𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. carl grimes

7 - MERLE

Carl wakes me up and I realized that I wasn't at my top bunk, I slept in his bed. Not with him though, he said he slept in the other cell with his baby sister.

"You should go eat with us." Carl tells me us I got up.

"Sure." I nod. "Where's little ass-kicker?"

He smiles a little at the nickname. "With Beth."

We got out of the cellblock and joined everybody who's having breakfast, or lunch whatever. Carl hands me a can of corn kernels and I smiled.

Later on Rick finally came back, but he didn't stayed long. He's obviously avoiding talking to everyone because he knows what we'll talk about. Maggie and Glenn are going out to scavenge more supplies and I told them I wanted to come along. I'm running short of tampons because that box of tampons wasn't exactly full.

"Be careful." Carl tells me as I pack my dagger and other weapons—gun still not included—inside my bag.

I zip my bag shut before swinging it around my shoulders. "I will."

Carl surprises me by pulling me in for a hug. I awkwardly pat his shoulder before he pulls away. "Wait here."

My eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Why?"

"Just wait."

I watch as he leaves the cell and seconds later, he comes back with a gun. "Here."

"Where'd you get this?" I asked.

"It's one from my dad's. Don't tell him I gave you that." He said with a smile.

I slowly took the gun from Carl's hand and placed it inside my bag, making sure the safety's on. "Thanks, really."

He nods before we got out of the cell. Maggie and Glenn were waiting for me so I bid Carl goodbye one last time, before Maggie, Glenn and I all head off.

— later

The car ride is silent. I didn't brought my walkman and headphones with me but I don't feel the need to use it. The gun Carl gave me is in my hands, I kept fidgeting with it but making sure that the safety's on.

"Who gave you that gun?" Glenn breaks the silence and they both glanced at me.

"Carl did." I said with a quiet voice, but loud enough for them to hear.

"I'm sorry about your mom, Farrren." I tensed up when Maggie brought it up. I hear Glenn mutter Maggie's name and she apologized to me.

"How'd she die?" I asked Glenn mostly. He looks unsure of what to say so I push on. "Tell me."

"...walkers."

Fucking hell.

I swallowed down the lump in my throat and kept the tears at bay. Only at night, tears, only at night you get to fall free.

"Did you see her body?" I asked, dreading for the answer. I don't exactly know what answer I want to receive. Glenn shakes his head and I nod.

"We're here." Glenn stops the engine and I grabbed my bag, before getting out of the car.

I observed my surroundings. It's one of the only times I get to go on runs because my mom wouldn't allow me, especially after Sophia died.

When I turned to face the couple, I rolled my eyes at the sight.

I faked a gag when Maggie and Glenn started kissing as we were in front of a store. They both rolled their eyes at me playfully, before Glenn opened the door of the store.

"The hell!" I shrieked when crows started flying out of the store.

"You okay?" Maggie asked once the crows were gone.

I nod, before following Glenn inside. I immediately parted ways from them, desperate to find tampons or napkins or whatever I can use. Thankfully after a minute or so, I found two boxes of tampons. I also found a packet of Skittles, I could give this to Carl as a thank you for letting me borrow this gun.

I met up with Maggie and Glenn, who are done taking the formulas and other stuff we need. They started on talking but I didn't pay much attention.

Until I heard a new voice; a familiar one.

"And where is it y'all good people calling home?" The voice said, followed by a click of a gun.

I took mine out from my pocket and aimed, but my mouth almost fell open when I saw Merle Dixon standing there, aiming a gun at us.

Glenn and I looked at each other before he faced the man. "Merle?"

The latter chuckles, putting his gun down at the ground. "Wow."

"Hey, back the hell up!" Maggie yells to Merle.

How the hell is he still alive?

My gaze fell onto his right arm, and saw something attached to his arm. How could he mutilate himself and survive? I could only imagine how painful that was.

"Okay, okay, honey!" Merle said with a smile on his face. A smile that I never really trusted. "Jesus."

"You made it." Glenn states, still has his gun up.

"Can you tell me, is my brother alive?" The man asked. "Huh?"

"Yeah." I answered for Glenn, making Merle's eyes land on me.

He nods. "Hey, you take me to him and I'll make everything even to what happened up at Atlanta. No hard feelings, huh?"

My eyes fixed themselves on the thing on Merle's hand. What is that? All I could tell was the long blade attached to it.

He chuckles when he sees my eyes on them. "You like that? Yeah, well I, uh, found myself a medical supply warehouse and fixed it up myself. Pretty cool, huh?"

I don't even know what to think about that, it's still sinking in that Merle Dixon is alive, after all these years.

"I'll tell Daryl you're here, and he'll come out to meet you." Glenn states but Merle doesn't seem to like the idea. "Woah!"

"Hold up!" Merle exclaimed. "The fact that we found each other, is a miracle. Come on now, you can trust me."

I can tell that's a lie.

I never really trusted Merle from the very first time I saw him. There was just something off about him that never made me like him.

Still, Glenn stood his ground. "You trust us. You stay here."

Merle gives off a slight chuckle, before yelling and pulling out his gun. I quickly ducked and Glenn grabs my arm, pulling me along with him as the bullet hits the glass of the car. Merle wasn't in sight so Glenn and I both went to where Maggie was, only to find her on the ground with Merle having a gun on her.

"Hold up, buddy, hold up!" Merle tells Glenn and I.

"Let go of her." Glenn said, his voice starting to fume. "Let go of her!"

"Put your guns in the car," Merle instructed. "Put it in the car."

Glenn and I reluctantly placed our guns on the car. "There you go. Now we're gonna go for a little drive."

"We're not going back to our camp." Glenn states.

"No." Merle said. "We're going somewhere else. Get in the car, Glenn! You're driving!"

Glenn reluctanty obeys Merle and I watched as he stood up, still holding Maggie. He glares at me and motions to follow them inside. When Merle wasn't looking, I quickly grabbed my gun and hid it inside my jacket.

"Where the hell are you taking us?" I asked the older Dixon, who scowls at me.

"Shut your mouth kid."