Whispers of the Past || TWD

Chapter 28: Nose Milk

The ride continued in silence, until Rick slowed the RV, coming up to a car crash.

"What the shit?" Abraham's voice echoed.

Rick stopped the RV, and everyone got out, except for Cassie. She just sat and stared at the ground, tap tap tapping her foot.

~~~

The group, plus a couple newbies from Jesus' group, walked up to a wall. Hilltop. 

Cassie stared in slight confusion, a memory trying to resurface in her head. She's been here before, but couldn't place it. She just had that itching feeling in the back of her mind going, what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck. 

The gates opened and the group walked in. 

"Welcome to the Hilltop," Jesus announced.

Cassie's mouth opened slightly in shock. There were crops and animals and small wooden structures...

What made her stop, however, was the large house in the center. 

She vaguely heard bits of conversation between Rick and Jesus as they walked towards the house.

"...here?" Cassie heard Rick question.

"People just sort of came here, I guess. I think it had something to do with the fact that the house used to be a living-"

"History museum," Cassie finished, finally able to place why it felt so familiar.

Jesus looked over to her and smiled. "Yeah. You've been?"

Cassie nodded. "Came here on my third grade class field trip. We dressed up like we were from the 1700s. It was awful."

Jesus laughed, causing a small smile to spread on her face. 

"Yeah, well, I can't imagine this place being too entertaining for a bunch of eight year olds."

"I mean," Cassie said, in attempt to make it sound not terrible, "It wasn't all that bad. This one kid- Jeffrey St. Donald- snorted milk out of his nose," Cassie started to quietly laugh at the memory. "And- and it got onto our gym teacher, Mr. Smith... his reaction was hilarious. He was all like-" Cassie imitated her teacher by deepening voice- "The hell's wrong with you kids? Getting snot nose milk all over my brand new leather jacket! You should be ashamed of yourselves!" 

Cassie was now fully laughing at the memory. She didn't know why, all of a sudden, she found it so funny. Maybe it had to do with all of the crazy shit going on in her life, and the fact that something so stupid and small from forever ago was deemed a big deal... but she didn't care. Jesus and Rick laughed along with her. Jesus laughed, because he found the story hella funny; Rick laughed because he hadn't seen Cassie laugh at something so trivial in a long time. 

After about a minute of laughing to the point her eyes were tearing up, Cassie composed herself. She cleared her throat in embarrassment, realizing everyone's eyes were on her.

"So uh," She started, clearing her throat again, as she kicked at the dusty ground with her even dustier shoes, "History museum. Cool."

~~~

Cassie decided after 0.2 seconds of knowing the Hilltop's leader, Gregory, that she highly disliked him. 

Maybe it was the fact that he was in a suit with a trimmed beard, or maybe it was the fact that he reminded her of President Snow from The Hunger Games, but she did not like that man.

Maybe it was because he told them to get cleaned up before he would even speak to them.

Maybe it was because he clearly disrespected Maggie, and her group in general.