never strong enough, twd

16. RIGHT OR WRONG

Lori had tried to call over Millie to do school lessons, like always. She was already doing her lessons though. Her father had ordered- told her to keep practising her knife throws. But instead, he wanted her to be closer to the tree, standing right in front as if it were a walker. He had also given her another knife, a lot more dull so she didn't ruin her new one.

Her frustration poured into every swing, her breath coming in sharp, angry huffs. The echoes of her father's yelling and the groans from earlier seemed to loop in her mind, which made her ten times angrier.

Rick, striding up to the house as he usually did, noticed the commotion. He was headed to discuss something with Hershel about the barn, but the sight of Millie violently attacking the tree stopped him in his tracks. She was going to take an eye out if she kept swinging her knife like that. The bark was flying everywhere.

He contemplated, sighing with his hands on his hips. Was talking to Hershel or Millie more important? He took a breath before slowly approaching the girl.

"You alright?" He asks in a quiet voice, doing that concerned look he always does, his hands still on his hips.

"Yes sir," Millie muttered, her eyes locked onto the tree.

"Why don't you rest? Haven't seen you sit down," he sort of chuckles.

"Can't, Dad told me to keep practising," She says out of breath, finally stopping to look at him. "Can I ask you a question?" she says wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Sure thing," he nods, his concern only growing stronger.

"How do you know you're right? About the barn, I mean." She asks, covering her eyes from the sun.

"I don't," he shrugs. He didn't know how to react, she was speaking as if she was grown, asking questions a kid shouldn't ever ask.

"Is Dad right?" She asks.

"There ain't no right or wrong in this world, Mil." He says, kneeling to her height.

"So what if we do what Dad says, and it doesn't work?"

"You doubting your Dad now?" He chuckles.

"No sir," She quickly says, panic consuming her. If Shane ever found out she said that, she'd be in deep shit. Rick simply rolls his eyes with a smile, standing to his feet.

"Im sure your dad would want you resting by now, go sit with Aunt Lori." He nods, walking back to the house leaving Millie's stomach bubbling. What if he told Shane? He never said he was joking, he never said he was going to tell him. She hated this feeling, of not knowing.

Millie shuffled her feet, gnawing at her fingernails while watching Rick walk up to the house, her heart pounding out of her chest.

The girl sat beside Carl, her fingers nervously twisting and turning the charm of her necklace for a whole 20 minutes. She watched Rick approach her father and talk just outside the barn. Like any other day, they were arguing. Millie couldn't help but think Rick had told him what she had said, Her anxiety took over, making it hard for her to think about anything else but her troubled thoughts.

"Mils," Lori said, leaning into the table and watching Millie with a worried look. "Millie," she said a little louder, putting her hand on Millie's arm.

"Sorry," she mumbled, adjusting herself in her seat, and blinking away her thoughts.

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