FIFTY ONE. a long way down

GONE. Everything that they had worked so hard for, the things that good people died for - all torn away from them in just the snap of a sadistic finger. Their lives, their routines, the people they loved and called family. All gone. All Adeline could think about was the last thing she saw when fleeing the prison; her brother in the field, the Governor on top of him with his hands wrapped around his throat. Killing him. She never even saw him get up from the ground. There was no time for her to stick around and check, no time to see if Rick lived or if the ones she loved made it out of the dying fire alive. That's all she wanted to know.

During their escape, Adeline and Tyresse only managed to scrape up a very small amount of things. After finding Judith, the two of them somehow spotted Lizzie and Mika among the chaos and saved their lives from a group of five walkers. They had Judith's diaper bag, which helped tremendously in the search of supplies that would help keep them alive. Most of the prison had been destroyed, consumed in flames and left to burn. They had just enough time to grab a five cans of food and two half empty bottles of water, not much but enough to keep them going for a day or two.

They kept to the dense forest for cover, which was a tip that Adeline had learned from Daryl Dixon a few months ago while hunting. They had ran into a small horde of walkers, and they were forced to rush into the tree line which provided them the safety they needed . But now, it's the only thing that the survivors could cling to. With the sanctuary of the forest, both Tyresse and Adeline took turns with holding Judith until they couldn't any longer and Lizzie or Mika took the baby off of their hands. It was dysfunctional, but it managed to work for them.

The only downside was that Adeline happened to be the only one who could make the baby stop crying. Which was what they found out when three hours had passed since their escape, the group of five trekking through the forest and down a small dirt trail that had formed over the years. Adeline kept Judith in her arms, shifting the infant every so often when her muscles grew weak. The soreness in her body from the sickness that she had only just recovered from still remained, sweat lining her skin as she was forced to push away the emotions that wanted to break loose.

"You want me to take her?" Tyresse questioned, looking at the both mentally and physically exhausted woman that walked alongside him. A feeling of relief soared through her, nodding in agreement at his request before stopping in her step and handing her niece to him. Adeline sighed, popping her knuckles and rubbing the soreness in her shoulders before glancing back at the two sisters that trailed behind them - "You two okay?" She spoke, noticing the same look of exhaustion in their features.

Lizzie nodded, "It's gonna be dark soon. Where are we going?" she questioned in a small voice. Adeline had been the one leading them since their escape since she knew the forests better than any one of them. "Just a little farther." The widow informed, a tired sound to voice as she motioned for the two girls to follow her and Tyresse. Mika was the first to move, quickly rushing to her side and sticking close. She was taking them to a small clearing in the woods, a place where she, Daryl, and Theo camped out at once before when a hunting trip went on for longer than intended.

"Is everybody dead?" Lizzie inquired, trailing behind them with her questions. Adeline felt her blood run cold, an unnerving feeling rushing through her chest as she ignored the question and continued walking down the small path. The empty carbine rifle hung around her back, she had managed to grab a half full clip of ammo from the ground before escaping the prison. The spare pistol on her thigh was almost fully loaded, one bullet missing from the shot she had fired into the random woman's head.

The image tainted her mind, alongside the ones of Hershel being decapitated and her brother getting the life choked out of him. That's all Adeline could see when she closed her eyes. Although she tried not to think about what had happened, it's all that ran through her mind. Almost everyone that she loved was gone. She was grateful for the presence of Judith, Tyresse, Lizzie, and Mika, because without them - she feared the place that she would be. Both mentally and physically. Adeline had to put a mask on when it came to the four of them, she pretend that everything was going to be okay. Even if she knew that it wasn't.

"Just through here," The widow spoke up, pushing away her thoughts and clearing her throat as she stepped off of the dirt trail and into the dense forest. It looked familiar, her attentive eyes searching the trees for the one that she had etched a marking into with one of her throwing knives the time she was here. Twigs snapped underneath her boots, Tyresse and the girls trailing behind her as she spotted the aged tree just up ahead.

