FALLING APART daryl dixon

TWO - TRAFFIC JAM

The traffic leading into Atlanta was frozen solid, a mass of vehicles stretching endlessly in both directions. People were shouting, arguing, horns blaring in the chaos. It was supposed to be a safe haven, a place where the government had set up quarantine zones, but now it felt more like a death trap. The radio broadcasts had ceased, phones were useless, and nobody knew what to do. Fear hung thick in the air.

Alycia Grimes sat in the backseat of Shane's car, staring blankly out of the window. The weight of everything had settled over her like a suffocating blanket. Her father was dead. He was dead, and she hadn't even been able to say goodbye. Her mind kept returning to him, to the idea of him lying somewhere cold, lifeless. She didn't cry, though. She couldn't. It wasn't in her nature. Instead, she bottled it up, locking it away inside her heart. Her little brother Carl, on the other hand, had cried nonstop. His small body still shuddered occasionally with leftover sobs, and Lori, their mother, was doing her best to comfort him.

Alycia, however, remained silent, detached, because she knew they needed her. Her mother, her brother—especially Carl. It felt selfish to give in to her own grief when they needed her to be strong. She was the eldest, after all. She couldn't afford to break down.

Shane turned in his seat to look back at her, noticing that she was still in the car, while the rest of the family had already gotten out.

- Aly? Hey - Shane called out, gently but firmly.

Alycia blinked, snapping out of her trance, her mind struggling to rejoin the present.
- Yeah? What is it?

- I was just saying, maybe you should get out of the car. We're probably gonna be stuck here a while. Good to stretch your legs - Shane suggested, flashing her a soft, sympathetic smile.

She nodded slowly and watched as he stepped out, the car door thudding shut behind him. With a heavy sigh, she opened her door and got out as well, the cool evening air hitting her face.

As soon as Alycia's feet hit the pavement, she noticed Carl a little ways ahead, playing with a girl about his age. They were running around, carefree, while Lori stood nearby, deep in conversation with a woman who had short, graying hair. When Lori noticed Alycia approaching, she smiled warmly.

- Hey, sweetie - Lori said, pulling Alycia into a one-armed hug. - This is Carol. Carol, this is my daughter, Alycia.

Carol smiled, though it was thin and tired, much like everyone else these days. There was something fragile about her, something that made Alycia instinctively feel protective.

- Wow, I thought she was your younger sister! - Carol exclaimed, clearly taken aback by how young Lori looked to have a grown daughter.

Alycia gave a polite, half-hearted smile, something she had mastered over the years.
- I get that a lot. Nice to meet you - She muttered softly, stepping away from the awkward conversation.

Her eyes wandered over to Carl again, who was still playing with the little girl. Seeing her brother like that, laughing and running around, brought a fleeting smile to her face. Even in the middle of the world falling apart, he still managed to find some joy, some innocence to hold onto. It reminded her of how things used to be, before everything had gone to hell.

She walked over to Carl and crouched down next to him, ruffling his hair.
- Hey, buddy. You okay?

Carl didn't answer right away, but instead threw his arms around her in a sudden hug. Alycia was startled at first, but then softened, hugging him back. It wasn't like Carl to be so clingy, but he had been through so much. They all had.

-This is Sophia - Carl said, finally pulling back from the hug and gesturing to the shy little blonde girl beside him. - She's here with her parents, like us.