𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗧𝗛 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥

008 my girl, my girl

THE RECENT death of sophia loomed like a heavy fog over the group. it seemed as hope was chipping away at every passing moment. hallie couldn't sit still, her mothers words drifting about her head "idle hands are the devils puppets, sweetheart". in the kitchen hallie put all her thoughts into scrubbing the pile of dishes that seemed to grow every day by the mount of people that roamed the house, her hands felt like prunes as the water caused them to shrivel up. the scent of lemon lingered around her as she squeezed the dish soap onto the sponge.

"you should take a break... or something. i mean you just lost someone" a voice spoke caustiously, almost caring but the voice that said it did not care for hallie, nor did he care about the someone they lost.

"idle hands are the devils puppets, lee" hallie spoke, a hint of disgust in her voice as she placed the last plate on the drying board, swiping a tea-towel across her hands to dry them. turning to face lee, hallie leaned againt the cabinets before speaking once again "my mother taught me that saying" she didnt know why she felt the need to tell him, maybe so he felt he could trust her if she was vunreable with him.

lee looked at the girl quizically, "and where is your mom?" lee asked, instantlly regretting it as a stern look took over her face followed by disgust.

"she left when i was a kid, five... to be exact. could be dead, could be alive, doesnt really matter" hallie looked away from him. the pity in peoples eyes when she told them made her feel weak... she wouldn't feel weak.

"oh, ehm..... im sorry?"

"yeah, me too"

"my mom died when i was a kid" lee spoke up, attempting to cease the awkwardness.

"im sorry, its hard" hallie nodded, looking lee in his eyes.

__________

sitting in the trailer, hallie watched as her father cleaned the guns. "i wanna' learn" she spoke up, gaining shanes attention.

"you already know how to shoot, hall'," shane spoke, not looking up at his daughter.

"i know, i know how to shoot but what if—" hallie began before shane cut off his daughter.

"ain't no what if's nowadays"

"what if, i was alone and i didnt have a gun and some randomer pulled one on me? i wanna' learn how to de-arm someone" hallie almost begged, the desperation filled her voice.

"well thats a dumb 'what if' because you wont ever be alone, and you certaintly would'nt be unarmed" shane spoke as if his daughter was stupid, but he chuckled slightly before grabbing a gun and empting its contents onto the table, standing up motioning for hallie to do the same.

"step one, push the gun away from its line of target, like this" shane spoke grabbing hallies hand, directing it to push the gun to the side. "okay? now do it yourself"

following shanes instructions hallie pushed the gun away from pointing at her, attempting to fully push it out of his hands, "easy, now step two; go for the wrist, 'atta girl" shane told his daughter, keeping ahold of the gun hallie used her other hand to grab his wrist.

"no underneath" shane said, grabbing her hand pushing it underneath his own. "go for the joints, joints are the weakest"

"got it, old man" hallie smirked, looking at her father.

"shut it, sweet pea" shane said, trying to look mad before shaking his head with a soft smile."okay, again. use your legs, get underneath and twist"

acting out shane's words, hallie managed to disarm the gun from her father.

"you did it!" shane exclaimed, before looking at his daughter straight in the eyes. "now that you got it, you point and you pull the trigger. do not hesitate"

pointing the gun at shane, hallies hands shook. adrenailine and fear skyrocketed through her body, the clip and chamber were empty put holding a gun up to someone you love has to be up there in the top ten most nervewrecking things hallie had ever done. placing her finger on the trigger, click. dropping the gun shane pulled hallie into a hug.

"thats my girl. im proud of you, hall'.."

_____

sitting at the dinner table, hallie used her fork to mix around the food. "don't play with your food" carol scolded the girl.

"i'm not very hungry" hallie mumbled.

"beth has been in some — coma all day, rick and glenn are out searching for hershel, my daughter and thousands of other people are dead or starving. eat your food" carol snapped looking straight at the teen.

"that is not my fault" hallie whsipered.

"then stop acting like an ungreatful child" carol spat, that was hallies last straw, standing up the chair slid accross the floor slightly. she headed dwon the hall straight to beths room. hallie stood outside the door for a minuite contemplating whether she would walk in or leave her be. raising her hand she knocked a few times before lowering her fist.

"come in" beths soft voice could be heard from inside the room. slowly opening the door, beth laid on the bed looking at the ceiling, hallies eyes darted to the bandages with out thinking but quickly tore her eyes away from them.

"stupid question, but how are you feeling?" hallie asked, sitting down on the end of her bed.

"ashamed, i guess...." beth mumbled, looking away from hallie.

"theres nothing  to be ashamed of. you were hurting, mentally and possibly even phsically. you arent weak, your just tired" hallie smiled softly, thats what beth liked about her. she didnt pity beth, yet she comforted her in ways no one else could.

"thank you" beth whispered.

"i didnt do anything to be thanked for" hallie smiled, slightly confused yet nonetheless smiled.

sitting up beth leaned forward, placing her head in hallies lap. looking dow at her, hallie raked her fingers through her curled locks. her hair was soft and untangled, beth hummed a tune and the two sat there for hours until the pair simply drifted off into an uninterupted state.

ERIN SPEAKS

short chapter and first update in like 3 months? yeah domt yell at me this summer has been fucking difficult. anywyas ill attempt to get some sort of schedule back in swing but its me.