Ellie Dixon

Forgive Me

After Hershel had stitched up my face, dad took me back to our tent. It had been a few hours; I wasn't able to sleep. All I could think about was dad being mad at me. Dad had never been mad at me before. I could handle what mum did to me, that was easy to get over because it happened so often. But dad? He's never been mad at me, never raised his voice directed at me, never been disappointed in me. I couldn't help but think maybe mum was right back at the Atlanta camp. Was he really getting sick of me now that he had to see me so often?

I decided I couldn't lose him again. That's why I got my torch and shoes. I slipped my jacket on before sneaking out of the tent, shutting it behind me. I started heading towards the forest with my torch in hand. If I find Jacob for dad, then he wouldn't have to keep going out here, especially while injured. I flickered on the torch when I was about halfway to the forest.

I paused, taking a deep breath. Memories of everything me and Sophia had gone through in that forest was flashing through my mind. Remembering the look on dad's face, remembering that Jacob was still going through it out there made me move my feet into the tree line of the forest. The crisp Autumn leaves crunched under my feet. 

I hadn't been walking for long when I heard the groans. I turned around and saw a walker out to get me. I ran away from it. "Jacob! Jacob! Where are you?" I yelled out for him. "Jacob, come on!" I pleaded as I ran. Maybe screaming out in the middle of a walker riddled forest wasn't the best idea I've even been blessed with, but I had to find my friend. I shone my torch around, making sure that he'd be able to see it from a distance as I ran. "Please, come on!" I cried as I gained a larger following.

I ran until I found a suitable tree to hunker down in. I had ten of them clawing at the tree. Luckily, I doubt walkers know how to do gymnastics which is the only way I got to the top of tree. I sat at the top of it, breathing deeply as I watched the sun rise. I shook my head; I'd been out here for too long and hadn't even found Jacob.

I sat at the top of the tree, crying. Hoping that someone from camp would find me, someone who wasn't my dad because he'd be furious. I'm sure my mum enjoyed the peace though. The sun had been up for several hours when gun shots went off, all ten of the walkers falling dead onto the ground. My chest tightened as my breath caught in my throat. I noticed Shane at the bottom of the tree. "Kid, you're in a world of trouble."

"I was looking for Jacob." I defended, starting to climb down from the tree.

"At night?" Shane asked.

"I thought he'd be able to see the torch. Besides, my dad doesn't love me anymore so if I found Jacob-" Shane cut me off.

"Woah, woah, woah. What do you mean your dad doesn't love you anymore?" Shane grabbed me when he could reach me, and he put me on the floor. He squatted in front of me, but I took a couple steps back, I was still scared from the gun incident.

"Whenever my mum's mad, she tells me that she doesn't love me anymore. And my dad's mad at me, well disappointed. Which is worse. So, no he doesn't." I shook my head.

"Did your daddy do that to you?" Shane asked, pointing at my face.

"No, the ground did. When I fell." I answered.

"Glenn said you had a nasty fall when a walker came at you and Sophia. That looks worse than just a fall." Shane told me.

"My eyes hit rocks, there was some glass back there that caused the scratch. It was just an accident." I'd made my story fool proof.

Shane hummed. "Let's get you back to camp."

An hour and a half later, we were back at the camp. "Where is everyone?" I looked around to see nobody.