South Tree * TWD

39. When He Coughed

Before Rick left to check the snares, he told the two kids to finish their chores and then basically go be a kid. Lillian had nothing better to do so she stuck by Carl as he and Patrick messed with a ball. It wasn't long before something different grabbed their attention.

A group of four kids, around their age had been screaming at walkers near the fence. Lillian knew two of them as Lizzie and Mika. Carol has talked about them, suggesting that she made friends with them but she didn't want to be the one to talk to them first so she never did.

Patrick, Carl, and Lillian all walked up to the group of four kids to overhear what they were actually saying. They were calling the walkers names. Lillian got an eerie feeling from this. These things were dead, why are they naming them like pets?

"You're naming them?" Carl questioned the four kids, causing them all to turn around to face them. Lillian heard as Patrick coughed from beside her, his spit accidentally landing on her arm. She immediately gave him a disgusted look before she reached over to him and wiped his spit back onto his shirt.

"Sorry." Patrick apologize, letting out a small awkward laugh.

"Well, one of them has a name tag, so we thought all of them should." Mika stepped forward as she explained to them.

"That's weird." Lillian commented quietly. She didn't mean to say it out loud but she had gotten the attention of Lizzie. Lillian looked over at her as she left eyes on her, Lizzie giving her a stern look. Lillian furrowed her eyebrows at her, her jaw clinching.

"They and names when they were alive. They're dead now." Carl told the kids.

"No, they're not. They're just different." Lizzie sassed. Lillian scoffed.

"What the hell are you talking about? Okay, they don't talk. They don't think. They eat people. They kill people."

"People kill people. They still have names."

"But they're alive." Lillian shot back at her.

"Yeah." Carl pointed his thumb at Lillian. "Have you seen what happens? Have you seen someone did like that?"

"Yeah, I have." Lizzie responded to Carl, her voice annoyed.

"They're not people and they're not pets. Don't name them." Carl spoke sternly to all of them.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, looking over at her friends. "We're supposed to go read. Come on." Lillian watched as Lizzie began to lead the group, shoulder checking Lillian as she walked past. Lillian was quick to shoot out her foot in front of Lizzie, right after she shoulder checked her, causing Lizzie to trip over it and stumble forward. Lillian snorted quietly before quickly turning away, taking a step forward to avoid Lizzie.

"Coming to story time tonight?" Mika asked Patrick, hopefully as a smile painted her face.

"Uh, yeah." Patrick hesitated but answered.

"See you then." Mika smile became bigger as she rocked on her feet excitedly before running behind her friends. Lillian glanced over at Carl who was side eyeing Patrick with a smell grin.

"I go sometimes. I'm immature. You guys wouldn't dig it. It's for kids." Patrick explained. Carl nodded as he looked down, kicking rocks around with his foot.

"Mika thinks you're cute." Lillian grinned at Patrick as she told him. Patrick looked over at her quickly, scoffing.

"She's like 10. That's gross." Patrick pointed out.

"She's still got googly eyes." Carl wiggled his eyebrows at him.

"I bet you think Carl is cute." Patrick tease Lillian.