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⠀I wasn't sure how long I had been staring at the wall. It's one of those moments that is dulled by the lack of sound, and your own lack of movement, that you eventually lose track of time. Those were sacred... holy. Whenever something like this came round, these instants were framed by nothing but platinum and gold.
⠀I curled my hand out from under my thin blanket, reaching to the wall and tracing the scratches there. With all my analysis of the small ranges in this prison, I couldn't help finding it similar to a echo of me ― scores and dark corners.
⠀Trailing the ends of my fingers over the surface, I pressed with a firmer certainty... filing down my nails. It was a trick I learned from a girl I once knew.
⠀"Marley?" I almost didn't turn, going to just answer back, but I craned my neck. My bones made a small noise of protest, after being in an awkward sleeping position for so long. In my peripheral vision appeared Lori, shiftlessly standing in the doorway to my cell.
⠀The sight of the older woman made me turn on an axis, gripping the sheets beneath me to anchor my body upwards. I didn't pose a question myself, but her eyes registered my tired and slightly bewildered aspect.
⠀"Here," she started, reaching behind herself to bring something into my perspective. I let out my hand, ready to retrieve whatever she was showing me. Lori placed an extremely haggard, but still useful hat between my fingers. The comical picture of a falcon painting the top of it. They stride each other in their firey position. And the first thing I did was set it upon my unkempt hair.
⠀"For your hair," she continued, lifting one side of her lips at me. "For if it falls out... again."
⠀I still sat in my place, unsure of what to say next. But I spoke as we usually did. "That's a good idea." I gave her the best form of smile I could.
⠀Wiping down my jeans, I stood straight in front of her, uneasily keeping my eyes from her stomach. With the brim of the hat shielding any morning sun, I could look at her face in a wide thank you. To which she returned with a smile.
⠀"Rick and the others are outside," she sighed wearily. "Moving cars."
⠀I nodded in response, moving past her in the doorway and neglecting the small amount of space I called closeness.
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⠀Somehow, the sky was tepid and bluer than the day before. My shoulders were covered by my thin, black shirt but all it did was heat up my skin. With the appearance of T-Dog, Carol, Rick, and Daryl far down the driveway from me, I rolled up my sleeves.
