Louis's words were like ice water thrown into a hot frying pan, instantly cooling the warm and cheerful atmosphere around the campfire.
Everyone stopped talking, their gazes focusing in unison on Louis.
Only the crackling of the burning wood and the distant chirping of insects in the forest remained in the air.
"Louis, why do you think that?" A flash of seriousness crossed Rick's blue eyes as he immediately followed up.
Louis also wore a solemn expression as he slowly spoke.
"I heard from Carl that over the past two days, Walkers have appeared near the camp several times, one after another."
He first looked at Carl, who was not far away, and after receiving an affirmative nod, he continued, "The most recent time was just this morning."
"A Walker even made it to the edge of the camp and ate the deer Uncle Daryl hunted."
Daryl's chewing motion came to a sudden halt.
He looked up, his sharp eyes appearing exceptionally bright in the firelight. He didn't say anything, but slowly lowered the food in his hand, which served as a silent confirmation.
"That did happen," Shane frowned, answering for him, "but we've had stray Walkers wander near here occasionally before. That doesn't necessarily prove anything."
"But they haven't been this close." He paused, giving everyone time to process, then threw out a more persuasive argument.
"Furthermore, back at Harrison Hospital, I heard a couple who escaped from a suburban camp talk about their experience."
Louis's gaze swept across every adult present. "Their previous camp was even more remote than ours, with no cities for miles around."
"It was very safe at first, but later, the horde of Walkers found them anyway."
"What?" Morales was stunned for a moment. "How is that possible? Those things can find their way?"
"Walkers migrate," Louis concluded.
Looking at the expressions of doubt and uncertainty on everyone's faces, he continued his methodical analysis. "Maybe they wouldn't have found this place at first."
"Because there were still many living people in Atlanta or other closer places."
"But it's been so long now. When we came back from Atlanta, the Walkers in the city were as numerous as ants. And living people? There were almost none."
"They can't stay in one place and starve forever."
These words immediately weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
It was true; Walkers get hungry. To find food, they would migrate from one place to another like locusts.
"When do you think they'll find this place?" Rick's voice became incredibly heavy.
"I'm not sure," Louis honestly shook his head.
"Ha, then why do you sound so certain?" Merle smacked his lips nearby, saying sarcastically, "Are you just trying to scare people for fun?"
"It's precisely because I'm not sure that we need to prepare in advance!"
Louis met Merle's gaze without fear and said calmly, "Walkers could come at any time!"
"It could be in a week, it could be tomorrow, or it could be... tonight! The sooner we prepare, the more people will survive!"
Shane looked at the child who was arguing his point so reasonably, his heart filled with complex emotions.
Rationally, he felt Louis was making a mountain out of a molehill.
After all, unlike Rick, although he had spent some time with Louis, his impression was still stuck on him being a 'well-behaved and clever child.' He knew the boy had some capability, but he didn't know the full extent of it.
In his view, it was highly likely the child was just traumatized by his previous experiences and had become overly vigilant.
But emotionally, this child who had saved him and whom he felt he 'owed' had already occupied a significant place in his heart.
Looking at Louis's face, which had turned somewhat pale from anxiety, Shane couldn't bring himself to say anything in rebuttal.
He sighed, a smile reappearing on his face as he reached out and patted Louis on the back, saying helplessly, "Alright, you've certainly thought this through."
"I've finished eating anyway, so I might as well go check things out for you and take a lap around the camp. Otherwise, I'm afraid you little guy won't even be able to finish your dinner from worrying."
Rick, on the other hand, took Louis's words very seriously and also intended to check the surroundings, his thoughts aligning with Shane's.
So he immediately agreed, "It's too dangerous for you to go alone. Let's go together."
Seeing this, a smile finally appeared on Louis's face. "Then I'll also..."
He was about to say he could help when he felt a large hand give the back of his head a light swat.
"Just eat your dinner, kid."
Merle had also stood up at some point. "Don't go meddling in grown-up business."
Then, he and Daryl, who had silently picked up his crossbow, walked over to Rick, who was distributing ammunition. It was clear they intended to join the patrol.
After a moment of thought, Morales settled his wife and children and, along with Morgan, T-Dog, and the others, received guns from Rick. They decided to stay in the camp to strengthen the guard, just in case.
The originally warm welcome party had turned into a tense pre-battle mobilization because of Louis's words.
Everyone was made a bit nervous by this sudden change, and they all began eating faster.
Just then, Amy, who had been sitting quietly by the side, suddenly stood up.
"Oh, God!"
Her sister Andrea immediately looked at her nervously. "You're not thinking of going on patrol too, are you?"
Amy was amused by her sister's jittery behavior and responded with a mix of laughter and annoyance, "I'm going to the bathroom!"
This small misunderstanding caused several of the tense women nearby to burst into laughter, and the atmosphere relaxed slightly.
However, these casual words made Louis's heart skip a beat!
He quickly stuffed the last few bites of grilled fish from his plate into his mouth, then, as if suddenly remembering something, he slapped his forehead and muttered to himself:
"Right, I forgot to give Rick's hat back to him!"
He set down the empty plate and pretended to head off to return the hat to Rick, but his pace unconsciously quickened as he walked toward the RV.
Having seen the plot, he knew that the Walkers... were coming!
Sure enough, a few seconds later, that blonde figure stepped down from the vehicle, her expression looking a bit annoyed.
Now!
Louis's pupils suddenly constricted! Without a second thought, he grabbed the weapon at his waist and charged over there!
Amy had just stepped out of the RV, wanting to ask the others if they had any more toilet paper, when she heard a voice filled with extreme urgency from behind her!
"Watch out!"
She instinctively turned around, only to see a rotting, hideous face!
A Walker had somehow managed to sneak silently behind the RV and was now opening its bloody maw, about to bite into her arm!