Sneaky

Chapter 87

Yeah so I'm on a roll today. This chapters about 2-300 words shy of 3,000....

Enjoy!

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I caught up to Rick and Hershel heading towards the house; Andrea not far from them, as T-Dog drove the truck up to the house.

I can see Carl on the porch from here, looking at his shoes and honestly, he looks scared. I don't think he and Dale were very close but, to see someone you know ripped open like that...

It's gotta be worse for him than the rest of us. I don't think Carl's even killed a walker, much less a person before.

This is the world we live in now. No shelters, no looking away, no kid gloves, no protection aside from the spaces we clear and actively keep that way, ourselves.

I think I'm gonna ask Rick & Lori's permission to teach him. I can't stomach the thought that last night could have been any one of us. We thought this place was safe, so we let people wander freely but... what if it had been Carl wandering in that field?

We could have been digging a much smaller grave this morning. It could have been him, could have been my dumb ass laying in the field, Daryl in the shed with Randall; Anybody in camp or outside who looked the wrong way, at the wrong moment.

It helps no one if even one person alive today, doesn't know how to take care of themselves. At the very least in an emergency.

Carl already knows how to use a gun, but he's small. That can either be a death sentence, or an advantage.

He's just a kid but most walkers are full sized adults. If they get ahold of him... there's very little a boy his size could do, to get them off. It would be better for him if a gun isn't his only protection. I wanna teach him how to be fast, unnoticed. And how to break free from a grip.

It might be selfish but I'll feel better knowing he can at the very least get away, should something happen.

I've been thinking about teaching him all kinds of things in passing for a while now, but this morning during the funeral... it hit me. How defenseless he really is. How defenseless most of the group is.

I can only name a few who I know can handle themselves in an up close and personal fight without a gun.

I shouldn't be able to name anyone who can't.

Daryl's loud motorcycle passed me and I almost jumped finding Andrea on my right. I didn't even notice she was catching up to me a second ago.

The sunlight shifted around her blonde hair every step; lighting the side of her face, and casting shadows over her brown jacket, the fluffy white underside bouncing soft light onto the underside of her face.

She's been attacked at least twice that I recall and couldn't defend herself. I opened my mouth, taking a breath to speak before Rick's voice behind us pulled both our attentions.

"Andrea, Eve."

Both of us turned, pausing our steps to let Rick and Hershel catch up.

"When I'm out with Daryl, help Hershel keep an eye on things around here." Rick glanced at Andrea.

I nodded, catching exactly what he means by that. He's nervous about leaving Shane to reign while they're out. There are only so many people here who can deal with Shane, and two of the small number are gonna be gone for the better part of a day.