Fragmented

06 ≫ get used to it

I woke up from a terrible nights sleep. I couldn't sleep due to the fact that I was being held here. I just wanted to leave.

You probably think I'm crazy, though. We're in the middle of an apocalypse and I'm staying in a huge modern house. I wake up to a made breakfast every morning, and we're completely safe, thanks to the wall around the community.

There are about 15 of us here, so it's very small and quaint. You know what? If I'm being held here, maybe it won't be so bad.

I get out of bed and creep down the stairs, to find Nick making breakfast.
He's wearing a grey shirt with slouchy joggers, and he's at the stove making scrambled eggs.

He is oblivious to my presence, as I sit at the island countertop and await for breakfast to be made.

"Oh, hey." He says, turning around to put the eggs on a plate.

I give him an unamused look and salute him, motioning to him that I want breakfast. I didn't feel the need to be nice to these people. They were holding me against my will, I wasn't eager to stay here.

If they didn't like the way I was acting, they could release me into the wild with the walkers. I survived a year out there by myself, I could survive a lot more.

Nick slides the plate over to me and I stop it. I take a bite out of the eggs. A slight "mm." Escapes my lips. I can't help it, these are amazing. I haven't had real food in a while, I've just been living off of animals, probably filled with diseases.

"Good, huh?" Nick says, taking a bite out of his eggs. I nod.

After a couple moments of awkward silence, I finally say something. "Why do you all want me to stay here so bad?"

"Because, we need you. There aren't many of us. We need help. I know we seem like terrible people, but this is for the benefit of us and for you. You're an asset to our team."

Before I could reply, Daryl and Rick walked through the door. "And, if there are a group of yours out there, and they were to find us, we can use you so nobody gets hurt."

Nick cleared his throat. "Good morning," He saluted them. "Breakfast?"

"No, uh- were here to talk to you, Eden." Daryl said, turning down Nick's offer.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Are you willing to stay?" Rick asked.

"One on condition." I started. "I want to hunt with you guys."

"Hunt?" Daryl asked, clearly in disbelief.

"Yes." I said proudly.

"You? Please, you couldn't kill a fly." Rick scoffed.

"How the hell do you suppose I lived in the forest by myself for a full year? Off of bark and grass?" I asked them.

"We're still not sure you don't have a group out there with you. It's hard to believe you survived out there on your own." Daryl said.

"Then how am I such an "asset to your team"?" I asked, looking at Nick and quoting him directly.

"That's- that's not the point here." Nick said, motioning for Daryl and Rick to continue on with what they were saying.

"I want to hunt with you guys, or I refuse to stay." I told them.

"I don't know.." Rick said, looking at Daryl, crossing his arms.

"It's not a question. If you want me here, and if I'm so important, then let me hunt."

"How about this?" Daryl started, annoyance in his voice. "Today, you come hunting with me. Show me what you got and if you're good, I'll let you hunt with us. Regularly."

"Fine." A toothless smile plastered across my face, sarcastically.

Daryl and Rick rolled their eyes and walked out, saying goodbye to Nick and not me. I wasn't worried if they liked me or not. If they didn't, that was their problem. If I was such an important part here, and they wanted me so badly, my attitude shouldn't be a problem. Though, I always wondered why they wanted me so badly here. They've never seen my hunting skills, and when I bring it up, they doubt me. It's weird to me, and all they say is that I'm so important. I always wonder to myself, and I've never figured out the answer.