cassette tapes |d. dixon| [1]

51

"In sickness and in health... that's the vows you take when you get married. I guess no one took into consideration of when it came to the apocalypse. I guess it's a way to test real love. To push it to the limit. "

CAROLINE SIGHED, WIPING THE SWEAT FROM HER BROWS THAT FORMED IN THE SUMMER HEAT,

"I saw those sculptures at the airport once." Rick commented, trying to lighten the mood, "My favorite was the kids playing leapfrog."

"Mine, too." Clara responded, "What Eddie and I had to do, did you do things like that?" 

Caroline and Rick glanced at each other, but neither of them answered,

"With that question, all I could think about was shooting my father. Sacrificing him to save myself. We've done worse than just leave people behind."

"Do you think you get to come back from them?" Clara questioned,

"I hope so." Rick answered,

"Yeah? I hope we answer your three questions to your satisfaction."

Clara seemed more fidgety, playing with the tin foil and glancing around more. Rick and Caroline made eye contact again and the blonde placed her hand on her gun as a precaution.

They came upon a small clearing with a tent and piles of things pouring from it.

"Eddie." Clara gasped, "Oh, thank God, you're still here. This is Rick and Caroline. And they're gonna help us."

Caroline's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't see another person around. Who was she talking to?

She kneeled against a crate, "Everything is gonna be okay." She muttered,

Caroline peeked into the tent, noticing it was only set up for one. A shrill scream filled the air and  Clara attacked Rick, her knife raised. He pushed her to the ground and they pulled out their guns.

She sobbed, "I wanted to take the boar, I just knew I'd get you two here so much quicker. He's starving. He's slowing, he needs something much more alive."

Rick held his gun to her while Caroline walked over to the crate. Beside it was a burlap sack that was moving.

"Please, I told you, I can't be without him. And so I kept him. It was wrong. I can't do things like this. And you have to do things like this. Let me be like him." She begged, "Don't stop it. Don't end it after."

Rick shook his head, "No."

Clara raised her knife, her blade pointing towards her torso, "Let me be with him."

"No!"

They both watched as Clara pierced herself on her own blade, pushing it into her stomach. She gasped in pain before collapsing, 

Caroline watched in horror as she began to bleed out,

"That was something I had never seen before. Someone loving another so much that instead of killing the creature they became, they turned themselves into one. They'll be together... forever. Just like they promised when they said 'I do'."

Rick put his gun away and knelt beside Clara, "Hey." He said softly, trying to comfort her in her final moments,

"What were... the questions?" She gasped, trying to distract herself from the pain, "The three questions?" 

Rick looked up into the sky before responded, "How many walkers have you killed?"

"Eddie," She panted, "Eddie killed-- killed them all. Until... "

"How many people have you killed?" Rick continued,

"Just me. Just me." Clara answered,

"Why?"

"You don't-- you don't get to come back. You don't get to come back from things. You don't..." Her breaths faded until there was nothing.

Caroline took a few steps backwards in shock. She turned back to the sack, walking over and picking it up. Rick put another sack over Clara, to ensure that she couldn't bite anyone after she turned.

The blonde set the growling sack besides Clara's body, before looking over at Rick, "She's wrong." Caroline whispered and he looked over at her,

"You can come back from things." Caroline grabbed his hand, "You have to."