"Just, take it!" Austin yelled at the walker as he dangled the rope.

"He's can't hear you." Glenn gave him a stupid look. "Or, can't understand you."

"Obviously, I know that." Austin sighed as he sat up again.

"Maybe cause a canned ham don't kick and scream when you try to eat it." T-Dog mocked the can at the end of the rope.

"He's right. There's a reason the dead didn't come back to life and start raiding our cupboards." Lori looked up at everyone knowingly.

"We need live bait." Andrea spoke honestly.

Austin looked up. "That's kinda sad."

"You think so?" she smiled at him. Austin hesitated, the look on her face. "Uh-Hu."

"Nu-Uh." he mocked her, scooting back.

"Austin, baby, look, maybe someone else can do it." Lori spoke moments later as Shane got Austin tied to the rope tightly.

"He'll be okay. He's strong." Shane patted his shoulders. "And the smallest one here."

"Glenn and I are pretty close." Austin defended himself.

"Oh, so you want me going down there?" Glenn nodded at him. "Thanks, man."

"We're gonna get you out of here in one piece." Shane promised Austin with a nod of his head. "Maybe I can teach you how to catch a fish with your hands."

"One piece is nothing if i'm dead." Austin said back, ignoring the other part. "So, make sure I stay alive."

"Living part is very important." Glenn agreed with him. They all headed off to the rope, grasping it as well as having it tied around the large pipe coming out of the ground.

"Oh, you people are crazy." Maggie shook her head.

"I agree." Austin nodded.

"You want to get it out of your well or not?" Shane snapped at Maggie with an annoyed look.

"Give us an eye there, Maggie." Dale spoke in a better tone her way.

She walked forward, looking down the well as Austin hesitantly came off the side. He held onto the pipe for a moment, the rope tight around his body. The walker growled up at him, Austin shining the light down on it. Maggie leaned over the side. "Doing okay?"

"Oh, as okayas I can be." he spoke shakily, holding the rope. They slowly started to lower him, Austin waving the other rope around to grab and get around its neck. "Can you teach me how to lasso when I get out of here?"

Maggie laughed. "Sure thing, kid."

Maggie guided the rest of the group down as Austin went lower to the water, just above the walker as he rose his feet in a panicking manor. There was a sudden loosening, the rope giving in as Austin yelled out in a panic, pulling himself as high as he could with the walker so close now. "Mom!"

"Get it! Grab it!" yells were heard from above the well. Austin screamed loudly as he was dropped lower.

"Oh my god! Pull me out! Pull me out!" he shouted in a panic, trying to pull himself up the rope as much as possible. "This fool is gonna eat me! The fools gonna eat me!"

He pulled slowly, the walker grazing as his foot as Austin kicked at it, trying to get it as far away from him as possible. "Get me out! Get me out!"

"We got you, Austin!" Glenn yelled, Austin reached up and grabbed the pole as soon as it was in reach, pulling himself out and collapsing onto the sand. The group all crowed him. "Are you okay? Are you bit?"

Lori leaned down, holding his face and kissing his forehead. Austin held his chest, finding a form of safety back on the ground and out of the well. Dale inhaled when Austin calmed down. "Back to the drawing board?"

"Says who?" Austin asked, still laid on the ground and clutching his heart. Looking over the side, they saw the walker around the rope. Austin handed it off. "Never again."

"Never again." Shane nodded in understanding.

Austin searched around the tree, looking everywhere. "Where'd you go?"

"What are you looking for?" Maggie walked past him.

"I left my knife in the tree when we went to Otis' memorial." he answered, brushing the grass out of the way. "Can't find it."

"It'll turn up." she nodded at him. "You think you can do me a favor?"

"Sure." he got off the ground, dusting his hands off. "I don't know nothing about horses."

"What about teenage girls?" she rose her eyebrows. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen." he said back.

"So is Beth." Maggie nodded, looking back at the house. "She won't come from her room, it's all hard on her. I was thinking you could try to talk to her? Be a friend? Someone her age?"

Austin cleared his throat. "I'm not experienced in talking to girls."

"Well, she's talked to plenty of boys so it'll be fine." she patted his back, pulling him toward the house. "Let her know we're gonna cook dinner and her help would be appreciated."

Austin walked up the stairs, having them creek under his feet. He made a stop to the bathroom to clean his hands off, whipping his face clean while he was at it. Pushing his hair back some, he cleared his throat, nodding at the mirror. "Hey, Beth. No. Hey, lady friend. God, no. What's wrong with you? What's up, girl? Stop.Stop."

"Please do." Beth came around the corner, making him jump back in a panic. "Hey is fine."

"Hey." his voice cracked, red in embarrassment. "What- you wanna come down stairs?"

"Not really." she said back, leaning on the doorway. "Maggie send you?"

"What? No." he shook his head, lying to her face. "Last time I was in the kitchen I cut my finger, so, I need all the help I can get."

He held his hand out, showing the scar on his index finger. Beth eyed it. "Did you get stitches?"

"No." he said back.

"That's why it's such a bad scar." she shook her head. "Does my Daddy know you're cooking?"

"Well, my mom and Carol are down there too. I'm sure one of them said so." Austin nodded, giving a curios look. "So...do you wanna help?"

Beth sighed. "No, but I know Maggie will send you up again if I don't."

He frowned. "Sorry that I lied."

Beth nodded as she walked down first, Austin close behind. Maggie tried not to look their way from the living room. "What do I need to help with?"

"Uh..." Austin trialed off, looking for what he was to do. "Cut pea pods open?"

Beth took the knife, cutting them open before placing each pea into his hand.

A yell from outside caught their attention, looking up. Carol looked alarmed. "They're back?"

Running outside, they were met with a bloody and limb Daryl. Austin gave an odd look to his dad. "Is he wearing ears?"

"Yes!" Glenn yelled in return.

"Guys." T-Dog spoke up, holding up a doll that Daryl dropped from his bag. "Isn't this Sophia's?"

•

kylie speaks

something about the humor
in season two just has me
in a choke hold