Shambles- The Walking Dead [Alden x Maggie] [1/2]

45- Ablaze

"Did you talk to your mom yet? Since she's here," Rose asked as she shaved down the feathers at the end of the arrow. She liked to keep busy instead of stressing, making arrows was actually helpful for their cause. She had taken a spot on the steps by the back entrance of the manor in the shadow. She'd hoped to be left alone. Although Mika was one of the few people whose company she didn't mind, as long as they danced around the subject of Henry. There was only so much either of them could deal with under current circumstances.

"I did," she said. "I don't recognize her either, just like my dad. They're both broken from Henry's passing. And now, on top of that, my dad's dying too."

There was Henry again and Rose's breath stocked slightly. Don't linger on it, she told herself. Thinking about it will only make all the memories flow back. Blood. She carried on as quickly as she could. "Ezekiel is what?" she asked, confused. "Did he get bit? How? Where?"

"No, it's cancer," she replied. "He told me himself. He said his family had a history of thyroid cancer. He also told me I shouldn't tell anyone but I know you won't tell anyone else."

"I'm sorry," Rose said because there wasn't anything else for her to say.

"Don't be," Mika sighed. "It's strange but he's at peace with it. I think he's ready to die. And I think I'm at peace with it too. Besides, we might all die tonight anyway."

She snickered softly, "not planning on it but we just might." She twirled the arrow around in her hand to inspect the feathers. "I'm planning on making as many arrows as I can and nailing each shot. This is my home and they're not taking it."

After a bit more silence Mika left her alone again, not really being in the mood to talk either. All she had wanted to do was check whether or not Rose was spinning out. Maggie had asked if she could do so.

The fact was that Rose didn't want to die. She was starting to make peace with the fact that she survived the pyke massacre. She wasn't chosen or more deserving of survival, she and Siddiq had simply been lucky. It could've been any of them. Now death only meant empty and stillness to her. There was so much more to suffer through to get those little glimmers of happiness that made everything all right. There was so much more life to live through.

Someone else sat down next to her in silence. Rose didn't look up because she was waiting for the other to say something first. It stayed silent and the other person didn't move away, so she looked up. She immediately jumped to her feet and pointed the small pocket knife she'd been using towards the individual. It was that Whisperer.

"Didn't mean to scare you," she muttered. "I'm Mary."

"Yeah, Aaron told me, Whisperer," her voice remained flat. "The hell you want?"

"You're the one that survived, right? Alden's sister," she asked hesitantly.

"What gave it away? The scar?" She snarled back, moving her hand up to cover the scar on the side of her face. Mary stayed silent. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to apologize. I had nothing to do with it but I'm sorry," she said, looking down at the ground.

"You just want to see your nephew."

"That too," she admitted. "But I mean it. They took my sister from me. I hate them too."

"Hate them?" She cocked her brow. "You people cut off dead people's faces and wear them as masks. Now that's beyond crazy. Your leader abused her own kid." She tapped against the scar on her cheek. "She did that too. You and your people kill and destroy. I don't hate them because that isn't enough to encapsulate how I feel about them. It's hate to the highest degree to the point where I want to exterminate you all because you're worse than the walkers. At least they work on instinct and can't help themselves." She took a step back and put her knife away. "Aaron might've brought you here. And he might trust you as much as I trust him but I struggle to even look at you as human." With her final words said, she left.