"The hardest lesson in the world: maybe it's just that when things are gone they're gone. They ain't coming back."
~Cormac McCarthy
The world is nothing but a frame of what it used to be. Plagued with the dead that walk with jarred teeth. T...
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Caden felt her stomache sink, watching as Carl sprinted to his thought to be dead sister. The infant smothered by her father and brothers loving hold. Her eyes burned with the threat of tears, facing the fact the tears were of jelousy, not happiness. Not caring how selfish that her made her,
Glenn's hand clamped down on her shoulder, craning her head up as her blank expression faced him. His dark eyes squinted with concern, his hand carressing her head as he pulled her into his chest. Accepting the secure hold, for the first time in awhile, she simply cried. Silent tears rolling down her cheeks, soaking into Glenn's tee shirt.
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The dim fire illuminated the small makeshift camp, the crowd of survivors passing along the small amount of food. Caden stood to herself, slightly apart as she leant against a tree. Twisting her knife in her palm, staring at the carved initials.
Carol lazily strided toward her, leaning on the same tree. Titling her head as she glanced down at the petite girl. "Carl's looking for you" she hummed, "What are doing here by yourself?"
Caden stopped her movements, sparing a small glance at the woman. Green eyes darkened as the fire casted shadows, their youthful glow diminished. "Eugene annoys me" she shrugged, "tempted to shut him up for good... did Carl ask for me?"
"No... I can just tell by his eyes" Carol grinned knowing, "Are you gonna tell me the real reason? Or more bullshit?" Her tone motherly, something Caden hardly heard from her previous life.
"Bullshit" Caden lifted off the tree, "Mothering doesn't work on me, lack of mom figure makes me immune" she dryly chuckled, no hint of amusement in her tone. The teenager rolled her head, glancing at the fire pit where most huddled around.
"I wasn't mother-"
"It's not like you can help it, you had a daughter" she cut her off, Carol's lips parted as her eyes casted down. "Then you had Lizzie and Mika, but their dead now too. You can't help but seek a daughter, while I can't help but seek a brother" Caden's voice cracked, hating how vulnerable she became. She inhaled slowly, sighing out softly. "Guess we have something in common, sort of"
Caden then brushed past the grey haired women, tucking her knife away as she approached Carl. The innocent infant held in his arms as he fed her a bottle, the baby cooing softly. She sat beside him, her side grazing his.
"Where were you?" He asked softly, diverting his attention away from his little sister.
"Just needed space" she muttered, "you needed some time with her, anyways" Caden then gently reached out to the infant, stroking the infants hand tenderly.
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Caden trailed behind the group, sluggishly keeping up as she spun her knife in her hand. The spins slow, trying to perfect the muscle memory, careful to not knick her own skin. A Biter broke the treeline, gathering the groups attention.
