Rick motioned for us to cut through the woods when he spotted something through the trees: a large brick building with eight letters printed across it.

T. E. R. M. I. N. U. S.

The group came to a halt before a fence thick with vines around the perimeter of the building. Rick slowly moved back a few steps and began digging a hole in the ground. He threw the duffel bag he had been carrying into it.

"We're gonna find a place where we can go in without being seen," Rick instructed us. "Follow me at all times and keep your weapons out." We crouched down as we moved swiftly to where he told us. Rick hopped the fence, everyone following. We hurried down to a separate building that had a door propped open, staying low. Daryl placed his hand on the handle, opening it a little farther so everyone could fit through. I could hear a woman's voice echoing inside.

"Terminus: sanctuary for all, community for all. Those who arrive survive," she droned on. We cautiously stepped out into the open, spotting the woman sitting at a desk with headphones on and a microphone sitting in front of her. I gazed out farther into the room and saw people at stations, working. Rick approached the woman.

"Hello," he said to her. She turned her head, startled, taking off her headphones. "Hello," he addressed the people in the back, his voice echoing in the spacious room. Everyone stopped what they were doing, their eyes locked on us. A guy in a dirty gray coat dropped his pencil, sighing.

"I bet Albert is on perimeter watch." He slowly walked to the middle of the room. "You here to rob us?"

"No." Rick stepped closer towards him. "We just wanted to see you before you saw us."

"Well, welcome to Terminus. I'm Gareth. Looks like you guys've been on the road for a long while," he said, observing us in our rough condition.

"We have. I'm Rick." He turned around, nodding to us as he called off our names. "That's Carl, Daryl, Aften, and Michonne." Gareth awkwardly waved to us then stared at me for a few moments. I shifted uncomfortably in my spot. He chuckled to himself.

"You're nervous. I get it." Gareth went back to addressing the whole group again. "We came to this place for sanctuary. Is that what you're here for?" Rick nodded in response. "Well, you've found it." Another man from behind the stations walked towards Gareth. "Alex will ask you a few questions, but first we need to see everyone's weapons," he demanded. Rick, Michonne, Carl, Daryl, and I exchanged nervous glances with each other. Rick slowly set down his gun first, everyone following. Gareth and Alex sauntered over to us to pat us down, Alex making sure to take his time with me. Daryl glared at him and Alex shrunk away when he got the hint. "We're not easily fooled around here, so you shouldn't be stupid enough to try anything stupid. As long as everyone's clear on that we shouldn't have any problems," Gareth finished. Alex turned to us after we took back our weapons.

"This way," he said, smiling. We stepped back out into the daylight and I shielded my eyes for a moment.

"How long's this place been here," Daryl asked.

"Ever since this shit started. All the camps got overrun and people started coming here, you know? They follow the path and they all wind up here," Alex answered, stopping in front of a lady manning a grill. "Mary, could you fix these folks a plate? They've been out there for a mighty long while."

"Certainly," Mary smiled warmly. "I have a feeling you guys'll fit right in here." She stabbed a hunk of meat and put it onto a paper plate, giving one to Carl first and another to me. I wanted to devour it here and now, but for some reason I had an uneasy feeling about it. Rick suddenly grabbed Alex, putting him in a headlock. He pressed his gun up against his temple, Alex's hands up in surrender. Daryl, Michonne, and Carl pointed their weapons at Alex for backup. I followed, dropping my plate to the ground. Rick held a silver pocket-watch in his hand.

"Where the hell did you get this watch," Rick growled. I was confused at his reasoning for such an action, but I didn't know the exact meaning behind the watch; it must've been his or someone else's he knew. Alex didn't answer. "I said where in the hell did you get this watch?" The other people outside had their hands placed on their weapons, staring intently at us and ready to fire if necessary.

"I-I got it off a dead one," he stammered. "I didn't think he'd need it, okay?"

"What about the riot gear? The poncho?" He nodded over to the items he was talking about.

"Got the riot gear off a dead cop, found the poncho on a clothesline," Gareth's voice called out, startling us; he appeared outta nowhere. "You don't trust us anymore, do you? What do you want from us, Rick?"

"Where are our people," Rick demanded.

"You didn't answer the question," he smirked. Rick threw Alex to the ground in anger.

Shots began popping off everywhere. We took off but were immediately stopped by a man on the roof shooting at us. My heart thundered in my chest at how close the bullets were raining down. We rerouted ourselves, but our other way out was blocked as well. Rick quickly fired a shot back up at the guy in hopes to kill him and took off a different way. We broke into a warehouse and went out the back door, ducking down to dodge the persistent bullets. We headed towards the fence, but people sprang up from behind it with guns pointed at us. We were completely surrounded, people up on the roofs of the many other buildings near us.

"Drop your weapons," Gareth boomed from above. "Now," he bellowed, his anger more profound. We obeyed him, fearing for our lives. "Ringleader, go to your left; train car, go." Rick gazed up at him, staying put to try and send a message; you know, typical Rick move. "You do what we say and the boy goes with you. Anything else, he dies and you end up in there anyway." I could feel myself start to sweat as I lifted my head to see a few guns pointed at me specifically. Rick slowly began to walk towards the train car. "Now the Archer." My stomach dropped watching Daryl leaving me, following after Rick. With him gone I felt even more exposed than I already was. "Now the Samurai." Michonne filed in behind them. "Stand at the door: Ringleader, Archer, Samurai in that order." They made their way up the stairs silently. Rick craned his head to catch a glimpse of Carl.

"My son," he shouted. Gareth sighed in annoyance.

"Go, kid," he called out. Carl made his way over to the car. "Ringleader, open the door and go in."

"I'll go in with him," Rick fired back.

"Don't make us kill him now," Gareth taunted. It was silent. I stood there, my eyes fixed on the four of them in fear. Rick slid open the door and stepped inside once Carl made it over. Daryl didn't enter the car.

"You best be sendin' my girl over here," he snarled, his eyes locked on me. He wasn't going absolutely anywhere without me.

"I don't know," Gareth trailed off in a singsongy voice, his eyes roaming up and down my figure. "Maybe we should keep her behind for a while..." Someone seized my arms and yanked me back.

"No," I yelled out in desperation, fighting the grip on me. All Gareth did was laugh. My eyes were still locked with Daryl's. By the looks of it, he was about to charge over here and get me, but he was trying his best to hold back for everyone's safety. Gareth noticed he was about to burst at the seams and rolled his eyes.

"You guys are no fun!" I was released, shoved forward towards the line. I quickly made my way over and stood behind Carl, my heartbeat all I could hear. Daryl led the rest of the line inside the car. He grabbed my hand and pulled me to him as someone came over to shut us inside. The man stared straight at me.

"See you later," he taunted. Daryl pulled me even closer to him as a sign of ownership. The door slid shut, darkness taking over the inside of the car. Someone emerged from the other side once it was quiet.

"Rick," a familiar voice whispered: Glenn. Maggie stepped forward, followed by others I didn't recognize except one: Sasha. I was relieved to see them all but not in this way.

"They're our friends. They helped save us," Maggie explained to Rick.

"Yeah? Well, now they're friends of ours," Daryl responded, his tone still holding a bit of rage from what had just transpired.

"For however long that'll be," one of the new guys mumbled. He was tall, muscular, and had red hair.

"No," Rick growled. "They're gonna feel pretty stupid when they find out." He turned around and peered out of a crack in the wall that let in multiple rays of light.

"Find out what," the tall red-haired guy questioned him. It was silent, everyone waiting for him to answer the question. He turned back to us, his eyes radiating with anger.

"They're fucking with the wrong people."