Walkers//c.g✔️

Chapter Thirty-Two

Carl and I found ourselves walking back to the same gas station we found that man before. We left a few supplies for the man, some water, some canned goods, jerky. SORRY. The note stated. We slipped it underneath the stuff.

I nodded my head at Carl. "This was the right thing to do." I spoke quietly. He nodded. We walked back to the car. My stomach started to churn, my mouth salivating. My eyes watering. The color draining from my face. Carl looked at me, "You okay." I nodded. I bent over, spewing all over the side of the road. Carl rushed to my side immediately, looking at me, "Hey, Hey. You're okay." He brought my hair out of my face, holding it as I threw up even more. I spit. Carl handed me the canteen of water, I drank from it gracefully. He opened the car door, I sat down, controlling my breath. "I'm fine, I think I got overheated or dehydrated or something." I said softly. He nodded. "Let's get back." I nodded. I suddenly felt so much better than I did before. I heard a low growl, "Hold on." I said, clearing my throat. I got out of the car, gripping my knife close to me. Carl hot on my trail.

We found the walker aimlessly trying to get a bag that was stuck in the tree. A stick was stabbed through it. I looked at Carl. I walked near the walker but was immediately stopped by Carl.

The man from before appeared, stabbing a blade through its head. The crunching sound of the skull made me cringe. The walker fell limp.

"Hey." Carl called out, the man looked at us, his eyes widened. We placed our weapons in our holster, walking near the man, "It was my dad. There-There were warning shots above your head. He wasn't shooting at you. I'm Carl, this is Tessa." We walked slowly over to him, The man hesitated. "S-Siddiq." He said, putting his knife down. "Food and water." Carl handed a ziploc bag to Siddiq. I sent him a small smile. "Why?" He asked.

"I guess you-you we're talking about something your mom said, about helping people and my mom told me that you got to do what's right. It's hard to know what that is sometimes, but sometimes it's not."

Carl tossed the food over to Siddiq. He took it gracefully, ripping open the bag, gulping the water down. Carl grinned. "Thanks."

"Glad I found you." Carl said. He gave us a look, "You were looking for me?"

"Yeah. We scavenged the sardines, other stuff. Tessa and I we're in a community." Siddiq looked at us, a small smile contorted on his face.

"I'm gonna ask you a few questions. I need you to answer honestly, okay?" Carl stepped closer to him. "Okay." He agreed. "How many walkers have you killed? I know it's hard to keep track-" "Two-hundred and thirty seven." "Really?" I asked. "Give or take a couple." Siddiq looked back at the walker he just recently killed. "How many people have you killed?" I asked. "One." He responded, coldly. "Why?" Carl asked. "The dead tried to kill him but, they didn't."

"You're making walker traps." I said, "Is that how you kill so many?"

"I-It's only part of it. My mom thought or hoped that killing them would," He paused, "Free their souls." The wind blew causing a nice breeze, "You know? Maybe she was right."

"Doing that, doesn't that just make thing harder for you while you're trying to survive?" Carl asked. "I-I don't know." He stuttered. "I- But you gotta- you gotta honor your parent, right." I gulped. "If I was honoring my dad, we wouldn't be talking right now and I definitely wouldn't bring you back to my community."

We walked throughout the woods with Siddiq. Hearing walkers in the distance. I climbed over a tree that was tipped over. We followed the noise of the walkers, which might be the stupidest thing that we have ever done.

We fell upon three walkers, feasting on an animal carcass. I gripped my knife. "Okay. For your mom." Carl said quietly.

We walked up quietly, Carl dropped his back, carefully, near a tree. I stepped on a stick, causing the walkers to look up, intestines fell from their mouths. I scrunched my nose in disgust. Siddiq stabbed his knife up through the throat of a walker. More walkers came from the side. I kicked a walker in the back of its leg, falling, I stabbed it in its skull, a crunching sound in entrance and exit. I heard struggling, quickly whipping around to see Carl laying on the animal carcass and a walker on top of him, he was struggling. "Carl!" I yelled. I quickly stabbed another walker that was coming towards him, it fell dead. Two walkers came on top of him. My heart pounded, the adrenaline pumping through my veins as I ripped one of the walkers off of him. He shot the other one as I plunged my knife through its skull. My heart
pumping, Carl panted, I was quickly by his side, "Are you okay?" I said quickly, there was blood all over him. He got up slowly, still panting, "Yeah." He said quietly, looking down and quickly up.

"You could've left." Siddiq said. He continued panting, "Carl?" Siddiq asked, "I'm responsible for you now. That's how it works." "I don't wanna make any trouble." Siddiq said. "Your dad didn't want anything to do with me."

"He didn't, but sometimes kids have to find their own way to show their parents the way." We walked back to the car, Siddiq sitting in the back. Carl gripped my hand for the entire car ride home.

Siddiq went off to the infirmary. Carl and I went into the house, I kicked my shoes off, walking up the stairs. He kissed me softly before going into his closet, taking out one of his flannels and a t-shirt out. "I love you." He said, quietly walking into the bathroom. "I love you." I said.

He shut the door, locking it behind him.