Since I had been letting Michonne take Poe out on her runs to find the governor, she had brought me tape and tons of books that weren't already in the prison library. She started this up again once the deepest part of winter had passed.

I had made my cell my own little home. I now used the tape to attach the photo of my sisters and Will to the wall. That way I could see their faces all of the time. I smiled looking at my work. I hoped to be that happy again.

"What'd you do there?" Rick asked as he paused his walk past my cell.

I waved him in. "Those were my sisters and my husband."

"They're beautiful," he stated.

"They were, weren't they"

We both looked at the picture for a moment before Rick said, "I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Carl told me you used to be a teacher. The council told me they'd like to start classes for the kids. I think that'd good for them. Make them feel normal. Carol has already volunteered, but I thought you'd be a good addition too."

I instantly felt transported back to the time before. When I was in my own classroom with my students.

"I don't have much experience with younger children, but I'm sure I could figure it out."

"That a yes?"

"Yes, it is, Grimes," I told him.

"Thanks, Jo. I'll let the council know," he responded.

I furrowed my eyebrows at him. "Jo?"

"Don't like it?"

I chuckled to myself. "No, it's not that. My family and Will used to call me that. I just haven't heard it in a long time. I don't mind."

"Well, we're family now so it's only right. Anyway, I got to finish buildin' the fences for Poe. I'll see you around," Rick said, glancing at my picture one last time and patting his work gloves against his rough hands.

Rick had given up his gun for a while now. Carl was also part of this new life change. Neither of them told me why, but I assumed they both needed to find themselves again. Some people change for the better in this world. Some also change for the worse and that happens more often than not.

I put on my apron over my jacket. I put gloves on and gripped my long-bladed knife. Corpses, or walkers as I started calling them, began pushing up against the fences with the desire for human flesh. I didn't know when the change in my vocabulary happened exactly, but spending so much time around these people it was hard for it not to.

Although it was warmer out now, I wore a jacket at the fences so I didn't have to wash my clothes all the time. Blood could coat this garment and I didn't have to worry. As I made my way outside, I saw that Karen and Tyreese were already there. Rick and Carl were banging on nails which was attracting more walkers.

I jogged over to the man any woman. They were both laughing about something.

"What's so funny?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Tyreese gave Karen a loving look. "Nothing. Just an inside joke," he told me.

I looked between the two with a mischievous smile. "Whatever you say."

The three of us began stabbing the walkers through the fence. They clawed and snapped at us. A few weeks ago we had reinforced the fences when metal and wooden poles to keep it from caving in. We had people out here everyday trying to thin the herd.

The front gate opened which we had also fixed from the governor's reign of terror. Michonne came through riding Poe. She went over to Rick and Carl. Her and Rick eventually went back inside the prison together.

After about 45 minutes of me clearing the fences, my name was called.

"Jolene!" Hershel shouted. "Can you come here for a minute?"

I stopped my job and went over to the cell blocks. Hershel stood on both legs waiting for me. We had found a prosthetic that fit him well enough. It was lucky we got it because the crutches were wearing on him.

"What do you need, Hershel?" I asked taking off my gloves.

"Michonne found a pig and another horse a few miles from here," he said.

"Still alive? Are there other people there taking care of them?"

"She searched around but it looks like the people there left in a hurry. Doesn't seem like they're comin' back." He adjusted his weight to his good leg. "Michonne already said she'd lead us there, but I was wondering if you'd join Maggie and I? I know you also have experience with animals. I want to see what condition they're in before we try to wrangle them."

"Of course I'll come. That'd be a great addition to our little farm. Just let me get changed and grab my supplies," I said.

"Take your time. We'll head out in about an hour."

___

I followed behind Hershel, Maggie, and Michonne on Poe. We thought it'd be a good idea to see how he interacted with the other horse before we brought it back.

I rode by Carl and Rick. They were working double time to finish the fencing for our potential new arrivals. They both waved me off and tipped my cowboy hat to them.

Carl said something to Rick and his father ruffled his hair. I smiled at the interaction.

As I rode the trees I took in a deep breath. It was nice being out in the open air after being covered in Walker guts. The wind blew lightly through the leaves. It felt nice on my skin as the temperature began to rise.

We came up to the farm and came up directly next to the barn. I hopped down from Poe and tied him to the fence. A decapitated walker already laid in front of the doors where Michonne had been previously.

"Right in here," Michonne said and unlatched the doors.

We all entered, the musty smell of old hay filled the air. The brown horse stuck out his head from his pen, curious about his new visitors. Maggie and I went up to him and let his head. He wasn't timid and seemed to be pretty friendly toward people.

