Broken Realities: What-if

Author note at the end. Enjoy.

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The late morning sun cast long shadows across the farm as Maggie made her way to the stables. The air was crisp, carrying the promise of another scorching Georgia day. As she approached, she heard the soft murmur of her stepsister's voice, punctuated by the occasional nicker from one of the horses.

Maggie paused at the stable entrance, a mischievous smile playing on her lips as she watched Beth brush down Nelly, their nervous mare. Beth was lost in concentration, her blonde hair tied back in a messy ponytail, wisps escaping to frame her face.

"You missed a spot," Maggie called out, causing Beth to jump slightly. "Maggie! You scared me," Beth exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest. Maggie chuckled, entering the stable and leaning against one of the stalls. "Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt your daydreaming. Though I can guess what – or should I say who – you were thinking about."

Beth's cheeks flushed pink, her brush strokes becoming more vigorous. "I don't know what you're talking about," she mumbled, not meeting Maggie's eyes. "Oh really?" Maggie teased, her eyebrow arched. "So you weren't thinking about a certain dark-haired, slingshot-wielding boy?"

Beth's blush deepened. "Alex? No, I... I was just thinking about the horses." Maggie laughed, moving closer to help with the grooming. "Sure you were. That's why you've been volunteering for every chore that might put you in his path."

"Have not!" Beth protested weakly, but her sister's knowing look made her shoulders slump in defeat. "Is it that obvious?" Maggie's expression softened. "I think everyone might've, Bethy but him. That boy's about as observant as a fence post when it comes to these things it looks like. But you might want to be careful. Daddy's starting to notice too." Beth groaned, burying her face in Nelly's mane, as the horse nicker. "This is so embarrassing."

With a sigh, Beth set down the brush. "It doesn't matter anyway. Daddy would never approve. And besides, with everything going on... there's no time for... for..."

"For living?" Maggie finished softly. She reached out, squeezing her sister's shoulder. "Beth, the world's gone crazy. If you find something – or someone – that makes you happy, you should hold onto it."

Beth looked up at her sister, a mix of hope and uncertainty in her eyes. "You really think so?"

"Hey now," Maggie said, gently turning Beth to face her. "You're not a kid, Beth. You're a young woman now, and there's nothing silly about having feelings for someone." Beth looked up at her sister, vulnerability clear in her eyes. "But what if he doesn't feel the same way?"

A scoff left the 22 years old as she remembered a glance or two that Alex had shot towards her. Maggie smiled reassuringly. "Well, there's only one way to find out. You'll have to talk to him."

"I can't just... talk to him," Beth said, her eyes wide with panic. "What would I even say?"

"How about 'Hey Alex, want to help me groom the horses?'" Maggie suggested with a wink, as she gestured to the mare. "Boys love to feel useful." Beth considered this for a moment, then shook her head. "No, that's... that's too forward. Isn't it?"

Maggie laughed, pulling her sister into a one-armed hug. "Oh, Bethy. You've got it bad. But don't worry, we'll figure out a way for you to spend some time with him. Let's finish up here. And then maybe we can figure out a way for you to have a real conversation with your knight in shining armor."

As Maggie and Beth finished up in the stables, they heard the rumble of engines approaching. The supply run team was returning. They hurried out to the front of the house, joining the others who had gathered to greet the returning group.

Shane's truck pulled up first, followed closely by the second vehicle. The tension was palpable as the team emerged, their faces grim and exhausted. Glenn was the first to speak, his voice shaky. "We got the supplies, but... things didn't go as planned."

Alex stepped forward, concern etched on his face, as he inspected their bodies. No blood or sign of injury on their clothes or posture. "What happened out there?"

Lee, his clothes dirty and the same ones since his ride to prison, shook his head. "The school... it was overrun. But not just by regular walkers. These were... different." Rick's brow furrowed as he approached the group. "Different how?" he asked, his hand instinctively resting on his holstered gun.

Glenn and Lee exchanged a look before Glenn spoke up. "Some of them could run, climb." Shane stepped up as well, he glanced towards the house, remembering about Lori and Carl, before shaking his head to focus. "And some of them could coordinate, communicate." His voice was tight to hold back the tremble.

A murmur of disbelief and fear rippled through the gathered crowd. Shane ran a hand through his hair, "These things are evolving." He muttered, eyes going everywhere but the group, while his mind raced with thoughts of reinforcing the farm.

Hershel, who had been listening intently, spoke up. "Let's take this inside. We need to hear everything that happened, and we need to figure out what this means for our safety here."

