HEART FOR BRAINS • the walking dead

011: let the truth come out

This was Rio's third funeral. He felt it was useless to keep count anymore. The way things were heading he'd be seeing a lot more. Rick spoke for Dale, he talked about his stubbornness, how he always said how he felt, his honesty and his bravery.

He had killed a good man, was all Rio thought about. He hadn't spoken to Carl. He needed to speak to Carl, desperately. He was the only other person who knew.

Rio cried as Rick continued speaking, he didn't know the man, not well enough to truly mourn him but he felt overcome with guilt. He cried the more he thought about it. He willed himself not to make any noise and just let the tears fall. No one would notice his crying that way. Except Daryl. Daryl spared him a concerned look and stood next to him throughout the whole service, hand upon his shoulder.

He left soon after that, Rio had asked him not to leave but couldn't give the man a reason why. He couldn't tell him what had happened, he couldn't tell him how he was feeling. Daryl left to go and do some job Rick had given him. He said he'd find him again later.

Rio took the chance to speak with Carl. Everyone was taking stuff to the farmhouse. Hershel had officially let them move in. He sought the other boy out whilst everyone else was busy.

"Hey." Rio began, he stuffed his hands into his pockets. He'd been given some more clean clothes from Maggie. A pair of jeans he had to roll up about five times and a long sleeved check shirt.

"Hey." The other boy replied.

"How are you—." Rio began to ask him how he was feeling but Carl quickly cut him off.

"We did it."

"Yeah." Rio hung his head in shame. He had wanted to bring it up, but not like that.

"We have to tell someone. Or at least I have to, I feel like I need to."

"But who?"

"I... I know who." He hesitated. Rio didn't want to ask who he was going to tell, he couldn't see anyone taking this lightly.

They approached Shane.

"Hey, Shane?" Carl called out.

"What's up, dudes?" He replied, Rio cringed at the nickname. "What're you doing wandering around by yourselves?"

"We're not by ourselves, we have each other." Carl retaliated.

"You know that's not what I meant." Shane let out a long sigh before placing wood down in the boot of the car.

"If, um... if we tell you something, will you promise not to tell my parents?"

"Or anyone." Rio added. Carl shot him a look and Rio just shook his head. No one else needed to know.

"I think that's probably a bad idea for all of us, bud." Shane went to pick up another plank of wood as the two boys headed off.

Carl let out a long sigh as he shoved his hands into his hoodie pocket. Rio just watched him with concern. It was eating him alive, and as much as Rio wanted to ignore it, it was getting to him too.

"Hey, uh, come on back." He changed his mind, sitting down in the boot of the car.

"Go on." He said, gesturing for either boy to speak.

Carl slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out Daryl's gun. He handed it to Shane who tossed it in his hand

"I took it from Daryl's motorcycle. If he found out I took it he'd kill me."

"What you doing with this?" He asked finally, emptying the magazine into his hand.

"Dale." Carl spoke, "It's my fault he died."