» Time Is Dancing « | » Carl Grimes «

» I AIN'T A JUDAS «

I Don't Use This Word Lightly, But What A Bitch

Daryl came back. He was one of the figures helping Rick kill the walkers outside the fence. The other one was Merle. Of course I was glad he was here, delighted, in fact. But after seeing him alive and well, all I felt was infuriated. I waited at the gate as the three of them carefully made their way over through the walkers, getting to us and shutting it. First, Maggie and Beth welcomed him back. Then, he patted Carl on the shoulder. He hugged Carol next, working his way down the line of people. Eventually, he reached me. He held a hand out but I hit it away sharply.

"How could you?!" I yelled. I didn't care if all the walkers in the field could hear me right now. "How could you leave me?!"

He started explaining. He found his brother again, Merle was his family, his blood-

"Merle is an asshole! And so are you for going with him." I glared at him, trying to fill my eyes with as much hatred and anger as possible. I spun on my heel, stomping my way back to the cell block. Everyone else soon followed, fearing another ambush.

We were gathered in the block, sorting through the weapons. I leaned against the metal stairs next to Hershel, who was sitting on the lower ones.

"We're not leaving." Rick seemed to be back, at least mostly. Enough to start making the decisions again.

"We can't stay here." Hershel insisted.

"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds." Maggie concerned.

"We can't even go outside."

"Not in the daylight."

"If Rick says we're not running, we're not running." Glenn confirmed from his position on the higher level. I knew he felt more comfortable now, receiving orders instead of giving them.

I rolled my eyes as soon as I heard Merle's gravelly voice echo from the chamber. "No, better to live like rats." We wouldn't let him in the cell block. He still wasn't welcome here just because Daryl was.

"You got a better idea?" Rick challenged. He hated Merle just as much as any of us. I don't think I would ever forgive him for what he did to Glenn, or what he brought Maggie to.

Merle watched us through the bars. "Should've slid out of here last night, lived to fight another day. But we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now."

"We ain't scared of that prick." Daryl was right. I wasn't scared of the Governor, I was scared of the people under his control. I was scared they would come here and kill my family and take my home.

"Y'all should be. That truck through the fence thing? That's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shoot, he could just starve us out if he wanted to." Merle finished.

"Do you ever shut your mouth?" I glared at him.

Rick had had enough. He started leaving when Hershel yelled, "Get back here!" I had never seen the man get so angry before.

"You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why, but now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy, now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So get your head clear and do something."

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"You're avoiding him." I was sitting at the table, cleaning my gun, when Michonne called over to me. I didn't look up at her.