Forever Alone // Carl Grimes (The Walking Dead)

Chapter 6

~Edited~

Daryl quickly walked forward and pulled me into a tight hug. I relaxed into the hold of my probably only live relative, these are the things you need to hold onto in situations like these.
"I'm sorry for not coming for you all them years ago."

I hugged him back, happy with some human contact after so long. I smiled, feeling the weight of the past leave me. I didn't care about anything but the present and the future.
"I forgive you, Daryl. I did a long time ago."

The group watched on a bit shocked. I always guessed Daryl wouldn't really show much compassion so that's probably as much as they have ever seen. I was hesitant around so many people, usually the people I had always came across would shoot me on sight.

"She your sister?" A teenage blonde girl asked. She was pretty and she seemed friendly, which was a plus.

Don't judge a book by it's cover is always a popular saying but just by looking at a person you can tell if they are going to hurt you or not. Judgement is something you need in this world. Without it, you would probably end up dead.

"She's my little cousin, we were more like siblings years ago." Daryl laughed and I felt an unfarmiliar feeling of warmth course through me.

Hold back, don't feel. Feeling is dangerous.

Everyone seemed to regroup and get over the fact that they were all still alive. I watched them all, I had never experienced this kind of closeness in a big group. Just me for a long time.
"We can do this meet and greet later. We need to clear out somewhere to sleep."

"But there is way too many Walkers outside!" Someone protested, a little girl, I didn't even notice she was there.

"I've dealt with worse." I muttered. "You all get ready here, Daryl and I are going to clear outside this place."

Nobody seemed to protest and I pushed open the iron gate. Daryl quickly followed with his crossbow in hand. With a quick survey, I came to the conclusion we didn't have that many to deal with. The inside of the prison would likely be the worst.

"Sure you can do this?" Daryl gruffed, scratching the back of his neck.

"Yeah, I got this." I said, offering him a tight-lipped smile. "I've been on my own for awhile.

Daryl frowned but didn't say anything and I began clearing out the Walkers with ease. There wasn't that many to get swamped and my machete did a pretty good job of slicing through whatever it needed to. Months of this has brought it to second nature.

The final few Walkers fell and I turned to a wide-eyed group. I pulled the gate open and dramatically gestured for them all to enter. It wasn't a small group and I could imagine it getting smaller and smaller until there was only a handful of people left.

The door to the cell block didn't take much effort in opening seeing as the dead Walker with the keys sat outside it. Everyone was stood outside the door while Rick, the unofficial leader, decided what to do.

"We need to split up and take a hallway in groups of two." Rick ordered, filling his silver pistol with ammunition.

He grouped up everyone except his son and I. I did find it a bit strange that he would leave the two teenagers together, unless he wasn't ageist, because I was probably more efficient with a weapon than most of his group.

Rick sighed, eyeing me.
"Lauren, you and Carl take this hallway. Be careful, please."

Carl scoffed and set off down the hallway with his handgun held up and a flashlight held in the other hand. I caught up and stood by Carl's side with my machete held high. He was such a moody person and I was starting to dislike his attitude.