❛ And the day pressed on like crushing weights, for no man does it ever wait like memories of dying days that deafen us like hurricanes. ❜

SEASON 5, EPISODE 1
no sanctuary

THE TRAIN CAR WAS silent to any of the guards that passed, but inside, they worked to make weapons from whatever they could find. Splintered wood, broken belts, worn shoelaces. If Rick was confident they could make it out like this, Bianca would hold onto it as tight as she could. She'd just found Cal, again, there was no way they were losing.

⠀⠀⠀Abraham, their new red-headed ally, explained why they were also in the train car when their added group of six came in. When arriving at Terminus, there didn't seem to be anything wrong. Just a community of good-natured people making the best of the world. Then, he explained their journey to DC. Abraham's mission in life was to get Eugene there to find a way to reverse the effects of the walker disease. The Terminus people didn't like that ambition, and their guns were turned on them just as quickly.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca worked to shave a piece of rotted wood into a stake as she listened to the quiet conversations that muted into silence again. The faded conversation grew louder outside the car doors and caught everyone's attention. Their time to move was coming faster than anticipated.

⠀⠀⠀Daryl sidled the door and looked out to see what was happening. "Alright, got four of them pricks coming our way."

⠀⠀⠀"Y'all know what to do," Rick called out to the group.

⠀⠀⠀He had a recently sawed-off piece of wood stormed up to the doors. Bianca and the others stood with him. She looked at Cal, reaching out to him, and squeezed his hand in comfort.

⠀⠀⠀"Go for their eyes first. Then their throats," Rick directed them.

⠀⠀⠀They waited a little longer before a man shouted, "Put your backs to the wall on either side of the car, now!"

⠀⠀⠀They stayed at the front of the car, ready for a fight. Then, there were footsteps on the roof. Bianca's eyes flitted up to stare as her stomach dropped. A hatch opened, and then a small object, not a man, dropped in the middle of them. They all stared at the can lying innocently on the ground.

⠀⠀⠀"Move!" Abraham screamed at them.

⠀⠀⠀They all darted to opposite sides of the car. Bianca's eyes teared up suddenly, burning as if someone had just chopped onions inside the car. Her chest felt tight, and she wheezed as she stumbled to find Cal. Her hand grabbed his arm just as the doors flung open, and men with gas masks walked inside. The soldier took Cal roughly by the arm, dragging him through the car as Bianca held onto his arm, stumbling behind him.

⠀⠀⠀"Not her," she heard his grainy voice. Bianca looked up to see Garrett smiling mockingly at her as the soldier kicked her in the chest. She fell back, Maggie behind her in seconds, pulling her up as the doors slammed shut.

⠀⠀⠀"No," Bianca wheezed, crawling for the door. She tried to force the door open as the lock clicked into place. She stood to her feet, banging her hands against the wall desperately. "No! No! No!" she screamed, trying everything to get through the door. She clawed, kicked, yelled, but nothing changed. She would've kept going if it weren't for Maggie pulling her back and shushing her softly.

CAL WAS SICK TO his stomach as he was dragged from the train car and into a large warehouse. He was tied up and gagged along with his friends before he was escorted further into the room. His eyes naturally looked around to assess their surroundings, but he wished he hadn't. Two men stood toward the back of the room, blood on their smocks, enormous machetes in hand, and a body, a human body, getting hacked to pieces. There was iron in the air as well. Whatever they did here was routine. Rick's group wasn't the first to come through and certainly wouldn't be the last.

⠀⠀⠀Then, Cal was pushed down to kneel in front of a metal trough. It was clean and pristine, but how they were all lined up, it seemed it'd be a mess soon. His legs were tied as he settled, and Cal couldn't see how they were getting out of this. Daryl was on his left, and Glenn was on his right. Beyond Daryl were Rick and Bob. Past Glenn were five men Cal didn't recognize. Cal wasn't sure if he was relieved to know that Bianca hadn't been dragged here with them.

⠀⠀⠀Obviously, Cal was relieved, but what did that mean? Maybe there was a fate worse than this in store for her. Or possibly they were dragged off to a different location so that they hoped and stayed calm while being slaughtered. Cal didn't know and didn't want to think about it any more than needed.

⠀⠀⠀A man came to stand behind him. There was a sharp swishing noise like he was sharpening a knife. A chill went down Cal's spine, and his ears twitched in agony.