Breaking into the small clearing, Adeline grabbed the strap of her rifle and lifted it over her head. Leaning it against the base of the tree, she trailed her blood and dirt stained fingers over the mark before looking at the four behind her, "We should be safe here for the night." She informed, watching as Tyresse nodded while fixing his hold on Judith. Lizzie sat the diaper bag onto the forests floor and plopped down onto a fallen log while Mika sat against the tree that Adeline stood next to.

"Okay, I'll get started on a fire." Tyresse spoke up, wincing in pain at the cut on his forearm as Adeline pulled the jacket that she wore off of her frame and laid it against the dirt ground. The man stepped forward, giving her a thankful look before placing the now sleeping figure of Judith onto the fabric. "Mika, can you keep an eye on her for us?" He questioned, the small girl nodding.

"There's a small stream through these trees," Adeline informed, keeping her voice low as she walked over to Lizzie and bent down to the diaper bag next to her. Unzipping the top, she grabbed the two empty water bottles and curled them into her grasp before taking one of the baby bottles to pre-fill. "I'll go fill these while you start on that, okay?" She questioned, standing up with a look of discomfort due to the soreness in her muscles.

Tyresse nodded in agreement, gathering a few twigs and branches from the ground and carefully tossing them into the center of the clearing. "Yell if you need me," He called out to her, receiving only a thumbs up from the woman before she slipped into the thicket of trees and towards the stream. She followed the soft sound of trickling water, branches and twigs cracking underneath her boots as she kept a tight hold on the bottles in her hands.

Almost every walker that once inhabited the forest had moved, directed towards the sound of gunfire and explosions that occurred at the prison mere hours ago. It gave them a moment to gather things, to rest their tired bodies without worrying if they were going to get eaten. But, the short time span was quick to fade, seeing as the walkers were attracted to sound ━ and there was no longer anyone left alive at the prison to make it.

Breaking through the tree line, her attentive eyes landed upon the small stream that carved its way through the forest. Letting a sigh slip from her lips, she kneeled to the ground and sat the bottles down next to her. Leaning forward, Adeline dipped her hands into the cold water and cupped them together. Raising them from the stream, she splashed the liquid onto her face as the mask she wore over her emotions was washed away. Then, it hit her. Everything.

The sound of a choked sob left her mouth, tears breaking from her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. The fear that her brother was dead slammed into her, the memories of Hershel getting his head sliced off carving sinister marks into her mind. Cupping her hand over her mouth, Adeline muffled the sobs that cracked through her chest as her fingers dug into the earth. Craning her chin towards the stream, her caramel eyes connected with her reflection.

We all have jobs to do.

Everything was gone and the light in the dark had disappeared. It felt almost impossible to keep surviving, but no matter what came, Adeline knew that she would have to keep going. Even if it meant losing every aspect of herself, she was okay with it if the ones she loved made it out alright. That's what mattered to her. She had to keep going, because she needed them to keep going. Hershel had always clung to hope, even in the darkest times of this new world, and the widow always admired him for that very reason.

Taking a deep breath, Adeline pulled her hand away from her lips and nodded softly. "We all have jobs to do." She whispered, using the words as a constant reminder to keep going as she used the fabric of her shirt to wipe away the salty trail of tears. Grabbing the water bottles by her side, the sun had begun setting while she filled them up with the streams cold water. The bottles frosted slightly, using her hand to warm up Judith's baby bottle as she stood from the ground with each of them in her grasp.

Walking back into the depths of the forest, night had begun to set. Using what light from the sky that was left, Adeline trekked to the small camping area and broke through the clearing. A small fire crackled in the center, Tyresse setting against an aged tree while attempting to wrap the wound on his arm. The embers of the fire casted uneven shadows against the trees around them, the body of Mika fast asleep next to Judith on Adeline's jacket.

Lizzie remained next to the log, taking the water bottles out of the widows grasp once she neared her. Bending down to the ground, Adeline dug into the diaper bag and pulled out the small wrapping of bandages that sat inside of it. There was a time when she had kept Judith overnight, and she remembered accidentally packing some of her medical supplies into the bag due to the fact that she had to work a shift in the infirmary early that morning.

It was something she used to find funny, but thinking back on it she grew to be grateful for her mistake seeing as the bandages were now necessary. Moving away from Lizzie, Adeline sat next to Tyresse by the tree and fiddled with the bandages in her grasp. "Let me see it," She instructed, motioning towards the bleeding wound on his arm that he attempted to cover with a bandana.

