To heal is to feel

The sheriff with a mission

I step out of the trees and smile as I pop a blueberry into my mouth, walking around the dead house that I've searched too many times to remember, I freeze though when I see a unusual sight in front of me.

A person... a man. Stands in front of the horse I've been feeding and sleeping next to with a rope in his hands, trying to calm the horse but to no satisfaction.

I suddenly feel the need to run over there and step in front the horse and protect it till my last breath, but I couldn't. I didn't now what the man wanted, which was what frustrates me the most.

I hunch down and slow walk behind the man, planning on surprising him. I walk how my mom taught me to while hunting. Like a cat, is how she put it for me sense I had trouble I'm understanding things.

I slowly pull out my dagger from the back of my pants waist band and hold it up in front of me, just like mom showed me.

I take deep breath before silently exhaling, I want to run back into the woods and run until I can't breath anymore and I'm someplace new but I was already one inch away from the man, his weird hat shielding me from the bright sun.

"Get away from the horse, please." I mutter, the man freezes for a second before eventually turning towards me. He looks around in confusion before he lets his head drop and meet my own eyes.

I've never really talked to any one other than my mom, even before this hole thing started, my nerves started to take over my mind and I felt my eyes cloud with something causing discomfort.

"I'm sorry," he pauses not letting his eyes wander off and instead fix them on me with a mixture of shock and confusion, "I didn't know this was any one horse any more. The place was... empty." He uses his words carefully. I shake my head lightly and take a few steps back

"That's not my horse, but it might as well be." I say, lifting my head the slightest to look around the tall man and meet eyes with the horse. He lets out a loud neigh, I make a hushing sound which silences it in seconds.

"What your name?"

"What's yours?" I retort back at the man , squinting my eyes at his fancy hat.

"Rick grimes, that's my name. I'm not here to hurt you, you don't have to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid of you, Rick. Besides how do I know of your intentions when your wearing that silly costume."

"This isn't a costume, not mine. I am- was a sherif."

"Am I suppose to know what that is?"

Rick lets out a soft laugh, thinking that I was joking. I tilt my head to the side a little. Mama never taught me what a Sherrie is, she homeschooled me. Her type of school, but that's the only type of school, no?

"Your being serious..." he tilted his head at me, I shrugged and we were left looking at each other, his eyes were filled with curiosity and worry while mine held suspicion and worry.

The horse neighs, breaking the silence. I walk up to her slowly and gently run my hand through its hair, the horse quotes immediately.

"You know your way with horses..." he pauses , taking his hat off and wiping his forehead that was running with sweat, I shrug my shoulders again at him while not taking my eyes off of the calm horse, "I'm heading to Atlanta-"

"Why?" I cut him off, my curiosity growing in seconds by this strange man in the strange cloths.

He sighs, " I'm looking for my family-"

"I have- had a family too, Rick." I look down and drop my head, my shoes seeming interesting to me right know. There's a silence before I hear the grass crunching in front of me, before Ricks shadow is towering over me a few feet away still. He being careful, keeping his distance still.

I appreciate it.

"You could join me on my... mission. Maybe we both will find what we're missing. Help each other out." He says, chuckling at the end of his words. I feel something drop at the bottom of my stomach as I reply his words in my head...

"I don't think I'll find what I'm missing..." I trial off, the events of the past few day, what I think have been days, reply in my head.

My stomach growls, hunger clouding my thoughts.

I let out a chuckle at the thought of Ricks first words, looking up at him and seeing that he's rather surprised by my sudden mood changes.

"Your... laughing?" He saying, the wrinkles increasing on his face.

"Your on a mission? Like what, from the movies or something?" I say, and he joins in on my stupid chuckling.

I don't know why but whenever I feel... sad, I start to laugh or make jokes to distract myself from the ugly ... low feeling inside of me.

Mom said that I will grow out of it soon.

I hope she's right.

"My son loves comic books at cartoons with super heroes and that stuff, so I picked up a few things. Don't tell him though when we find him, okay?" Rick says, his eyes filled with hole and his voice laced in confidence. It makes me almost feel bad for him.

Does he not know what has happened? Does he not understand that his son or is wife may be dead right know, dead as one of those freaks.

I swallow hard, "we?" I taste the word on my younger, kind of liking the sound of having another real and alive human being to talk to other than the horse or myself, or the trees. Not that I can complain, I'm lucky to be even alive right know, mom said so.

"I was hoping thAt you will come with me. I wouldn't want to leave a five year old by herself in these conditions." He says, playing with the rope in his hands, I let out a soft scoff while crossing my arms.

"I'm eight." Asshole. I said the last word in my head, moms constant cursing was also something I picked up from her during my homeschooling.

I thought about Ricks offer though, what happens if he does find his wife and son, alive? Maybe there's still a chance that I'll see mom again to. Do I want to see her again? Of course I do, she's mom.

"Okay. I'll go with you." I say, my lips twitching before forming into the lightest smile I've had on my face since this started.

Rick lets out a big relieved breath, "thank god." He mutters, handing me the rope carefully, "think you could do it for me, I don't think the horse likes me much." He says before straightening up, I roll my eyes at him before turning to the horse and sending it a wink.

The horse lets out a snort and waves it's head up and down, before lowering its head so I won't hurt myself in putting the rope on it, making me give the horse my best charming smile.

I turn around to rick and try my best not to laugh at his face, that was left in a stunned expression.

The sherif with a mission can't even get a rope on the horse.