THE WALKING DEAD
After The Storm
act one, before the storm

chapter two
The Sorrows of The Past

━━━━━━━WHEN CASSIE AND THE OTHERS arrived at the farm, it was already dark. Hershel quickly took Ray inside to begin treating him, while the rest dealt with the silence and darkness that enveloped the farm.

As Mina walked through the empty fields of the farm, dusk was setting in. She was heading towards the camp area when she noticed someone kneeling on the ground. Initially thinking they were attending to a personal need, she prepared to pass by. However, she caught a glimpse of someone crying. Approaching cautiously, she realized it was Lori. Lori quickly stood up, wiped her tears, and hid something behind her back.

"Mina?" Lori whispered, her voice laden with sadness and worry.

Mina sensed something was wrong from Lori's expression. "What happened? Are you okay?" she asked, approaching with concern.

Lori tried to swallow her emotions, her voice trembling. After wiping her tears, she showed Mina a test in her hand and began to speak in a shaky yet resolute voice. "Rick... the baby might not be Rick's," she said, her eyes filled with tears.

Mina was shocked by Lori's words. She looked at Lori with horror, her heart racing. "How can that be? What do you mean?" she asked, struggling to grasp the full meaning of Lori's revelation.

Lori continued to explain, visibly shaken. She described the complexity of her relationship with Rick and the fears she now faced. Mina empathized with Lori's emotional pain, sharing in her own disbelief and concern.

A silence settled between them for a while. Mina stood by Lori, offering support and trying to ease her emotional burden. Lori's confession created a deep sense of trust and a shared secret between them.

However, Mina was deeply unsettled and saddened by the revelation. After everything Rick had gone through to find his wife and child, this news was overwhelming for her.

As the night descended around them, this unexpected encounter in the farm's empty fields marked the beginning of a stronger bond between Mina and Lori. Despite the uncertainty ahead, they held onto each other, determined to face whatever challenges came their way together.

Cassie was sitting alone on the rocking chair on the farmhouse veranda. The silence of the night enveloped the surroundings, while stars twinkled in the sky above. Suddenly, the door opened and Rick entered. He paused for a moment, then quietly leaned against the wall. For a while, they shared the silence.

Rick finally broke the silence. Turning to Cassie, he said, "It seems like you'll be staying here for a while."

Cassie nodded slightly. "Unfortunately, we don't want to cause any trouble, but Ray really needs medical help," she replied.

Rick quickly clarified, "No, I didn't mean it that way. I understand, I have to stay here because my son was shot," he said. After a moment's pause, he added, "And this place... it feels like a completely different world from all that's happening. It's like there's no connection to the city, like there's no invasion outside."

Cassie pondered Rick's words and nodded slightly. "Yes, this place really does give off a different feeling. One can feel safe here," she agreed.

Rick took a deep breath. "But in this world, no matter how safe it may seem, you can never be completely sure," he said.

Cassie silently agreed with Rick's words. "Yes, everything can change at any moment," she replied.

Silence prevailed for a while longer. The veranda lamp swayed gently, and a light breeze rustled through. Both of them thought about their past losses and contemplated how they would face the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Rick broke the silence again. "I don't know your name," he said, smiling slightly.

Cassie smiled gently back at him. "Cassie," she replied.

Rick said sincerely, "I'm glad you're here, Cassie. I hope your friend Ray gets better."

Cassie responded warmly to Rick's sincerity. "Thank you, Rick," she said, with a slight smile on her face.

Both of them knew they would support each other in dealing with the uncertainties ahead. As the night quietly advanced, this small moment on the farmhouse veranda marked the beginning of the challenging days they would face together.

Cassie noticed Mina approaching with a strange expression on her face while sitting quietly on the veranda with Rick. Despite Rick's concerned look, Cassie immediately asked, "Are you okay?"

Mina nodded slightly in response, "Yes, I'm fine. Just a bit tired."