Unwrapping the material, the light of the flames provided the nurse with enough light to see the wound. Adeline shifted in her spot, getting on her knees as she unrolled the bandages and eyed the wound - "We don't have much but this should at least help stop the bleeding," She informed, tightly wrapping the wound as Tyresse winced in pain at the sensation. "Don't pick at these."

"Thank you," He spoke, staying still as she finished and kept what remained of the bandages in her lap. Watching as she moved to sit back on the ground, Tyresse searched for words to say. "Just so you know, I know you didn't do it." He informed, causing her to look at him with furrowed brows - "Kill Karen and David." He added, a look of assurance weaved into his tired expression.

Adeline nodded knowingly, "What changed your mind?"

"No guilty person would save someone who wanted them dead." He spoke, his words causing a soft chuckle to fall from her lips as she nodded her head in agreement. Tyresse laughed, pulling his eyes away from her and back to the fire - "You're a good person, Addy. I'm sorry for assuming that you weren't." He apologized.

The woman was quick to shake her head, "I spent eight months hating my brother because he killed my husband who tried to kill him. And now he might be gone too." Adeline said, a look of loss wavering in her eyes as she spoke. "So, I think you have me beat with the timing of an apology." She added, a small smile curled around her lips as Tyresse nodded knowingly at her words.

"Right before the Governor fired that shot into the tower," He started, keeping his eyes on her as he continued. "I was with Daryl and Rick in the tombs. I found something... something nasty. It was a rabbit, pulled apart and nailed to a board." Tyresse informed - causing Adeline to turn to him with furrowed brows as he nodded in confirmation. "Day before, Sasha found rats by the fences. My guess is, whoever was feeding walkers, is the same person who killed Karen and David." He finished confidently.

The widow was hesitant with her next words, because she knew exactly who had killed Karen and David. It was Carol. And only a person with a very sick mind would do those things - Carol definitely wasn't that kind of being. "I don't know. Maybe we didn't know everyone as well as we thought we did," Adeline spoke, breaking the silence with her reluctant voice as she looked to the man next to her. "Do you think everyone made it out?"

Tyresse shrugged his shoulders - "I don't know. But, I'd like to believe that they did." He admitted, hiding the fact that he was unbelievably worried about his sister and if she was alright. That was a noticeable similarity between the two adults, they both tried to hide that anxiety was consuming them with every second that passed - worried for the fates of the ones they love.

Before their conversation could continue, Judith began bawling against the forest floor next to Mika. The loud cry echoed through the forest, alerting anything nearby as Adeline rushed over to the weeping infant. "They're gonna hear her!" Mika whispered, a look of worry covering her features as twigs crunched underneath the widows boots. "We shouldn't be out here." Lizzie spoke up.

"We don't have much of a choice," Adeline informed while holding a crying Judith to her chest. Shushing the baby, she stood to the forest floor and bounced slightly as Tyresse scanned the tree line for any walkers. "We'll find a safe place soon," He assured, his hand curled around the base of a hammer. "We will." He added with a hopeful tone as Adeline kept Judith cradled in her arms.

After making sure there was nothing currently approaching, Tyresse moved from the trees and walked over to the diaper bag that sat next to Lizzie. Digging through its depths, he pulled out one of the prepped bottles that Adeline had made earlier. Giving it a good shake, twigs and leaves crunched underneath his boots as he made his way over to the widow. "Here," He spoke, handing her the bottle to which she took from him with a grateful look.

The sound of a branch breaking in the distance caused Mika to spring up to her feet from where she sat and rush over to the two. "Walkers!" She shrieked in fear, curling her arms around the tall figure of Adeline. Looking around the tree line, the widow held Judith close to her chest and pulled the bottle from the baby's mouth. "I know, I'm sorry." She whispered at the hungry cry.

Sliding the bottle into the empty sheath for her machete, Lizzie grabbed the diaper bag off of the ground as Tyresse put out the already dying fire. "Come on," Adeline instructed, hoisting Judith to her hip before taking the lead with the man by her side. "We'll have to find another place." She added hopefully, tearing her eyes away from the tree line as the distant growl of walkers was heard.