⠀⠀⠀There was little time to think as the Butcher walked to the end of the line. He stood by one of them Cal didn't recognize. A blonde man with a good amount of muscle and a pale face. He couldn't have been much older than him. Then a baseball bat smacked into the side of his head, and the Butcher slit his throat with ease. Blood splattered into the trough, swirling down toward the drain, and the blonde man was dead.

⠀⠀⠀The Butcher and the Batter moved on without any second thoughts. Even as the men started to struggle as death moved closer. Cal didn't move. His eyes were wide and unblinking, trying to figure out a way out of this.

⠀⠀⠀The bat swung, and the knife slit. Two men dead, then three, then four...

⠀⠀⠀Gareth sauntered in without a care in the world. He had a book open as he stared intently at his writing.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, guys. What were your shot counts?" Gareth asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Thirty-eight," the Batter said, then whacked the fifth man in the head. He fell forward with a thud.

⠀⠀⠀They stood behind Glenn now. It started to feel real. Cal's hands were going numb, and he was just waiting for death now. Hopefully, getting knocked out would dull the pain.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey!" Gareth exclaimed before the Batter could whack Glenn. "Your shot count?"

⠀⠀⠀"Crap, man. I'm sorry. It was my first roundup," the Butcher said with a sigh.

⠀⠀⠀"After you're done here, go back to your point and count the shells," Gareth said, waving his hand in annoyance. "Kaylee won't be gathering them until tomorrow," he explained, returning to his journal.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, let me talk to you for a minute," Bob shouted, muffled by the gag but still understandable. "Let me talk to you for a minute! Let me talk to you for a minute!"

⠀⠀⠀Cal worried Gareth would ignore them, but he turned to Bob and removed the fabric.

⠀⠀⠀"What?" Gareth asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Don't do this. We can fix this," Bob claimed.

⠀⠀⠀"No you can't."

⠀⠀⠀Gareth moved to replace the gag, but Bob kept going.

⠀⠀⠀"You don't have to do this. We told you there's a way out of all this. You just have to take a chance. We have a man who knows how to stop it. He has a cure. We just have to get him to Washington. You don't have to do this, man. We can put the world back to how it was."

⠀⠀⠀"Can't go back, Bob."

⠀⠀⠀"We can! You don't have to do this!"

⠀⠀⠀Bob was gagged again, but Gareth wasn't finished with them yet. He turned his attention to Rick and pulled down his gag. Rick's hair was sopping wet with sweat, and his eyes were kept down toward the trough.

⠀⠀⠀"We saw you go into the woods with a bag and come out without it. Had to pull my spotters back before we could go look for it. What was in it?" Gareth paused, waiting for an answer. "You hid it, right? In case went things went bad?" Gareth looked down the line at Daryl and Cal. "Smart. Still, we'll find it. But it's too dangerous to go out there right now."

⠀⠀⠀Gareth clamped his hand down on Bob's neck and pulled him forward. He raised his dagger so it sat right before his eye.

⠀⠀⠀"What was in it?" Gareth asked again. "I'm curious. And it was a big bag."

⠀⠀⠀Rick stared at him without an answer.

⠀⠀⠀"You really gonna let me do this?" Gareth asked, raising a brow.

⠀⠀⠀"Well, let me take you out there. I'll show you," Rick said casually, but the underlying threat stood.

⠀⠀⠀"Not gonna happen," Gareth said with an amused smile. He put the dagger closer to Bob's eye and claimed, "This might."

⠀⠀⠀"There's guns in it," Rick said quickly. "AK-47, .44 Magnum, automatic weapons. Nightscope. There's a compound bow and a machete with a red handle. That's what I'm gonna use to kill you."

⠀⠀⠀Gareth chuckled at the last bit and sighed. He patted Rick on the shoulders, then put the gag back in his mouth.

⠀⠀⠀"Thanks," Gareth said and stood. He looked at his people, who waited patiently behind them to return to the swing and slice routine. "You have two hours to get them on the driers. I'm gonna go back to public face. Now's the time we can get messy, but we need to dial it all in by sundown."

⠀⠀⠀"Got it."

⠀⠀⠀"Yes, sir."

⠀⠀⠀There was a moment of silence as they took their last breaths. Glenn was next in the lineup, and there was nothing they could do. Then, there was gunfire coming from outside that made the Butcher and Batter in their places.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, Chuck?"

⠀⠀⠀The Batter raised his arm to swing, and another shot echoed in the room. They stilled, waiting for the fallout until a sudden explosion made everything fall off its foundation.

⠀⠀⠀Gareth left the room to check the situation. Rick's group should've been dead within minutes. However, the internal structure of Terminus began to falter as the Butcher descended into worry.

