WITH YOU | TWD

[36] GREATER REASON

It was a cold damn morning for July.

Charlie zipped up her jacket and wrapped arms around her body to prevent it from shaking. She felt her fingers stiffen with every minute. Hiding in the woods in a weather like this was a bad idea, bit it was the safest option for Judith and Carl. At first, it was supposed to be just Hershel to take care of the youngest members of the group; however, Rick felt generous enough the day the tasks were being given. Apparently Rick had doubts towards  the old man, and needed someone just in case.

But waiting was slowly killing her. Charlie would rather be scared but doing something, rather than just waiting around on the cold. "I should be there," Carl said as they heard the shoots.

"That makes the two of us," she mumbled under her nose, trying to see something from behind the bushes.

"Everyone has something to do," Hershel said, pulling Beth closer to his body.

"Yeah," Carl rolled his eyes. "Ours is to just sit and do nothing."

Carl became nervous and shut off himself after his father's speech. He stopped talking to anyone and was evidently in is own space, thinking about...something. He became aggressive, which worried Charlie as Carl was always kind and gentle. Maybe that was just him growing older? Transforming from a child into a teenager.

Carl wasn't the only person that undergo a change recently. Daryl came back yesterday a long time after Michonne. Charlie thought that he was dead or gone for good this time, but he wasn't - he was back but not the same. Beside his clothes and hands being covered in blood, his eyes were puffy from crying. From what she heard from Carol, he found Merle who was turned and had to kill his own brother. Charlie couldn't imagine what that must have felt like; moreover, she didn't know if she would be able to do something like this. Of course, she wouldn't want her brothers to walk around as one of those beasts, but she was barely able to kill a regular Walker. That's how her anger towards the hunter became to disappear.

With that shooting stopped, and they heard cars' engines - Governor was running.

"Is it over?" Beth asked, looking towards the prison. "We won?"

Then they heard fast steps. Someone was running towards them through the bushes, so they all hide behind the car, getting ready with their guns. Soon they all saw a boy - not much older than Carl, maybe a year or two younger than Beth. He stopped abruptly as he saw them, pointing guns at him. His eyes became even more scared.

"Woah," he raised his arms. "Don't shoot."

"Drop the weapon, son," commanded Hershel.

"Sure," said the boy immediately. He sensed that the most dangerous to him would be Charlie and Carl so his eyes were switching from one to another. He spread his arm to give out his gun. "Here, take it."

"Carl, don't" said Charlie, sensing the intentions of the boy. She saw his finger trembling on the trigger as he was battling with his thoughts. The stranger was looking at Carl with fear but still was lowering on his legs to place slowly his gun. "Carl..."

Gunshot.

"What the hell?!" Charlie yelled at the boy and pushed him so he was facing her. Beth and Hershel were looking at him with fear in the eyes, while Charlie wanted to punch him in the face.

"He wanted to attack us."

"He wanted to give up," she said. "Are you stupid?! What were you thinking?! I told you to stop!"

"That I don't want to die a boy!" he screamed at Charlie. "He would kill us just like Shane would kill my dad if he didn't kill him. And who you are to tell me what to do?! You can't even care of yourself!"