Dark Serenity - Carl Grimes

•Chapter Fourty-Three•

Come a Little Closer - Cage The Elephant

*Carl's P.O.V.*

I protectively stand in front of Greyson, aiming my gun straight for the mans skull.

"How do you know our names?" Grey asks. Her body was close to me from behind. I could feel her breath rush past my shoulder. As she talked, her tone soothing to the ear.

"I have a place, up north a little. It's an environment, a community. You'll be safe there, you and your family." He says, confidently.

"You didn't answer her question." I say, baring my teeth.

"There is an initiation process. We don't let in just anyone."

"How do we know what your saying is true?" I ask, not giving up on my cold stare towards him.

"I-" He looks at his bag. "I have pictures. See." He quickly shuffles his way towards Grey and I, pictures in hand. I take the safety off my gun, warning him not to take another step just with the noise the tiny machine made.

He raises his hands again, taking a few steps back.

"Might I say, if I wanted to hurt you, I would've already." Aaron points out.

"We don't take chances." I growl.

"Good, smart." Aaron reaches the pictures out as if he was feeding a tiny piece of meat to a tiger.

I walk forward, no longer feeling Grey's warmth from behind me, radiating the strength in me.

I quickly snatch the photos, bringing them back to the position I recently was in.

I feel Grey stand up on her tippy toes, peering over my shoulder as I flip through the photos.

The polaroids showed many views of a small neighborhood. The houses were fairly large and there was a large fence surrounding the area. In the corner of the picture I was about to put at the bottom of a stack, there was a pole with a light attached to the top of it.

The light was glowing.

"Wait," I say, shocked. "You have-"

"Electricity." Greyson gasps, laying her hand on my bicep. I look down at her, seeing her mouth slightly agape in awe.

"Yes. Water, electricity, a fence. We have it all. Like I told you, it's a safe community that is willing to find new people to make the town stronger."

"How do we know you aren't lying? You didn't find these in a shed somewhere and used them to trick people int- into a pit of walkers." Collin says, now in front of Greyson and I as he wandered towards Aaron.

"Carl," Aaron turns his attention to me. "Flip the photo over."

I look at him oddly, but oblige. As I flip the picture over, a date resumes on the paper.

6/9/15

"We keep track of the days by taking photos. That photo was taken yesterday." He turns his attention to Collin. "Still think I'm lying?"

"How many walkers have you killed?" I ask, looking up at him.

"Walkers? Oh uhm, a few. I'm a recruiter, but I try not to kill them unless completely necessary.

"How many people have you killed?"

"None." Aaron looks taken aback by my question.

"Liar." Collin calls, walking forward, towards Aaron.

The sound of a guns safety being taken off is once again heard, but this time it wasn't me.

I turn to see Grey's gun pointed straight at Collin's back.