered as he felt for Judith’s hand in the dark. Judith felt a heavy object in her palm, the warm leather of the hilt and cool metal of the blade proved to be knife.

            “There are 10 paces from here to the stairs. If you run you can make it.” Mandy whispered again. Judith didn’t know how she planned to run with that leg so she positioned herself to put Mandy on her back until she stopped her.

            “No, not me. You can make it. I’m giving you a chance.” She whispered hotly in Judith’s ear and the meaning of her words began to sink in.

            “No.” Judith pleaded.

            “Go,” Many urged her on. When Judith made no moves, Mandy forced her hand.

            “RUN!!!” Mandy screamed and held the word in a visceral yell. Judith obeyed knowing she could do nothing as the walkers closed in on Mandy. Judith counted the ten steps to the left, her right hand gripped the knife, her left hand jutted out in front of her replacing her eyes in the dark. On the tenth count Judith’s hand smacked into the banister and she began her climb. She could hear Mandy being ripped limb from limb but she didn’t stop yelling insuring Judith the time she needed to get away.

            This was a one-time deal, if Judith wasn’t able to burst through that door she’ll end up trapped on the staircase with walkers looking for their next meal. She sprinted up those stairs and with all her force and newfound anger for Mandy’s death she lowered her head and shouldered the door that bowed and broke under her.

            Wood splintered inward as the door gave out and the crazy woman was waiting in the kitchen after hearing the screams. Judith didn’t give her time to process what was happening as she used her momentum to dive for the woman knife first. Judith watched as the gleam from the blade disappeared as it buried itself into the woman’s chest.

            She let out a gurgling gasp and blood spewed out of her mouth an onto Judith’s face who was close enough to whisper to her, “For Mandy.” Judith yanked out the blade as the woman’s body fell to the floor. She wasn’t going to leave it in her.

            The woman continued to gasp for air as Judith knelt beside her and stabbed her in the head. She will be one less walker behind the walls of New Charleston. Judith wiped the blade on her sleeve as the sound of walkers coming up the stairs was her signal to leave. She closed the front door behind her and used the blood on her face to write, “Dead Inside,” as a warning. She made a mental not to return to this place and end Mandy’s suffering. Judith continued on her journey to find her brother.

To Continue….