⠀⠀⠀"You there, Gareth?" the Butcher asked into the walkie.

⠀⠀⠀"He's busy," the Batter said with a shrug.

⠀⠀⠀"You smell the smoke? You hear the shots? He could be dead!" the Butcher shouted, raising his hands towards the windows. "The hell we doing here? The whole place could be going up."

⠀⠀⠀"You went on one roundup, and you blew protocol. We don't deal with security. That ain't our job. This is," the Batter claimed. He walked away from Rick's group and over toward the Butcher. "Hey, look at me."

⠀⠀⠀Rick's hands were free, and he crouched down by the trough. Slowly, he made his way over to the two, careful to be quiet.

⠀⠀⠀"What?" the Butcher asked. He turned to look at the Batter just in time to see Rick appear and stab him in the neck with a sharp piece of wood.

⠀⠀⠀Then, Rick was after the Butcher, killing him with two swipes and letting him drop dead at his feet. When the moment was over, Rick rushed over to his people and cut them loose quickly.

BIANCA CLUNG TO MAGGIE as if nature itself would drag them apart. She'd lost Cal in less than a day of finding him again, and she couldn't have them do the same with Maggie. After the night before and now this, Bianca felt as if she was about to lose her sanity. Her head felt very empty, and a hundred thoughts ran through her head all at once. She shook with anxiety, and tears poured dramatically down her cheeks. She had never felt so weak.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie shifted slightly against her, pointing Bianca's attention in her direction. Suddenly, guilt spread through her like wildfire, knowing she was suffering, too. Glenn had been taken, and Beth was missing, but she held firm for Bianca's sake.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca knew that the new people Glenn had come across likely saw her as a weakness due to her apparent heel-turn toward grief. They didn't know how much anger resided in her, how much she could handle in this dead world. They saw her at her most exhausted. She was tired of running and was desperate to find a place to call home. She thought that was the prison for a while, then possibly at Terminus.

⠀⠀⠀That was until she saw his face. Gareth, he was called. She would never forget his face after he killed Ana, shot her, and kidnapped Sam. She failed to protect them, failed to protect Cal... God, she felt like she was returning to her old self. The version of her so strife with grief she couldn't see straight.

⠀⠀⠀She regretted never raising her gun and shooting Gareth in the eyes the moment she recognized him. That could've been the better option if they were all going to die anyway.

⠀⠀⠀Suddenly, gunfire sounded, not from inside Terminus but from behind them. Maybe it was someone from the prison who had found them like Tyreese. For a second, she wondered what had come of Sam and if this was what he was doing. Then, the train car shuddered as an explosion blasted from somewhere inside Terminus. Walkers groaned, coming closer to them.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell is going on?" Abraham asked, peering out of the crack in the door to look out.

⠀⠀⠀"Someone hit them," Michonne said.

⠀⠀⠀"Maybe our people got free," Sasha suggested with a tremor of hope.

⠀⠀⠀"Excuse me," Eugene muttered, pushing past Rosita and Tara to get to the door.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell are you doing?" Rosita demanded.

⠀⠀⠀"I might be able to use this shell to compromise the door," Eugene explained. "From the sound of things, there may not be anybody left to open it."

⠀⠀⠀"Eugene, I'm sorry, but shut up," Tara snapped.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Eugene muttered.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie shook Bianca's shoulder and stood. She squatted down in front of Bianca and gave her a stern glare. "We need to be ready," she whispered. Her hands gripped tightly onto Bianca's shoulders. "You need to be ready."

⠀⠀⠀"Okay," Bianca sighed, wiping the tears from her eyes. She stood, pushing her worry back, and put her faith into that slim chance they were alive.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey," Carl called. "My dad's gonna be back. They all are."

⠀⠀⠀"They are," Maggie agreed. "And we need to get ready to fight our way out with them when they do."

⠀⠀⠀Abraham had a stern frown on his face. His gaze bounced from Bianca and Eugene, the two people he saw as the weakest. Bianca found it humorous that she was paired with him. As if her brother, Eugene, had sent her a sign that she was on the right path. She could see Abraham considered how he could keep them both alive, but there wasn't a doubt in her mind that he'd leave her for dead to protect Eugene.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca didn't care that he had doubts about her. She didn't try to dissuade his worries either, knowing full well he wouldn't believe her until he saw it for himself.

⠀⠀⠀Maggie went to one of the wood poles and worked on getting a stake from it to use as a weapon. Walkers came closer to the train car. One even slammed up against the side before strolling off. It didn't matter, though. They needed to be ready.

