Farm
The sky was rendered a bright cerulean blue by the drizzling rain.
At a glance, it seemed as if the world had suddenly transformed, no longer basking in the initial bright sunshine.
In the Camp.
Everyone was busy doing their own things.
However, strangely, there was no sound of the usual laughter and chatter, only the constant patter of rain echoing.
In the past, rainy days were precisely what everyone looked forward to.
Because once it rained, the rainwater would cover the sounds they made, adding another natural barrier against Walkers on top of the jungle.
And besides that, the stored water could both irrigate the Farm and be consumed after boiling.
But now, the entire Farm Camp was gloomy and oppressive.
It was as if a heavy stone weighed on everyone's heart; they wanted to speak but couldn't utter a word.
And on the plains in the distance from the Farm, a figure on a motorcycle was getting closer and closer.
Andrea, who was lying prone on the RV, saw him through the scope and immediately stood up, shouting to someone nearby.
"Someone's coming! It's raining so hard I can't tell who it is!"
As Andrea's words fell, several figures agilely rushed out of the Camp.
Rick led the way, followed by Shane, Merle, T-Dog, and others.
They didn't carry firearms; in such heavy rain, guns and ammunition might get wet, and problems at crucial moments could be a hindrance.
Rick drew a machete slightly longer than his forearm from his waist, squinting as he stared at the motorcycle figure approaching from a distance.
It wasn't until the figure was within 50 meters that Rick finally relaxed and put away his machete.
"Lower your weapons, it's Daryl returning!"
Hearing Rick's roar, which cut through the rain, everyone's expressions improved slightly.
Rick put on his raincoat and impatiently jogged over to Daryl.
"Did you find any traces of them? Even just a little bit."
Through the brim of his raincoat, Rick's eyes were fixed on Daryl, even forgetting to let Daryl catch his breath before questioning him.
It had been seven days since Shawn took Carl to train outside the Camp.
But in these seven days, neither of them had appeared, not even once.
Rick found it hard not to prepare for the worst news, even for a survivor as powerful as Shawn.
In this apocalypse, no one could claim they would definitely be safe, and besides Walkers, there were other survivors active on this land.
On the 4th day that the two had not returned, Rick mobilized everyone to search, but they found nothing.
From the 6th day onwards, the Farm had been raining continuously, and Lori, feeling restless, sorrowful, and with a high fever from the rapid temperature drop, was still lying in the Camp in a daze, constantly calling out Carl's name.
Carl's disappearance had hit her too hard; if she truly lost Carl, she wouldn't be able to endure in this apocalypse.
Shane and Carol were responsible for taking care of Lori.
From the moment Lori fainted, Shane had not left her side.
His worried expression was even more intense than Rick's, and it was unclear if it was because Lori hadn't broken up clearly enough, or if Shane had learned some other news in the past few days, causing his hopes to rekindle.
"The rain is too heavy, I didn't find them..." Daryl shook his head, saying in a low voice.
Getting off his motorcycle, Daryl carried his crossbow and walked into the Camp, his body soaked with rain.
But facing everyone's concerned gazes, his eyes shifted slightly, avoiding them.
He was the person in the entire Camp who knew the jungle best, and the most skilled at tracking and hunting; if even he couldn't find them, then Shawn and little Carl either left this place, or...
The latter possibility was one that no one dared to dwell on.
If they lost Shawn, they couldn't imagine what would happen to the Camp next.
After all, Carl was also missing, and Lori's current state was very likely what Rick's future would look like.
When Rick could no longer hold on, what should the entire team do?
The people in the Camp went from being full of hope to now being lost, despondent, and utterly disheartened, all in just a week's time.
And inside the wooden house, Hershel's family was the same.
However, unlike the Camp members, they were more saddened by the complete loss of their relatives in the barn.
To be precise, on the second day after Shawn took Carl from the Camp, Shane discovered Glenn, who had been acting secretively recently.
Following Glenn's clue, they searched all the way and found the hordes of Walkers in the barn.
How could Shane, with his temperament, allow so many Walkers near their resting place?
Forget such a large group, even just one was unacceptable! Not even for a single day!
So, the internal conflict within the team began here.
Shane's mind kept replaying Shawn's words—democracy couldn't save everyone!
After several fruitless arguments, Shane decisively took the remington and opened the barn. The loud sound of the shotgun attracted everyone, but seeing the Walkers rush out, they had no choice but to raise their guns and clear them all out.
Everyone felt an indescribable taste in their hearts, yet they couldn't blame Shane.
Because even Hershel's family clearly knew that Shane did the right thing; Shane killed wasn't Hershel's wife or Beth's mother, they were now just flesh-eating corpses.
At this moment, Hershel was no longer the Hershel of a month ago.
"Shawn hasn't returned, and Carl is also missing. What should we do next? Should we follow the plan to leave the Farm and go to the Prison, or continue to wait and search here?"
Hershel seemed to have aged ten years overnight, his eyes appearing somewhat dazed as he questioned Rick.
After Shawn left, Rick was the only leader in his eyes who could stand alone.
"We will not give up searching for Carl and Shawn," Rick said without hesitation.
"If we can't find them for a day, we'll search for a day. If we can't find them for a lifetime, we'll search for a lifetime."
"No matter what, if they're alive, we'll see them; if they're dead, we'll see their bodies."
Rick leaned close to Hershel's ear, emphasizing in a suppressed voice.
However, just like Hershel and the others, despair and loss were spreading in Rick's eyes.
In the entire Camp, only Shane seemed to retain his initial spirit.
At least in his eyes, as long as Lori was still there, there was still hope.
Another day quickly passed, and the already dim sky gradually grew even darker.
The dark clouds overhead began to dissipate, and the continuous rain that had fallen all day began to subside at this moment, with the 'drip-drop' sound endlessly ringing in their ears.
Rick sat on the roof of the RV, his revolver clasped in his hand.
At some point, the cold raindrops began to be replaced by hot tears, and Rick let out silent sobs and wails.
However, all of this was redeemed by the approaching sound of an engine.
Rick lifted his eyes in surprise; a vehicle the size of a bus was rapidly approaching!