Take My Hand: Walking Dead Fanfic

Chapter 43-Silence

Chapter 43

 •Joslyn•

You couldn't just hear the silence, but you could feel it. It was written in the air. Everyone in the group knew Rick a lot longer than I did, so I was the only one who was really focused. I looked around as we walked on the side of the road. Everyone was behind me, except Carl. He trailed ahead, not looking back even once. I knew I had to do something.

"Hey,"

I didn't see what his expression was because he looked down, and his hair fell in front of his face. it must have been sad though. It must have.

"I know what you're going through. It's happened to me..."

"No it hasn't," he said as if the whole statement was one, long sigh.

I stopped, not believing what he just said. But I couldn't yell at him or anything. It just happened to him. He looked up at me, turning to face me, and stopped where I did. 

"It was suicide, Joslyn."

Yeah, that hasn't been a word in my vocabulary for a while. I swallowed, trying not for it to be loud, but I couldn't help it. The topic made me nervous just thinking about it. It's a shame that this world has that on the top of its llist. 

"It was him thinking that everything was his fault...but it wasn't..."

"Did he tell you anything. Anything you needed to do?"

My dad didn't.

"Yeah...he did..."

Carl cradled me against himself, stroking his hands through my hair, followed by warm breath trailing down my neck. I wrapped my arms around Carl's waist, feeling him already protecting me. 

 •Carl •

I made Joslyn walk in front of me the whole time we walked down the road. I did sound pushy when I tod her to do it, but I needed her to. I turned my head over my shoulder, still walking, and caught Daryl's eyes. They were red, dropped, and dry. he nodded his head, and I nodded back, slowly turning and looking to the ground. 

I bumped into something while I wasn't looking. Joslyn was stopped on the road and my chest was to her back. She looked up at me over her shoulder.

"Look."

She nudged her head over to the woods as a cabin peeked through between trees. I looked back to the rest of the group, preferably asking Daryl by looking at him.

"Let's go."

We all followed Daryl into the woods. there were bushes everywhere, so it felt like we were in a sanctuary.

"We should split."

"What?! Why?"

"Well, one group can look for food, supplies; maybe hunt. The others can scout the house."

"Maggie, that's stupid!"

 Joslyn looked concerned, her face gentle as she reacted to me.

"Carl!"

"Michonne! Do you realize what just happened?! We lost another. Yea, it might have been his decision, but it was your fault."

 I motioned to everyone, Maggie specifically. If they just would have left the topic of Joslyn and I alone for a second, everything could have been different. He could still be here. 

"Well, thanks a lot...Maggie."

I pushed through everyone, taking my own path. I didn't care what they wanted to do. I was going to go do my own thing. I could protect myself. I just forgot one thing...

-

Daryl and Michonne ended up following me while Joslyn, Maggie, and Glenn went to go in the woods and look for supplies. I went up to the steps of the cabin. In front of the steps, there was a string with cans tied on it, both ends tied around a pole on either side of the steps.

"Someone's here."

"Or was."

While Michonne and Daryl were Sherlocking the whole situation, I walked around the house, hearing noises. I saw nothing when I walked around back. There was rustling in the bushes infront of the house. Daryl and Michonne realized what they missed.

I walked over to the bushes, yet I saw nothing.

"Must've gone away,"Daryl said, not worried.

Joslyn.

I ran, not knowing where I was going, yet I just ran. It could've been a walker. It could have been a person. Whatever it was, it wasn't going to hurt her.

Bam.

A gunshot. A gunshot that was so close, there immediately was a ringing in my ears. 

"J-Joslyn?! Joslyn, where are you?!"

I ran my way through the maze of bushes, looking for any kind of sign that could lead me to Joslyn. Michonne and Daryl were right behind me, so they were probably looking for the rest of the group, too.

"Carl!"

I turned to see Glenn out in a path, looking like blood had been splattered on his cheek. I swallowed. I heard a scream, sounding like Maggie's, but it was echoed. I couldn't quite hear correctly, and my vision was blurry.

Glenn looked behind me to Michonne and Daryl, looking at them with worried eyes and his voice shook. He doesn;t want me to know something. As i walked closer to Glenn, Daryl tried to pull me back as he tugged on my shirt.I shook him off, turning the way that Genn came from.

Surrounded by a pool of blood was Joslyn. Two guys stood next to her as Maggie panicked. I couldn't hear her though. No one was saying anything, and all I heard was silence, and the voice in my head that was going to torture and guilt me forever.