As the group moved towards the house, Alex hung back, his mind racing with the implications of this new information. Beth, noticing his troubled expression, hesitated for a moment before approaching him.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her concern evident in her voice. Alex looked up, seeming surprised to see her there. "Oh, uh, yeah. Just... processing, I guess. This changes everything." He muttered, getting back lost in his head.

Beth nodded, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt. "Do you... do you want to talk about it? Maybe while we check on the horses? They always help me feel better when I'm worried."

For a moment, Alex looked like he might accept, but then he shook his head, a small grateful smile on his face. "Sorry, I gotta hear more about what they saw." Alex's rejection, though gentle, left Beth feeling deflated. She watched as he hurried to join the others in the house, her heart sinking. Maggie, who had witnessed the exchange, came up beside her sister and gave her a comforting squeeze on the shoulder.

"Don't worry," Maggie whispered. "He's just got a lot on his mind right now. You'll get another chance."

Inside the farmhouse, the atmosphere was tense as the supply run team recounted their harrowing experience at the school. Glenn and Lee took turns describing the faster, smarter walkers they'd encountered, while Shane paced back and forth, adding details about the coordinated attacks they'd witnessed alongside the running walkers.

Rick listened intently, his face growing more serious with each new piece of information. "This changes everything," he said, echoing Alex's earlier sentiment. "We need to rethink our defenses, our supply runs, everything."

Hershel nodded gravely. "If these new types of walkers make it to the farm, our current setup won't be enough to keep us safe."

Shane nodded grimly. "We need to fortify this place, and fast. Those trenches Alex suggested? We start digging them today."

Hershel, who had been listening intently, spoke up. "We'll need to be smart about this. We can't exhaust ourselves or leave the farm undefended while we work." As the group discussed the new fortification plans and everyone's role, Hershel pulled Alex aside. "We need to talk about T-Dog," he said in a low voice. "His condition isn't improving."

Alex's face fell. He'd been so caught up in the news from the supply run that he'd momentarily forgotten about their sick patient. "How bad is it?"

Hershel led Alex to T-Dog's room, where the man lay unconscious, his skin pale and clammy. "The fever's getting worse," Hershel explained. "And the wound... it's not healing at all. Even with cleaning it with alcohol."

Though Alex had the idea to let it be and give up, seeing Dale suffering in front of him, made his inside clench in rejection of that idea, he cursed himself in his head. Amputation was already off the table since it would kill him faster and that only left the medicine that Lee's group had brought.

"We could try to find a stronger antibiotic from Lee's scavenge hunt, but if that doesn't work either. We can only give him painkillers and let it end without pain." Alex suggested, with Hershel frowning and Dale looking at the two in concern. "Is there really no option?"

"Sadly, no. We're already way past anything else." Hershel agreed with Alex. Dale nodded slowly, his eyes never leaving T-Dog's face. "Do what you have to do. Just... save him if you can."

As they left T-Dog's room, they found Rick waiting for them in the hallway. "How is he?" Rick asked, concern evident in his voice. "Not good," Hershel replied honestly. "We're considering our option, but..." he trailed off, the gravity of the situation hanging in the air.

Rick nodded grimly. "Keep me updated. In the meantime, we need to start on those fortifications. Alex, your trench idea - how do we get started?"

Alex, grateful for the distraction from T-Dog's dire situation, launched into an explanation of his trench plan as they walked outside, explaining the distance from the farm, with most able body ready to dig with shovels in their hands and others who volunteered for sweeping the area. Soon, the farm was a hive of activity as everyone able-bodied began the hard work of digging.

As the day wore on, the group fell into a rhythm of work and rest. Glenn and Maggie paired up, their shovels working in tandem as they chatted quietly. Lee and Carley took turns digging and watching Clementine, who was determined to help despite her small size.

Alex also started, even with his body slowly regenerating his lost blood, feeling weak at the moment and getting dizzy spells. 'I should have already gotten back my strength.' Alex muttered with a frown, digging alongside Glenn, Maggie, and Shawn.

'Not enough hydration maybe?' He thought, trying to remember when the last time was he drank water. 'Huh, yesterday? Or before that?' Beth, seeing an opportunity, approached Alex as he paused to wipe sweat from his brow. "Here," she said, offering him a canteen of water. "You look like you could use a break."

Alex gratefully accepted the water, drinking in small sips instead of chugging all of it, before handing it back. "Thanks, Beth. I needed that more than I realized." Beth smiled shyly. "You're welcome. I've been making sure everyone stays hydrated. It's hot out here."

