"I've done things," Charlie said, looking up into his eyes full of disappointment. "Things that I am not proud of. But everything I've done, I've done to survive...And I did. I survived."
"And are you happy?" Daryl asked, using all his power to stop...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Two feelings dominated her at the moment. Charlie sat alone on the floor, her thoughts consumed by a sense of regret. She was worried about Bob, feeling angry that she left him alone in the dark, while she should have waited for him and help him if he needed. At the same time, she knew that Bob probably saved her life, because she could have been the missing one right now, if he never followed her outside.
Which was only making all of it worse.
And there was also disappointment. It wasn't the first time Dary had disappeared without a word, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and unspoken promises. Their friendship had always been a delicate balance—a dance between loyalty and uncertainty, trust and doubt. She knew he wanted to rescue Beth from whatever, and bring her back home - to them. And yet, despite his understanding, Charlie couldn't shake the sting of disappointment that lingered in the air like a bitter aftertaste.
Charlie's mind wandered to Beth. As she sat alone in dimly lit church, the memories of Beth flooded her mind. She remembered how they first met on the farm, Beth had approached her with a warm smile and a kind word - she was always approaching everyone like this. Charlie's mind drifted back to that fateful day. She remembered the hollow emptiness in Beth's eyes, as she was talking about death. Of course, Andrea said it was her, who saved Beth; however, Charlie liked to think that her words were the those who kept Beth alive.
As time passed and their paths diverged, Charlie had allowed the distance to grow between them. Was it a lack of communication? A failure to understand one another's needs and desires? Charlie's selfishness?
"What happened to her?" she asked Maggie who was sitting next to her. "Beth."
"Daryl said they were running from the herd and she was taken," she answered.
"Taken?"
"By a car with a white cross on the back," she said. "But he doesn't know if she's still alive."
Charlie looked at Maggie, and tried not to show the skeptical glint in them. Maybe all of the above were the reasons why she hadn't even noticed the lack of bright presence of Beth, once the group reunited. Or maybe, Charlie already buried her in her mind, thinking she died in the prison. So maybe even now, Beth was already dead in her mind.
"You shall not give up faith," said Gabriel and placed his hand on her shoulder. Charlie jumped, not expecting such contact, looking up with furrowed brows.
"What could you possibly know?" she answered. "You've been alone here for this whole time."