"IF THEY GOT PROBLEMS, we got a chance," Rick said as he cut the ties off of Daryl. Cal, Glenn, and Bob were already freed and waiting cautiously for them.

⠀⠀⠀"It sounded like a bomb," Glenn noted.

⠀⠀⠀"Sounds like a damn war," Daryl sighed as he stood.

⠀⠀⠀"Right there," Rick called.

⠀⠀⠀He directed them to the surgeon's table the two men had used to desecrate the bodies before them. There were enough knives on the table for each of them to take. Cal took the small blade in his hand and gripped it tight.

⠀⠀⠀"What the hell are these people?" Bob asked, unable to wrap his head around the world they'd walked into.

⠀⠀⠀"They ain't people," Daryl muttered.

⠀⠀⠀Cal followed Rick and the rest of the group out of the room and into the hall. The walls were consumed with shadows that felt like they were closing around them. Cal could feel their grip tighten as his hand did around the hilt of his knife. He could feel it tear at his skin, but he didn't let up, terrified one of the cannibals would return and clean their bones dry.

⠀⠀⠀As they passed a room, something inside caused them to pause. The smell hit Cal first. It had been bad in the slaughter room, but this one smelled like rotting fruit. When they walked in, there was a carcass stripped of its limbs and hung from the ceiling. Three more surgical tables scattered around the room with more knives and other surgical tools resting on cutting boards. Cal's eyes kept darting to the torso, sick to his stomach, but he knew this image would help remind him what monsters they were.

⠀⠀⠀"Cross any of these people. You kill them. Don't hesitate. They won't."

⠀⠀⠀Cal replaced his knife with a larger hunting knife lined in ridges and damp with blood. They finished collecting in minutes, and as they neared the back of the room, Cal's ears perked at the sound of screaming. Just outside the back door, through the window, was a shipping container with biters surrounding it. Cal's stomach dropped as he realized there were more people than them locked up.

⠀⠀⠀"If we run, we can get by them. They're distracted," Rick said.

⠀⠀⠀"We got to let those people out," Glenn said.

⠀⠀⠀Cal felt guilty for thinking they didn't have the time to save anyone else but their own. They were so close to escape, and this could be their downfall.

⠀⠀⠀"That's still who we are," Glenn pressed sternly. "It's gotta be."

⠀⠀⠀Rick gave him a slight nod before opening the door and letting them through. They rushed through the biters and killed them off with ease. Cal checked around him to ensure the coast was clear and nodded to Rick. Once everyone was safe, Glenn ran for the container and jerked it open.

⠀⠀⠀A man ran out from the shadows with a crazed smile and wide, icy blue eyes. He found purchase on Glenn and held him tight by the arms. His beard scratched at Glenn's face, and Cal could just make out that he had facial tattoos.

⠀⠀⠀"We're the same!"

⠀⠀⠀He ran to Rick, gripping his jacket.

⠀⠀⠀"We're them!"

⠀⠀⠀"Back off!" Rick snapped.

⠀⠀⠀"We're them," the man chuckled, stepping back as he shook his head.

⠀⠀⠀A biter came from the side of the container and latched onto the man's neck. Cal watched in horror as the man was dead within seconds of them saving him. Rick waved for them to move on, but Glenn peeled off. He stormed over to the walker and swung down hard with his bat twice over until it was dead. Cal ran over when the biter was dead and pulled Glenn off before he was killed, too.

⠀⠀⠀There were too many biters coming. Cal and Glenn met with the others, but the biters were in front, behind, and on all sides. Gunshots went off, taking out some of the biters for them, but not enough.

⠀⠀⠀"We gotta double back," Bob said.

⠀⠀⠀"A is that way," Rick said, nodding toward the biters. "We go back. We don't know where we are."

⠀⠀⠀"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Daryl asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Wait here," Rick said to them and jogged into the battlefield.

⠀⠀⠀"Rick. Rick!" Daryl shouted after them.

⠀⠀⠀Rick kept low, hiding behind a white car. A biter nearly got him before Daryl ran over and killed it. They hid as a group of Terminus shoulders walked by, shooting the biters. They weren't looking for them, thankfully.

⠀⠀⠀Rick and Daryl disappeared behind a wall for a few minutes before reappearing. Rick had a gun, and the biters slowed down a little.

⠀⠀⠀"We're going to have to double back."