Alex nodded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand, before going back to digging, as Glenn and Maggie shared a glance and smile without them knowing. Shawn simply planted his shovel on the dirt as he watched his little sister with a 'what are you doing?' expression, his head tilted. "Yeah, it is. But we need to get these trenches dug as soon as possible. Those new walkers..." He trailed off, his expression darkening.

Beth, sensing his unease, changed the subject. "So, um, I was wondering if maybe later you could show me how to use that slingshot of yours? It seems like a useful skill to have." Alex looked surprised for a moment, before seriously considering it, then nodded. "Sure, I could do that. It's always good to have another person who knows how to use it. Maybe after dinner?"

Beth's face lit up. "That would be great! I'll see you then." She hurried off, her heart racing with excitement.

As the afternoon wore on, the group continued their work on the trenches, taking breaks as needed to avoid exhaustion. The absence of Daryl, Kenny, and Carol, who were still out searching for Sophia, was felt keenly, especially as the sun began to dip lower in the sky.

Rick, who had joined to take his mind off his son's condition, paused in his digging, wiping sweat from his brow as he scanned the treeline. "They should have been back by now," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

Shane, overhearing, approached his partner. "You want to send out a search party for the search party?" he asked, half-joking but with an undercurrent of concern. Rick shook his head. "Not yet. Daryl knows these woods better than any of us. If anyone can find Sophia and make it back safely, it's him. We give them until sunset."

After another hour of digging, everyone took a break, with the kids already inside after the first half an hour to help Annette and Katjaa but also to keep them away in danger. During the break, Clementine, alongside Annette to look after her, approached Alex, her small face scrunched up in determination. "Can we practice with the slingshot again? I want to be ready to help protect the farm if those fast walkers come."

Alex couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. Though before he could refuse due to his current task, Shawn interrupted, "Don't push yourself too much Alex."

With a sigh, "Sure thing, Clem. Let's take a break and get some target practice in." He caught Lee's eye, silently asking permission. Lee nodded, grateful for Alex's willingness to keep Clementine occupied and learning useful skills.

They set up a makeshift target range near the edge of the property, using empty cans as targets. Alex patiently showed Clementine how to hold the slingshot, how to aim, and how to release the projectile smoothly.

"Remember," he said, kneeling beside her, "it's not about strength. It's about control and accuracy. Take your time, breathe, and focus on your target."

Clementine nodded seriously, her tongue poking out slightly as she concentrated. Her first few attempts went wide, but Alex encouraged her to keep trying. On her fifth shot, she managed to clip the edge of a can, sending it spinning.

"I did it!" she exclaimed, jumping up and down with excitement. Alex grinned, giving her a high five. "Great job, Clem! See? You're a natural. Keep practicing, and you'll be hitting bullseyes in no time."

As they continued their practice, Beth watched from a distance, admiring Alex's patience and gentleness with Clementine. She felt a flutter in her stomach, imagining what he might be like as a father someday. Quickly, she pushed the thought away, blushing at her own imagination.

With a deep exhale, she walked up to the two, but stopped as she suddenly froze, fiddling with her fingers. But once Alex saw her, he understood why she had come to him. "Hey, wanna join us for the lesson?"

Beth's face lit up. "Yes! I mean, if you're not too tired from all the digging." Alex smiled. "Nah, I could another student. Come on, I'll show you the basics, that way, you and Clementine can compete a little."

As Alex turned to say something to the little girl, Maggie caught Beth's eye, giving her a subtle thumbs up with Glenn not being that subtle with his giant open mouth grin and two very high thumbs up. Beth blushed but couldn't hide her smile.

"Uh…" Alex's voice snapped her to him, and he simply stared at her and then the slingshot, trying to figure out how to teach her. With Clementine, he simply crouched behind her and guided her hand movements and how to aim, but he couldn't do the same with her.

"Okay…" He muttered to him, as Beth and Clementine watched the spectacle of him fumbling about in awkwardness. Clementine even smiling at him as if she knew what was happening. Finally, though, he seemed to get the idea. "Okay, I'll show you how to do it, and then you can try." With a nod, he did exactly that, while explaining all his actions.

When he released the band, the stone flew and hit the can right down the middle. "There, got it?" He turned to Beth, who had her brows scrunched in concentration. "I think so."