Still suspicious of Mina's odd behavior, Cassie persisted, "What happened?"

After a moment of hesitation, Mina explained, "N-nothing. I just talked to Lori for a bit, that's all," she said.

Concerned, Rick asked, "Is everything okay with Lori?"

Quickly, Mina replied, "No, no, nothing's wrong. I'm just... tired. Worried about Ray," and quietly headed inside.

As Rick and Cassie tried to understand what might be behind Mina's strange behavior, silence once again enveloped the farmhouse surroundings. The stars still twinkled in the sky, and the veranda lamp gently swayed. As the night progressed, questions lingered in their minds about Ray's condition and Lori's mysterious demeanor. While Rick battled his internal worries, Cassie remained determined to unravel the mysteries that needed solving.

Daniel and Morgan knocked on the door of the RV and walked in. Inside, Carol was wiping her tears. Daniel, with a slight smile, asked, "Are you okay?" and added, "I heard about what happened to you. I'm very sorry. I understand you very well."

Carol managed to smile, albeit with difficulty. "Is she your daughter?" she asked, pointing to Daniel.

Daniel paused for a moment, then shook his head. "No, we met after all this happened," he said.

Carol smiled again, but this time with a sorrowful expression. "Then you can't understand me," she said.

"I lost my daughter too." Daniel took a deep breath, looking at Carol. "Sarah... she was so beautiful. So cute. She had green eyes, just like her mother's," he said, sniffing. "I'm sorry," Carol said, her voice trembling.

"No, no, I understand you," Daniel said, looking into Carol's eyes. "It feels like everything is piling on top of you."

Carol nodded, "Did you lose her because of all this?" she asked.

Daniel shook his head. "No. Her little heart couldn't bear the weight of this world," he said, his eyes filling with tears. Then he stood up and said, "See you, Carol," as he moved to leave the RV.

Morgan immediately followed Daniel and took his hand. "I didn't know you had a daughter. I'm sorry," she said.

Daniel, smiling slightly, asked, "Why are you apologizing?" Morgan didn't respond.

Carol felt a bit of relief knowing she wasn't alone. As she quietly wiped her tears, they all realized how important it was to support each other in these difficult times.

Cassie had not been able to sleep all night; she got up restlessly as the sun was just beginning to rise. She glanced at Daniel lying next to her; he seemed to be sleeping more peacefully than he had in a long time. Quietly, she got out of the tent without waking him. It was still dark and quite cold as she walked for a long time in the empty terrain. When the sun started to show itself a bit more, she returned to the campsite. She looked at Daniel, who seemed worried. When Daniel saw Cassie, he took a deep breath. "I thought something had happened to you," he said. Cassie smiled. "I just went for a walk," she said. Pointing towards the group gathered by the caravan, she asked, "What's going on over there?" Daniel replied, "I don't know, let's go check it out," and they headed over.

They had spread a map over the car and were discussing. They were planning to find Carol's missing child. Hershel said, "You can't go anywhere until you recover, Rick," and added, "and if you go with that wrist, Shane, you'll injure it more and be a burden to all of us." Daryl said, "I guess I'll go alone." Then Cassie said, "One of ours can go with you too." Everyone agreed. Cassie talked to her group. Briar volunteered.

Cassie decided to take a break from the other tasks at the campsite and check if Ray was awake. As she approached the room, she heard faint snoring from inside. She slowly opened the door and entered.

Ray was lying in bed and, upon seeing Cassie, he opened his eyes slightly. "Ah, my angel nurse has arrived," he said with a slight smile on his face. Cassie was used to Ray's jokes.

"Hi Ray, how's your leg?" Cassie asked, smiling slightly.

Ray sighed dramatically, "Ah, Cassie, I think I won't be able to get up this morning. This bed has captured me." Then, with a serious expression, he added, "And my heart is broken because you didn't bring me breakfast in bed."

Cassie laughed, "Sorry Ray," she replied. "But I brought you some water." She took out a small water bottle and handed it to Ray.

