SARAH
"You made it work!" Nicki exclaimed as she jumped into the car, Sarah's hands steady on the wheel as she maneuvered through the chaos outside. They had to make it back to the house, but uncertainty hung in the air—how long would the car hold up?
"You're so dead after this!" Sarah shot back, her focus on the road. She swerved to avoid a cluster of walkers. "What were you thinking?!"
"Can we save the lecture for later?" Nicki replied, glancing out the window, panic rising in her chest. "We gotta find Carl and Rick!"
Sarah pushed the car harder, but the sheer number of walkers was overwhelming. She couldn't take the risk of getting stuck.
"Alright," she said, her grip tightening on the wheel. Daryl had been right; they couldn't stay at the farm. They needed to reach the road.
"Nicolette, grab that rope behind you," she instructed, her voice steady despite the chaos.
"What?" Nicki barely heard her over the din of groans and shuffling feet.
"Take the rope!" Sarah urged, dodging another walker. "We need to buy ourselves some time."
"What the hell? Why is it wet?" Nicki cursed, her fingers brushing against the slick material.
"It's gasoline," Sarah explained, her heart racing. "Tie the ends to two arrows. We can create a diversion and make our escape."
"Leave the farm?" Nicki echoed, disbelief creeping into her tone.
"The place is lost," Sarah said, her voice heavy with resignation. "Defending it will only get us killed." She had clung to the hope that the farm could be their sanctuary—a place where they could build a semblance of normalcy together, but that dream had shattered. Safety was an illusion; they were never truly secure.
"Alright," Nicki muttered as she tied the rope around two of her arrows. Sarah nodded her head. They had to go away. Her mind went to Glenn, hoping that he was alright. She thought of Lori, hoping that she would decide to leave the house with Carol as well. She hoped that Rick and Carl were somewhere safe. And she thought of Daryl. And she so hoped that she would have seen him again.
"This is crazy, you know that?" Nicki said, glancing at her sister.
"Yeah," Sarah replied, swallowing hard.
With her friends in mind, Sarah turned the car around, determined to drive straight into the heart of the herd. They needed to create a distraction to buy them and their group time to escape.
"Go," Sarah said to her sister, who climbed out of the window and sat on it so that she could aim her bow from the top of the car. She watched as one walker fell to the ground, an arrow lodged in its chest. Nicki's accuracy was impressive; another arrow found its mark in the skull of a second walker, sending it crumpling down. The rope tensed, taking down a dozen more as they drove forward.
"Coming back!" Nicki shouted, slipping inside just as Sarah came to a halt. With a lighter she'd found in the shed, she ignited the rope and threw it out into the fray. The flames caught quickly, igniting the gasoline. The sight of burning walkers created a fiery spectacle, drawing more of them into the chaos, allowing Sarah to steer the car away from the farm.
As she glanced in the rearview mirror, her heart shattered. The barn was almost reduced to ashes, engulfed in flames, while the relentless tide of walkers advanced toward the house. Panic gripped her. Were their friends alright? Were they even alive?
"How long can we go with this?" Nicki asked, her tone flat.
"We'll go as long as we can," Sarah replied, hastily wiping away her tears. Terror clawed at her insides. What was next? They were utterly alone, with no clear path ahead. Where could they find safety?
"Do you think they survived?" Nicki asked, eyes scanning the horizon.
Sarah fought back a sob, the thought of losing everyone she cared about weighing heavily on her heart. She felt utterly broken. She needed her friends with her—Glenn, Rick, Lori, Andrea, T-Dog, Carol, Shane, and Daryl...
"Don't wander around," had been the last thing he said to her. Sarah had started to care deeply for him, and she really hoped he was alright. She wanted to see him again.
They drove in silence as the sun began to rise. Where could they go? Leaving the others felt impossible. She couldn't move on without knowing if they were alive.
"If they're alive, where would they be?" Sarah asked Nicki.
"What do you mean?" Nicki replied, turning to look at her.
"If they survived, where would they want to meet up?" Sarah reflected. They were a family. Whoever was left would surely want to find the others.
"The Highway," Nicki suggested. "It was the last place we were together." Sarah sighed; that made sense. She didn't know Georgia well, and her reference points were few. The Highway was one of those.
"How do I get there?" Sarah asked, glancing at Nicki.
Nicki began giving directions, but Sarah struggled to follow. She wished she could blame her stress, but she honestly didn't recognize any of the roads. Trusting her sister felt like the only option, but fear gnawed at her that when they arrived, no one would be there.
"Do you think they're there?" Nicki asked quietly.
"I have to hope so," Sarah replied, taking a deep breath.
Her heart raced as they approached the Highway—the same graveyard where they had met for the first time. She kept driving, searching for the spot where they had left supplies for Sophia.
"Sarah..." Nicki murmured, pointing to the other side of the road. Sarah gasped as she saw the green car and the blue pickup. They were there! Nicki opened the door, and Sarah let out a sob of relief before getting out herself.
