VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴19

Ellie was bored.

The remainder of the day was spent cleanung the Terminus bodies out of the church. She wasn't able to help so all she could do was sit in one of the pews and wait.

As nighttime rolled around, she sat in the corner to herself and ate alone.

Michonne took a break from laughing and joking with Rick, Carl, and Judith to go on watch. Tyreese came in from his shift and made a straight shot to Sasha who was still blank. Grieving.

Ellie looks at Sasha for a few seconds. Maybe Ellie needed to grieve.

Things at the prison just happened. She just lost Hershel. Being on the road and on the run made things blur together and Ellie wasn't really able to grieve.

Thoughts enter her head as she thinks about her loss more.

Hershel was murdered.

In front of the entire group like it was an act in the Governor.

His body was mutilated.

His body.. was still out there.

Ellie looks at the doors. The Terminus people were buried.

Hershel's body was decaying on the ground. Being rained on.

The walkers.. the walkers were probably eating his remains.

Desecrating him.

His skin and flesh left out in the Georgia sun for the dead to come and-

Ellie slams her plate on the floor, shooting to her feet and covering her mouth as she runs outside.

She mearly trips over Michonne as she leaps from the deck, falling to her knees in the grass. She gags a few times until her food spews out of her mouth.

Michonne stands over her, pulling the young girl's hair back as she pukes.

After a minute or so, shs takes a shaky breath.

"You all right?" Michonne questions.

Michonne. Michonne was out there with him. Side by side.

Did his blood get on her when the Governor slices Hershel's neck open?

Did she hear him take his last breath?

Last breath.. How long did it take for Hershel to bleed out?

How long did he suffsr?

He died alone. Afraid. Brutally.

His head was cut off.. His brain..

Ellie begins to throw up again.

His brain wasn't damaged.

Hershel was still out there as a walker. He was still suffering.

When nothing else comes up, Elli slumos onto the ground, pulling her knees to her chest and covering her head with her arms.

"Ellie.." Michonne whispers.

Ellie shakes her head, cringing away from Michonne's touch.

Her body ached. Tears were flooding her face.

In the distance, wood snaps in the forest. Michonne stands in full, guarding Ellie.

Elli weakly lifts her head at the sound. She looks past Michonne to see someone emerge from the woods.

Daryl.

Ellie chokes on a sob, wiping her sleeve over her eyes.

"Daryl.." Michonne breathes in relief. "Where's Carol."

Daryl looks back to the woods. "Come on out."

Ellie sniffles, though her tears didn't stop. She wanted to seem strong though. Carol always told her to be strong so she didn't want to look weak in front of her teacher.

Another guy bustles out of the woods, eyes frantic.

"This is Noah," Daryl shortly introduces, stomling to the church. "We gotta gry everyone together."

"What? Daryl, wait!" Michonne calls.

Daryl looks bacm at her before he reaches the steps. That's when he saw Ellie. He saw how broken she looked.

"Where's Maggie?" he asks.

"It's complicated," Michonne sigbs as Daryl changes course to walk over to the pair.

"She left," Ellie bluntly responds, wiping her tears again.

"Ellie.." Datyl begins, kneeling in front of the young girl.

"Where's Carol? What happened?" she worries.

Hershel was gone. They lost their home. Maggie left. Beth was missing. Carl was angry. Bob was gone. Ellie couldn't handle something bad happening again.

Daryl places hos hand on her shoulder.

Ellie's lip quivers. Carol was gone. There goes another bad thing.

"Carol's fine. She's just.. She's somewhere else. Someone took her."

"She was taken?" Michonne panics.

"But, she ain't alone."

Ellie swallows the lump in her throat blinking her tears out of her eyes and down her cheeks so she could see Daryl clearly.

"Ellie.." Daryl nearly smiles. "Beth's alive."