In The Bird Song | TWD

chapter 10 - sick to death

Pov Harlow

The prison is flourishing everyone is asleep as I watch the sun rise like always with carl snoring behind me. I have the perfect view of the prison landscape its changed drastically in the last 30 days since the Woodbury people have arrived. There the outdoor kitchen that we built and long dining area in the field.

We have live pigs and crops that rick and a slightly reluctant carl look after. The prison has really become a home filled with life in the last month and it gives me hope that maybe one day humanity will be able to rebuild and create a society better that the one we had pre apocalypse. a society with less poverty and overpopulation where everyone has equal rights and the earth and wildlife are treated with care and respect.

It's a nice thought but I doubt I will be alive to see society rebuild; it might take 100 years or more for the world to regain order if it ever dose. Eventually the prison begins to wake up and about 2 hours after sunrise there's people spilling out into the courtyard and beginning their days.

I unceremoniously shake carl awake "rise and shine sunshine." I say ripping off carls covers as I do every morning. He throughs his pillow at me grumbling "I hate you; you know that." And I roll my eyes and going down to breakfast leaving carl to wake up in peace.

On the walk down to the dining hut I spot Daryl and catch up with him "morning big guy." I greet him "morning kid" He grumbles. I like to think that me and Daryl have gotten closer in the last month because I hunt with him almost every day and he taught me to throw knifes.

On the walk to the dining hut about 10 different people enthusiastically greet Daryl who just nods in return. Much to Daryl's dismay he has become the most popular person in the prison because he brings in the food (with my help) and he brought a lot of new people to the prison giving them shelter.

When we get to the kitchen carol is there to greet us, another stranger excitedly greets Daryl and carol teases "just remember I liked you first" And Daryl sighs "stop" But he's smiling slightly. "You know rick brought a lot of them in too" Daryl adds referring to the newcomers that have been brought in. "not recently, give the strangers sanctuary, keeping the people fed with Harlow's help of course, you're going to half to learn to live with the love." Carol replies. "The kid does half the hunt for me at this point" Daryl says glancing at me with a proud look.

Carol smirks at me and says to Daryl "yeah well Harlow's got a fair thew admirers of her own, in fact here comes one now" Daryl and carol both smirk at me as Patrick a boy my age come up to us and smiles at me. "Hey Harlow I just wanted to say thanks for bringing in that deer yesterday, it was a real treat for all of us." He sticks out his hand and I take it awkwardly "sure thing Patrick."

He looks hesitant and asks "maybe we could hang out some time today when I'm off kitchen duty." I hear carol and Daryl sniggering behind me clearly enjoying my obvious discomfort, I don't want to hurt Patrick's feelings but I also don't want to hang out with him because he always try's complementing me and I don't know how to navigate that social situation.

I put on a fake smile and say "shoot Patrick I would love to but I me and Daryl will probably be hunting all day so..." Daryl cuts in saying "actually we don't need to hunt today." I turn to glare at Daryl before turning back to Patrick "well if I'm not hunting then I should probably go learn more medicine from Hershel I've not studied with him in a thew days but maybe we can hang out some other time" I finish awkwardly.

Patrick looks disappointed but says "yeah okay" and walks away. I angrily turn to Daryl "thank for your help there." Both he and carol have twin shit eating grins on their faces and carol says "looks like you handled it fine by yourself." I scoff and call them both children but I'm not really annoyed.