THE night was filled with moving camp to camp, the sound of nearby stalkers freaking Mika out and nearly sending her into a panic attack. It felt like years until the sun rose, barely any sleep given to any of them besides Judith who had the privilege of being carried. Adeline sacrificed a lot throughout the night so that the girls would be okay, giving them what was left of her water and allowing them to eat her rations when they started to get hungry.

The times reminded her of when the farm was lost to walkers, and they were on the road for eight long months. Each time, a prized possession was taken away from Adeline. Someone she loved. At times, she began to feel guilty for mourning the loss of the prison or Hershel - because, she couldn't even imagine how hard it was for Beth or Maggie. The widow hoped more than anything that the two sisters made it out alright and are still alive, she definitely knew that they were strong enough to do so.

Thinking about the prison made her thoughts drift to the people that once inhabited it. Adeline regretted ever complaining about waking up too early to help Rick with the crops, because now, she would give anything to be waken up by her brother and a pair of farming gloves. There was one person in particular that hadn't dared to leave her mind since the fall of the prison; Daryl Dixon. She knew that out of everyone, he would be the one to make it. He was alive - she was sure of it. She had to be. Because she found herself not even wanting to fathom the idea of losing him, too.

The morning sun filtered through the trees of the forest, casting uneven shadows against the five tired figures. Adeline held Judith to her chest, arms growing sore with every step she took. They had no destination set, only mindlessly traveling through the forest in search of a location for their next camp. Tyresse hoped they would find a cabin of some sort, wanting to get off their feet and have an chance to rest their exhausted frames.

"I can take her, if you want." He offered, smiling softly at a babbling Judith who had her tiny hands tangled within Adelines hair. The widow shook her head, "It's okay. You need to rest your arm," She assured while hoisting the infant up on her hip. "Keep a look out for any trees with sap, we can use it to close up that cut of yours." Adeline added, clearing her throat after she spoke as the man next to her nodded in confirmation at her request.

Walking down a small trail, a bush came into sight which caught the attention of the Samuels sisters that walked ahead of the two adults. "Look, grapes." Mika gushed, rushing over to the bush and stopping the small group in their step. "Can we eat them?" She questioned, glancing back at Tyresse and Adeline as Judith began growing upset in the arms of her aunt. "Yeah, they're good." The man next to the widow spoke after taking a look at the grapes.

Picking off a stem of the small fruits, Mika handed some to her older sister before tossing ones for herself into her mouth. Shushing Judith, Adeline bounced on her feet as she raised the infant slightly only to receive the strong smell of poop. "Ugh, okay. Alright, Ty, can you hand me a diaper, please?" Adeline questioned, scrunching up her nose in disgust as he nodded with a sly smile of amusement on his face. "Haha, very funny."

While he dug into the depths of the diaper bag, Lizzie grabbed a small blanket and laid it across the forest floor. "Thank you," The widow whispered gratefully as she started to lower Judith onto the blanket. At this, a loud cry that cracked through the air left the babies mouth that caused Mika to start freaking out at the fear of walkers hearing it. Adeline winced at the sound, "It's okay, Jude. Shh, please. It's okay." She hushed hastily while unbuttoning the yellow polka doted onesie that the infant was dressed in.

Tyresse kneeled down next to the two of them as Lizzie and Mika stood behind Adelines figure, placing his finger into Judith's palm while attempted to shush her. "They're gonna hear her!" The youngest Samuels shrieked, watching fearfully as the nurse used the material of the dirty diaper to clean off Judith. In a rush to get it over with, she quickly folded up the diaper and handed it to Lizzie who tossed it into a nearby bush with a disgusted face.

Hurriedly wrapped the clean diaper around Judith, Adeline buttoned the onesie back up and raised the bawling infant from the ground. "Shhh, come on. It's okay, Judith. You're alright." She assured, staying kneeled to the ground as she bounced the baby up and down on her knee. "Let me try." Tyresse insisted, holding his hands out to Adeline who sighed softly before raising from the ground and carefully handing the crying baby off to him.