THE TRAIN CAR WAS filled with the sound of filing and scraping as everyone made their weapons. Maggie and Bianca made stakes from rotting wood, Michonne made a sword, and Abraham wrapped loose fabric around his knuckles.

⠀⠀⠀"What's the cure, Eugene?" Sasha asked to fill the void.

⠀⠀⠀"It's classified," Eugene said simply. He sat down by the entrance, fiddling with something at the bottom.

⠀⠀⠀"We don't know what's gonna happen," Sasha said.

⠀⠀⠀"Plus, there's no government left," Bianca added with a raised brow. "Plus, if you die, don't you want someone to carry on your legacy?"

⠀⠀⠀"Y'all leave him be," Abraham said with a threatening gaze.

⠀⠀⠀"We need to keep working," Maggie told them, moving from the side of the train car to join the rest of them.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, but it's time to hear it 'cause we don't know what's coming next," Sasha said.

⠀⠀⠀"What's next is we get out of this," Tara huffed in annoyance.

⠀⠀⠀"Even if I told y'all, even if I provided step-by-step instructions complete with illustrations and a well-composed FAQ, and I went red-ring, the cure would still die with me. I'm not gonna let that happen," Eugene said with finality.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm not gonna let that happen," Abraham assured him.

⠀⠀⠀"Sounds like a man who doesn't have anything to offer," Bianca scoffed. She wasn't confident that anyone knew of a cure. Even if he had hyper-intelligence and could talk circles even around her high IQ.

⠀⠀⠀Eugene turned his attention to Bianca, but his expression didn't betray him. His face remained utterly neutral as it had the entire time they'd been in the train car. Then, he looked back down to his hands and continued to fiddle with the door again.

⠀⠀⠀"Says the crybaby in the corner," Abraham snapped, rolling his eyes. He tossed a dismissive hand toward her and asked, "What're you gonna do with that stake? Light us a fire?"

⠀⠀⠀Bianca flared, taking a step toward Abraham. "Wanna see what I can do with this?" she asked, raising the stake.

⠀⠀⠀Abraham raised his hands in mock terror while Maggie entered her path. Her hand caught Bianca's wrist and silently scolded her for acting out at a time like this. Maybe she meant never was the time, but Bianca wouldn't mind taking Abraham on in a fight when the time was right.

⠀⠀⠀"The best-case scenario," Eugene interrupted before things got catatonic between the two hotheads. "We step out into a hailstorm of bullets, fire, and walkers. I'm not fleet of foot. I sure as hell can't take a dead one down with sharp buttons and hella confidence."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, but we can and we will," Michonne said matter-of-factly, shifting her body weight onto her left foot as she folded her arms over her chest.

⠀⠀⠀"You don't owe us anything. Not yet. But we just want to hear it," Sasha explained.

⠀⠀⠀"You don't have to," Rosita assured Eugene.

⠀⠀⠀Eugene took a moment to stare at his hands and then stood. He looked around the train car at their tired faces. There was nothing behind his eyes, just rock-hard blue eyes. Then, he took a deep breath as if preparing himself for the worst.

⠀⠀⠀"I was part of a ten-person team at the Human Genome Project to weaponize diseases to fight weapon diseases," Eugene started. "Pathogenic micro-organisms with pathogenic micro-organisms. Fire with fire. Interdepartmental drinks were had, relationships made, information shared. I am keenly aware of all the details behind fail-safe delivery systems to kill every living person on this planet. I believe with a little tweaking on the terminals in DC, we can flip the script. Take out every last dead one of them. Fire with fire. All things being equal, it does sound pretty badass."

⠀⠀⠀There was a silence as they soaked in what Eugene had to say. It seemed straightforward, but Bianca wasn't sure she believed him yet. However, that wasn't a problem to be had now as they had bigger fish to fry.

⠀⠀⠀"Let's get back to work," Maggie told them.

⠀⠀⠀Not a second later, a loud banging resounded from the doors before Rick swept it aside.

⠀⠀⠀"Come on! Fight to the fence!" he yelled at them.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca jumped out of the train car with the rest of them. Her wooden stake in hand helped her so far before breaking at the rot. Cal found her soon after. Decapitating a walker nearly on top of her before he smiled wide. He held out her sledgehammer, claiming he had found it on his way there.

⠀⠀⠀She laughed a little manically as a walker came into arm's length. Bianca held the sledgehammer over her shoulder and swung with enough force to bludgeon its head wide open. She moved fluidly with the group, Cal always in her line of sight, as they made a path to the fence. When they came flush to it, Bianca went over, then Cal followed by the rest. Rick, Daryl, and Abraham came over last.

