Doomed - The Walking Dead

Chapter Ten

Today is the 19th. I just marked it in my notebook. A smile grows on my face. Just as I close my notebook, Carl comes back into the bedroom.
"What's that?" he asks.
I feel my face turn red. "Uh, just something I do, it's stupid."
"I bet it's not as stupid as sneaking out of a safe place to be in a place where you could be eaten alive," he says.
I can't help but laugh. "It's a calendar," I sheepishly say.
"A calendar? You've kept up with the dates?" I can't quite read the tone he uses. It sounds hopeful and critical all at the same time.
"Yeah," I cautiously say. I'm hoping he's more supportive than judgmental. "It's kinda kept me sane, ya know?" I explain.
     "Yeah, I get it." He walks past my bed and over to his. "What's today's date, then?" He asks. He picks up his hat from his pillow and places it onto his head. I put it on his pillow a few minutes ago when he went to the bathroom. There's no way I could keep his hat, not after he told me how he got it.
I slide my notebook under my pillow and turn my body to completely face Carl, my legs crossed. "October 19th," I answer.
     "October, really?" He says. He huffs. "It has been getting a little chilly, I guess."
     There's a pause. Carl looks at me, but I avoid eye contact. I play with the hem of my jeans. "So what are we gonna do today?" I finally say, looking up.
"What do you want to do?" He asks, sitting on his bed. His blue flannel brings out his eyes. I never noticed that his eyes were blue before now. Dark hair and blue eyes just like me.
     "Well I never got to meet Enid," I finally say after a moment.
     He huffs. "Right, 'cause of my dad." He shakes his head. "I'm still sorry you had to see him like that. He does this thing where he, ya know, blows everything way out of proportion."
"Don't worry about it," I wave my hand dismissively. "You can never be too careful now-a-days. I get it. He was looking out for you." My saying this makes me think of my parents. My head lowers and any trace of a smile I had on my face disappears. Dad would've protected me in this world. I know he would've.
"Hey," Carl says just above a whisper. I look up. I try to keep a tear from falling. "You don't have to be sad about them anymore," he gently says. He's read my mind. "The people here will be your family. We will." He pauses, looking me right in the eyes. "I will."

On the way to the lake, where Carl swears Enid will be, he and I find ourselves in silence. Out of force of habit, I start my broken record.
     "Rayne Emily Wilson, October 20th, Georgia. Rayne Emily Wilson, October 20th, Georgia," I say in a low voice. "Rayne Emily Wilson, October 20th-"
Carl interrupts me. "What?" There's a bit of a chuckle in his voice when he speaks.
I feel my face turn bright red. I suddenly forget every word I've ever learned. How do I explain this to him? There's no doubt he'll think I'm crazy. What person in their right mind repeats their name, date of birth, and state they occupy on a constant loop to avoid silence? That's it, after this is up in the air, we'll never speak again. Might as well get it over with.
"U-uh," I try to begin. I let out a sigh and close my eyes. My hole face scrunches up as I speak. "When I was outside, I used to say my name, birthday, and state I'm in over and over again." I prepare myself for the disgusted, judgmental look that I know will be staring at me and slowly pry open one of my eyes. To my surprise, I see a face that looks concerned. I unscrunch my face. "What?"
"Did you say Georgia?" Carl utters.
"Yeah...?"
He hesitates. "Storm... You're not in Georgia."
What? No. He's messing with me right? This is some kind of sick joke. I haven't passed any state boundary signs. "Where am I, then," I mumble.
     "This is Washington D.C.," he says. "You're in Virginia." My mouth falls agape. I search his face for any sign of a smile. Nothing. He's serious? There is pity in his expression now. "Jesus, how long have you been walking?" He whispers.
My gaze falls to my feet. My own words ring in my ears. A third of my life. Has it been that long? Christ, I thought I was exaggerating. But it's true. Five of my fifteen years this world has existed. Five of my fifteen years I've been fighting for my life. Five of my fifteen years... I've been walking.