𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 || 𝘞𝘌𝘓𝘓 𝘚𝘐𝘛𝘜𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕
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[ ʜᴏʟᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪɴᴇ, ᴀʏᴇ
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ꜰɪɢʜᴛ ꜰᴏʀ ᴘʀɪᴅᴇ ᴏʀ ɢʟᴏʀʏ?
ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴏʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱᴄᴀʀꜱ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ? ]

"SO..." ROLAND BEGAN, following the group towards the well. "You're telling me that a walker is inside the well?" He questioned and Dale rolled his eyes. "Yeah, this is like the 5th time telling you," Dale replied. "Yeah, I understand, but I just want to know if you're not seeing things. Like maybe your age is catching up to you or something." He quipped and Dale punched his arm before walking towards the well.

Roland crouch down as Dale pointed the flashlight down into the well, and indeed there was a walker down their growling at them. "Looks like we got a swimmer," Dale said and Roland's face scrunched up in disgust by the look of the walker. "Yeah, and an ugly ass one at that." He added in bitter disgust.

"How long you think it's been down there?" Glenn wondered, glancing amongst the group. "Long enough for it to grow gills," Andrea replied with a sigh.

"We can't leave it in there. God knows what it's doing to the water." Lori pointed out and Roland nodded in agreement with his mother. "We got to get it out," Shane added. "Easy. Put a bullet in its head. I'll get a rope." T-Dog deadpanned, completely serious with his suggestion. "Woah Woah, guys. No." Maggie told them sternly.

"Why not? It's a good plan." Glenn told them and Andrea looked up at him. "It's a stupid plan. If that thing hasn't contaminated the water yet, blowing it will finish the job." She pointed out and Roland nodded before looking up at the group with squinted eyes. "Not to mention that if we were to kill it, you will be carrying dead weight, literally. Either way, kill it or not, it's going to be a problem if we don't deal with it."

"They're right. Can't risk it." Shane agreed, looking down into the pit. "So it has to come out alive?" T-Dog asked. "So to speak," Shane replied, Roland, chuckled quietly. "How do we do that?"

Lowering the piece of meat down into the well, the walkers simply stared at it while it growled. "He's not going for it." Dale told them. "Maybe 'cause a canned ham don't kick and scream when you try and eat it." T-Dog deadpanned and Roland looked up at him with a smile. "Who shit in your cereal this morning?" A few people of the group chuckled, including T-Dog. "No one, but it's true." He told the Grimes boy who nodded in agreement.

"He's right. There's a reason the dead didn't come back to life and start raiding our cupboards." Lori acknowledged. "We need live bait," Andrea told them, instantly looking to Glenn who stood beside her. Roland caught on and stood up. "Woah, guys. Can we just think through this for a second?"

Andrea and Shane looked at Roland. "She's right. That walker won't go for anything except a human or animal." Shane explained to the boy who nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I get that, but you realize we're putting Glenn's life at risk here. Like, are we all just going to act like he hadn't saved Rick's or all of our asses once?" He asked and Glenn pointed to him, a thankful look on his face. "See! He understands!"

"Which is why I'm going down." Roland deadpanned, looking down into the well. "Okay, now hold on a sec," Glenn told him and Lori joined in. "You're not going down there. End of story." She told him and Roland glared at his mother. "Watch me." He fired back. "Just... Hold on a second, Roland. Do you think you're being irrational here?" Dale asked as Roland fixed his glare onto Dale. "So what? You guys are fine with Glenn being put into a pit of death, but when someone else decides to step up, you all are hesitant? The fuck is wrong with all of you?"

Glenn was more than grateful for Roland standing up for him. Roland was hitting all the nails on the head and no one could argue with him. Their go-to guy had always been Glenn, and Roland was sick of Glenn's life being put onto the line when no one else was stepping up.

Roland sighed as he rested his hands on his hips. "Let's get this shit over with." He said determined on his decision and the others were hesitant on the whole idea.

Minutes later, Roland's legs hung over the edge into the well. Beth had wandered over as well, curious as to why such a crowd had gathered around one of the wells. She also nearly freaked out from the sight Roland was in as was Shane tying the rope around each of his thighs and waste. Glenn walked over and crouched down beside the boy. "Listen, thank you for what you said back there." He told Roland who smiled. "Hey, man. We stick together. We're a family." Rolaand replied and Glenn smiled before backing away as Shane finished.

