THICK SKULL , twd [ 1 ]

40. tweakers

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            LEAVES RUSTLE BENEATH KOA'S shoes. Birds that are left in this world whistle a tune, unaware of the grief that now inhabits their planet.

                     Koa keeps zoning out. Sleep deprivation or her trauma catching up? She can no longer tell. But if she stares for too long, she sees Hershel's head and she can very clearly see the terrified look on her sister's face. Beth's cries and Magiie's scream echoes in her head.

               She was fine at the golfing club. Why is her brain suddenly shutting down now? Her chest starts to hurt as she imagines where Sadie or Judith or Carl are, if they're alive, if they made it. How can Judy survive? Who's taking care of her?

                  Memories flood her, spinning her like a carousel. She's no longer in the forest with Beth and Daryl. It feels like she's in her childhood home with Uncle Shane, the Grimes' and Sadie on a Saturday afternoon with the BBQ going.

                 "What do you think, Koa?" It's an echo of Beth's voice.

                    Her head snaps up, back to reality. "Huh?" Koa hums. Beth just chuckles, realizing the girl hasn't been listening to them debating Daryl's life before the apocalypse. Daryl narrows his eyes on Koa for a second, slowing down a bit so she can catch up. "It don't matter. Hasn't mattered for a long time," He mumbles, leaving Koa confused without any context.

              But her head is spinning all too much to question it as her finger rotates around her uncle's class ring. "It's just—what people talk about, you know, to feel normal," Beth adds. "Yeah, well, never felt normal to me," Daryl mutters.

                   Koa stuffs in her hands in her pockets, walking the trail with them until a clearing comes as well as an old cabin buried in the woods. "Found this place with Michonne," Daryl explains. "I was expecting a liquor store," Beth says. A small chuckle erupts from Koa, still standing behind the two in somewhat of a daze. "Nah, this is better," Daryl tells them and begins to walk closer to the cabin.

                   Beth looks back at Koa, noticing the lost look in her eyes. She gently kicks the dirt around them, getting the other teen's attention. With a gesture of her head, Koa follows Beth over.

                    The old, rickety porch is filled with items that could've once made a home feel like home. An old bike, a chair with a jacket and ashtray. All remnants of the human civilization. Daryl leads them towards the back, swinging open the door to a boiler room as he starts to gather things. "What are you doin'?" Beth questions. Koa watches as he clinks bottles together. Realization hits her once she sees the clear liquid in the glass.