VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴4

"What do dreams mean, daddy?" Eleanor asks across the table.

"It means we had a good night's sleep," Hershel answers.

"What if the dreams.. aren't always good..?"

Hershel places his bookmark into his bible, scooting it aside. Ellie picks at her food, one hand holding her head as she frowned at the contents on her plate.

"Are you having nightmares, honey?"

Slowly, she nods. "Sometimes. Some are good. But.. It's all.. It's all.."

"It's all, what, Ellie?"

"Things that happened. It's not the dreams like Sissy talks about. Being a bird. Playing a concert and being famous. It's.."

The couldn't bring herself to voice the dreams she's been having. They were too personal. Things that still hurt greatly.

"How long has this been happening?"

She hums an 'I don't know' sound, shrugging her shoulders.

"Ellie," Hershel calls, asking her to say it without really saying the words.

"Since the bad man went away," she finally answers.

"The Gov-"

"Don't say his name, please, Daddy."

Hershel sighs, a frown taking over his face. 

When the Governor was around, things were darker than ever. Maggie and Glenn had been taken. Andrea, Merle, Oscar, Axel, and countless others had been killed- slaughtered, even. Hershel tried everything in his power to keep things away from Ellie. She was too young- younger than Carl. Carl was already headed down a dark road, especially after he'd killed that poor boy in the woods. He couldn't imagine things getting worse for Ellie if she was even more aware.

"Honey, that's over now. You know that, right?"

"It.. It doesn't feel like it, Daddy," she says, finally looking up at him. "What if he comes back?"

"There isn't any need to worry. If he comes back, he will be taken care of. If he doesn't, there is no need in being scared every day in fear of him."

"I'm not scared," she clarifies. "I just don't want more people to die."

Hershel was conflicted. Did he praise her for not being scared or worry that she wasn't scared at all?

"Daddy, when can I have my gun back?"

"We've had this talk. It isn't your gun."

"Otis taught me how to shoot when we would have bad locusts. How come Maggie can have a gun?"

"Maggie is an adult."

"And I don't want to die if there's a way I can protect myself."

"You're eleven, Eleanor. Take awhile to be a kid. You deserve it after everything."

She wanted to argue. But, the truth was that her father had even gotten to Rick about the guns and children as Carl wasn't allowed to have his weapon, either.

She huffs, standing up from the table.

"Ellie-"

As Hershel began to call for her, he's cut off by the sound of a gunshot going off. Her head turns, looking to see where it was coming from.

"Walkers in cell block D!" Sasha screams, running outside.

"Aye Hershel! Man, you got this here?" Daryl asks.