Just Gone

23: Pretty Much Dead Already

I didn't dare look up at anyone, instead I just stared at the ground, my eyes focused on Shane's gun I'd dropped. Shoes appeared in my line of vision. They were Shane's he was going toward the barn, stepping over the fallen corpses.

I lifted my head, only slightly as he pulled one of the barn doors all the way open.

"That's all of them!" He announced.

Beth ran past me, sobbing. She stepping over the corpses, just as Shane had. She stopped and dropped to her knees in front of one of the corpses.

It was barely a second later before that corpse sprang back to life and grabbed her. Than her sobbing turned to screaming. The others rushed over to pull them apart. Once they got Beth free, T-Dog used the butt of his gun to bash the Walkers head in.

To my own surprise, I didn't look away. It was a disgusting sight, but I barely blinked.

Then the fighting started again. Hershel was yelling, Shane was yelling, then Rick joined in; but more or so in attempt to getting them to shut up. It wasn't working.

I didn't bother listening, let alone pay attention to what they were saying. It was probably the same thing as usual anyway, Hershel didn't want them dead, we did, blah blah blah.

But there was one part of it all I couldn't ignore.

"I want you people out! Off my property! I want all of you GONE!"

When I finally looked over at them, Hershel was headed back to the house. Maggie had her arms around sobbing Beth. Jimmy and Patricia followed behind.

I watched as Rick and Shane shared a look after hearing Hershel's words. Then they both went after him. It was obvious they were going to try and change Hershel's mind.

I found myself not caring what the outcome would be. It made no difference to me where we were. It didn't matter because no matter where we went, I wasn't home.

"So what now?" T-Dog interrupted the silence. "Burn the bodies?"

"Yeah, too many holes to dig." Daryl said.

"We should bury Hershel's family, burn the rest." Lori said, "Carl, go back, alright? Toby you too."

I turned my head in time to see Carl glance at me before walking away. I didn't really want to but I followed him anyway.

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Carl and me were sitting on the ground in front of his tent. I had taken my boots off as soon as we sat down, my feet were getting too hot and they were much too big for me, adding to the discomfort.

I was sitting beside Carl with my knees to my chest, my bare feet on the cool grass.

"Do you want to look at comics?" Carl asked me.

I shook my head, I wasn't sure how long we'd been sitting there in silence, but it had been a while.

"Yeah . . . I don't either." He said quietly. "They're dead. Like really dead."

I nodded.

"I'm glad they're gone. But . . . Hershel wants us to leave now."

I know, Carl. I stopped myself from saying. I was there. Instead, I just gave a shrug, "he's crazy."

"Sophia's dead too. But . . . I don't get it. I get why dad shot her, but I can't . . . She was supposed to get better."

"Stop," I told him. I could hear his voice cracking. I avoided looking at him in case he was already crying. "Just don't think 'bout it right now. And don't talk 'bout it."