VILLAINESS [TWD]

➴13

"You're bleeding," Ellie inspects.

Maggie brings the back of her hand to her nose, wiping the blood away. "I'm fine."

"Bleeding means you're fine?"

"Just a small thing. It'll stop."

Ellie frowns, scrunching her nose. Maggie directs her to keep the wood still as she continues sawing at it with Glenn's pocket watch.

The pocket watch made Ellie's throat clench.

"What do I call you?" Ellie whispers.

Maggie knew what she meant. But, she didn't know how to answer.

"What.. What do I call him?" she asks, staring at the watch.

Ellie was always Hershel's baby. He treated her like she came from the stars. She looked at him like he could rope the moon. Hershel was her hero. Her idol.

"We can talk about it later," Maggie decides.

Immediately, Maggie internally curses herself.

This is why Hershel and Annette did what they did. Maggie was no mother. Maggie was too young for it. Maggie had no idea what the hell she was doing.

Her daughter had questions that only Maggie could give. But, she couldn't even give her that.

"How old am I?" Ellie wonders suddenly.

"What?"

"How old am I?" she repeats.

Maggie grunts as the wood gives, a handheld shank of sorts.

"Thirteen. Fourteen soon. It should be winter within a couple weeks."

Ellie smiles softly as Maggie places the weapon in her hand.

"Why?" Maggie wonders.

Ellie shakes her head, still with a smile. "No reason."

She just wanted to see if Maggie paid enough attention to know her age. No one paid attention to ages or time anymore. However, Maggie did because it was Ellie. It was a test. And Maggie succeeded. That made Ellie's smile grow.

The ground shakes like an earthquake was going through. Everyone in the train car loses their balance, fighting to stay upright.

"What the hell was that?" Tara asks.

"Bomb of some sort?" Abraham steps to the door.

"No, it was too strong to be a bomb," Rosita denies. "That smell.. Propane. Maybe a leak?"

"Hey, Buttercup," Abraham calls. "We could use your eyes on the door out."

Responsibility? Ellie was almost flattered.

She nods, standing up straight and walking over to the same spot she was at earlier. Eyes outside. Waiting. Watching.

She tunes out all noise and conversation around her. The others spoke amongst themselves and weapons were continuing to be made. But, she blocks it all out. 

She had a job. They all had jobs to do.

Smoke was the first thing she saw. It was as white as the smoke from the can earlier. When she voices it, Rosita confirms that it was a propane leak that led to an explosion. That's how it got the color.

Then, she could see walkers. They were flooding the streets and buildings. Gunfire followed that, Ellie making sure to listen just as hard as she was watching.

A few people run by, though none stop.

It was about ten minutes until she saw a familiar face. Those ten minutes felt like ten hours.