▎SAFE HAVEN  ▎
»»————　act four. painful goodbyes
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE ━━ separated

Josie carved her knife into the rock she sat on, her back facing the four behind her. She had barely spoken a word to either of the four.

She didn't know if her husband—her family were okay. So, Josie just stared at the ring on her finger. Thinking about Glenn.

But she also thought about Rick, Carl, Judith, Tiffany, Michonne, Daryl, Maggie, Beth...all of them. Her family. She needed to know if they were okay. Her brother, her niece and nephew. Her family...

Josie didn't look up as she heard two pairs of footsteps behind her. She knew it was Maggie and Sasha without even looking up. "How's Bob?" Josie dryly asked, her voice rough as she spoke from the lack of talking.

"Bleeding stopped." Sasha answered as she shared a look with Maggie. "He'll be alright." Sasha nodded her head as Josie let out a hum.

"Got the water to our backs." Maggie then spoke, a worried look on her face as she stared down at Josie. "Decent vantage points from the bank. We're thinking we camp here for the night."

"That's good." Josie uttered, placing her knife back in its holder before standing up and facing the two woman. "You four should be safe here." She nodded at them, and the men behind them. "The bus got out. Glenn and Jada got out." Josie moved her hair out of her face as Sasha and Maggie shared a look. "I'm gonna find them and try to find the rest."

"Josie." Sasha breathed out, turning back to the Rhee woman. "With any luck, the bus is gone." Sasha told her.

"It was headed east down the main road." Josie noted, remembering where they were supposed to go. "If I follow in that direction, I might be able to pick up their tracks like Daryl taught me." Josie told them.

"Alone?" Maggie added as Roman and Bob moved towards them. "With your sword and gun?"

"Yeah." Josie nodded her head, not seeing a problem with her weapons. "I'll find some ammo." She shrugged her shoulders. "I couldn't find Rick, Carl or Judith." Josie breathed in at the mention of her family. "I know Glenn and Jada got out and I know which way they went." She confidently said. They were the only people she knew she had left—who had managed to flee from the prison.  "I'm gonna go get them and I'm gonna come back for you."

Josie turned on her feet, grabbing her sword and gun until Maggie grabbed her arm. "Josie." She said in a warning tone.

"I'm going." Josie pulled her arm back, picking up her weapons as she walked towards the tree line.

"We cannot split up. Not now." Sasha shook her head as she stared at the three beside her. But Josie didn't listen as she walked away, not expecting the rest to follow her.

Josie walked in front of the four as she looked down at the road, looking for any tracks of the bus. She had to put use of the skills Daryl generously had taught her.

She followed the tracks until she froze, seeing the bus. A pit suddenly formed in her stomach as she clenched her shaking hands into a fist.

She walked forwards, towards the bus as she let out a deep breath, suddenly jogging towards the bus as she ignored the four calling for her as they chased after her.

She looked around the bus, trying to find anything, if people were alive in there. If Glenn was in there.

She jumped as a walker pushed itself against the window of the bus—Josie swallowing thickly. Then some walkers held their hands out, trying to claw at Josie.

Josie clenched her jaw as she walked past the four. "You should probably go." She told them, walking towards the door as she went to open it, but Maggie grabbed her hand.

"Josie, Josie." Maggie tried to calm her, but Josie needed to know if Glenn was in there, if Jada was in there.

"I have to know if he's in there!" Her voice broke as she turned to Maggie and Sasha, the two woman only wanting to help her. "I have to know if they're both in there." She then added, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Fine." Josie turned to Roman as he spoke. "But we do it together." Roman gave Josie a pointed look, making her nod her head. "Smart."

"Well let them out one at a time." Bob then added, agreeing with Roman as Sasha and Maggie turned to them.

Josie nodded her head as she stepped back, pulling out her sword as she looked at the door. "Three of us should be at the door." Sasha said as she placed her gun down.

Maggie stepped beside Josie, trying to give her a reassuring smile. "I need to see their faces." Josie turned to Sasha, Roman and Bob.

Sasha nodded her head as she opened the door, pulling it open as a walker fell out. It wasn't Glenn, and it wasn't Jada.

Josie brought her sword down against the walkers skull, quickly pulling it out as she looked up at Sasha, ready for the next one.

They kept doing this, walker after walker, but none of them were Glenn...none of them were Jada. Josie heard ringing in her ears as the walkers suddenly pooled out of the bus, Sasha, Roman, Bob and Maggie fighting against them as Josie's vision blurred.

None of them were Glenn. None of them were Jada. Josie's ears rang as she moved towards the bus, ignoring the others protests.

