A Hard Lesson to Learn

Chapter 4

The thunder rolled in the distance as it eased closer to Alexandria. Looking out the top of the window from the corner, Kali could see the dark storm clouds as the danced across the sky. Storms always peeked her interests. She loved how the atmosphere changed before a storm. The cool air that was shot in as the stormed roared in the distance. Now being in an apocalypse, every chance she has when it rained or stormed, Kali was out in it. The rain served as a way of washing away her troubles and tension.

She remembered one time at The Sanctuary when it was raining, and the thunder was clapping that she was outside dancing around in the rain with the little kids. They were all giggling and jumping in puddles. The children weren't used to having one of the higher ups playing around with them so when Kali had invited them to play, they were hesitant. After a little convincing, one by one they ran outside letting the rain wash over them. A smile graced their faces as they danced around and around. Kali was taken off guard when a couple of them crashed into her causing her to fall to the ground landing in the fresh mud. The mood quickly took a turn south when that happened as the children looked at her with fear in their eyes. "It's alright guys, just a little mud that can we washed off easily," she had told them but most of the kids had retreated into the building leaving her laying there.

She let out a sigh as she watched the rest of the kids leave her too. Gracefully, she pushed herself to her feet as the rain continued to fall. Looking toward the building she saw the door was open, but all the people that once was watching were gone. Slowly, she raked her eyes up to the balcony feeling eyes on her. Negan stood under the cover of the awning staring at her. He gave her a nod of the head before turning and heading back inside. Kali huffed and trudged her mud-covered body towards the building. She needed to shower and then talk to Negan.

A loud strike of lightening jerked Kali out of her daydream. Those memories of The Sanctuary, where just that, memories. She didn't know if she would ever see that place again. Right now, she just hoped that one day she'd get to enjoy the outside like she used to. There wouldn't be anyone around her pulling her around or having to watch everything from the little square window in this cell. She heard the door at the top of the stairs creak open and footsteps make their way down them. Those footsteps didn't belong to Rick either.

It had been nearly two weeks since she had seen Rick when she thinks about it. Every night when someone would come down there, she'd ask where he was only to be ignored. The only person that gave her an answer was Michonne. "He's busy," was her reply before walking back up the stairs.

When the person came to rest in front of the cell door, Kali glanced out of the side of her eye to see who it was. Kali let out a soft sigh when she realized who it was. "My grandmother used to tell me that I could estimate how far the storm was away by how long the thunder rolls. She'd tell me to count how long the thunder rumbled and that's how far the storm was away, but seeing that you're here I guess the storm is right outside?"

Slowly, she shifted to look directly at the door. "You're Rosita, right? I remember you from the outpost and the church a couple weeks ago. Why are you here," Kali prodded.

"Has anyone told you about what happened?"

"No," Kali said firmly. "Y'all don't tell me anything. I miss my buddy Rick. Do you know where he is perhaps?"

"Rick isn't important right now. Negan found us. He lined some of us up in the woods. He killed two of our people. Then he took Rick off in the RV. Rick won't tell anyone what happened. When he got back, you could see that he was broken. He looked lost. We had to gather up the bodies of the ones Negan killed. We buried them at the hilltop. Negan told us that when he comes by and if he finds you here, that he'd kill everyone right in front of Rick. So, I'm going to save this place. Save my family."