"I think him and Poe will get along just fine," Maggie stated.

"Me too," I agreed.

I went out again and led Poe in. Him and the other horse seemed wary of each other, but they quickly warmed up. Poe whinnied and nuzzled  up against his new friend. He liked him.

"That's it, boy," I whispered.

Hershel opened the pig pen. I wondered over to get a look at the animal, letting Poe socialize. The pig was pretty large. It was lying down and breathing heavy.

"Something wrong with it?" I asked.

"That's what I'll find out," Hershel said.

He knelt down and pet the pig gently. He felt around its stomach.

"She's pregnant," he concluded. "And by the looks of it she's going to give birth any day now."

"That's amazin'" Maggie breathed. She gripped the wooden cage.

"We'll have plenty of food for everyone," Michonne stated.

"I'll back the pickup up to the door so we can load her in easier," I said.

Hershel searched in his pocket and tossed me the keys. I closed them in my fist and thanked him with a nod. My feet crunched against the dirt floor as I entered the sunlight. The door clicked open. I was just about to step inside when a hand pressed against my mouth and the tip of a gun pressed against my temple. My hat and keys fell in the grass.

"Don't scream or I'll splatter your brains everywhere," a man whispered in my ear.

I nodded silently. The man dragged me back into the forest with the cover of the pickup. He took me to the road where a car waited. Another man with blond hair got out.

"Pat her down and get her weapons," the man holding me commanded.

The blond man did what he said. He took my gun and found the knife in boot.

"Bag her," he continued.

He grabbed a burlap sack and put it over my head. My hands were also tied behind my back. They shoved me in the back of the car. My body hit leather seats and the wind got knocked out of me. The door slammed and as soon as both men were inside the car they sped off.

"Where the hell are you taking me?" I spat.

"Shut up, bitch," the mystery man said.

"No. I'm not going to shut up. Tell me where we're going and what you want with me, asshole,"

I listened closely and heard the person in the passenger seat moving. Then, a fist hit me in the head. The blow knocked me over and I slammed into a window. I groaned and tried to sit up again but my body felt weak. I stayed up against the door, trying to regain my strength.

In the meantime, I stayed silent and memorized the turns we were taking.

Straight for half about half a mile. Right, left, left again. Straight for about a mile. One last right.

The car came to a stop on what sounded like a gravel road. Both men got out of the car. Suddenly the door I was leaning against opened and I fell to the ground.

"Get up!" the blond man, I assumed, yelled.

I was yanked up by my arm. My wrists rubbed against the rope around them. The man gripping my arm led me forward. My foot hit a wooden step and I almost fell forward because of my lack of vision. I walked up a few steps and was then led into a building. Then, I was shoved down into a metal folding chair.

The door creaked open and then closed.

"What the hell is this, Tod?" a woman asked angrily.

"Found her a few miles southwest. She was with a small group," Tod, the first man, explained. "They were talking about bringing a pig back to their people. I figure she could lead us to their camp and we could take their stuff."

A hard slap sounded throughout the room. My breathing quickened.

"You need to clear this shit with me before you do it. We don't know how many people they have," the woman said. "But that's not a bad idea." She began pacing around. "We hold her for ransom. If they want her back then they pay up. If they don't we kill her and then."

I chuckled under the sack. It was suddenly ripped off my head. Light flashed in my eyes and I had to blink to put everything back in focus. I was in a one room cabin. One wall was lined with guns and machetes. Outside, I saw more small cabins. A campground.

In front of me was my three captors. Tod was taller than the rest. He had a long beard and a balding head. The woman had short black hair and piercing brown eyes.

"What's so funny?" the woman asked.

"The three of you are going to do this? We have way more people than you'll be able to handle," I sneered.

The woman crossed her arms. "There's plenty more than just us, sweetie. Now, are you going to make this easy and tell us where your little camp
is?"

"Go to hell."

The woman stepped forward and grabbed my face with one of her hands. "Fine. I tried to play nice. We'll get it out of you." She shoved my face away.

"They'll find me and kill you all," I threatened. "They've fought against a lot worse."

The woman smiled slyly at me. She turned and started out the door. "Tod, Bobby, you know what to do."

Tod nodded, pulled back his fist, and slammed it across my face. Blood spilled out the side of my mouth. I braced myself for another attack. I was scared. I wasn't scared of dying, but I was scared of not being able to handle the pain and giving up the prison. I did believe they would find me but I didn't know when.

I took another punch while Bobby grabbed a knife.