Ellie Dixon

The Library

We walked until it got dark and we found a small town. It was pretty clear, practically untouched. We found a library. Abraham banged on the door a few times, after a couple minutes when there were no walkers, we entered the building. "Let's go." Abraham called to us as we slowly entered the building with our guns raised.

After discovering the building was safe, we pulled down the blinds and Abraham used duck tape to secure some of the carboard that had been taped to the windows, but was starting to fall over time. I helped Glenn and Maggie move shelves in front of the doors. Just because it looked safe, didn't mean it was safe. Tara had gone to hunt down any supplies whereas Eugene was attempting to start a small and controlled fire after double checking the fire alarms weren't operational. 

After helping secure the building I sat around the small fire with Rosita and Maggie. Rosita was sitting behind me and cutting my hair. I was throwing crumpled up pieces of some factual book about Rhinos into the fire. Not like there were any Rhinos left in the world, so why would I need to read about them? Tara suddenly walked over and sat with us. She had a can filled with dirty looking water and a bottle of clean looking water. 

"That all the supplies there is?" Rosita asked.

"I found the dirty water in the tank of the toilet." Tara begrudgingly admitted. 

"Give Ellie the clean water. We can't risk her getting an infection while she has open wounds. She's also the most vulnerable." Maggie said, so Tara handed me over the clean water.

"I was going to say that." Rosita muttered.

"I'm fine sharing the water. I don't need a whole bottle for myself." I offered.

"We'll find better water tomorrow, Ellie. You drink up. Okay?" Glenn told me, walking over as he must've heard the conversation. I was about to argue, because I felt guilty, but Glenn interrupted. "None of us are going to drink that water other than you."

I sighed, nodding with a frown as I opened the bottle and took a sip. "Don't move your head." Rosita muttered from behind me. "I'm almost done, amor."

We used two coat hangers too place our cans of food on the fire. One can was split between two people. Apart from me, they insisted I had my own can of what happened to be beans. All this "keeping up my strength" crap, I tried to share, but they wouldn't let me. We separated to go to sleep. Glenn was on watch first, and Maggie wanted me to stay with her. We were cuddled up in the corner of the library... I had previously been sitting with Rosita... But Abraham ushered me to the other side of the building, not sure why though. I was facing Maggie with my head buried in her chest as she hugged me tightly. She was humming softly and playing with my newly cut hair that ended just above my shoulders now.

After an hour or so, I heard someone approaching and they lay behind me. I knew it was Glenn from the way he hugged both me and Maggie very tightly, pressing his warm chest against my back to help keep me warm on the pretty cold night. I already had one of his jackets on tightly around my body to help keep me warm.

"Hey." Maggie said softly to Glenn, moving one of her arms from around me to go around him. I kept my eyes shut, pretending to be asleep.

"Hi." Glenn said, I could hear the smile in his voice. "She asleep?" 

Maggie hummed. "Fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow."

"By pillow you mean your boobs." Glenn laughed quietly.

Maggie reached over and whacked his arm gently. "Poor thing's exhausted."

I am exhausted, but I have crippling paranoia, so I'm not asleep.

"Ya know, if she's that tired I could carry her over to Rosita. Me and you could... Ya know." Glenn suggested. I'm not sure what he was suggesting.

"Glenn Rhee." Maggie laughed quietly.

"What? Abraham told me that he, and I quote, "needed some ass" before he went to see Rosita and then I couldn't stop thinking about you." Glenn spoke quietly, a small laugh in his tone.

"I'm not letting Ellie outta my sight." Maggie denied.

"Why? Rosita's her cousin." Glenn pointed out.

"It's not Rosita I'm worried about... It's Eugene. You see the way he looks at Rosita. Ellie looks quite a bit like Rosita. As much as I like Eugene, and I'm sure he wouldn't try anything... I'm a woman, ya know; I have too many examples of girls I was friends with trusting boys they thought they knew. Ever since what happened with the Governor I've been terrified of Beth, or Ellie, or Sophia, or any of the others having to go through what I did. We made a promise to take care of Ellie, if anything happened to her out here or ever, Glenn. I wouldn't be able too..." Maggie trailed off, tightening her grip on me.

"Hey, it's okay." I felt Glenn put a hand on Maggie's cheek. "Nothing's going to happen to her. Or you. Not while I'm around."

Maggie nodded. "I know." I felt her lean over and kiss Glenn. I cringed as I was literally pressed between the two of them, luckily that pain only lasted for a few seconds.

"What else are you thinking about? Is it them?" Glenn questioned.

"Yea." Maggie admitted. "I feel guilty."

Glenn pushed himself up onto his elbows so he was slightly hovering above me. "Hey, we get to have little vacations on book store floors."

Maggie hesitated. "We're not back there anymore. We're living for something else. And they don't get to right now."

"Well, we did almost die today. And we don't have a car. And we're drinking toilet water. And we're trying to protect this ten year old girl we've practically adopted at this point." Glenn said, I could hear his smile and a small laugh escaped Maggie's lips, I knew she was smiling too. I'm too far into pretending to be asleep now, gotta stay dedicated to the role.

"It just feels really good having this... Because it's not about what was. Not last night. It's all about what's gonna be." Maggie responded.

"Don't feel guilty about last night." Glenn shook his head. He leaned over to kiss Maggie, literally squashing me to death for the better half of a minute before he settled down behind me again. They hugged me, and hugged each other and I was just... There.