▎SAFE HAVEN  ▎
»»————　act three. prison time
CHAPTER TWENTY ━━ the prisoners

Josie stared at the prisoners, a frown decorating her face. "Who the hell are you?" Daryl immediately asked as he stood up, walking toward the window.

"Who the hell are you?" One of the prisoners replied back as Josie turned her gaze to Hershel.

"He's bleeding out. We gotta go back." Rick told them all as he turned to Josie. "J, Come around here. Put pressure on the knee." He told her as Josie shakily nodded her head, moving towards Hershel. "Hard!" He said as Josie did what Rick told her, putting pressure against Hershel's wound, ignoring her shaky hands.

"Why don't you come on out of there?" Daryl spoke to the prisoners from behind them. But Josie didn't hear what was said next as she concentrated on helping Hershel. He had to live. He had to.

Maggie came to Josie's side, helping as Glenn walked into the room the prisoners had left, grabbing some sort of table.

"Come on, we gotta go." Rick quickly said as he lifted Hershel up, Maggie and Josie helping as they lifted him onto the table Glenn had brought in.

"T, the door!" Josie shouted over to T-dog, who nodded his head.

"Are you crazy? Dont open that!" One of the prisoners replied to Josie, making her look over her shoulder, raising her brow.

She gripped her sword as she turned back to the door, watching as T-dog opened the door, pushing one of the walkers against the door and killing it.

Josie took the lead, turning her flashlight back on as she gripped her sword, ready to clear the path as they ran through the hallways.

Daryl caught up to her, helping clear the path as the others follow behind. But the prisoners were following them, making them turn towards the door, Daryl unlocking it for them.

"Open the door!" Rick yelled to his son as they turned around the corner. Josie's hand shook as she watched them pull Hershel into one of the cells. She carefully moved back, looking at Daryl, who was in the main room.

She gripped her sword as she walked into the room, looking over at Daryl, who aimed his crossbow at the door.

Josie looked over at the door, seeing the prisoners walk in, warily. "That's far enough." Daryl warned them.

"Call block C." The one with the gun pointed to the writing on the wall. "Cell four...that's mine, gringo. Let me in."

"Yeah, we can't do that." Josie tilted her head, narrowing her eyes as she held her sword in her hands.

"Today's your lucky day, fellas." Daryl took the men's attention from Josie to him. "You've been pardoned by the state of Georgia. You're free to go."

"What you got going on in there?" The same man asked, looking into the cell block.

"It ain't none of your concern." Daryl told them, narrowing her eyes. Josie didn't trust these people. God knows why they were put in prison in the first place.

"Don't be telling me what's my concern." The man said as he pulled out his gun.

Josie ask Daryl moved closer, watching the man's moves. "Chill, man. Dude's leg is messed up." One of the prisoners told the man. "Besides, we're free now. Why are we still in here?"

"See, he's smart." Josie pointed towards the man, a sarcastic grin on her face.

"Yeah, and I gotta check on my old lady." The other man said, looking at the prisoners. Josie and Daryl shared a look. Did they not know what's happened?

"A group of civilians breaking in to a prison you got no business being in...got me thinking there ain't no place for us to go." The main man spat, his face scrunching up as he looked at Josie and Daryl.

Josie turned to the side, seeing tiff walk in with her gun raised. "Why don't you go find out?" Daryl said, harshly, his gaze narrowing.

"Maybe we'll just be going now." The blonde one said, nodding his head at the three.

"Hey, we ain't leaving." The main man said as he shook his head.

"You ain't coming in either." T-dog harshly said, his gun pointed at their direction as he walked in.

"Hey, this is my house, my rules. I go where I damn well please." The man hissed, pointing his gun at T-dog.

"Well, not anymore it ain't. You're evicted." Tiff faked a pout, tilting her head as she kept the gun raised. "Grab your shit and leave."

"Don't be telling me what to do, little girl!" The man turned and pointed the gun and Tiffany, hard glare on his face.

"Watch your tone, prick." Josie gritted her teeth together as her gaze never left the man. "There ain't nothing for you here, not anymore."

Rick then walked in, shaking his head. "Hey, everyone relax. There's no need for this." Rick told them moving to stand beside Josie, seeing the man pointing the gun at her.

"How many of you are in there?" He nodded his head into the cell.

"Too many for you to handle." Rick challenged, dropping his hand.

"You guys rob a bank or something?" The man asked as the man behind him scoffed.

"Don't be a fool. That girls got braids in her hair, she ain't robbing no bank." The other man said as he pointed to Josie, who didn't know if she should be offended or grateful. "Why didn't you take that dude to a damn hospital?" The group shared a look at his words.

"How long have you been locked in that cafeteria?" Rick asked, his brow raised.

"Going on like ten months." The man shrugged his shoulders, gun still raised.

Josie sighed, sharing a look with Tiffany, who lowered her gun. "A riot broke out." One of the other men said. "Never seen anything like it."

"Attica on speed, man." The blonde one breathed out, shaking his head.

"Ever heard about dudes going cannibal, dying, coming back to life?" One of the other men said as Josie pulled an awkward look. Clearly, these people didn't know a damn zombie apocalypse had started. "Crazy."

"One guard looked out for us, locked us up in the cafeteria." The main man spoke up, looking over at Rick. "Told us sit tight, threw me this piece, said he'd be right back." He held up his gun.