"We're gonna get you out of here in one piece. I promise you that." Shane reassured the boy who nodded as he took the rope that would be used to wrap around the walker's body to be pulled up. "No rest for the wicked, huh?" He joked and Shane chuckled with a sigh. "No there ain't."

The group took the rope that would lower Roland and stared at the boy expectedly. "You ready?" T-Dog asked and Roland took a deep breath before exhaling and nodding firmly. "Yeah, let's go."

"Oh, you people you are crazy." Maggie groaned, standing off to the side. "Hey, look after my son. Glenn. He's a good kid. He likes pizza and playing with star wars ships. He also likes-" Before Roland could finish, Glenn cut him off. "Okay, that's enough." He interrupted and Roland smiled as he turned his body around and slowly lowered himself so he was holding onto the stones surrounding the edge of the well. "See you later, cowboy." He winked before letting go and slowly beginning to descend.

As he slowly descended, Roland scrunched his face up in disgust from the smell. "Mom! It smells like your tuna casserole!" He called out, hearing the distant laugh from Shane and Lori. "You doing okay?" Beth called out and Roland looked up and smiled. "Yeah, don't worry about me, beautiful." He reassured as he continued to go lower.

When he was low enough, Roland was beginning to try and get the rope around the walker. But he let out a yell when he descended with a jolt taking him by surprise. "Shit!" He cursed as he could feel the walker gripping at his shoes. The yells from above were non-distinct for him to hear as the walker's growls bounced off the rock walls.

"Guys, get me the fuck out of here!" He yelled, kicking the walker in the face at a chance to defend himself. As quickly as he got down, he began being pulled and found Glenn nearly hanging over the side trying to reach for his hand.

Roland reached out and grabbed Glenn's hand tightly before being pulled up and soon landing on the dirt floor. Panting as he laid on his back panting for air beside Glenn. "Are you okay?" Lori asked quickly and Roland nodded as he reached over and patted Glenn's chest. "He's the hero here." He announced before panting some more before looking up at Beth. She stood beside her sister with a relieved look on her face. "I told you not to worry about me." His attempt at lightning the conversation was a miss as no one laughed.

"Back to the drawing board." Dale sighed as he held his hand out for the boy and Roland smirked, reaching up with a rope in his hand free hand. "Don't worry, old man. I never fail to disappoint." He chuckled, letting Dale take it from his hands as he let Glenn help him up. "I thought you were dead. I nearly jumped down there to save you." Glenn confessed and Roland smiled bringing the man into a hug. "Thank you for saving my ass. All of you." He thanked before taking the rope off from around his thighs.

Instantly feeling arms wrap around him and he knew by the height difference it was Beth. Hugging back, Roland chuckled. "I'm fine, Beth." He assured, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of her head. It was a small and gentle kiss, but it still caused butterflies to erupt in Beth's stomach. "Head back to the house." He whispered to her and she hesitated to let go but soon did. "I'm glad you're okay." She told him, a blush forming on her lips as she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. Pulling away and seeing the awestruck look on Roland's face which made her laugh before she walked away.

Roland watched as she walked away before glancing at Maggie and seeing her with a smirk. "What?" He questioned and she shrugged. "Nothin'." She told him as she walked past him. It was clear for Maggie to see that Beth liked Roland the first day they met. But she wasn't going to say anything. Not when she had a front row seat to seeing the pairs relationship develop.

Soon enough, the whole group had taken hold of the rope and began pulling with the help of a horse. "Come on, ya'll." Shane yelled, finding any way to encourage the group. "Almost there. Come on, pull, guys." T-Dog told them as he watched the walker be pulled out of the well. "Nice and easy. Just a little more."

Once the walker was halfway out of the well, it got stuck and with the excessive pulling, the walker was ripped in half. The bottom half flying back down into the well, while the upper half stayed up top and alive. "Son of a bitch." Roland grunted, feeling the ache in his arms. Not wasting a second to get to his feet and walk over to the walker. Stomping it's head in, killing it instantly.

"We should seal off this well." Dale suggested and Shane scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, might be a good idea."