She climbed up, looking at the blood decorating the seats and floor of the bus. Her body trembled as she slowly made her way down the aisle, looking for any sign Glenn or Jada were here.

Then, she heard the snarling of walkers, making her look forward as she saw a walker on the floor, trying to get up.

Josie's heart sank as she looked down at the walker, with jet black hair and a black shirt. Like Glenn had.

She climbed over the seat as she pushed the dead walker off of the alive one, quickly moving back as it got up.

Josie could practically hear her heart beating in her chest, her breathing frantic as she watched the walker stand up.

She felt herself let out a sigh of relief. It wasn't Glenn. She quickly moved forwards and slashed her sword against the walkers head, stashing it fall to the ground as blood splattered on her face.

Josie's trembling hands dropped the sword in her hands as she slowly sat down on one of the seats, a sob bubbling in her throat as she leaned her head on the other seat.

She didn't know where Glenn was.

She didn't know where Jada was.

She didn't know where anyone was.

Jada had been running around the ruins of the prison. She had practically dragged the unconscious Glenn Rhee to safety.

She sat in her cell, gathering everything she needed and everything Glenn needed. They had to find everyone. They were split up. Hershel was dead.

They had to find the rest.

She held her bag as she slung it over her shoulder, brushing her bangs away from her face and behind her ears. "Okey dokey." She muttered to herself as she opened her cell door.

She didn't even hear the footsteps of anyone until she was face to face with a gun. "Jada?" Glenn's weak voice spoke as Jada sighed, seeing the gun lower.

"Yeah, it's me." Jada nodded her head, holding the bag over her shoulder. "Nice costume." She tilted her head as she looked at the boys amour he wore.

"Where's Josie?" Glenn immediately asked as Jada's heart dropped. She didn't know.

"I-I don't know. I didn't see her. She was last with Daryl when I ran to find Judith and get her to the bus." Jada explained quickly, rambling. "Maggie practically shoved me into the bus then Josie brought you in, then you ran out to find her, and I ran out to help you. But you run really quick." She breathed out as she quickly spoke. "I found you. You were unconscious. I had to drag your ass onto the ledge."

Glenn took in her words, sucking in a breath as he nodded his head. "Come on." Glenn nodded his head, turning to walk as Jada followed him. "You got anything to protect yourself with?" He asked as they walked down the stairs.

"I have a knife." Jada mumbled, pulling out her knife as Glenn turned to her, letting out a sigh. "I ran out of ammo."

"Just stay with me, okay." Glenn gave her a pointed look as Jada nodded her head, moving closer towards him as they ran out the prison and towers the gate, avoiding the walkers.

But something...or someone—caught Glenn's attention, making him hold out his hand for Jada to stop. "What?" Jada asked in a hushed whisper as Glenn nodded towards a woman, who sat with her head in her hands.

Glenn didn't say anything as he walked towards the gate, opening it as he helped Jada up.

The woman moved out of the way, keeping her gaze down. Glenn quickly took the gun out of her hands, pushing Jada behind him.

But the woman didn't move...

Glenn checked the ammunition in the gun, seeing it was fully loaded and stared down at it with a frown. He looked at Jada, placing the gun in her hands as he stared down at the woman.

Jada placed the gun in her waist belt, watching as Glenn took off his helmet. "It's full." He spoke to the woman, who was zoned out. "Did you even fire a shot?" The woman shook her head, keeping her gaze locked in the walkers who crowded around the fence. "All right. Let's go." He told the woman.

Was she coming with them?

Jada frowned at Glenn, looking back down at the woman, then back up and Glenn. She was with the governor. "Let's go." He repeated, seeing that the woman didn't move. He crouched down beside her, Jada looking down at them. "Are you just gonna stay here, huh?" He asked as the woman finally turned to face him. "You're just gonna die?"

"I was part of this." She uttered, turning back to the walkers.

"We know." Glenn nodded his head as the woman turned to the two.

"So what are you doing?" The woman asked them, a confused look on her face.

"We need your help." Glenn turned to Jada, who held her bag strap, slowly nodding her head.

"What he said." Jada pointed at Glenn, a half smile on her lips as the woman stared up at her. "Come on." Jada held out her hand for the woman, helping her up as Glenn threw make shift bomb, throwing it at the far as if set a flame.

"All right." He looked at the two women. "I'll cover you both, but I can't do it alone." He was mostly speaking to Jada, making her nod her head.

He then put on his helmet and nodded at the two. "You ready?" Glenn asked them as the pair nodded their heads. "Let's go."

Glenn quickly opened the gate, pushing the two women out as Jada fired at the walkers in their way.