Ray took the bottle and said in a sarcastic tone, "Water? Really? You're spoiling me. Maybe one day you'll bring me a breakfast fit for a king."

Cassie rolled her eyes, "Forget a king's breakfast, I'd give anything for a decent breakfast, Ray. But maybe one day, if you're very good," she said.

Ray laughed, "Just seeing your face brightens my day, Cassie." Then, in a more serious tone, he added, "Really, Cassie. Thank you for everything. I don't know what I would do without you and the others."

Cassie nodded, "It's our duty, Ray. We're all helping each other through these tough times. Seeing you get better makes me happy."

Ray looked at Cassie warmly and winked. "Alright, my angel nurse, I should rest a bit more now. But don't forget, I'm expecting that breakfast fit for a king tomorrow."

Cassie, smiling, said, "Of course, Ray, maybe you'll find it in your dreams," and she gently closed the door as she left the room.

Ray's humorous attitude always cheered Cassie up. As she returned to the campsite, seeing that Ray's spirits were still high gave her a bit of comfort.

As Cassie was leaving the room, she ran into Hershel. Hershel said, "Cassie, while I'm attending to Ray, call Rick. Let's meet in the yard. There's something I want to discuss with you." Cassie nodded in agreement, though somewhat confused, and replied, "Alright." She then went outside to find Rick. Rick was talking with Lori by the car, looking quite agitated. Cassie overheard Lori saying, "...I see no softness in this." To avoid seeming like she was eavesdropping, Cassie quickly said, "Rick, Hershel wants to talk to you." Rick nodded and joined Cassie. The two waited for a few minutes for Hershel. Breaking the silence, Cassie said, "He was last attending to Ray." Rick replied, "Okay." Noticing Rick's agitation, Cassie commented, "You look angry." Rick responded, "I am angry." Just as he was about to continue, Hershel arrived and began speaking directly.

"One of my horses is missing. Did someone from your people take it?" Hershel asked. Cassie responded, "Briar doesn't know how to ride a horse." Rick added, "I thought you knew that." Hershel replied, "I didn't know," and continued, "I'll talk to Daryl." Rick then asked, "And Jimmy? You took him today. Did he also leave the impression he had permission?" Rick replied, "No. He said it explicitly. I believed his word." Hershel said, "Jimmy is 17. He's not of my blood but he's my responsibility. You need to clarify these things with me." Rick, not backing down, said, "It seems we need to work on communication. What do you suggest?" Hershel proposed, "Let's keep it simple. I'll control my people, Cassie will control hers, and you control yours." Rick nodded and walked away. Cassie then went to find Daniel.

With Hershel's words echoing in her mind, Cassie returned to Daniel. When he saw her, he smiled and asked, "What happened?" Cassie replied, "Hershel realized one of his horses is missing. It seems there was a misunderstanding." Daniel nodded and said, "I hope it's resolved soon."

Andrea was on top of the RV, keeping watch. Glenn came out, saying, "You're right, it sucks." Seeing this, Mina walked over to Glenn and asked, "What's up, cowboy? Who pissed you off?"

"Everyone. As if the women weren't enough, then there's Dale," Glenn replied.

Mina, mockingly annoyed, asked, "What's wrong with the women, excuse me?"

"I mean, Andrea's pissed off. Maggie..." Glenn started.

Mina immediately jumped in, "Ohhh, Maggie."

Glenn began to explain, "She started off being mean to me. Then she wanted to have a sex with me. And now she's being mean to me again. And I don't even want to know what's going on with Lori."

Mina quickly asked, "Do you know something?"

Right after, Glenn asked, "Do you know something?" and answered Mina's question, "I might know something."

Mina also responded to Glenn's question, "I might know something too."

Glenn, curious, asked, "What do you know?"

Mina, defiantly, said, "You tell me what you know."

"I'm not telling," said Glenn.

