We stepped through the main doors of the prison, and the metal door groaned shut behind us.
I kept my eyes forward, moving slowly, not to make any sound. Daryl was just to my left, moving quietly, bow in one hand, knife in the other.
We didn't say a word. We just kept moving.
There were no walkers in sight, just the blood on the floor and walls.
We pushed deeper inside until we found him — a guard, slumped in a chair. Dried blood soaked the collar of his uniform, and a small hole in his head made the story clear.
I crouched down and checked his belt.
Keys.
Still clipped to his side.
I took them quietly.
Daryl stared at the body for a second before muttering low,
"Probably got killed by prisoners when the outbreak happened."
I nodded, standing up, and we kept advancing until we reached the main room leading into Cell Block C.
The doors weren't locked to the main room, but the ones to the cell block were.
We unlocked the door and went into the cell block.
One by one, we moved through the rows. Walkers clawing from behind the bars, some slamming their heads against the iron, others just trying to grab us.
We didn't waste bullets.
I stepped close to the first one and drove my sword through the bars clean through the walker's head. Daryl followed suit with his knife on the next.
We repeated this until every walker was dead.
Then Daryl's voice cut through.
"…He ain't bit," Daryl said slowly, already inside the cell and checking the body of the dead walker. "What the hell?"
I didn't stop moving. I just answered quietly.
"Everyone turns. Doesn't matter how they die."
Daryl didn't respond right away. He just stared down at the prisoner, jaw tightening.
Then he looked at me.
"Rick knows?"
I nodded.
"Jenner and Rick know. I gave him a week to tell the rest."
Daryl exhaled sharply, rubbing his forehead.
"Nice way of droppin' that little bomb on me…"
He didn't push further. Just shook his head and turned away from the cell.
"…Whatever. Let's finish clearin' this place so we can head back to the farm"
I nodded once.
"I'll explain more on the ride back."
Daryl just nodded, and we kept on moving towards the cafeteria.
The hallway ahead was pitch black.
I clicked on my flashlight. The beam swept across the floor, concrete littered with old uniforms, torn shoes, and blood stains that had long since dried.
"Remember, if the head is intact, assume they are alive," I whispered to Daryl.
Daryl didn't say anything, just nodded and raised his flashlight, sweeping it side to side.
We walked slowly, checking every corner and dead corpse on the floor.
With flashlights in one hand and blades in the other.
Our boots barely made a sound as we crept forward, staying quiet.
I pulled a piece of chalk from my belt and made a quick arrow on the wall. We kept marking every turn so we would know our way back.
We kept moving, back to back, watching every corner and listening for anything.
We turned the corner, and the silence broke.
Growls.
Wet, guttural snarls echoing down from every direction.
Three walkers stumbled out from a side hallway, two more from a corner behind us.
I immediately pulled three senbon and threw them in a tight arc, killing the walkers simultaneously.
Daryl turned towards the other two and fired an arrow into the walker's head, then charged the next with his knife, jamming the blade up under the jaw, killing them both just as swiftly.
We grabbed our weapons and pushed forward faster to avoid any more walkers that might be lurking around.
As we made another turn, there were two more bodies on the floor.
We couldn't see any clear head injury, so we quickly nodded to each other and we moved closer. When I got close, I drove my blade into the skull just in case. Daryl kicked another over and sliced its head open.
We kept moving forward, and then we heard it. Growling behind us. At least twenty more walkers, closing in fast.
We moved faster, still avoiding making sound and silently killing any walkers that were in front of us with our blades and communicating with only hand signs.
I made a closed fist and held it up—stop.
We paused behind a corner, back to the wall.
Daryl signaled back—two fingers, eyes on the right.
I nodded.
We moved again, clearing each side. Two walkers groaned ahead, we took it out fast, my kunai in the head and Daryl's arrow in the other one's.
Then we saw it.
A heavy metal door at the end of the hallway.
Cafeteria.
We picked up the pace approaching it.
I reached the door first and quietly opened the door while Daryl was watching my back.
We slipped inside, Daryl right behind me. I shut the door fast, Daryl didn't even speak, just grabbed the nearest broom and jammed it between the handles.
Just as we caught our breath, we heard it, a quiet scuffle behind the pantry door… and the sound of someone whispering inside.
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🧪 Author's Note:
Thank you all so much for the support — we've passed 1400+ power stones!
I'm really sorry these last two chapters were shorter than usual. I just didn't have the time to make them longer, but I promise I'll make it up to you tomorrow and over the weekend.
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the chapter. Your feedback means everything and helps me improve with each update.
Thanks again for reading! 🖤