A break of twigs was heard, causing Mika to jump in fear and tightly grab onto Adelines scraped up palm - "They're here!" She shrieked, her fingernails tearing into the slightly healed scabs on the nurses hand and breaking them open. Wincing in pain, a burning sensation was felt in her hand as the loud sound of Judith bawling and the frustration of losing her home roared through her - "Damn it, Mika, I heard it!" She snapped, a sharp tone to her voice as the small girl winced at the loud tone.

"Don't yell at her, she doesn't understand walkers!" Lizzie shouted, growing protective over her little sister as the widow sighed deeply at her mistake. "You're the one who doesn't understand them!" Mika yelled back, glaring at her sister as Judith continued crying in Tyresse's arms. Every sound merged together, chaos erupting in Adelines mind as she grabbed their arms and pulled them away from her niece - "That is enough. Do you understand me?" She spoke, using the motherly tone she had formed over the past year with her nephew and Theo.

Tyresse bumped into a bush, the movement causing a group of crows to break free from the branches and fly out into the air. Flinching slightly, Adeline shielded the two girls from the birds but failed to grab Mika as she slipped underneath her arm and bolted it into the depths of the forest. "Mika!" The widow yelled, hurriedly chasing after the girl as Lizzie hastily scooped up the blanket and diaper bag before rushing off after them with Tyresse (who still held onto Judith) close on their heels.

"Mika!" Adeline shouted, worry and guilt pumping through her veins as she followed after the girls trail. "She's gone! You yelled at her and now she's gone!" Lizzie yelled, watching as the nurse brushed past a thicket of branches and continued calling out after the younger Samuels. Stumbling into a small clearing, the figure of Mika stepped out from behind a tree and faced Adeline with an apologetic expression - "I got scared." She mumbled.

Tyresse kept his hold on Judith tight, slowing down in his steps as he moved to stand next to Adeline who wrapped her arms around Mika with a relieved expression. "It's okay," She breathlessly chuckled, hugging the girl. "We all get scared sometimes." She added, pulling away and placing her hands on Mika's shoulders. Tyresse nodded in confirmation, "You did the right thing running, Mika." He spoke with a small smile as he held onto Judith.

"What?" Lizzie questioned with furrowed brows, looking to the two adults with a bewildered stare. Adeline nodded, "She did." she confirmed while wiping the sweat from her skin. "You hear or see a walker, you run. But when you're in a group, you got to try to stay close to them, okay?" Tyresse spoke, looking to Mika with informative eyes as Judith giggled in his arms which caused four warm smiles to pass around the group.

"You're bleeding." Mika pointed out, motioning towards the streak of blood mixed with sweat that had smeared across Adeline's forehead. "Did I hurt you bad?" She questioned with guilty eyes as the widow quickly wiped away the blood with her shirt before shaking her head - "It was a lot worse when it happened, it's my fault for being so flat footed." She informed, avoiding the look of guilt that Tyresse sent her way.

Mika's head fell to the ground in shame, "I'm sorry. I know I'm not like Lizzie." She spoke, glancing to her sister who failed to say a word at her expression. "You don't have to apologize, Mika. That's how it is with an older sibling. You each do stuff your own way but you both get it done." Adeline informed, a small smile worn on her lips at the words she spoke.

"Like you and Rick?" Mika questioned with a smile, proud to be similar to the set of siblings while Adeline nodded her head in confirmation. Lizzie shook her head, "You're not like Rick." She informed, causing her younger sister to look at her - "Why not?" She inquired, a curious look to her eyes as Adeline turned to her with an expecting expression.

"Because you're still here. Rick isn't." Lizzie informed, her words making an uneasy feeling course through the widows body as she shifted on her feet. Tyresse furrowed his brows, "Lizzie. You-"

Before he could finish his words, a loud scream whipped through the forest and sent them on high alert. It was a girls. And for a second, it almost sounded identical to Theo's. Adeline felt her stomach drop, hands curling around Daryl's hunting knife on her side as she turned to Tyresse - "We have to help them, they could be from the prison." She spoke, causing him to nod in agreement.

The two of them turned to the two girls, Tyresse carefully placing Judith into the arms of Lizzie before Adeline moved them to stand back to back in the middle of the small clearing. "What are you guys doing?" Mika questioned, a hint of fear in her voice as the nurse softly pushed them together - "Making sure you can see in both directions." She informed with a steady voice. "You can stay like this and keep watch." She added, stepping away.

