• Carl's POV:
I watched my breath appear and disintegrate on the car window. The old pickup lurched and screeched at every bump, causing my head to bang repeatedly into the door, yet I didn't bother to sit upright.
We've been following the car's tire tracks for about an hour now, and so far no other clues have surfaced. My hope's been dropping at a constant rate street block by street block.
Dad sighs, also feeling defeated, while turning a corner, resulting in Michonne and I to lean momentarily to the left. I shot up as he spoke, "Here it is." The orange station wagon sits, abandoned, in a ditch off the road.
Before dad even stops, I open the car door, jumping out onto the grass, as our comes to a rolling stop. Slipping down the small, muddy slope, I reach the car and start to look around for any ideas for where they had gone.
The first thing that drew my attention was the open trunk, it's floor littered with broken beer bottles and old cigars, "ugh." Careful not to cut myself, I shuffle the glass around, gasping at an item hidden under a scrap of tarp. Rain's knife.
"Hey! I found her knife," Calling over to Dad and Michonne, they rush over, also interested by the trunk.
He puts his hand on my shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze, "Go to the car for a second, we'll be right there." I nod, and Rain's knife in hand, go back to the street, as Michonne disappears into the woods.
Shutting the car door, and confirming that Dad was busy searching the vehicle, I cry. Clutching the leather wrapped blade in my shaking hands, trying to pretending like I didn't just see the fresh blood lining almost every shard of glass in the trunk, or the pile of walkers sprawled over the car's hood, tears run down my face.
Rain was out there somewhere, I know it, probably getting fucking harassed, or eaten, or raped, or who the hell knows. It was enough to make me go mad.
Michonne returned ten minutes later, a little more blood and dirt on her clothes than upon leaving. She and Dad drew out a small map in the dirt, and spoke for a little as I dried my tears in the car.
"We tracked their movements to a trail leading to Terminus. For another 10 miles or so, this road runs for the most part parallel with the route, so we should catch up with them pretty soon." Dad says this as he and Michonne get ready in the front seats, I only shaking as a response.
-
It should've taken only 7 minutes or so resulted in a total of half an hour. We had to take a multitude of detours, avoiding herds of walkers, car pile ups, and fallen trees.
And the more time we spent on the road, the more anxious I grew, for that was more time without her. Rick and Michonne held a strong front, but I knew it was all a disguise just to protect me, they're nervous too, it's not that hard to figure that out.
Suddenly the car begins to gurgle, gradually slowing down, and ending in an explosion under the hood. Dad hits the wheel out of aggravation, "Everyone out, and get your stuff." Taking Rain and I's backpacks, which I've tied together, I exit the vehicle and stand nearby with Michonne.
A cloud of dust shoots out when my dad pops the hood, and after waving it away, he begins to inspect the engine. Already sweating due to the steam, he backs up, "Something's wrong with the battery, I need to find a spare part. Look, you two head down the tracks, there's a route just a couple yards into these woods over there," Dad motions towards the trees lining the road, "Once I get this fixed, I'll meet you at the campsite we saw on the map, I should make it by sundown."
"Alright, sounds like a plan," Michonne confirms the location on her map, and we part ways, my stomach turning.
• Rain's POV:
