VITRIOL | Shane Walsh

XVII

A week had passed and I couldn't be happier. Our safe haven provided a true sanctuary for me and Shane and I couldn't help but notice the real horror of the world. It wasn't walkers who turned us into manipulative, violent, killing machines, it was the real monsters of the world. Humans. That was always a fact pre-apocalypse but extreme examples like Negan made me realise how at peace I was with nothing but my baby at my side.

We were free to love, live carelessly and stay up way past our bedtime. I could almost fool myself that we were back in our twenties when my only concern was 'what if he doesn't wake me up to say goodbye before work?'.

I'd have loved to raised Caleb here and I could almost picture him sitting in the sand with his Daddy's hat on occupying his time by throwing rocks into the sea. However, he'd never get the chance. We didn't know where was, if he was alive or even what he looked like anymore.

"Baby, you might want to have a look at this" Shane waved me over from my spot on the sand to the body of a girl who'd washed up on the shore. I crouched down to pull the hair from her face and feel the pulse on her neck.

"Huh, she's still alive," I said in disbelief. She must've got knocked into one of the rivers leading out to sea and it was a pure chance she ended up here. "Come on, give me a hand getting her inside." I put my arms under her shoulders and Shane started to kick up a fuss.

"No, no way. We don't know who she is."  I dropped her back onto the floor.

"Well what else do we do?" He placed his hands on his hips, tilted his head to the sky and started to pace with a frown.

"I think you know the answer Pricilla" he sighed. Oh no we are not-

"No! We're not killing her for the sake of it."

"Come on we agreed to keep each other safe and this is me doing it" He pulled the knife out of his holster and I quickly grabbed onto his wrist.

"Shane! That's not necessary" He jerked his wrist forward again and I clenched my hand tighter. My angry eyes met his.

"This is exactly like that Randal kid back on the farm, just one kill to keep us safe!" His voice was starting to raise and I was losing my temper.

"We knew he was bad, that's the difference, I don't want the blood of an innocent girl on our hands!"

"Well, I don't wanna wait till she wakes up to find out if she's dangerous. Let's just get it over and done with...NOW!" He stomped forward and I forced my body between him and the unconscious girl. I pushed my hand on his chest and screamed at him to stop. He finally drew his actions to a halt and threw his hands up in the air.

"Listen, we can just drag her five minutes up the beach, leave a bottle of water and note and check on her till she wakes up" Shane turned round to actually pay attention to what I had to say. "We can question her then and if she by miracle escapes she doesn't know where we live."

"...Fine"

- - -

The next morning when I woke up I took it upon myself to check on how our mystery girl was doing. She wasn't a threat in my eyes so Shanes strength wouldn't be needed. After scribbling a quick note on a bit of paper and leaving it on top of my pillow so he wouldn't miss it, I grabbed my bat and went to go find her. However, when I arrived at her spot she wasn't there. I just managed to catch a glimpse of the shirt she was wearing within the treeline and ran after her.

"Shit" I breathed out as I chased after her. She was in no state to be walking out into the woods and I couldn't leave her to get lost. When I finally caught up to her we had stumbled into the hub of a thriving community. I snuck up behind her and cupped my hand around her mouth so she wouldn't scream and raise any attention.