⠀⠀⠀Bianca heard his raucous laughter first, his hand on her shoulder second, then turned to see his bright red hair.

⠀⠀⠀"You can pack a punch, little lady!" Abraham exclaimed, happy to be alive. He calmed a little and gave her a short smile. "Shouldn't've doubted you."

⠀⠀⠀"No shit," Bianca claimed but edged a smile to assure him she wasn't pissed.

⠀⠀⠀Then, the group moved on, walking through the woods to find their supplies they put into the ground.

⠀⠀⠀"The hell are we still around here for?" Abraham asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Guns, some supplies," Rick explained quickly. "Go along the fences. Use the rifles. Take out the rest of 'em."

⠀⠀⠀"What?" Glenn asked, confused.

⠀⠀⠀"They don't get to live."

⠀⠀⠀"Rick, we got out. It's over."

⠀⠀⠀"It's not over till they're all dead," Rick claimed, pulling his gun from the bag.

⠀⠀⠀"The hell it isn't. That place is on fire. Full of walkers," Rosita snapped.

⠀⠀⠀"I'm not dicking around with this crap," Abraham muttered. "We just made it out."

⠀⠀⠀"The fences are down," Maggie assured him.

⠀⠀⠀"What about the Governor?" Cal asked. His arm wrapped around Bianca protectively as if the man would hop out of the woods at any minute. "He came back."

⠀⠀⠀"We're moving. They'll run or die."

⠀⠀⠀Daryl suddenly darted away from the group, catching their attention. Behind them stood Carol, holding Daryl in a spine-breaking embrace. Bianca smiled to see her, even if they did leave on strange terms. The death of Karen and David was still there, and her sudden absence. But it was hard to come by a familiar face now. People were thinning out, and Bianca was happy to see her despite it all.

⠀⠀⠀It seemed to do a lot for Daryl, too. That was what mattered most. Daryl was in tears, happy to be reunited with his best friend. Rick walked over to Carol, Daryl now standing to the side. Bianca found her way to his side and squeezed Daryl's hand with a wide smile. He laughed in disbelief.

⠀⠀⠀"Did you do that?" Rick asked.

⠀⠀⠀Carol's eyes were watery as she looked over the group. She almost looked nervous that Rick would kick her out again, and she wanted to take her last looks at all of them. Then, she looked back at Rick. Her lips thinned into a shy smile, and she nodded softly.

⠀⠀⠀Rick hugged her tightly before Carol pulled back and said, "You have to come with me."

CAROL LED THEM TO an abandoned shack not far from Terminus. The door opened, and two people stepped out to see them.

⠀⠀⠀Tyreese and Judith.

⠀⠀⠀Rick, Carl, and Sasha sprinted to them with open arms and sweet greetings as the rest stood back.

⠀⠀⠀"I don't know if the fire is still burning," Rick said, looking at the giant cloud of black smoke burning in the distance.

⠀⠀⠀"It is," Carol said softly.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah. We need to go," Rick determined, grabbing his pack.

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah, but where?" Daryl asked.

⠀⠀⠀"Somewhere far away from there," Rick said, pointing back at Terminus.

⠀⠀⠀They collected their things and headed for the tracks once again. They walked further and further, off the tracks and deep into the woods, hoping to find a new place to call home for a little while.

AUTHOR'S NOTE —

AHAHAHA!!! I'M BACK!!! THANKS FOR STICKING WITH ME!!!!!!!

Honestly, I can't believe I'm posting this so quickly. I know I said it'd be back soon but like... y'know me and that ADHD. My brain goes all over the place. Like I didn't seriously start writing for season 5 until recently. I have it all planned out, don't get me wrong, but like...

Anyways, this act is going to be a little different. I usually do an act = a season of the Walking Dead. However, I've got some big stuff in here that is going to be covered and extend into the first half of Season 6. There's been some hints as to what's coming so I'm curious to see if anyone gets it right. I feel like you can get an idea of what's lying ahead.

I'm probably going to come in later today and fix up some of the dialogue. I've trying to go back into the episode and listen to how they say things. Especially Daryl since he uses '-in'' a lot. But I'm tired (writing this the night before) and wanted to schedule for tomorrow morning.

What relationships between Bianca and Cal are you looking forward to?

SONG: Savior by Rise Against

Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment if you'd like. However, this is an all kind of reader safe space. So even if you ghost read or comment every chapter, I hope you know it means the world to me that you've come into this fic ♡ I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and until the next one.