𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐎𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 ➳ 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬

Chapter 6 ~ Little Pup

It didn't take long to arrive at the Sanctuary. Soon, we saw walkers passing by the truck and heard their loud snarls. I met Carl's gaze warily and he returned my hesitant look. Neither of us knew what we were getting ourselves into with this. Or maybe we did and we were both terrified out of our minds at what could happen if it all went wrong. I'm sure Rick already knew we were gone by now.

And he was probably furious. No, we shouldn't have gone by ourselves on this one. But it didn't matter now - we were here. And we had a job to do.

"Come here," Carl whispered to me suddenly and I stepped closer to him.

Taking a closer look at what he was doing, I noticed he was rummaging through a full box of guns in the corner. Wordlessly, he handed me one before grabbing one for himself. As he put a magazine into his, I did the same with mine before cocking it.

"Okay, boys, let's get this haul unloaded and inside!" Negan's voice barked from outside the van.

Carl and I glanced at each other briefly before he began to usher me towards a small hole in the bottom of the vehicle we had found. This way I could get out unnoticed.

"You go on, I'll distract them," Carl whispered as I sat down before dangling my legs into the hole.

"Stay safe," I whispered back to him.

Pulling him to me by his collar, I pecked his cheek before hopping down through the hole. I hit the dirt below hard - the impact sending shock waves through my Converse. I cringed at the pain before I began to crawl on my belly out the other side and into a bush. The men laughed and joked as they climbed up into the truck. Hunkering down, I made my way past old vehicles, still careful not to get caught. I could practically feel my heart pounding in my chest from the adrenaline rush.

I'd made it a good ways away when I heard something crash in the truck with a loud shattering of glass before sudden gunfire erupted. My eyes widened at the sound and I stood up straight, taking off running to the back of the building. No one seemed to notice. No, everyone's eyes were glued to the boy in the worn, brown Sheriff's hat who was standing out the back of the moving truck with a gun in his hand. I grinned, feeling a strong sense of attraction for him in that moment. Something about a strong man, I suppose.

I turned to leave then when I suddenly felt someone's eyes on me. But when I glanced behind me, I saw nothing. Shrugging, I continued my trek towards the towering compound before me. The majority of Negan's people seemed to be out by the trucks today and for the most part, I didn't have a problem making it round back. I took the stairs at the back two at a time before sliding inside. Cool air hit my face and I breathed it in gratefully, the hair on the nape of my neck having already stuck to the skin there from sweat.

Releasing a breath, I made my way down the darkened hallway with my gun aimed in front of me. There was closed doors on each side, making me believe they were rooms belonging to Negan or possibly his wives. I almost barfed at the thought. Some had been forced into it so I had heard but others had accepted of their own free will. Why anyone would willingly marry that psychopath was beyond me. I clenched my jaw.

And no matter how many times he asked, I would always say no. It didn't matter how bad a situation I was in, I would not marry that monster! Not after what he'd done, what he'd taken from me. Biting my lip so hard I felt blood trickle into my mouth, I rounded the corner. No one down this way either. It looks like at least this section was empty.

Carefully, I stopped by one room and pushed the door open with the butt of my gun. The room inside looked like a little girl's room but there was no occupant. I almost smiled, feeling memories seep back into my mind before I closed the door again. As I started walking back down the hallway once more, silence was all that filled my ears. It was almost deafening and made me feel uneasy somehow. I moved past another door then, ignoring it completely...until a sound drifted out from behind the wood that made me stop in my tracks. A baby's cry.

Taking a deep breath, I sent one wary glance behind me to make sure no one was coming before I wrenched the door open. The room inside nearly took my breath away. It was beautiful - a nursery. The walls were painted a deep lilac color, a small blue bookshelf stacked with books sat in the corner, children's toys littered the floor, and large pink butterflies dotted the ceiling like a painting. But what caught my eye wasn't the beautiful trappings of the decorations. No, it was the small baby lying on a pink blanket in a crib in the middle of the room.

Stepping over to it carefully, I peered inside only to be met by a familiar pair of cocoa-brown eyes. I felt my heart leap in my throat and I pressed a hand to my mouth briefly as hot tears brimmed in my own eyes. It was her. It was her! My little girl. I had finally found her again!

She gurgled at me slightly, her face holding a look of wonder as she gazed up into my face. I choked back a sob as I carefully slung my gun across my back before gently picking her up. Her body was so small as I lifted her up out of the crib, her skin warm on my fingertips. She had a sparse bit of hair on the top of her head - the same dark color as my own. As I held her, I felt an immense love for this tiny human being swell in my chest. She was so beautiful.

"Hi...I'm your mom," I whispered softly, my voice nearly breaking from emotion.

Finally, I couldn't hold it in any longer and the onslaught of tears came pouring down my face as I held my child in my arms. But the sudden voice that came from behind me shattered our reunion like broken glass.

"Ah, I see you've met the little pup."