"Okay, you try." With a bit of nervousness, Beth took it and as she tried to imitate Alex's action, her crush stopped her in motion, instead of touching her to fix the posture, he instead hesitated every time and did the motion himself without the slingshot to correct her. To Beth, it was a little infuriating but also, she saw a new side of him, which brought a smile to her.

Meanwhile, Lori had cornered Rick near the house, her voice low but urgent. "Rick, we need to talk about what happened at the school. These new walkers... is it even safe for us to stay here? What if they were attracted by all the noises we make?"

Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Lori. But right now, this is the best option we have. We've got shelter, food, and people willing to work together. We just need to make it safer."

Lori nodded, but her eyes were still filled with worry, as if the restlessness was eating away at her and with nothing else to do, the only thing on her mind was worse cast scenarios. "And Carl? What if he has a setback? What if we can't get him the care he needs out here?"

Rick pulled her into a hug, feeling her trembling slightly against him. "We'll figure it out," he murmured into her hair. "We always do. Carl's strong, and he's got all of us looking out for him. He's got Alex and Hershel. Anything happens to him, they'll come running."

As the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the farm, the group gathered near the house, anxiously scanning the treeline for any sign of Daryl, Kenny, and Carol. The tension was heavy, with everyone now acutely aware of the dangers that lurked in the darkening woods.

"Should we go—" Glenn began before stopping short, his eyes widening as he spotted three figures trudging back toward the farmhouse. "They're back!" he shouted, relief flooding his voice.

Rick instinctively stepped forward, his heart racing as he strained to see. The moment Daryl emerged from the tree line, the tension in the air dissipated slightly. But it was quickly replaced with concern as he noticed the look on Daryl's face – a mix of fatigue and something deeper, something darker.

The group waited for them at the house and when they were near the fences, "Is everyone alright?" Rick called out, his voice carrying across the yard. Daryl nodded, but his expression was far from reassuring. "We didn't find her," he replied, his tone heavy with disappointment. "No sign of Sophia."

Carol chimed in softly, her voice quivering as she spoke. "But the trails have gone cold. It's like she just vanished."

"Damn it," Kenny muttered, running a hand through his hair as he turned towards the farmhouse, feeling the weight of their failure settle on him as he imaged Duck being out there, at night. "We have to keep searching; we can't give up on her." Carol continued.

Kenny placed a hand on Carol's arm, understanding in his eyes. "We will keep searching, but we need to think about our safety too, especially with that new walker out there that we saw."

"What new walker?" Alex interrupted, catching Kenny's eyes, who looked back in fear and even shivering a little, until he saw Duck and Katjaa come out the house. "A runner." He spoke and the expression on everyone's turned grim instead of surprise, making Kenny confused.

"I took care of it." Daryl spoke as Shane came back from the inside after a moment and threw him a bottle of water.

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Once inside, Annette and Katjaa had finished dinner, with the kids and Greene daughters helped distribute it to everyone, after they had washed up.

In the corner, Shane and Daryl exchanged surprised glances as they were served pieces of chicken—an unexpected luxury in their current situation, especially since it came from the rooster. Shane couldn't suppress a grin. "Guess we won't be needing to worry about that clucker anymore," he quipped, eliciting a few chuckles from around the table.

Immediately, everyone dug in. As Lee started to talk about their meeting with the new variants at the school, looking for supplies, after hearing what Daryl, Kenny, and Carol ran into in the forest.

Carol hadn't touched her plate, worry eating away at her as she stared blankly at the food. Daryl turned to her, concern evident in his eyes. "Hey, you okay? You need to eat something," he urged, trying to coax her into taking at least a bite.

"I'm fine," she replied, though her voice lacked conviction. The worry for Sophia was a weight on her shoulders, and the silence around the table only served to deepen her sense of dread.

Daryl understanding but frustrated at today's finding, turned his attention back to the group. "Like I was saying," he continued, "This new breed of walker it just looked at us and ran. The bastard freaked us out. But it dies the same way as the others."

"Right," Rick chimed in, his brow furrowing as he processed the information. "That's the important part. If they can run, we need to be ready."

"Yeah, but who knows how many more there are out there?" Shane added, his frustration bubbling to the surface. "That's why we're digging tranches." Maggie shot back loudly for the first time, reminding the others of their tasks. With that, everyone went back to eating and a promise from Kenny, Carol finally took a bite from her plate.

Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the world in twilight, the group began to prepare for the night watch. Alex stepped forward, volunteering first. "I'll take the first watch," he declared, his voice steady despite the fatigue that pulled at him.

