When The Camellia Wilts | The Walking Dead Fanfiction

When The Only Way Is To Adapt

"We've all changed; shaped by the circumstances we've been thrust into, molded by the choices we've made."

- Siobhan Davis

With a rock in her hand, she bashed its skull in, again and again and again until her whole body became coated in crimson red, her heart stained coal black. Another pair of footsteps reached her ears and she raised the rock once again and threw it at that direction. Her eyes darkened as she could only think about protecting herself and Arden but as she calmed down, her whole world stopped. 

"A-aliya." All strength left her as the rock fell down timidly, as if it too, were ashamed of the blood spilled. "Fuck!" She sputtered out as she threw herself at him, her shaky hands trying hard to put the blood back where it came from. "Arden! I'm sorry!" She tore a piece of cloth from her top and put it on his wound, trying to stop the bleeding but it was in vain. 

Her breathing became laboured as she tried so hard to undo the mistake she just made. A mistake the cost the life of her only companion and friend. "Please! I'm sorry! Don't leave me!" He could only stare at her as she sobbed into his chest, her hand crumpling his shirt and her tears mixing with his blood. "Aliya." He called out to her but she was too shaken up to hear him. 

"Aliya!" A violent gasp left her lips as she was jolted awake, startled by her body being shaken aggressively. Her sobs were uncontrollable as her lungs struggled to catch her breath. "Aliya! You're okay!" When she came to, she realised that Arden was the one holding her. She let out a sigh of relief as she latched onto him almost desperately, latching onto him as though he was the surface she needed to break through in order to breath. 

Seeing her like that made his heart ache in worry and regret. He shouldn't have let her go on that run alone. It didn't take too long for him to connect the dots since he has noticed the changes in her behaviour after that day. Something happened in that run that immensely affected her. He desperately wanted to know but he doesn't want to force it out of her nor does he want to pester her about it. 

He silently rubbed her back soothingly as they rocked back and forth. "You're okay." He hummed into her ears as she was slowly calming down. "Do you want to talk about it?" She didn't respond and instead just hurried her face into his neck. "We don't have to talk about it." He offered and just went back into comforting her. She thought about it for a while. Talking to him about it instead of bottling it up for it to explode later. But she was scared and ashamed. 

She gently backed away from him, wiping her face with her hands and combing her hair with her fingers. "I ran into three men on that run..." His ears perked up as he scooted closer to her. She decided to just spill it out and tell him everything, not thinking too much about what he would think. She noticed how tense he became as she got deeper into the story with his knuckles turning white and his jaw clenching. 

He wanted to go back into the past and shield her from those two but he could only curse them in his head now. "What about that guy, D?" She shrugged and took a sip of the water he provided, "I don't know and I don't want to know." He figured it was time to move on from that story as she became cold and defensive. He nodded, tapping her on her shoulders before standing up and dusting his knees off. "If you're calm enough, go to the dining room. I made lunch." She nodded and watched him go on his way.