𝐆𝐎𝐃'𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐘 - 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐗𝐎𝐍

twenty-eight - "winter"

𝐆𝐎𝐃'𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐘 — 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐗𝐎𝐍
❝ winter ❞

The winter was brutal.

Emily and she had stayed close to the farm for the first few weeks before they realized no one was coming back. That was a tough night. She couldn't stop crying that Emily had forced her to stay in the car while she went and looked for firewood.

The first snowfall had been a few days after that, and slowly the days began to be just as cold as the nights. The snow didn't stick much, but it stung her skin as it fell. They went from place to place, not wanting to waste their gas on keeping the heat on. They stayed in the same house Sophia had, Madeline having sat and stared into the small pantry until Emily had coaxed her to bed.

Two months after the herd, the two of them decided to go back to the farm and clear it out. She couldn't stomach leaving all of those resources and memories there to just rot or get taken by another group. They drove up the dirt drive, neither of them talking. They had gotten into a fight the night before, Emily saying that it wasn't a good idea. But really, Madeline knew that Emily just thought it wasn't a good idea for her. She looked outside the window, looking at the large expanse of land. The barn was only rubble, but the house was intact. The grass around the carnage was charred, but sprouts were growing in between the ash, making her smile sadly.

Time goes on, even when the pain is still there.

The two cleared the house, having to put down a few Walkers. It felt wrong to make a mess in Hershel's home, and it took everything in her to not stop to clean up the mess. They weren't coming back. She told herself that every day because if she didn't she would look out the window of the car with hope in her chest and go to bed in tears.

"We should stay here for the night before we head east, say goodbye," Emily said, running her hands over Madeline's shoulders in a comforting manner. She did that a lot, the two having grown a lot closer now that it was just them. They had been friends, sure, but now they only had one another.

"I feel like a squatter." Madeline chuckled breathlessly, looking at her over her shoulder. Emily rolled her eyes, laughing tiredly. Madeline turned back around, picking up a framed photo of the Greene family. She traced their faces, pursing her lips as she blinked away tears. She opened the frame, taking the picture with her. Emily sighed, watching as she tucked it into a book so it didn't get ripped in her pack. There was so much they had left, and as they stood in the living room Madeline could almost picture where everyone had set their packs, the spots they had claimed. The couch had a sheet over it, half made for Hershel to sleep on.

It looked so lived in, so stuck in time that it felt like if she turned around they would all be there. She thought of it a lot: what she would do if they found each other again. She tried not to picture it much, though, despite it always being in the back of her mind. It also didn't stop her dreams from forming the reunion from the rubble of her mind. She would cry, hold them all so close and tight that they would laugh, wheeze out that they couldn't breathe. She would hug her brothers tighter than ever, and let them crush her under the weight of their protectiveness. She would pick her godson up, and kiss all over his face while he laughed. She would hold him at arm's length before making some silly joke. He would roll his eyes and scoff, but he wouldn't be able to stop his smile.