"Then I'm not telling either," Mina replied.

"Fine, whatever," said Glenn. He paused for a moment, looked at Mina, and said, "You don't know." He looked at her a bit longer and said, "Wait! You do know."

Mina, at the same time, said, "You know too."

"Yes! I know," Glenn said.

"Lori? Unbelievable! How long have you known?" Mina asked.

"For a long time. Oh my God, Mina, I've been dying to talk to someone about this. Listen, we can't tell anyone," Glenn said.

Just then, Andrea shouted from the top of the RV, "Walker!"

Everyone turned towards the direction where the walker was approaching, and Rick asked, "Just one?" Andrea replied, "Yeah, I bet I can nail it from here." Rick quickly intervened, "No, no, Andrea. Put the gun down." Shane chimed in, "You'd best let us handle this." Rick insisted, "Shane, hold up. Hershel wants to deal with the walkers." Shane stubbornly countered, "What for, man? We got it covered."

"Damn it!" Rick exclaimed in frustration.

Andrea, thinking she hit the walker, fired her shot, but it ended up hitting the injured and limping Daryl, misleadingly. Hershel directed Rick, Shane, and Daniel to take Daryl to a room for treatment. The bullet had only grazed Daryl, but he already had plenty of wounds.

Daryl then shared with Rick, Daniel, and Shane how he found Sophia's toys by the river. Hershel asked, "Do you know what happened to my horse?" Daryl replied, "Nearly got me killed? Smart enough to leave the country," he chuckled. Hershel remarked, "Her name was Nelly. Like Nervous Nelly. I could have told you she'd throw you if you'd bothered to ask."

Then, there was a knock on the door, and Hershel said, "Come in." When Cassie entered, Daniel walked over to his wife and smiled at her. "Get well soon, Daryl," he said. Daryl nodded. "You were alone when you came. Where's Briar?" he asked. Daryl immediately turned his head towards Cassie. "She should have arrived by now," he said.

Daniel asked anxiously, "What happened?" Daryl explained, "We split up on the road to find her faster. I went farther out, she was closer." Cassie let out a worried sigh.

Daniel said, "I'll go look for her." Cassie quickly turned to him, "You can't go alone, have you lost your mind? Look at what happened to Daryl," she said. Rick looked out the window and said, "Then let's go out together before it gets dark."

Daniel and Rick were searching for Briar in the forest, moving cautiously. As they made their way through the trees, they called out to each other without raising their voices too much. "Briar! Are you here?" Daniel whispered, his eyes scanning every corner.

Rick, quietly checking the surroundings, said, "I think he might have gone this way," and pointed with his flashlight. Daniel added, "I hope we're on the right track. If we don't find him before nightfall, things will get much harder."

After walking a bit further, Rick stopped and broke the silence, asking, "What do you think about Briar's disappearance?" Daniel hesitated a bit before replying, "I don't know, Rick. Maybe he's running from something. But whatever it is, we need to find him," he said resolutely.

As they ventured deeper into the forest, Rick suddenly halted and raised his hand to stop Daniel as well. "I heard something from over there," he whispered. They both held their breath and listened. A faint rustling and a distant moan were heard. "It could be Briar," Daniel said excitedly.

Slowly, they walked toward the direction of the sound. Their steps were careful and silent, knowing there could be other dangers in the forest. After a few minutes, they reached a small clearing and found Briar, exhausted and injured. Daniel rushed to his side, "Briar, are you okay? We found you," he said with relief.

Briar managed a weak smile and said in a faint voice, "Yes, but I need your help." Rick and Daniel began to assist Briar out of the forest...

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mina and glenn are such a rachel and joey😍. i hate andrea sm ugh😬😬 wrote this chapter around 3am might be a bunch of random mistakes so sorry lol

hope you like this chapter 💓💓 and please don't be a ghost reader, vote and kindly write your thoughts in the comments
ily yall😻😝

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with lots of kisses

ria.