Our Sanctuary

The Stream

Sunlight hit Carl Grimes' eyes and he wearily opened them batting away the flies and mosquitos buzzing around his face. He yawned and stretched, lifting his arms up to the sky and then he noticed Enid wasn't sitting next to him anymore.

He remembered clearly the night before. Enid's head placed delicately on his shoulder - the feeling gave him goosebumps. For all the walkers he had killed, this was the first time he felt like a real man.

Carl opened and closed his eyes a few times to try and squeeze the sleepy dust out of them, his vision still a little blurry. He wondered where Enid was. Carl looked up at the bright sun up ahead. Judging from the sun's position, high up in the south-east away from Alexandria, he guessed it was about 11 o'clock. Carl couldn't even remember the last time he had overslept like that. It must have been when he was a little kid, his mom shouting at him to get ready for school. He could still hear her voice echoing in his mind.

Carl was worried about Enid. She could be anywhere in the forest. Perhaps she went back to Alexandria. He tried to stand up on the branch almost losing his footing and falling down 15 feet to the ground. He climbed down the side of the tree using all his grip strength to hang on as desperately as he could, then letting himself slide down and when he was just a few feet from the bottom he jumped and rolled in the dirt and leaves.

Carl dusted himself off and went looking for Enid. He whispered her name a few times hoping to get her attention rather than the attention of the walkers. He was in a never-ending maze of trees, a sea of green and brown which was starting to make his eyes sore. He thought he saw Enid in the distance but as he got closer, she disappeared. Perhaps that little boy was still around the forest. Carl was still spooked. He checked his pocket, gun at the ready. The rustling of leaves behind him, he spun around, gun drawn but it was nothing. Then another sound and a pair of hands clamped down on his shoulders. He jumped and spun around again only this time to be met by the most amazing green eyes.

"Enid." he shouted.

Her face was dirty like she had been lying on the ground but her green eyes shone through.

"Shut up, keep your voice down." Enid whispered putting her finger to his lips. "Come here, look what I found."

Enid led the way as they moved through the forest like young hyenas skipping from tree to tree. Then suddenly Enid crouched down and pulled Carl down alongside her. She pointed at the other side of the forest where there were lots of trees and branches cut down and a clear path had been made. "Someone else has been through here." she said still whispering.

"That could have been from before."

"No, no." said Enid shaking her head. "I come here all the time. That path was laid now recently. Someone else has come here. Someone other than the walkers." Enid pointed to the ground where there were two set of footprints, not terribly huge and not terribly deep. They could have been made by sneakers or plimsoles. Enid looked closer and continued. "These tracks have an obvious aim. The walkers just meander aimlessly. But these tracks are human. They have real intent.

"Who do you think made them?"

"I don't know. But I want to find out."

Carl gulped. He knew hanging out with the girl meant trouble but he was also excited. This was his first adventure without his dad. But just thinking about his dad made him worried. He knew Rick would have probably sent a search party out already to look for him.

And even though he knew it meant more danger and more fear, Carl followed Enid anyway. Down the carefully laid path that led out of the forest to a narrow stream. Carl watched the meandering blue stream stretch off into the horizon. He looked down and saw Enid cupping her hands and scooping up the water into her mouth.