Malevolent. The Walking Dead

[ 011 ] the universe isn't mine

011:  the universe isn't mine

When they finally took a break from walking, there was nagging pain at the back of Joey's head. She wasn't sure what it was. But she felt herself rubbing the back of her head with her two fingers to quell the pain, and when they settled down in an open area of the woods, she leaned up against the tree to close her eyes. Rick had told them they'd keep walking at sun up. Joey just wished he'd stop giving her these weird glances as if she was about to pounce at any minute. Bill had caught on and would return the glares every chance he got.

She caught herself wondering about Carl. She couldn't help it. Going nearly a year without being near someone your own age was a bit troubling. Finn was an exception, but from his words, he was freshly eighteen. Joey didn't know if he just said that to impress Rosita, but that was neither here nor there. She felt like an outsider among outsiders.

At one point, Bill and Joey were sent to collect water from a stream nearby. The sun was setting, and everyone was parched. They would boil it later on, but by the looks of the creek, there must've been some dead floating around in the murks of it. Bill cleared his throat. "I know you wish things were different . . . but they ain't. We got no choice but to carry on with these folks. They've got nothing to take . . . besides weapons. We got nowhere to go. So . . . there's my two cents," he grunted as he pushed himself off the ground, closing the cap on one of the bottles. Joey filled up the other.

"I'm just uh . . . I'm just scared, is all," she whispered. Joey felt too vulnerable. She nearly hit herself in the head.

"No reason to be. We've done this before, no?" he helped her up, and hesitantly brought her into his chest. She didn't hug back, but her eyes closed in gratification. She pushed away after a few seconds.

They settled in another camp by nightfall. There was a fire roaring against the contrast, dark edge of the woods. Rick and the woman from the day before were conversing quietly. Everyone else seemed to be caught in their own heads ━ tired, and hungry. Joey poked around some of the leaves on the ground with a stick. She found out the man with the angel wing's name . . . Daryl. It suited him. He seemed the most back road, redneck out of all of them. Joey didn't fit in, neither did Bill or Finn. Joey was from California, surfed the waves, tanned on the beach, and used the word gnarly. These people were the polar opposites. At least, to her disposition they were. But her prejudices wouldn't get her far unless she actually befriended some of them. Carl was sitting next to her, prepping their area for sleep. Judith, the baby, was cooing in his arms. She caught herself staring.

"Do you want to hold her?" he asked, and Joey felt herself growing embarrassed. She hadn't held a baby since she was a preteen. Her hands were shaking slightly, as if when she held her, she might break. But, regardless, she nodded. Judith was nearly asleep, her eyes heavy and falling. Joey held onto her, her head lolling onto her chest. She could feel her heart beat increasing, but it seemed as though it only lulled her further into sleep. Her other hand went to smooth over her head. "She likes you," Carl had smiled, softly and nearly not noticeable. But Joey could tell that he was overjoyed to be reunited with his sister. But, Joey swallowed thickly to preserve her tough, no ━ nonsense persona. Carl reached over to rub his sister's back. Joey tensed up slightly.

"I ━ I think she's just tired. I'm not the most comforting person," she chewed on her lip, and Carl shrugged. "I mean, she is pretty badass for being able to survive all of this," Joey added, which earned a chuckle from the boy. Joey couldn't but laugh as well. Judith stirred a bit in her sleep, and Carl shifted in his place. "You want me to take her?"

Joey shook her head, looking down at the makeshift beds they had made. It wasn't anything she wasn't used to. "Nah, she's sleeping. Don't wanna wake her," this was the most gentle she had been in nearly a year. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it, when she was killing rotters all day and then suddenly was handling a baby. Joey was able to maneuver herself onto the ground, rubbing Judith's back as she laid down. Carl had laid down, their heads meeting. Part of her felt uncomfortable from the close proximity. Maybe he didn't trust her enough with Judith. Maybe he noticed how she was a sleeping lion. Maybe he thought she was insane.