Trying Our Best - Carl Grimes x Reader

Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen:

"Hey (y/n)." Carl started as I began another comic. This time the comic was about the Joker.

"Yeah?" I still kept my eyes glued onto the comic. The cover, being a bit worn, had rips and wrinkles spreading along the edges.

"I think we should go back to Alexandria now. It's getting dark. And as much as I like it out here, we have to go back to some people." As I listened to Carl, I heard a slight growl and thumping noise.

I turned my head over my shoulder to the left and saw a dead one in the distance. It looked to be a girl, a little girl. She had to be around eight or nine. I squinted a bit and saw the little girl had on a nightgown. It's once white surface, was now caked in mud and blood.

'A little girl... A dead little girl. Milia... God damn it! Why can't that memory leave my head!' My brain began to replay the moment of Milia's death. As I felt the tears forming in my eyes, I heard a gunshot and saw the little girl fall to the ground.

'The little girl became lifeless. Just like Milia did in my arms...' My thoughts were becoming out of control, not making much sense.

'Shut the hell up mind! Everyone becomes damn lifeless when they're killed. Even the ones who aren't really alive, the undead ones.' I felt the comic being taken out of my hands and what replaced them were hands.

I took my (dominant hand) and wiped my tears as I looked over to Carl. He was watching around us, checking for anymore unpleasant visits. Carl's one blue eye seemed to get brighter as he looked at the forest.

"Hey, what's wrong?" My eyes were still on Carl. He held his grip with my hand as he still was eyeballing the forest.

"Nothing, I'm okay. Just the thought of it all. You said we had to go back?" I finished trying to get off the topic. It's awkward to talk about my feelings.

"Yes. I'm guessing your siblings, if they're back, are wondering when you're going to be back. I know my dad wondering where I am." Carl had a slight smile as he began to pack up his bag, putting the little snacks back into the pockets.

"What?" I wondered why he had a smile.

'He has a beautiful smile. I wonder what happened to make it appear so slightly.'

"Nothing. It's just I never expected to ever have a girlfriend I guess. The majority of the population is dead and the remaining people are mostly adults. It just seems surreal I guess." Carl stood up and offered his hand. I gladly excepted his hand and pushed myself up.

I readjusted my bag as I began to speak. "Anything that happened in the old ways of life seems surreal in this way. I mean there is many differences. The main one is this shitty virus, which is what you could call it I guess. Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did but okay." I gave a smile towards Carl at his smart ass statement.

"Where have you stayed to survive? I know you haven't been at Alexandria for the whole time." Carl seemed a bit bothered by this question.

'This subject seems touchy for Carl. Well, I was bound to hit a soft spot at one point.'

"Um well my group has been at some different places. First it was the quarry but then we had to travel. Then to the CDC before it blew up. My group traveled along the highway for a bit until things led to us getting to Herchel's farm. That fell apart when a huge hoard came. Then we skipped from house to house for a while, maybe around eight months.

My dad found the prison and we set up there for a while but then the Governor came and blew it up as well. The whole group got split up and we all wandered for a bit til we reached each other. Then at different times, our group ended up at Terminus and then Carol blew that up. All of us stayed at a church for awhile but then that got ruined. Then finally we caught up together and then we walked for a long time then drove here." Carl explained where he's been as we walked back to the fence. We were about twenty feet away from the rusting walls.