Outcast (A TWD Fanfiction)

Chapter 57: Blindspot

"Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." --Forrest Gump

"How's your dad, kid?"

"He's dead," Jon said, before taking a bite out of his tomato sandwich. The juicy red fruit squelched between his teeth, and red seeds dribbled down his chin.

Ellen blinked. "Shit, sorry... How'd that happen?"

"Back when some asshole blew a hole in the Sanctuary walls. The dead came through. Ate anything they could get their hands on."

Ellen felt a sudden pang in her chest, and looked away, hoping to hide the guilt in her eyes.

"I like to think he died a hero," Jon said, his voice flat and matter-of-fact.

"You should be proud. He was a good dude," Ellen said.

"He saved a lot of people," Jon continued. "Or at least he gave them the chance to get away while the rotters were busy tearing the meat off his bones."

"It doesn't make sense to me," the boy finally said.

Ellen raised a brow in response.

"War. All this fighting. We should be killing the dead, not each other."

Ellen looked at her own sandwich on the table below her, suddenly losing her appetite as the boy continued to sink his teeth into his own.

The pair sat at a picnic table on one of the lawns inside Alexandria. Despite the increasing paranoia surrounding the looming threat of the Whisperers, all was quiet within the town's walls.

Ellen curled her lip when she noticed a young girl approach the table. Her mousy brown hair was matted, and her skittish eyes seemed intent on watching the ground as it passed below her feet. The woman's eyes narrowed as she watched the girl stop across from Jon.

"Hey," the girl managed, her voice hoarse, like it hadn't been used in a while.

Jon blinked, looking up. He wiped excess tomato juice from his chin onto his sleeve, and a small grin suddenly lit up his face. "Hey Lydia! Here, you can sit with me," he chirped, patting the seat beside him.

Ellen remained wordless, noting the way the young man's demeanor immediately changed.

Jon nudged the remaining half of his sandwich towards the girl. "Ever try one of these before?"

Lydia frowned, looking down at the plate in front of her warily.

"I'll eat a worm if you try a tomato," Jon insisted, noticing the girl's lackluster response.

"Cool," Lydia responded, before lifting the sandwich to her lips and sinking her teeth into its juicy center.

"It's squishy," Lydia commented with a small, surprised chuckle.

Jon raised a brow. "What, worms aren't?"

Ellen watched the exchange, hiding a rising grin as she returned to her own sandwich.

"You ever have chocolate?" Jon asked.

Lydia raised a brow after a moment. "What's chocolate?"

Ellen met Lydia's eyes after a moment, before the girl spoke up.

"I know what you're thinking... About me... You think I'm like all the others..."

Ellen raised a brow. "You some kinda mind reader, kid?"

Lydia set her sandwich down. "I don't have to be. It's all over your face."

Ellen met the girl's eyes again at that, like she was examining them. "Your mom. She killed a lot of people. I don't even like people, but they were innocent. Kids. A lot of my friends," she finally managed, her voice a low growl.