"i'd kill for you, don't even start." - novulent

salem's eyes fluttered open, the harsh light of dawn piercing through the smoke-filled haze. her head pounded with a relentless ache, and her leg throbbed painfully, a constant reminder of the bullet that had torn through it. the air was acrid, filled with the smell of burning wood and the sharp tang of gunpowder. she tried to move, but a jolt of pain shot through her leg, causing her to gasp. 

as she looked around, her heart sank. the once-familiar prison yard was now a charred wasteland. the wreckage of the tank lay smouldering in the distance, and scattered bodies, both human and walker, littered the ground. the chaos from the night before had left the place unrecognizable. the distant groans of walkers mingled with the crackle of dying flames, creating an eerie, unsettling symphony. 

panic set in as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. she scanned the area desperately, but the sight of the roaming walkers left her feeling comforted and protected. she groans in pain as she crawls over to a dead walker, ripping open it's chest. salem sits there sobbing and covering herself in the guts, creating a coat of comfort on herself.  

her leg was weak, the pain almost unbearable as she tried to push herself up. she winced, biting back a scream as she struggled to stand, her vision swimming. every step was a challenge, the ground uneven and littered with debris. she hobbled through the wreckage, trying to make out any familiar faces among the dead. 

the groans of walkers grew louder, and she could see their twisted forms shuffling aimlessly through the wreckage, drawn to the remnants of the previous day's carnage. she moved carefully, avoiding the walkers as best as she could, her eyes darting around in a frantic search for anyone she recognized. the fiery mess around her cast long, ominous shadows, making every figure look like a potential threat.

tears stung her eyes as she struggled to stay upright, the pain and exhaustion threatening to overwhelm her. just as despair began to consume her, she heard a familiar voice cutting through the chaos. "hey, over here!"

salem turned her head, squinting against the smoke. there, moving cautiously through the debris, was carl. his face was streaked with grime and soot, but his eyes were wide with relief as he spotted her. "salem?" he asks, running up to her, clearly thinking she was one of the dead. salem fights the urge to speak, her tongue not wanting to move. "i haven't seen jack, i am looking for my dad and sister." he says, easing her pain. a few walkers stumble across the two and carl shoots through them, leaving rick standing there. "dad." carl cries running into his arms. rick sobs as he holds his son tightly to his chest. 

"judith." rick mumbles, pulling back from the hug. "i don't know." carl answers, looking at his father bleeding and bruised. "are you okay?" carl asks turning to salem. she looks down at her leg and carl's eyes widen. it's swollen and bleeding. rick stumbles over to her, ripping a piece of his shirt off and tying it around her leg. carl holds rick up with part of his weight and salem up with the other. they walk through the debris, dodging fire from every which way. suddenly rick stops and lets go of carl. he sobs as he stumbles over to a car seat sitting in the yard, salem holds onto the wall as carl runs over. the car seat sits there empty and stained with blood. carl starts to cry at the sight of his sister's empty seat. rick kneels on the floor clutching at his chest as he sobs over it. 

a walker shuffles over and carl pulls out his gun, loading it. he shoots the walker in the head and it drops to the ground as he reloads it again and again shooting the walker till it's just a pile of mush, salem cries as she watches a piece of her protection fall to the ground. rick waddles over grabbing carl into a hug. salem shuffles over, grabbing ahold of carl as they sob, trying to find a way out of the mangled yard. 

*:ꔫ:*

the three of them moved through the desolate roads, the silence between them heavy with unspoken tension. the sun was setting, casting long shadows over the cracked asphalt. rick stumbled behind them, his breath ragged and labored. every step he took seemed to cost him more energy than he had left, his body battered and broken from the escape. his eye was swollen and bloodshot, a deep purple bruise spreading across his chest.

ahead of him, carl held onto salem, supporting her as they shuffled forward. her face was pale, her body trembling with every step. the pain in her leg was almost unbearable, but she gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep moving. she could feel carl's grip tightening around her arm, his jaw clenched with determination and anger. carl's anger was palpable, simmering just beneath the surface. he couldn't shake the images of the prison, of the destruction, and the lives lost. he blamed rick for all of it—for letting the governor get close, for not being able to protect everyone. his father, who was supposed to keep them safe, had failed them in the worst way possible.

salem could feel the tension between them, the way carl's grip tightened whenever rick's laboured breathing became too loud. she could sense the weight of his anger, but she was too weak to say anything, too focused on keeping herself upright. rick tried to call out to them, but his voice was hoarse, barely more than a whisper. he winced as a sharp pain shot through his chest, forcing him to stop for a moment. he leaned against a tree, his vision swimming as he struggled to catch his breath. when he looked up, carl and salem were further ahead, the distance between them growing.

carl slowed his pace slightly, feeling the tug of guilt at the back of his mind. he knew he shouldn't be so harsh, but the anger in him was too strong. he couldn't forgive rick—not yet. not when everything had fallen apart so completely. salem glanced up at carl, noticing the tension on his face. she turned her head, looking at rick starting to stumble again. "he'll catch up." carl replied, his tone clipped and cold. but the words felt hollow even as he said them. he knew rick was struggling, but the anger in his chest kept him moving forward, kept him from turning back.

"carl, slow down." rick huffs from behind the pair. carl stopped, his jaw tightening as he closed his eyes for a moment, wrestling with the conflicting emotions inside him. "we need to stay together. we gotta find a place with food--supplies. hey." rick says laying a hand on carl's shoulder. "we're gonna be..." rick mumbles as carl turns his head, his expression angry. salem holds on tight to carl as she tries to relieve the pressure on her leg. rick slowly takes his hand off carl and his grip tightens around salem's waist. "you doing okay?" he asks quietly, holding her up. salem nods slightly, feeling the warm blood dripping from her leg. 

as they trudged along the cracked and overgrown road, the sun dipped lower on the horizon. the air was thick with the scent of decay, a constant reminder of the world they now inhabited. after what felt like an eternity of walking, salem spotted something up ahead. the faint outline of a building came into view, half-hidden by a cluster of trees. it was a small, weathered bar, the kind of place that had once been a refuge for locals looking to escape their troubles with a drink or two. carl squinted, trying to make out the details of the structure as they drew closer. the windows were mostly intact, though dirty and clouded with grime. the sign above the door was faded, but the word 'bar' could still be made out. the front door hung slightly ajar, swaying gently in the breeze.

rick finally caught up to them, his gaze lifting to the building. he nodded weakly, too exhausted to speak, but his relief was palpable. they needed a place to rest, to regroup, even if just for a little while. carl was the first to approach the entrance, his hand hovering over his pistol as he nudged the door open with his foot. the door creaked loudly, echoing through the empty interior. he peered inside, scanning the dimly lit space for any signs of danger. the bar was mostly intact, though dust-covered and eerily quiet. empty bottles and broken glass littered the floor, and a few overturned stools were scattered about. 

"wait outside, okay? keep watch." rick mumbles, taking out his gun. "you keep watch. you both can barely stand. i'm not gonna let you go in there alone." carl says back, leaning salem up against the wall. "excuse me?" rick asks, noticing his sons attitude. "we've done this before. i'm gonna help you clear it. you should just let me do it myself." carl says, muttering the last part as he raises his gun. "let's go." rick huffs. the bar's door creaked loudly as rick pushed it open, the sound echoing into the quiet evening. carl entered first, his hand hovering over his gun, ready for anything. rick followed close behind, the two of them disappearing into the darkness within.

salem strained to hear what was happening inside, every creak and shuffle causing her heart to race. she clenched her teeth against the pain, forcing herself to stay alert, her gaze scanning the deserted street. inside the bar, rick and carl moved carefully through the dust-covered space. the bar looked like it had been ransacked long ago—overturned stools, broken glass, and empty shelves told the story of a place that had been stripped of anything useful. rick checked behind the counter, finding a few old bottles, but they were empty. carl rummaged through what was left of the cabinets, coming up with nothing but cobwebs and dust.

the sound of a gunshot rings through the bar and salem hops through the doorway, clutching her knife in her hand. she watches as carl lowers his gun, smoke blowing from the tip. a walker lays dead on the ground as rick struggles to get up. "i said not to!" he shouts as he regains balance. "you couldn't do it with the axe!" carl yells back. "i had it. every bullet counts. what fif you needed that one later? see what you can find. then let's move on." rick pants, ripping his axe from the walker's head. he stumbles out of the room and into another leaving salem leaning in the doorway watching carl.

"you shouldn't have tried to walk." he says walking over to her and crouching in front of her, tightening the fabric tied around her leg. salem winces as his hands tug on the shirt. "sorry." he mutters. off in the other room, carl notices a shelf with some old noodles and jars of jam. he walks over, shoving them in his backpack. "kitchen wasn't empty after all." rick says setting two jars down on the table in front of carl. "my haul, you?" he asks, showing carl and salem the two jars he found. carl opens his bag revealing all the food he grabbed.

"i win." he taunts. carl hoisted his backpack over his shoulder, the weight of their small haul giving him a rare sense of accomplishment. rick watched his son for a moment, his expression unreadable as he tucked the two jars back into his pack. with a heavy sigh, he turned to the doorway where salem stood, her face pale and strained from the pain in her leg. "let's go." rick says, his voice gruff as he adjusted the grip on his axe. 

carl nodded, slipping past salem to take his place beside her. he slid an arm under her shoulder, helping to support her weight as they moved toward the door. rick followed closely behind, his eyes darting around the empty bar one last time, making sure they hadn't missed anything. the sound of their footsteps echoed through the silent room as they stepped outside, the cool air hitting them as they exited the bar. the sun was sinking lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the deserted road ahead. the wind picked up, rustling the leaves that scattered the pavement, creating a haunting melody in the stillness.