Cuts and Burns//C.G

Chapter 21: Calm before the storm

TW: Mention of sexual assault

I woke up a lot colder than normal. I forgot how the cold felt on my skin. I slowly get up so I could change. When we got back from the run I had put up a curtain in my cell door way. I also had put a lantern in here so I could have some light.

I slip on a pair of leggings along with a grey t shirt and a black big chunky button up sweater I got. It was very comfortable and kept me warm. I also slipped on some socks and my converse. My hair was in braids from the night before so I left it how it was.

I also grabbed my set of goggles daryl found on a run. They were all black with a purple and pink metallic cover over the eyes. They were nice when I'm on watch all the time. I put my gear on before heading downstairs. I only had my old hostler on that held my gun, and my knife. I also clipped my other knife on the other side.

"Going on watch?" Glenn ask as I walk into where they were sorting all the new stuff.

"Yeah. Hand me something nice." I say looking at all the guns. He hands me a rifle with a scope.

"Nice." I say before heading over to the food.

I sit down and quickly eat. Rick, daryl and my dad were meeting with the governor at the moment. They told me yesterday before I fell asleep. I hope everything is going well. After I finish I head up to the watch tower for my basic all day watch shift. I didn't mind being on watch, made me feel like I was back at the farm, except I didn't get a rifle.

My fear of big guns had disappeared over the long winter. Michonne also helped me with that. She told me you'll never be scare of something you know how to use so, she retaught me how to handle big gun. It took a while but I finally got ok. We only had a rifle over the winter, so that's all I know how to use. Rick said he'll teach carl and I know to shoot all the other big guns. I was quite excited about it.

"Have room for one more?" I turn my head to see carl opening the hatch door.

"Yeah, come sit." I say patting next to me.

"I Wonder what's going on." Carl says as we stare at the road.

"Who knows. I hope they're working it out." I say crossing my arms and leaning my head on the rail.

"Yeah true." Carl says kicking a rock off the tower. We sat in silence for a while before either of us spoke.

"Abby, I know you weren't really crying about being worried about the prison the other day." Carl says as I sighed.

"Can you tell me what you were actually crying about?"

I stared at the road thinking. Should I tell him? Or will he just look at me like i'm some monster?

"I won't judge you or get mad."  Carl says turning his attention off the road and onto me. I sighed before speaking.

"I was beat and raped by four men and I killed all of them. Brutally." I say staring at my feet. Carl didn't say anything. Tears filled my eyes slowly as I waited for carl to respond. I was soon pulled into a very tight hug.

"I'm sorry." I immediately started crying in his arms.

"I promise, i'll never let that happen to you again." He says rubbing my back as I cried. We sat like that for around 10 minutes. Until carl spoke up.

"Wanna play cards?" He asked as I wipe my eyes.

"Sure." I say with a small chuckle.

We always play cards. An hour or two later rick and them return. Carl and I quickly climbed down to let them in. We watched as they drove up the road to the prison. I quickly closed the gate before any walkers could get in and carl did the same.

"Wanna head up?" I ask grabbing the rifle.

"Yeah." Carl says with a smile. I smile back and we make our way back to the prison.

Everyone stood around waiting for what rick had to say. Carl and Abby stood next to each other. Carl's hand rubbed softly against abbys. Her head rested on carl's shoulder. He had finally gotten to be her height.

"So, I meet this governor. Sat with him for a quite a while." Rick starts as everyone watches him.

"Just the two of you?" Merle asked him making abby look at him. Rick nodded yes.

"Should have gone when we had the chance bro." He says to glenn before walking away. Abbys eyes didn't move off of him.

"He wants the prison. He wants us gone. Dead. He wants us dead. For what we did to woodbury." Rick says as abby could already tell where this was going.

"We're going to war." Rick says making abbys heart drop. She knew people were gonna die and she could be one of those people. She watched as rick left the room leaving all of them by themselves.

"I'm going to my cell." Abby says pulling away from carl.

"Ok." He says with a small smile as their hands break away.

Abby sat in her cell the rest of the day until it became night. She mostly read her books. Carol came in and dropped judith off for a little while she made dinner. She ate with carl and talked before heading up to her cell to lay down and read.

"Carl told me what happened." Abbys eyes shot up to see maggie standing in her doorway. The light from her lantern was the only way she was able to see her.

"You should have told me." Maggie says as tears started to come out. She slowly sits on the end of her bed.

"It wasn't carl's place and I don't wanna talk about it." Abby says turning over so she doesn't have to talk to her.

"How do you think I feel? I had to find out from someone else about my little sister being raped. How do you think I feel about knowing I couldn't have saved you." Maggie says making abbys blood boil.

"YOU LEFT ME!" Abby says sitting up.

"How do you think i feel? You left me up in that tree house and didn't come back!" Maggie's eyes widened.

"None of yall did!" Tears poured from abbys face.

"Only andrea. She came back for me!" Abby says now yelling. Beth came running into the cell making everyone else come see what is going on.

"I was raped and beaten! BY FOUR MEN! I KILLED EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! YOULL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW I FEEL!"

Maggie's eyes filled with tears along side beth. The whole group had finally figured out what had happened to the little girl in their group.

"I was left to die! Alone!" Abby says looking at group who stood in the door way.

"Now leave me alone!" Abby says as michonne pushed through everyone.

Maggie didn't say anything as she got up and walked out the room. Tears still filled her eyes as glenn wrapped his arms around maggie as they walked away. Michonne sat down and wrapped her arms around abby as she cried. Daryl stood in the door way not moving a muscle. His blood boiled as he watched the 14 year old cry.

"It's ok. You're ok." Michonne says rubbing abbys back. Rick stood in front of daryl out of sight from abby.

"You knew?" Daryl asked rick quietly. Rick nodded slowly rubbing his head. "

I knew we should have gone back." Daryl says looking at abby one last time before walking away. Carl walked out from his cell next to abby and looked at his dad.

"You better apologize tomorrow." Rick says before walking downstairs. Carl knew he'd messed up but he knew he needed to tell maggie. He hadn't seen the two talk the whole time abby has been back. He signed before heading back into his cell.

"Want me to stay?" Michonne asked abby as she slowly started to calm down.

"Yeah." She says as michonnes nods. She lays down and abby lays in front of her. Michonne then wrapped the blanket around the both of them.

"I'll be right here." Michonne says as abby turns off the lantern.

Michonne stays awake until she heard the soft snores coming from abby. She sighed before also falling asleep.