Wild Children Only Listen When They Want

Resuming Leadership

TRIGGER WARNING: ATTEMPTED RAPE

After 4 months after the successful hunt Carl mostly stayed in this old hotel. Carl had his own routine made up for him. He learned to hunt like a wild animal, to solve inner problems in the house like a father and to keep himself levelheaded like a King. It was exhausting. He had so much piled up on him that he found himself trying to get away from it all even if he knew he couldn't. He had a responsibility now to make sure things go smoothly in the hotel. That the chores were divided to everyone evenly, that it played to everyone's strengths and weaknesses. That all fights got resolved with minimum damage, and everyone got what they needed first and what they wanted after.

He was completely overwhelmed and it showed.

Carl spent less and less of his time with Georgia, Callum, Kai and Peter because he was always around the old man learning about the ways to be a leader for his new home. He wasn't even sure if this was what he even wanted but he knew that he could not deny them. They took him in and fed him. He could not be so ungrateful as to abandon them after what they had done for him.

"Have you been sleeping well Carl?" Turner asked Carl one day after their lessons.

"Well enough. I've been getting these strange nightmares about how I will fail. Fail you and the community."

"That's understandable young man. We've put you in quite a situation but I know that you understand the urgency of having someone who has been out there to lead us." Turner tried to explain.

"My father was aleader, at least he was becoming one in our group." Carl said trying to hide the fear and uncertainty in his voice.

"Oh? And why didn't he?" Turner asked confused and sympathetic.

"It's not that he didn't chosed to. We just got seperated from each other. The farm we were living in at the time had been attacked by demons and we had to flee. I couldn't find them before the farm was completely overrun. I had to run away, thankfully the demons were distracted by the fire and not to many went after me." Carl reminisced.

"Were you close to your father?" Turner wondered.

"Close as we could be, considering. Before all this happened he was shot in the line of duty and was stuck in the hospital in a coma. But he made it back to us. He always does." Carl smiled.

"Except now."

"What?" Carl asked confused by what the man meant.

"He didn't come back to you. At least not that I've seen. You have been with us for more than half a year. And yet your father has not tracked you down." Turner said with sympathy.

"He can't possibly know where I am. He probably thinks I parished in the attack." Carl rationalized.

"If that's what you want to believe. Anyways, back to important business, I want you to finally start leading hunting trips now. Something to finally get you out there and to show the others the strength of our future leadership." Turner commanded.

"Alright. Just one question." Carl said, testing the waters.

"You want to know why I chose you as my successor." Turner guessed.

"How-" Carl started, startled.

"I was wondering when you would ask. I chose you because you know the world out there. What it is really like while the most these children have seen is during a supply or food run. You can help them become stronger, protect them." Turner explained but Carl knew in his gut that that was not all of it.

"No. That's not what it is." Carl demanded as he gave the man a glare.

"Your right. You have good instinct, another reason I chose you. It was that look in your eyes when I had first meet you. Guarded, untrusting and cold. Like I said you have more experience then our little family. That means you won't hesitate when the need arises."