Ellie Dixon

Old Friends

"We're not leaving." Rick stated. We were all in the cells room, talking and discussing what it is we should do next. Apart from Merle who'd we locked in the table room. I was on the upper level, sitting on the edge with my feet hanging over. Dad was pacing behind me. I hadn't spoken to him; I didn't want too... I did want too. I wanted nothing more than to hug him and tell him that I loved him, but I was so mad and just as stubborn as him. So, I hadn't spoken to him.

"We can't stay here." Hershel insisted.

"What if there's another sniper? A wood pallet won't stop one of those rounds." Maggie pointed out.

"We can't even go outside." Beth pitched in.

"Not in the daylight." Carol agreed.

"Rick says we're not running, so we're not running." Glenn stated.

"No, better to live like rats." Merle said sarcastically, leaning against the locked gate.

"You got a better idea?" Rick questioned.

"Yea, we should've slid outta here last night and lived to fight another day." Merle responded. "But, we lost that window, didn't we? I'm sure he's got scouts on every road out of this place by now."

"We ain't scared of that prick." Dad spoke up.

"Y'all should be." Merle said. "That truck through the fence thing, that's just him ringing the doorbell. We might have some thick walls to hide behind, but he's got the guns and the numbers. And if he takes the high ground around this place, shit, he could just starve us out if he wanted too."

"Let's put him in the other cell block." Maggie suggested.

"No. He's got a point." Dad said begrudgingly. Me and Sophia shared looks, she was sitting on the stairs.

"This is all you! You started this!" Maggie yelled to Merle's smug face.

"What's the difference whose fault it is? What do we do?" Beth spoke up.

"I said we should leave." Hershel stuck by his argument. "Now, Axel's dead. We can't just sit here." Hershel reminded us, Rick started to walk away so Hershel stood up. "Get back here!" He yelled, forcing Rick to stop but he didn't turn around. "You're slipping, Rick. We've all seen it. We understand why. But now is not the time. You once said this isn't a democracy. Now you have to own up to that. I put my family's life in your hands. So, get your head clear and do something."

I was sitting on Sophia's bed, playing Uno with her. Suddenly, dad came into view in the doorway. "Sophia, you mind if I talk to Ellie a minute?" Dad requested.

She nodded. "Sure. Ellie, don't cheat." Then Sophia left. Dad came over to sit where she was.

I picked up Sophia's cards to see what she had, I laughed quietly as I realised I was going to win before putting them down. "I thought she said to not cheat." Dad commented. I glanced up at him before going through the pile, trying to find a pickup four to swap with my green eight. "I'm sorry I left."

"Which time?" I asked.

Dad sighed. "All of them."

I hummed. "Okay, that's cured my childhood trauma. You can go now."

"Look at me." Dad begged, gently taking the pile from my hands and putting it back on the bed. "I wish I was there for you, growing up. I wish I was there for you, for all of it."

"The beating or my first steps?" I questioned.

"Don't do this." Dad shook his head.

I scoffed. "I needed you, and you left. Every damn time. Now, you didn't know what mum was doing but that didn't warrant you only visiting twice a year. You're my father and it feels like you abandoned me every opportunity you could. Hell, you left Sophia after you said you'd be there for her."