When The World Caves In |C.G.

fifty four

The church is oddly silent. Our group has dwindled down drastically in the past few days. Daddy and Carol aren't here, I won't say they're missing because I'm sure they have their reasons for disappearing. I just wish he would've told me before leaving. 

Abraham took his group to Washington, including Maggie, Glenn, and Tara. I miss them already. Bob is dead and Sasha is grieving. Her anger holds her in a tight grip, she has tunnel vision. 

Half of our group is gone, in one way or another. It feels like all that work we did to get back together, was for nothing. 

Carl sits next to me reading a comic book. His arm rests on my shoulder, holding me close to his side. Judith, sits on my lap chewing on a plastic cup. I yawn loudly into my elbow. 

"If you're tired, you can go to sleep you know. I can take over with her for a bit." He tells me and I shake my head, then lean it on his shoulder. 

"Nah, I'm good." I assure him and he pats my knee. Judith, choses that moment to spit up all over the front of my flannel.  Daddy's flannel technically. Hope he don't mind. 

"Well, how about you go change out of that shirt" He gestures to the spit up that lingers on my chest. "Thank's to pukey here."

"She's still cuter than you." I tell him, passing over his baby sister. She giggles happily, pulling on the strands of hair that frame his face. 

"Yeah right." Carl murmurs. 

"I'll be back." I whisper, lifting his hat to kiss his forehead. The hat drops back down below his eyes, but I can tell his cheeks grow red. 

Gabriel's office is a haunting reminder of what once was. Bob died in here, but now the couch is removed of anything that might've suggested his presence. I bunch up Daddy's flannel, throwing it back into his bag. He won't question the stain, he's grimier than actual dirt. 

It looks like that was his last clean one though, so until we make a trip to the stream to wash clothes I'm shit out of luck. There's a soft knock on the door, and mom enters. 

"Hey," She says, closing the door softly behind her. I turn my attention back to Daddy's bag. His old money clip tumbles out, something I wasn't even aware he still had. He must keep it in his pocket usually, considering how many times we've lost all our belongings. "Saw you come in here." 

"Judith spit up on me." I explain, gesturing to my now bare shoulders. I'm wearing a black tank top, it's too hot for t-shirts. They stick in all the wrong places with the more sweat that collects on them. "Came to find a new flannel."

 "Here, take this." She hands me a flannel from her own pack, picking up Daddy's money clip. There ain't much in it. No money, we never had much of that before the end of the world. It's stuffed full of various papers though. "He's still got that old thing?"

"I didn't even know he kept it." I tell her. 

"I gave him this for his birthday we celebrated, before..." She says, laughing sadly. 

"Before you left?" I ask, my tone is probably harsher than it should be. I realize that when I see her wince. 

"You are your father's daughter." She says, taking every inch of me in. "Blunt as hell." 

"Not like I got much choice in the matter." I'm not sure why I'm saying the things I'm saying. It ain't fair to either of us. The words just keep spilling out of my mouth. "Sorry, that was uncalled for." 

"No, I deserve it." Mom tells me. "But, Rory, you understand... I had to..." 

"Leave me?" I ask, making direct eye contact with her. 'Cause that's what happened. She left me, but from what I understand she didn't even try to find a way. I shuffle the flannel over my tank top, readjusting where it gets stuck on my knife. "Yeah, I understand just fine. Thank's for the shirt."