"Yeah, and that was two hundred and ninety two days ago." The man behind him said.

"Ninety four according to my calcul—"

"Shut up!" The main man cut off the blonde, making the blonde lower his head.

"We were thinking that the Army or the National Guard should be showing up any day now." Another man said as Rick looked at his group.

"There is no Army." Rick told them, Josie watching their faces frown. "There's no government, no hospitals, no police." Rick listed them all off. "It's all gone."

"For real?" The blonde one asked, looking at Rick with a raised brow.

"Serious."

"What about my moms?" One of the men uttered to himself, sadly. Josie bit down on her tongue, watching them all realise what was happening.

"My kids? And my old lady?" The other one said, sadness written all over his face. "Yo, you got a cell phone or something that we can call our families?"

"The world's gone to shit. Everything's dead." Josie told them, letting out a sigh as she stared at the man. "There is nobody left anymore. It's all gone."

All the men's faces dropped as they listened to her words. "Aint no way." The main man harshly spoke, shaking his head.

"See for yourself." Rick nodded at the door.

Josie watched the prisoners walk towards the door as Josie squeezed Tiffany's shoulder, putting her sword in its holder before walking back into the cells.

Josie's eyes immediately landed on Glenn as she walked towards the cell Hershel was in. "Is he okay?" She asked, her eyes full of hope as Glenn breathed out, shrugging his shoulders.

"Carol and Riley are doing everything they can to help him." Glenn said as Josie squeezed her eyes shut, leaning in to pull him to a hug, Glenn resting his chin on her head.

Josie stood against the wall, looking into the cell as Maggie walked out of it, a sad look on her face as Josie leaned off of the wall, pulling the woman into a hug.

"He'll be fine, mags." Josie said softly, rubbing Maggie's back in a comforting manner.

"What if he won't be, Josie?" Maggie cried slightly as she stayed in the hug. "What are me, Beth and Riley going to do?"

"Don't think like that, okay?" Josie said as she pulled out of the hug, placing her hands on Maggie's arms. "He's strong. He'll get through this."

Maggie slowly nodded her head, wiping at her eyes as she looked back into the cell, looking at her younger sisters. "They need you." Josie nodded at them in the cell. "They need their big sister."

Maggie nodded her head as she thanked Josie, walking back into the cell as Josie let out a deep breath, her hand going to the chain around her neck.

Josie turned as she heard one of the doors open, a frown on her face as she saw Carl with a bag in his hands. "I thought you were organising the food, buddy." Josie frowned as Carl grinned.

"Even better." Carl said, proudly as he walked into the cell, dropping the bag on the floor as Riley rushed to open it, her eyes wide. "Check it out."

"Where did you get this, Carl?" Riley asked as everybody looked at the medical equipment in the bag.

"Found the infirmary." Carl said proudly, grin on his face as Lori looked up at him with wide eyes. "Wasnt much left, but I cleared it out."

"You went by yourself?" Lori asked as Carl nodded his head. "Are you crazy?" Lori scoffed as Josie pulled an awkward look, looking up at Glenn.

"Well, no big deal." Carl shrugged, grin still on his little face. "I killed two walkers."

Lori breathed out, shaking her head as she pointed at Hershel. "All right, do you see this?" Lori asked her son, whose grin dropped, now a frown. "This was with the whole group."

"We needed supplies, so I got them." Carl defended himself against his mother.

"I appreciate that, but-"

"Then get off my back!" Carl yelled at his mother as Josie's eyes widened.

"Carl!" Beth's voice made Carl looked down at her. "Shes your mother. You can't talk to her like that." Beth shook her head, looking up at the boy.

"Listen, I think it's great that you wanna help..." Lori's words were cut short as Carl ran out, leaving the small group.

Josie followed him with sad eyes, turning back to Lori. "I'll talk to him." She said softly, squeezing Glenn's hand as she followed Carl.

Josie watched as Carl sat down with the food, his head in his hands. Josie softly sighed, walking into the room and sitting in front of him.

"Cheer up bud, and talk to your aunt JJ." Josie sighed, nudging his shoulder with a smile. Carl didn't say anything as Josie bit down on her tongue. "Carl, look. Your mom is thankful for what you did, but she was worried Carl." Josie told him as he looked up at her. "You're her son. And what just happened to Hershel...she doesn't want the same to happen to you. She cares for you."

"I just wanted to help." Carl sadly said, frown on his lips as Josie smiled, nodding her head.

"I know, and you did. But next time, come to me if you want to go. You don't go on your own." Josie told him as Carl slowly nodded his head, looking up at Josie. "You have to apologise for speaking to her like that. When I was your age, if I ever spoke to my mother like that, Shane would've been so mad..." Josie cut herself off, swallowing thickly as she nodded her head.

"I'll say sorry." Carl nodded his head as Josie smiled, ruffling up his hair.

"Good. Now give me a hug." Josie breathed out as Carl moved towards her and pulled her into a hug. "Love you, kiddo."

— madeleines notes

CARL AND JOSEPHINE >>>

MAGGIE AND JOSEPHINE >>>

I told youse Maggie and josie would actually be bffs idec!! They're actually sisters so sue me.

I NEED TO WRITE MORE SCENES OF TIFF AND RILEY ARGH

17th April 2024
2110 words