In The Bird Song | TWD

chapter 26 - Treading crimson

TW: child death, murder, starvation, violence

Harlow pov

I step over the body's as I make my way towards the hall, I no longer smell the decay and unwashed body's in the air that was so poignant when I arrived. Now I don't stand out in the sea of people that haunt this place, I am one of them now. I greet dawn with these people and I brave the night listening to their screams.

I'm sure I would smell a fright to anybody not from the unit as I have just spent the day cleaning out a latrine that was to full to be used anymore. It isn't my first choice for a job but it pays higher than working the fields and the money I was making doing more hygienic jobs wasn't enough to feed my family.

A part of me envy's the people that live without any loved ones depending on them for survival because although those people are still constantly hungry and weak there not starving. there dollars stretch further and they needn't do the jobs everyone loathes, they have the privilege of breaking their backs all day with the only bodily fluid they have to come in contact with being sweat.

I enter the gym hall and start walking through the crowds of people with my eyes on the ground not allowing myself to think about the lives I took in this room three days prior.

I have nearly reached the stage when I step over the body of a child that I assume is dead however I soon realise that they are in fact alive when they let out a whimper like they feared I would step on them.

I stop walking and stare at the child's body that is motionless except for a the gentle rise and fall of their chest. I have grown desensitised to seeing child size corpses since I have arrived at the unit however I will never get used to seeing a child in pain or distress.

Usually ill children are seen cradled in a loved one's arms being spoken to softly or rocked in their final moments. it feels like the world has ended all over again every time I watch a sick or starved kid desperately seeking comfort in their final days however there is a comfort in knowing there at least not alone.

This child however is laying at my feat completely by themselves as they walk the tightrope between life in death. Why has nobody come to help this girl I think and unable to fathom why everyone is ignoring the poor thing.

I crouch down and scoop up the child who cannot be older than five, there as light as a feather and are more bones than flesh at this point. Their skin is hot and clammy with fever and their eyes are sunken into their head.

I don't waste time standing about instead I head straight to the stage however one of Stefan's adult daughters is guarding the door and stops me from entering. "My pa hasn't approved her." She says gesturing to the girl in my arms.

"Please." I beg "let me help her." The women thinks about it before nodding and steps aside "just make sure you put her down once she's gone." I tell her I will before crawling inside the stage

I lay the girl in my corner and shake her shoulder in an attempt to wake her. She stirs and her glassy eyes flicker open "hey there." I greet "do you know where your mummy or daddy is?" I ask in a soothing voice.

"Daddy was sleeping and some persons took him." The girl responds in a weak croaky voice. My heart sinks at her answer when I realise where her father is.

However for the sake of the little girl I put on a smile "don't worry about your daddy I'm sure you will see him very soon." I tell her reassuringly.

The little girl smiles and her eyes light up for a moment "really?" she asks and I have to force back tears before answering "yeah I promise, he will be so excited to see you." I desperately hope the little girl didn't hear the crack in my voice when I spoke.