"I'll join you," Glenn said, stepping forward as well. The idea of being outside in the dark was daunting, but the thought of being unproductive made him uneasy. The two of them moved toward the porch, gathering their gear and settling into their roles as the first line of defense. Once outside, they made their way to the perimeter of the farm, making sure there were no walkers or the new variant nearby.

Once they were sure, both climbed Dale's RV, as the man had went to check on T-Dog after dinner. "You think it'll be quiet tonight?" Glenn asked, trying to make small talk to ease the tension in the air.

But Alex shrugged, mind elsewhere for the moment, but his answer came nonetheless. "I hope so, after everything that happened today, we could use a break from all of it." Both settled on the picnic chairs that were there, with Glenn groaning in satisfaction.

"You know," he said, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. It also worked to bring Alex to the present, "back at college, I used to hate waking up early for morning lectures. Now, I'd kill for an early morning with nothing to worry about but a paper due."

Alex chuckled, "remembering" their college days. "Seriously, I remember panicking over finals. Feels like a lifetime ago."

"Panicked? Please, you cried," Glenn said, laughing. He could still picture the scene: Alex hunched over his desk, surrounded by highlighters and crumpled notes. "Okay, that was just once! ONCE!" Alex protested, unable to suppress his own chuckle. "Let it go already?"

"Never." Glenn shot back with a chuckle, nudging him playfully. Alex rolled his eyes, but the laughter faded as a shadow of guilt began to creep back into his mind. He turned serious, glancing down at the ground below, where the dark fields stretched out. "We really took our lives for granted back then, didn't we?"

"Definitely," Glenn agreed. "We thought we had forever to figure things out. Now… I just wish we could go back to those days most days, you know?" Alex simply nodded, trying to remember the memories out of the simulation, but nothing, except for something like a TV static if he tried hard enough.

But whenever he thought of his life, it was the ones from this supposed life. His family, his parents, on their way to an amusement park, only to get into an accident and be orphaned. The pain physically hurt Alex as he tried to shut down the memories.

As the two friends settled, a calm silence wrapped around them. The sun had already dipped and most of the day was already dark, with crickets chirping and breezes making the trees' leaves rustle. "Glenn," Alex began, breaking the quiet. "Can I ask you something... about Sarah?"

Glenn turned to face Alex, his expression shifting from casual to serious. "Yeah, of course. What do you want to know?" Alex hesitated for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "I just... I need to know how she died. If you don't mind talking about it."

Glenn took a deep breath, the weight of the memory settling heavy on his shoulders. "It was during one of the early waves," he started, his voice steady but tinged with sadness. "We were holed up in our house, trying to keep low. We thought we were safe."

Alex listened intently, his heart heavy with empathy. "Go on."

"At night, I don't know. Something at the house fell, and next thing we know, a group of walkers broke in. It was chaos. We got trapped in her old room and stayed quiet, until gunshots close by distracted them." Glenn explained, eyes moist at the memory, sniffling.

"I'm not sure what happened afterwards." Glenn muttered with a heavy exhale, "We decided to move, but a walker was waiting. It lunged at me but Sarah got in front of it." Alex's breath hitched, and he shifted uncomfortably on the chair. "She saved you," he murmured, his voice low but full of understanding.

Glenn nodded, his jaw tightening as he tried to steady his emotions. "Yeah. She didn't hesitate. Just… took the bite instead of me. I tried to pull her away, to do something—anything—but by the time I killed it, it was too late…" His voice cracked, and he rubbed a hand over his face, willing himself to stay composed. "She was braver than I'll ever be."

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Author Note:

Welcome back, to another long chapter. about 4.5k words. Gotta say, it's very draining lol. Good thing I have some plot points already planned.

Regarding how many other plot points I have to develop, we're about 30% to 40% in, meaning about 60 to 70 percent remaining of the walking dead story. Maybe even less if I use timeskip. Cause right now, I'm developing the story slowly. 

If you guys want to speed it up a bit, I can do that as well. I'm afraid that the pace is too slowly for most of you. 

This chapter was more on giving you gives Clem and Beth scenes to develop their characters a bit. Also more of Maggie and Beth, alongside Glenn. Hopefully, you liked it.

The next chapter will be uploaded later in the day, because I'm really drained right now and might hit a writer's block if I push myself. Instead, I'll try to read some fanfic or game alone to recharge. BTW if you find me on the ranking, tell me. I want to check it out. TOo busy/lazy to do it myself.

I don't have much else to say. Except thank you for reading so far.

Stay safe.

Author out.

PS: What do you like about the story or me as an author so far?