"You're leaving us?" Mika continued, turning to Tyresse.

Another scream cracked through the forest, Adelines head turning towards the sound as she shifted anxiously on her feet. "They may be from the prison. We need to help them." Tyresse spoke, looking to Mika with assuring eyes. "We need you." The small girl cried.

"Mika, tuck your shirt behind your knife so it's easier to grab." Lizzie spoke, silencing her younger sister before looking to the two adults - "We'll be okay." She assured, Adeline moving to stand in front of her. "If you see a walker, you run towards us. Together. Only fire your gun if you absolutely need to." She repeated, leaning down to press a rushed kiss to Judith's head before turning away with Tyresse. "We'll be back." He added.

Without saying anything else, and ignoring the pleads that left Mika's mouth, the two of them rushed towards the sound with looks of hope in their features. It had to be someone from the prison. It had to be. Were the words that Adeline kept repeating to herself, her hand curled around her knife as the branches slapped against her legs while they ran. The sounds of screams grew closer with every rushed step, mixing with the growls of walkers.

Together they broke through the tree line, stumbling upon a railroad track that carved its way between a small valley. By then, the screams had ceased and fear found its way sneaking into Adelines veins at the revelation. Sounds of fighting was heard, Tyresse and the widow simultaneously turning their heads to see an older man and a boy defending themselves against five walkers. A dead body laid in the middle, an older woman with fresh blood covering her neck from where she had been bitten.

It wasn't Theo.

Frozen with the shock of actually finding people from the prison, Adeline reacted with a gasp as a walker tore into the figure of the younger boy. He let out a loud scream of pain, the sound pulling the two of them out of their state as they rushed over to help. Curling her hands around the hunting knife, Adeline ran down the small hill before pulling the walker off of the crying boy. Pushing the stalker to the ground, she slammed the knife into its head.

Blood splattered against her skin, grunts coming from Tyresse as he repeatedly slammed his hammer into a walkers brains. Feeling a rotted hand curl around her shoulder, Adeline quickly ducked out of its grasp and shoved the long blade of the knife through its jaw and into its mushy skull. It was then when a loud gunshot came from the woods, stopping in her movements as the walker fell to the ground and her eyes turned to the direction of the forest.

"Judith," She whispered, fear pumping through her veins as her eyes completely missed the walker on the dirt that opened its mouth and leaned down to take a bite from her ankle. Tyresse reacted quickly, carefully shoving the woman out of the way before slamming the heel of his boot into the rotted brain.

Pulling herself out of the state of fear, Adeline turned to him with grateful eyes just as the last walker took a bite out of the older man who sobbed on the ground at the loss of his family. Guilt pushed through her, fingers falling to one of her throwing knives as she pulled it from the sheath. Raising her hand, the knife whizzed through the air and found itself embedded in the brain.

The walker fell to the ground, the man curling his hands around the bite mark as he gasped for air. Adeline softened her eyes, stepping over the bodies of both his family and walkers before nearing him. He looked up at the sky, blue mixing with the hazel color of his eyes as he choked on his own blood. The widow sighed softly, her fingers curling around the pistol on her side as she slowly pulled it out of its holster and flicked off the safety.

"I'm sorry." She whispered, raising the barrel of the gun and pressing it into the sweaty skin of his forehead. Hesitance and reluctance consumed her, the threat of tears cornering in her eyes as she shook her head in denial. You would be putting him out of his misery, a small voice inside of her mind spoke - the sound of footsteps causing her to close her eyes before pressing the trigger.

The gunshot rang out, taking the life away from the man who nearly suffered the fate of choking to death on his own blood. It was how Shane died. Adeline sighed deeply, sliding the gun back into its holster before standing up to her feet. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she battled a war with her thoughts inside of her mind as she tiredly rubbed her hands over her face.

"Adeline?" The sound of a familiar voice broke through the air, causing both the widow and Tyresse (who stood with a troubled expression) to turn their heads at the sound. Shock and relief tore through them, the figure of a woman holding Judith and standing behind Lizzie and Mika. IT WAS CAROL.