"Hey I know that you're scared Sophia but we have to do this." Hershel and Beth were watching the baby and so I'd brought Sophia outside to tend to the walkers at the fence with me.
I figured that this was a good as time as any to teach her how to kill walkers. I hold the crowbar out to her but she just stares at me. "I don't want to do this Selene." I nod, "I understand that, I get that this is scary but you're safe behind the fence here and I wouldn't let anything happen to you." She looks down ashamed, "I know I'm the only one who gets scared but I can't help it."
Crouching down to her height I shake my head, "they're scary Sophia, they're terrifying and you have no reason to be ashamed of that fear. We all get scared of them." I assure her but she doesn't believe me, it's written all over her face. "Hell forget the walkers, I'm scared of chickens, if that's not a stupid fear I don't know what is." She giggles as she looks up at me. "I don't want to push you but this is the best way to practice honey, you need to learn how to defend yourself or you'll be scared of the walkers forever."
She shakes her head, "I can't." Her voice is shaky as she pushes the crowbar away. "Okay, that's okay." I keep my voice gentle as I assure the young girl, her cheeks already beginning to redden as her eyes glistened. "I'm not gonna push you, we have plenty of time to do this and until then, I'll protect you." I promise her.
I'd undoubtedly grown close to the girl during our days stranded in the woods, but something about Sophia reminded me of my own sweet baby sister, she'd only been a year younger than Sophia the last time that I saw her. The two were so alike with their gentle mannerisms and their unwillingness to inflict any sort of harm on others. I couldn't help but look at Sophia and just see all the things I loved most about my sister, all the things I missed.
"Selene? Can we go back now?" I force myself out of my own mind and nod. "Course we can, lemme just deal with these walkers." I take the few out fairly quickly, not breaking a sweat. "Alright let's go." I say holding my hand out to Sophia who takes it readily.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
"Where's Daryl?" I ask Carl once we get inside to see he was back but Daryl wasn't. "He's still looking around." I nod not too worried since I knew that he'd be able to handle himself. "You okay kid?" I ask knocking the hat on his head which at least brings a smile to his face.
"What were you and Daryl talking about last night?" I was not expecting that question to leave his mouth. "It was nothing important." I shrug as he looks confused. "But you were gone for ages, I woke up way before Sophia did." I bite my lip wondering why he was being so persistent. I don't miss the way Hershel and Beth glance at us, I already feel the heat rising to my face. "We were talking about grown up stuff Carl." I say hoping that shuts him down.
I thought wrong apparently because now he wants to know why he isn't allowed to know grownup stuff. "Because you're not a grownup." I answer, allowing my soft tone to harden slightly, just enough to leave no further room for the discussion.
I'm so thankful when Rick rejoins us, taking away from that awkward interaction as everyone's eyes are now on him. He doesn't say anything to anyone. His breathing shaky and steps slow as he makes his way over to Hershel who'd been holding his daughter.
I smile softly watching him meet his daughter for the first time, seeing the pure unfiltered happiness on his face as he glances down at her. Carl stands by my side as we watch his father, smile a smile of such joy that it's impossible to not let it infect you. I wrap an arm around Carl as we watch this beautiful moment, a moment that seemed like such a miracle if we thought about the world we were living in now.
Hershel suggests that we take her out for some fresh air, they all agree but I decide to stay behind. "You sure?" Rick asks not wanting to leave me behind alone. "Yeah, I'm just gonna have a shower." I would but I was really waiting for Daryl to come back and I wanted us to be alone when he did.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
When I'm done with my shower I don't waste anytime in making my way back towards the cell block. I feel the ends of my hair still dripping, the water seeping into my shirt as I walk.
"What's going on?" I ask once I enter the area before the block, to see a new woman stood before Rick Daryl and Hershel.
Everyone looked tense.
"Glenn and Maggie have been taken." I feel the blood drain from my face as I look between the men, "what? Do you know where they are?" My eyes find the new woman wondering what part she had to play in this abduction. "She knows but she ain't telling."
The woman sighs tearing her eyes from Rick's, she meets mine briefly before she begins to speak. "There's a town. Woodbury. About 75 survivors. I think they were taken there." She informs her eyes going back to Rick. "A whole town?" He questions, I think we're all surprised at the thought of there being a town out there.
"It's run by this guy who calls himself the Governor-pretty boy, charming, Jim Jones type." She adds making me bite the inside of my cheek, anyone who called themselves something like that was bound to be bad news. "He got muscle?" Daryl asks. "Paramilitary wannabes. They have armed sentries on every wall." I let out a breath, this was not sounding good for us.
"You know a way in?"
"The place is secure from walkers, but we could slip our way through."
"How'd you know how to get here?" Rick asks glancing back for a second, "They mentioned a prison, said which direction it was in, that it was a straight shot." Rick nods and glances towards Hershel, "this is Hershel, the father of the girl who was taken. He'll take care of that."
It's then I notice the wound on her thigh, I wait back a moment as Rick and Daryl go towards the block. "Selene." My eyes are torn from this mysterious woman and fall on Daryl who was looking at me expectantly. "Come on." He beckons me over, I look back at the woman once more and offer her a simple smile before I follow after them.
I'd been trying to get a glimpse of what she was like, the kind of vibe that she was giving. So far whilst I was wary because I knew I'd just met her, I didn't see anything off about her yet.
"Where were you all that time?" Daryl asks as I catch up to him. "I was having a shower." I shrug, "all this time?" He asks incredulously. "No, I was wai-" his eyes brows raise slightly once I cut myself off, waiting for me continue. Instead I shake my head, "it doesn't matter." I mumble lamely and so he nods but catches my arm before I can walk off, "you shouldn't be wandering around the prison alone." I can't help but focus on our close proximity as I look up at him and so all I can do is nod, like an idiot.
He doesn't linger, he lets me go straight away and then he follows the direction Rick had gone in. I shake my head at myself, trying to get my mind clear and my heartbeat steady before I follow him.
"Carol?!" My mouth drops once I see the woman in her cell. She smiles just as happy to see me that I am her. "I thought... when I lost you, I thought the walkers got you." She murmurs as she stands I shake my head as I rush towards her and hug my friend tightly. "I thought the same thing."