Rick rushed toward Nicki, pulling her into a hug, making sure she was alright. Lori and Carl moved closer, and then Sarah's gaze landed on Daryl, who was getting off his bike, his eyes wide. Seeing him there made her heart soar, and before she could stop herself, she ran toward him, throwing her arms around his neck as she got closer. She couldn't help but cry, overwhelmed with joy to see him alive. Daryl's body went stiff at first, but then he relaxed, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I'm so happy to see you," she said, gripping the fabric of his vest. She had feared she'd never see him—or the others—again. They meant everything to her, and she wasn't ready to lose anyone. Not again.
Suddenly, she felt Daryl's arm tighten around her, and she let out a contented sigh.
"Thought I told ya not ta wander around," he muttered, and she nodded.
"I know," she said, "but I had to find my sister." She felt a pang of guilt for lying to him, but she couldn't live with herself knowing she hadn't tried.
"Ya did," he replied gently, his gaze softening. Relief washed over her, and Sarah's smile grew as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Ya alright?" he asked, and she nodded.
"You?" Daryl bit the side of his lip before looking down with a small smile, nodding his head. Sarah observed him for a moment; he had finally revealed himself as the man he truly was, and she was glad.
"You actually made it work!" Glenn's voice made her move away from Daryl before being pulled into a hug by her friend.
Sarah let out a giggle. "I told you I could do it."
"I never doubted that," he replied. She kissed him on the cheek, and then Rick approached her, Nicki close behind.
"We thought you didn't make it," Rick said, placing a hand on Sarah's shoulder. "I'm glad we were wrong." She covered his hand with hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. Then she hugged Lori, sharing a smile with Carol and T-Dog. She glanced at Maggie, nodding at her, both relieved to see each other alive. But then she noticed that Shane was not there. She didn't see Andrea, Jimmy, or Patricia either.
"Where's the rest of us?" Daryl asked, and Sarah watched as the smile faded from Rick's face.
The man took a deep breath before answering. "We are the only ones who made it so far." Sarah looked down, a heavy dread settling in her chest.
Were they dead?
"Shane?" Lori's voice trembled. Rick shook his head, his gaze fixed on the ground. Sarah covered her mouth with her hand and turned to Nicki, noticing her sister sharing a look with Carl. They didn't seem surprised by what they were hearing, but the sadness in their eyes was evident.
Sarah couldn't believe Shane had died. He had changed in the last weeks, but he was still a friend, and she never thought he would be gone. Shane was strong; he knew how to defend himself. But maybe no one was ever truly ready for what they were living through.
"Andrea?" Glenn asked, but this time it was Carol who spoke.
"She saved me, then I lost her," she explained.
"We saw her go down," T-Dog informed them sadly.
"Oh God..." Sarah muttered, tears welling in her eyes for a different reason than before.
"What about Patricia?" Hershel asked.
"They got her too," Beth sobbed from next to her father. "They took her right from me; I was... I was holding onto her, Daddy." Sarah's heart clenched at the sight. That poor girl had been living in a constant nightmare since the farm. Her beliefs had shattered, her home lost, and now even her friend was gone.
"What about Jimmy?" Beth asked, her voice breaking.
"Jimmy must have been the one in the RV," Nicki said, her arms crossed over her chest, looking sadly at Beth.
Oh no, Sarah thought.
"Yeah..." Rick muttered, glancing at Nicki before turning to Beth. "He was in the RV. It got overrun."
Jimmy was so young, just a few years older than Sarah. To die like that—alone—felt unjust.
"You definitely saw Andrea?" Carol pressed, her attention on Lori and T-Dog.
"They were walkers everywhere," Lori answered, causing Sarah's eyes to widen.
"So you didn't see her get bitten or dead?" Sarah asked, her heart racing with a flicker of hope. If they hadn't seen it, maybe she was still alive.
"I'm gonna go back," Daryl announced, making his way toward his bike. Sarah's gaze followed him, anxiety tightening her chest. She didn't want him to go back alone, but what if Andrea was out there, wounded and needing help?
"Don't go alone," Sarah called after him, but Rick stopped Daryl.
"We can't just leave her," Daryl insisted, frowning at the sheriff.
"We don't even know if she's there," Lori said, but Sarah stepped forward.
"What if she is, though?" she asked, worry etched on her face.
"She isn't there. She isn't," Rick said firmly. "She's either somewhere else or she's dead. There's no way to find her."
Sarah understood his perspective; after all, they had all considered leaving the farm. But the thought of a wounded Andrea lingered in her mind. She wanted to be sure that she had died that they hadn't abandoned her.
"So we're not even gonna look for her?" Glenn asked incredulously.
"We gotta keep moving," Rick stated, his voice grave, just as a growl echoed nearby. Everyone turned to see a walker approaching.
"I say head east," T-Dog suggested.
"Stay off the main roads," Daryl chimed in, walking behind Sarah to retrieve his crossbow. "The bigger the road, the more walkers, more assholes like this one." He took a few steps ahead, aiming at the walker. "I got him," he said, shooting it right in the eye, making it crumple to the ground.
