𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒. ᵗʷᵈ

ᶜʰᵃᵖᵗᵉʳ ²

⁻⁻⁻ 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬.

Rick rolled out the arsenal Carl found yesterday,
"Everybody takes a weapon," Simone's ears prick up, everybody?
"These aren't the kind of weapons we need. What about the guns?" Andrea put her hand on her hip.
"We've been over that. Daryl, Rick and I are carrying," Simone wasn't sure who selecting them as leader but Shane's really going into the role, "We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles."
"It's not the trees I'm worried about."

"Say someone fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See, then it's game over for all of us, so you need to get over it," Shane swung his backpack over his shoulder and that was the end of that conversation.
"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around and come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark," Daryl says, Simone glancing up to see her brother eyeing the new weapon he grabbed with a little grin on his face.

"Can I take one?" The arsenal still on the table, weapon choice slipping away every second,
"Oh, uh, yeah," Glenn furrowed his brows, he thinks having protection is good to have, Rick let Carl take one. Simone looks at Carl's knife from the corner of her eye and tried to find the same one, there was one, the handle was a different pattern and a shade darker.

Her backpack on her back, taking out the unessential items for this hike like clothes and personal things and leaving in her and Glenn's water bottles and some snacks. Dropping a hair brush in there too, she's still just a girl. Her pretty scenery calendar was left on the table in the RV with her notebook. Day sixty-seven. On day sixty-seven the group takes off to search for Sophia at first light, like Rick promised.

"Keep an eye on Carl while we're gone," Rick patted his hand on the boy's shoulder,
"I'm going with you," Carl said like it was an obvious statement, "you need people, right? To cover as much ground as possible," he looks to his mom.

Rick groaned then also to Lori for her approval,
"Your call. I can't always be the bad guy,"
"Well, he has all of you to look after him, I'd say he's in good hands," Dale said, Simone's back resting on the RV door he's got his arm leaned up against, she don't want to go if Carl can't.
"Ok, ok. But always within our sights, no exceptions," Rick stroked a hand over his hair and Simone smiled,
"Yay! This is gonna be so fun," She pushed her back of the door to follow the boy, Dale winked at them with a little smile.

The two find a car with a flat hood to sit on,
"What do you think she did last night?" Carl says,
"Maybe she caught a fish. There are a lot of trees out there so she could've made a tree house," Simone furrowed her brows when she spoke, really thinking about it.
"Overnight?" The boy snapped his head to her,
"Yeah, don't misjudge her building skills. I saw her put up a tent back in Atlanta, timed it, eight minutes," Simone nudged Carl's shoulder.

"Simone, Carl," Rick called them, starting to leave, the two shuffle off the Jeep and run to catch up. In single file they walked, the plants grown tall and trees healthy. So untouched by big machines and money desperate people that Simone starts to think the end of the world might only be a start to a new one.

Simone does the first button up on her cardigan when a cold breeze goes past them, she was walking with Lori and Carl at the back of the group,
"Shane, look. Dad said I could carry it and mom said as long as I was—"
"Keep it down. We're looking for Sophia," Shane cut him off rudely, "you need to focus on the task." The boy put his head down,
"Gotta keep up," Lori put her machete on his back gently to bring him forward.

Don't know what got Shane in such a bad mood but he cant be rubbing it off onto everyone else, Simone glared at the man, not liking how he made Carl second guess things. Lori said he was worried about Sophia but Shane isn't the kinda guy to be worried about anyone else but himself, she thought it weird if that was the case because how does this affect him in any way.