The woman ran beside her as Glenn followed behind them. They quickly ran out of the prison and onto the main road.

Once they were safe, they lowered down. Jada placed the gun back in her waist belt, holding onto her bag as she turned to Glenn. "Did you see if any of our people got out?" Glenn asked the woman, signalling to himself and Jada.

"All I saw was my sister in that field." The woman responded, standing in front of the two. "She wasn't supposed to be there. She had a gun but they just swarmed her." Her voice broke as she sniffled. "She wasn't supposed to be there. I did it for him. I trusted him." She said as Glenn frowned. "And then he just killed that old man."

Jada swallowed thickly as she lowered her head. Hershel. He was dead. The governor had killed him.

"Hershel?" Glenn questioned as he looked at the woman, then Jada. Jada slowly nodded her head.

"I'm sorry." The woman cried, looking at Glenn as he lowered his head. "I'm so sorry." She apologised, sincerely.

Jada breathed out, letting out a sniffle as she wiped at her eyes, looking at Glenn. "Brian, that man, told us you were bad people." The woman continued. Brian? "I know it's not true. I can see it's not, so what he did, what I did...I mean, I'm a piece of shit." Her voice broke as she looked at the two. "Why would you want my help?"

"We don't want it." Glenn spoke as she turned around. "I need it." The woman faced them once again, frown on her face. "I have to find Josie."

"Who's Josie?" The woman asked, looking at Glenn, as did Jada.

"She's my wife." Glenn responded, his voice trembling as he thought of Josie. Jada couldn't imagine the pain he felt, being separated from Josie. The pair were together from the start of the apocalypse, to now.

"You guys got separated?" The woman asked as Glenn nodded his head.

"We were on the bus..." Glenn pointed at himself and Jada, who was staring at the floor. "And then I got off to help and she didn't see me. And Jada followed me." Glenn shortly explained.

"How do you know if she made it?" The woman asked, stepping towards them.

"I don't know." Glenn shrugged his shoulders. "But I have to believe." Glenn firmly said as he stepped towards the woman. "Neither one of us should be alive right now. She got out, so you're gonna help me and Jada find her." Glenn told her as Jada looked up at the two. "Things aren't over." Glenn nodded his head at Jada as they walked forwards, moving past the woman.

"I want to believe that." The woman turned to them as they started to walk. "I want to." She nodded her head.

But their conversation was cut short by the growls of the dead. Jada quickly took out her gun, handing her knife to the woman. Glenn took off his bag as he pulled out his knife.

Glenn stabbed one of the walkers in the head, Jada moving forward and shooting one of them in the brain. The woman quickly helped as she stabbed one of the walkers in the head.

Once they were all down, Jada breathed out, running a hand over her forehead. But a thud from behind her made her turn around.

Glenn was on the floor. "Fuck." Jada sighed as she crouched to his side. "Come on, Glenn." She moved his face, but he was unresponsive.

"Is he okay?" The woman asked, leaning above her as she looked at Glenn with wide eyes.

"I don't know. He's weak. He had a sickness." Jada rambled as she checked for his pulse, letting out a sigh as she felt it. "He's okay. He's fainted."

Jada jumped as the woman let out a yelp, fighting against a walker as she stabbed it in the skull with her knife. "Okey dokey." Jada mumbled as she looked down at the walker, watching as the woman stabbed it in the head multiple times.

Jada's head snapped up as she heard the tired of a vehicle approaching. She lifted her gun, staring beside Glenn as she looked at the vehicle that stopped in front of them.

"Hope you enjoyed the show, assholes!" The woman panted heavily as she stood up, looking at the vehicle.

"Dude!" Jada uttered, her eyes wide as she stared at the woman, then the vehicle. Then three people walked out. Two men, and a woman.

"You got a damn mouth on you, you know that?" The ginger one said as he looked at the woman.

Jada looked up at them, turning to the woman beside her, then back at Glenn. "What else you got?" The man asked as he looked down at Jada.

— madeleines notes

Chat....that maths exam....IT COOKED ME!??

I'm gonna have to resit maths I'm afraid. Bro is not passing.. and I've got 2 more tests to do. Send help pls.

I HAVE CHEMISTRY AND GEOGRAPHY TOMORROW TOO GRRRR

I decided not to revise but write bc yolo...I stress so easily.

I literally cried this morning bc of the maths exam. My friend literally prayed with me. IVE NEVER PRAYED BEFORE.

Maths has fucked me over once again so, absolute joke 🎀

But wish me look for my exams Tomorrow please and thank you.

16th May 2024
2825 words