Chapter 36: The Camp's State
The drizzling rain stained the sky a brilliant Klein blue. At a glance, it seemed as if the world had been completely transformed, the bright sunlight of before gone without a trace.
In the camp, everyone was busy with their own tasks. But strangely, the usual sounds of laughter and conversation were absent, with only the constant pitter-patter of the rain echoing through the air.
Normally, a rainy day was something everyone looked forward to. The rain would mask the sounds they made, adding another natural barrier against the walkers on top of the surrounding woods. Furthermore, the collected rainwater could be used to irrigate the farm and could also be boiled for drinking.
But now, the entire camp was gloomy and oppressive. A heavy stone seemed to be weighing on everyone's hearts. They felt an urgent need to speak, yet couldn't say a word.
And on the plain in the distance, the figure of someone riding a motorcycle drew closer.
Andrea, lying prone on top of the RV, saw it through her rifle scope and immediately got up, shouting to the side. "Someone's coming! It's raining too hard, I can't see who it is!"
As her voice fell, several figures rushed out of the camp with agile movements. Rick was in the lead, followed by Shane, Merle, T-Dog, and others. They weren't carrying firearms; in such a heavy downpour, the guns and ammunition could get wet, and a malfunction at a critical moment would only hold them back.
Rick pulled a machete, slightly longer than his forearm, from his waist and squinted at the approaching motorcycle. Only when the figure was within 50 meters did Rick let out a sigh of relief and sheathe his weapon.
"Lower your weapons, it's Daryl! He's back!"
Hearing Rick's roar, which cut through the sound of the rain, the expressions on everyone's faces eased slightly. Rick threw on a raincoat and jogged impatiently to Daryl's side.
"Did you find any trace of them? Even a little bit."
Through the brim of his raincoat hood, Rick's eyes were fixed on Daryl. He had even forgotten to let him catch his breath before questioning him.
It had been seven days since Shawn had taken Carl to train. But in these seven days, neither of them had appeared, not even once. It was hard for Rick not to prepare for the worst, even for a survivor as strong as Shawn. In this apocalypse, no one could say for certain that they were safe, and besides the walkers, there were other survivors active in this land.
On the fourth day of their absence, Rick had mobilized everyone to search, but they had found nothing. From the sixth day onward, it had been raining continuously at the Farm. Lori, restless with worry and grief, had come down with a high fever due to the rapid drop in temperature. She was still lying in the camp, delirious, constantly calling out Carl's name.
Carl's disappearance was too great a blow for her. If she truly lost Carl, she wouldn't be able to go on in this apocalypse. Shane and Carol were taking care of her. From the moment Lori collapsed, Shane had not left her side. His worried expression was even more intense than Rick's. It was unclear if it was because his break with Lori wasn't clean enough, or if Shane had learned something else in the past few days that had reignited his old feelings.
"The rain is too heavy. I didn't find them..." Daryl said sullenly, shaking his head. He got off his motorcycle, carried his crossbow, and dragged his rain-soaked body into the camp. But when faced with everyone's concerned gazes, his eyes shifted away slightly.
He was the person in the camp who knew the woods best, the one most skilled at tracking and hunting. If even he couldn't find them, then either Shawn and Carl had left the area, or...
No one dared to think too deeply about the latter possibility. If they lost Shawn, they couldn't imagine what would happen to the camp. After all, Carl was missing too. Lori's current state could very well be Rick's future. And when Rick could no longer hold on, where would the group go?
The camp's members had gone from being full of hope to being lost and in despair. And it had only been a week.
Inside the main house, Hershel's family felt the same way. But unlike the others, they were more saddened by the complete loss of their relatives in the barn.
To be precise, on the second day after Shawn left with Carl, Shane discovered some recent secretive behavior. Following that lead, he found the herd of walkers in the barn. With Shane's personality, how could he possibly allow so many walkers to exist right next to where they were living? Let alone a whole group, he wouldn't even tolerate one! Not for a single day!
And so, the internal conflict of the team began. The words Shawn had said echoed in Shane's mind—"Democracy can't save everyone!" After several fruitless arguments, Shane decisively took his Remington and opened the barn. The massive blast of the shotgun drew everyone's attention, but seeing the walkers pour out, they had no choice but to raise their guns and clear them all out.
Everyone had an indescribable feeling in their hearts, but they couldn't bring themselves to blame Shane. Because even Hershel's family knew deep down that what Shane did was right. The things Shane killed were not Hershel's wife or Beth's mother. They were just man-eating corpses.
The Hershel of today was not the Hershel of a month ago.
"Shawn hasn't come back, and Carl is missing too. What should we do now? Do we stick to the plan and leave the Farm for the Prison, or do we stay here and continue to search?" Hershel looked as if he had aged ten years, his eyes dazed as he asked Rick.
With Shawn gone, Rick was the only leader in his eyes who could hold his own.
"We will not give up the search for Carl and Shawn," Rick said without hesitation. "If we don't find them in a day, we'll search for a day. If we don't find them in a lifetime, we'll search for a lifetime. No matter what, we need to see them alive, or see their bodies if they're dead."
Rick leaned close to Hershel's ear, his voice low but firm. But just like Hershel and the others, despair and loss were spreading in Rick's eyes too.
In the entire camp, it seemed only Shane still maintained his original spirit. At least in his eyes, as long as Lori was still around, there was still hope.
Another day quickly passed. The already dim sky grew even darker. The black clouds began to dissipate, and the day-long rain began to subside, the sound of dripping unceasing.
Rick sat on the roof of the RV, his revolver clutched in his hand. At some point, the cold raindrops began to be replaced by scalding hot tears. Rick let out silent sobs and wails.
But all of this was redeemed by the sound of an engine, growing closer from the distance.
Rick looked up in astonishment. In the distance, a vehicle the size of a bus was rapidly approaching!
*****
Hi guys,
My Patreon page is officially up and running..
The deal is simple: you get cool rewards (like reading 20 chapters ridiculously early) and I get to keep writing, fueled by your amazing support. It's a win-win!
I'd be absolutely thrilled if you'd spare a moment to take a peek. (Fingers crossed you'll join!)
https://Patreon.com/CanonTwist