REWRITING calamity → the walking dead ¹

sixteen.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN,
the barn.

Aiden stood with Dale, Rick, Shane, and Lori.

"How the hell did this happen?" Lori asked them as she placed the gun Carl had taken in the waist band of her pants.

"Well, it's my fault. I let him into the RV he said he wanted a walkie, that you sent him for one." Dale told her.

"So on top of everything else, he lied. What's he thinkin'?" Lori asked quietly.

"He wants to learn how to shoot. He asked me to teach him. Now it's not of my business, but I'm happy to do it. It's your call." Shane told the parents.

"I'm not comfortable with it." Lori replied.

"Kids gonna need a gun in a world like this, Lori. He's gonna need to know how to protect himself, how to defend himself. Not from just walkers but people too." Aiden told Lori.

Lori huffed at Aiden's statement. "Oh, don't make me out to be your unreasonable one here. Rick?"

"I know. I have my concerns too, but-"

"There's no buts. He was just shot. He's just back on his feet and he wants a gun?" Lori said to her husband.

"Better than him being afraid of 'em. There are guns in camp for a reason. He should learn to handle them safely." Rick said to his wife.

"I don't want my kid walking around with a gun." Lori said sternly.

"But how can you defend that? Aiden's right, you can't let him go around with protection." Rick said.

"He's as safe as he'll ever be right here. Look, everything you're saying makes perfect sense. It feels wrong. I mean, I didn't feel good about him follow you out into the woods. I wish I'd said something. I should've gone with my gut." Lori stated.

"He's growing up, Thank God. We've got to start treating him more like an adult."

"He needs to act like one. He's not mature enough to handle a gun." Lori argued.

"I'm not gonna play with it, mom. It's not a toy. I'm sorry I disappointed you, but I want to look for Sophia and I want to defend our camp. I can't do that without a gun." Carl spoke Aiden's words.

"Shane's the best instructor I know. I've seen him teach kids younger than Carl." Rick told her. Lori looked over at Shane.

She grabbed Carl's face. "You will take this seriously and you will behave responsibly. And if I hear from anyone in this camp that you're not living up to our expectations-" Lori was cut off.

"He won't let you down." Rick said.

"Yeah." Carl agreed.

»

Aiden sat on the steps of the farmhouse with a sketch pad and a pencil Patricia had given her before they left for target practice.

Her hand had a mind of its own when she drew or painted. Art was something she loved but she knew she could never make a living off of it.