Rick Grimes' Daughter ~ Born a Survivor

10. One evidence and one secret

Ruby's P.O.V.

Flashback to the highway before the camp

Mom, Carl, Shane and I have been blocked on the highway for hours and the night has fallen not long ago. We can hear some crickets playing music in the air as some people around us are talking, wondering what is happening. We met a family and few other people while waiting for the road to get better. Carl is playing with the girl, huh... Sophia. I think it's her name. Her parents are standing next to their car, her mother talking with mine. I look around, watching some people talking nervously together, some others are trying to occupy their children or are feeding them with whatever food they could find in their car and a man coming back from the forest as he zips up his zip from his pants. Shane is sitting in our car, listening to the radio to know what is happening on the highway. I sigh not knowing what to do and getting hungry and tired when noises coming from the city are heard. We can sometimes see faint flashes through the forest.

- Are we gonna go soon? questions scared, Sofia, to her mom while still playing with my baby brother.

- I don't know, baby. I sure hope so, answers, her mother.

- I'm hungry, tells, Carl, turning to our mother who is looking at him playing.

- Me too, I say as my stomach suddenly gurgles.

- I know, guys. We all are, responds, mom, nodding powerless as the same time. 

- Why don't I get them something to eat? Ed's into all this survival stuff. We've got enough MREs to feed a small army, replies, the kind woman, looking quickly at mom before walking around her car. I smile, happy to know that I am going to eat a bit. That's what I've been waiting for hours!

- I'd sure appreciate it, responds, my mother as she follows the kind woman.

- No trouble, I hear the car door opening but it quickly gets closed... Too quickly actually. I frown confused as I cross my arms over my chest.

- What in the hell did you tell her that for? I hear her husband whispering madly to her. We don't even know these damn people.

- Those two kids are hungry. We can spare two boxes, answers, Sophia's mother, shaking her head as she looks scared at him. I know that this guy looks and sounds scary but he is her husband, she shouldn't fear him...

- It's called operational security. How long do you think this stuff is gonna last if you keep running your damn mouth off to everybody we meet? replies, the man, still sounding mad at her. The kind woman apologizes to her husband, looking down, scared, before walking away. I look at my mother, exchanging a glance with her.

- Watch your little brother. I'm going to check if Shane found something, tells me, mom, barely looking at me. She walks back to our car and I watch her joining dad's best friend.

- You getting anything? I hear mom asking Shane. Even though I can't hear what he is saying, I can see Shane sighing and shaking his head. I close my eyes before lowering my head, guessing it isn't a good news.

- There's nothing, he answers mom as he gets out of the car. Like, absolutely nothing. Emergency broadcast system stopped, and that recording about the refugee center... Shane walks passed mom and towards our way. It's all gone. I'm gonna go up the road, see what I can see, he tells mom as she follows him behind. 

- I'll come with you, tells, mom seriously. Shane grabs and squeezes my shoulder as he walks passed me.

- Ed must have forgot to pack those MREs. I found these in my purse, I hear the kind woman saying to my mother as she looks at her, smiling. Sophia's mother turns to Carl and I and gives us the food. We thank her, smiling back to the woman.