𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭. carl grimes

19 - STAY

"When I met the Governor, he offered me a deal."

We all listen to Rick attentively. Merle and Michonne are both gone, missing, and Daryl went after them to find them. I haven't been doing much lately, just checking up on guns, killing some walkers by the fence, taking care of Judith, and most of my time is spent with Carl.

"He said... he said he could leave us alone if I gave him Michonne." And that's when it instantly clicked in my head. Is that why Merle and Michonne are missing? Because Merle knew about this deal? "And I was gonna do that... to keep us safe."

I understand why Rick thought of that, I really do, but I can't help but feel slightly disappointed. I admit, Michonne had earned her place here and proved that she's one of us. My doubts about her were completely gone.

"I changed my mind." I looked up at Rick. "And now Merle took Michonne to fulfill the deal, and Daryl went to stop him, and I don't know if it's too late."

I bit my bottom lip. I'm worried about them... the three of them. Yes, Merle may have been a complete jerk and done some terrible things, but he cares. Deep down. I cannot believe I just admitted that to myself.

"I was wrong not to tell you. And I'm sorry." Rick says to us. "What I said last year, that first night after the farm... It can't be like that. It can't. What we do, what we're willing to do, who we are, it's not my call. It can't be.

I couldn't sacrifice one of us for the greater good, because we are the greater good. We're the reason we're still here, not me. This is life and death. How you live... how you die... it isn't up to me. I'm not your Governor. We choose to go. We choose to stay. We stick together, we vote." Rick states firmly. "We can stay and we can fight, or we can go."

He leaves us to think about the decision for our group, for our sake.

I know I said before that I don't think I can call this prison a home... but I'm starting to doubt that. This prison, even though things happened and people died, kept us safe, brought us together, made us work hard.

The lost cause isn't this prison. It's the Governor.

— later

Carl isn't talking to me, he isn't talking to anybody, because he's mad. The decision the group made in the end, was to leave this place. I'm pretty bummed too, but if the others think this is the best choice, I'll have to deal with it.

"You got all your stuff?" My mom asked me once I finished placing my bag inside the car.

I nods with a sigh. "Yeah, I'm good."

My mom places her hand on my shoulder, and I had to look away from her eyes. Her eyes, it always brings me comfort that annoys me sometimes. "We're gonna find a new place. Somewhere safer, Farren."

I nod again, choosing not to make a comment.

"Everyone, hold up." Rick says loudly, loud enough for all of us to hear.

All of us turned to look at him and stopped on what we're doing. Rick stands in front for everyone to see him, hands on his hips and he looks at the ground. His signature post. Then, said man looks up at everyone who's waiting in anticipation.

"We ain't going anywhere."

I knew it. I can feel a smile creeping onto my lips after I heard those words.

"We're gonna stay... and we're gonna fight for this prison."

We then came up with a plan. Hershel, Beth, Carl and I are going to hide in the woods, much to Carl and I's dismay, while the rest are going to hide somewhere in the prison. We'll set some explosives inside the cellblock and they're going to get in position, then open fire when the Governor and his Woodbury people come out.

My mom hugs me before I go insidr the car, telling me to be safe and I told her the same. I got in the car with Carl, before Hershel drove off.

Once we were in the woods, close to the lining, we got out of the car and got our guns out. Moments later, cars started going inside the prison as gunshots went off. More than 20 people are with the Governor and it makes me wonder how good he is at manipulating these people into thinking we're the bad guys.

They went inside the cellblocks and minutes later, they came out running. Our group started firing at them.

"I should be there." Carl tells no one in particular and we don't make a comment.

All of us should be there, to be honest.

I couldn't help but smirk when the Governor and his army backed out and drove away from our prison.

"They did it." I told Hershel and the rest.

We then heard leaves rustling so we hid behind a large rock. I kept a firm grip on my gun, before Carl moves out of hiding and points a gun at someone. I stayed behind him with my gun raised. There was a boy, probably about Beth's age, standing there with a rifle in his hands.

"Woah, woah, woah, woah." The guy said. "Don't shoot."

"Drop the weapon, son." Hershel tells him calmly before the guy obliges.

The guy didn't even got to drop the rifle to the ground, because Carl had shot him dead.

My mouth fell agape and my eyes went wide as I watched the guy's body fall to the ground.

What the hell? This... this isn't Carl.

Hershel and I glanced at each other, before I put my gun back in my shoulder. I grabbed the rifle from the ground and stood in front of Carl.

"Why?" I asked, still quite in shock.

"I had to." He tells me coldly, I stand still. "We can't take any chances, Farren. He's one of his army."

"Yeah, I know that but he was giving up his gun." I replied as cold as he did. "You didn't had to shoot him."

Carl turns his back from me and starts walking back to the car. I looked at Hershel, who shook his head, before telling me we should go back.

— later

Rick, Daryl and Michonne came back finally, but they weren't alone. They went to Woodbury last night to finish what the Governor started, and they only came back now.

"Who are these people?" My mom asked Daryl.

"They're from Woodbury. Governor wasn't there, but he killed the people he was with last night." Daryl explains to us. See? The Governor's a total psychopath and a cold-blooded murderer. "Andrea, she..."

By the look on Daryl's face, I already know what happened. I nod, letting myself feel the sadness. We lost Merle, and now Andrea.

"Wanna go help them?" My mom turns to me.

I looked at the people from Woodbury. They don't look like killers at all, just survivors. Innocent ones. Some are old people, some are children and others are teens and adults. They looked harmless, scared and looking for guidance. Guidance to survive to what the world had become.

I nod my head. "Yeah. Yeah, let's go help them."

And since the start of that day, our group had expanded so much bigger and much more productive. I don't know what happened to the Governor, neither does Rick and the rest of us, but I just wish he gets what he deserves.

Today was a new start.

— END OF PART 1

—~—

tysm for 2k reads on this book! ily all!
here comes part 2 aka season 4!