A warm campfire, good food, and friendly faces. None of it had come easily.
The differences from the original storyline in her memory made the butterfly effect caused by Calista unmistakably clear.
She felt a quiet sense of reflection, but even more than that, a growing vigilance.
The course of events had already changed. She had lost the advantage of foresight, and the future was now uncertain.
As Calista ate the stew, her thoughts churned, but her eyes moved out of habit, carefully observing the farm.
It didn't take long for her to spot something that bothered her deeply. The camp's defenses were far too weak.
Beyond the small area lit by the campfire, everything else was swallowed by darkness. Woods and open fields stretched out in every direction.
She saw no night watch, no patrols. The perimeter lay completely exposed, and there didn't seem to be even the most basic warning traps in place.
The fact that they had managed to get so close to the sheep pen without being noticed suddenly made sense. It had nothing to do with luck. There simply was no real security here.
Calista felt conflicted.
This was way too careless.
Rick and Shane had already experienced the night attack at the quarry camp. Had they really learned nothing?
In a world like this, that kind of negligence could be fatal.
She set her spoon down and asked Hershel as casually as she could, "Hershel, your farm really is a rare peaceful place. It's so quiet at night, you can barely hear those things moving. Is it because there aren't many walkers around here? So you don't need anyone on night watch?"
She made her tone sound light, as if she were simply curious and a little envious.
Before Hershel could answer, Lori smiled and spoke up while sitting with Carl.
"That's right. It's always been pretty safe here. Walkers don't come by often. At night we usually just take turns resting. Some of us are light sleepers, so we can hear if anything happens."
But Hershel's reply made Calista's heart tighten.
The gentle look on his face faded slightly. He shook his head, his voice carrying a trace of sorrow.
"No, child, that's not the case. This disaster has been just as cruel to everyone. My neighbors… even my own wife and stepson… none of them escaped. This land is no true sanctuary."
His words cast a faint shadow over the warmth of the campfire gathering.
Calista fell silent.
Then why aren't you setting up a night watch?
Leah frowned.
"Then shouldn't the farm have someone on watch at night?"
Rick answered, "We've been helping reinforce the fences lately. There aren't many walkers around here, just the occasional one or two. It's not a big issue."
At that moment, Carl cut in, his voice full of excitement as if telling an adventure story.
"Dad, that's not true! We found one today. In the well!"
Sophia nodded eagerly.
"Yeah! Glenn was really brave. He tied a rope around himself and went down to pull it up!"
Glenn scratched his head, a little embarrassed.
"Yeah… but that thing had been soaking too long. It was completely rotten. When I pulled it… ugh. It snapped in half. It was disgusting."
He made an exaggerated face, which made Maggie laugh and lightly shove him.
The well walker.
Calista's eyes flickered. She remembered this.
This was the exact point in the original storyline where Glenn went down the well.
Not long after, during his date with Maggie, he would discover the walkers Hershel had locked inside the barn, including Maggie's stepmother and her son, and Sophia after she turned.
So even though things had changed, the story was still moving toward the key moment of the barn secret.
Her gaze drifted toward Glenn and Maggie in the corner.
Sure enough, there was a clear tension between them. They leaned close, whispering, and Maggie's cheeks would flush from time to time.
They kept to themselves, speaking softly enough that no one else paid attention.
Calista couldn't hear what they were saying, but she did notice something else.
They were passing notes.
Maggie didn't open hers in front of everyone. She just held it tightly, a shy look on her face.
So it would come out tonight, or maybe tomorrow.
Calista had a good sense of it now.
The walkers in the barn were Hershel's deepest pain, and the fuse for the coming conflict between Rick's group and the Greene family.
But she pushed down any urge to interfere.
The three of them were just passing through, only allowed to stay because of past goodwill.
Hershel's secret was something he would fiercely protect, and how Rick's group handled things with him was their own business.
If she exposed or hinted at anything now, she would lose Hershel's trust immediately. Worse, she might get dragged into conflict or be suspected of having ulterior motives.
With her own people scattered and her future uncertain, the best choice was to stay quiet, observe, and conserve her strength.
"So it's not completely peaceful here either," Calista said, acknowledging Hershel's words and smoothly ending the topic. "Thank you for telling us."
She turned back to her food and stopped probing.
Carol and Jacqui continued to enthusiastically serve them more.
Carl and Sophia chatted happily.
Daryl sat off to the side in silence, watching Merle and Leah, his thoughts unreadable.
Meanwhile, Shane had been quietly observing Calista.
Every glance she cast at the group had not escaped him.
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze occasionally sweeping over her with scrutiny.
Among everyone, Shane had adapted to this world the fastest, and his instincts were sharp.
Still, it was hard for him to feel hostility toward the woman who had helped them so much. All he could do was stay alert and keep an eye on her.
Calista ate quietly, her thoughts clear.
She knew the farm's fragile peace would not last.
But for now, she chose to remain an observer.
Their priority was to recover, then find a way to get a vehicle, fuel, and supplies so they could continue to Sentinel Station and reunite with their team.
After dinner, Rick and Dale led them to an empty tool shed near the camp. It had been roughly cleaned, with hay spread on the floor and a few old blankets laid out.
"Make do here for tonight," Rick said gently. "We'll talk more tomorrow."
"This is already more than enough, Rick," Calista said sincerely.
Once the door closed, the noise from the campfire gradually faded.
Merle collapsed and fell asleep almost instantly, his snores soon filling the space.
Leah checked the doors and windows, then leaned against the wall, staying alert.
Calista lay on the hay. Her body was exhausted, but her mind remained sharp.
"Leah," she said softly, "for the next few days, keep a low profile. Watch more, listen more, talk less. This farm… something's going to happen soon."
Leah responded with a quiet sound in the dark, showing she understood.
Calista closed her eyes and forced herself not to think about the barn.
...
If you'd like to support my work and unlock advanced chapters, you can follow me on p-@-treon.
p-@-treon/GhostParser (45 Chapters Ahead)
You can also follow as a free member to read a few advanced chapters.