"So we go east," Rick confirmed. "Hershel, Glenn, Beth, Maggie, and Carol, you'll ride in the green car," he pointed at the vehicle behind them. "The others will take the red one, and Daryl, you take the bike."
Daryl nodded. "I can take one person with me," he said, looking at Rick.
"Alright," he said, starting to make his way toward the car. Sarah observed Rick as he walked away, feeling bad for the man. He had just lost his best friend and more people he cared about. Everyone knew he felt responsible for them; it wasn't his fault things had turned out this way.
They all decided to scavenge a bit more through the cars. They needed gasoline, food, and water. Maybe there was something else to find there—or at least she hoped.
"Let's go search for food, Shorty," Nicki said.
"Stay close," Lori instructed as the two children walked toward a car.
"I'll be where you can see me," Nicolette said as she passed by Sarah.
Sarah watched her sister; Nicki seemed so much older than her years. That made her sad, but it also calmed her. Nicki was intelligent, mature for her age, and although she could act impulsively, she always thought things through. Sarah trusted her.
"Ya one hell of a mechanic, I give ya that," Daryl's voice came from behind her as she returned to her car to grab Dale's screwdriver.
"It wasn't just me," she said, tucking the tool into the back of her jeans. "Dale and you helped me a lot." But Daryl shook his head.
"The work's yours." She smiled up at him, feeling a flutter of warmth in her chest.
"Do you want to scavenge with me?" she asked, her smile unwavering as he nodded, chewing the side of his bottom lip.
They walked for a bit, searching through different cars. They needed gasoline, food, and water for the journey ahead. They didn't know how long they would be on the road.
Back on the road...
"We really need to find warmer clothes," she said, looking up at Daryl, who walked beside her with his crossbow in hand. Winter was approaching, and they barely made it out of the farm—no one had anything anymore.
"How long do you think it'll take?" she asked, taking a deep breath.
"For what?" Daryl replied, his tone neutral but his eyes curious.
"For us to find another place." She had genuinely thought they could live peacefully at the farm. So much space, a house with doors and windows, fences all around—it seemed so safe. But were there any safe places left?
"It's gonna be alright," Daryl muttered, and that made her smile.
"Thanks," she said. He frowned slightly, and she felt her heart skip a beat. "You might not think it, but it makes me feel better." They exchanged smiles; she felt her cheeks heat up for that brief moment of connection, but then Daryl looked down away.
Sarah decided to ignore that strange feeling and opened the door of another car. She sat in the backseat while Daryl opened the trunk. She found a backpack and, when she opened it, happily discovered some band-aids. There was also a notebook, some pens, and even a wallet. She took it out and opened it to read the information inside.
Alice Wynfield, 45 years old.
Sarah wondered if that woman was still alive if she had found good people or bad... Taking a breath, she set the wallet aside, leaving it on the seat next to her. Then she smiled when she noticed a small stone—soft shapes in various shades of brown.
"Ya found something?" Daryl asked, appearing at the door.
"Some band-aids and this," she said with a smile, showing him the stone in her hand.
He scoffed, amused. "Ya're so happy about a stone?"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "It's a crystal," she explained. "It's called Tiger's Eye, and it gives whoever owns it the courage to face any adversity." Daryl knelt down, looking at her, studying her expression as he had done many times before, but this time, it felt different. A warmth spread through Sarah, and her heart raced as their eyes locked. She felt an odd flutter in her stomach, an unfamiliar mix of nervousness and contempt.
"How do ya know all that?" he asked.
Sarah shrugged trying to hide what was going on in her mind. "Internet. I liked to keep myself busy," she answered. "And I like crystals."
Daryl examined the crystal for a moment. "This yer favorite?" he asked. Sarah shook her head.
"It's beautiful," she said, "but I like jasper. Green."
"What does it mean?" he inquired.
"Protection," she replied. They shared a look before she turned to leave the car. Daryl stepped aside to make room for her.
"Here," he said, handing her the crystal, but she gently closed his fingers around it.
"You keep it," she said, glancing at their hands before turning to walk back toward the cars.
"Ya like bikes?" His sudden question caught her off guard.
"Yeah," she said. She had always loved bikes; her best friend Lucy's brother had one. Once, he tried to impress Sarah by wanting to give her a ride. Sarah went, and that night, she came back home telling her mother that she would have liked to have a bike one day, but it was not very ladylike to her. Her mother had put many exprectation on Sarah, being the firstborn. She had always had a say in many things about Sarah's life, and she let her. She was grateful for her life, but the future that she had in front of her only gave her anxiety. She had never felt passion about anything rather than fixing, but in the old world that was useless, not like in this one. It was unbelievable that in a world like tge one they were living, Sarah had found something that she was passionate about.
"Why do you ask?" she replied, and Daryl shrugged.
"Want a ride?" he offered, a teasing glint in his eye.
Sarah's eyes widened as she crossed her arms. "I thought I couldn't touch your bike."
Daryl smirked as he started to walk away. "Ya ain't touching it."
"So we are a real team now," she said, keeping pace with him. "We got each other's backs." He snorted, making her chuckle.
"Ya're crazy, girl."