⋆ ★ REQUIEM FOR THE ACCUSED ⋆ ★

BAD IDEA!

"i'm totally fucked." - girl in red

it had been about a week since michonne had found them, and the small house had slowly filled with a warmth that salem hadn't felt in a long time. michonne was kind to them, especially to carl and salem. she treated them like they were her own, always making sure they were fed and cared for. salem liked her. there was something about michonne's calm presence that put her at ease. michonne would play board games with them in the evenings, laughing at carl's jokes and making the days pass by a little easier. even though rick was still resting up, sleeping most of the time, the house didn't feel as heavy with michonne around. she brought a sense of normalcy that they all desperately needed.

one morning, salem woke up to the soft sound of michonne humming to herself in the kitchen. the tune was gentle and soothing, and for a moment, salem just lay there, listening. she turned over and saw carl still fast asleep beside her. he had moved his bed next to hers to make room for michonne, and now, he looked peaceful, his face relaxed in sleep. salem quietly sat up, careful not to wake carl, and slipped out of bed. she quietly walked to the kitchen, where michonne was standing by the counter, pouring a bowl of cereal while eating peanut butter straight from the jar. she looked up as salem entered, a warm smile spreading across her face.

"morning," michonne said softly, offering salem the jar of peanut butter and a spoon. salem smiled back, grateful for the small gesture. she took a spoonful of peanut butter, savouring the rich taste as she sat down at the table. michonne continued to hum, her eyes twinkling with a lightness that seemed rare these days. they shared a quiet moment together, just the two of them, the kitchen filled with the comforting sounds of morning. salem felt a sense of contentment she hadn't known in a long time. for now, things were okay. they had food, they had each other, and they had a safe place to rest.

"how's the leg?" michonne asked, her voice gentle but focused. salem lifted her pant leg, showing the healing wound. it wasn't perfect, but it was much better than before. she demonstrated a small skip, the closest she could manage to a run. "good," michonne nodded, clearly pleased. "i'm planning on going on another run today, just to keep us stocked up. let rick rest a bit more." carl shuffled into the kitchen, his hair a mess, clearly just waking up. he sat down beside salem, eyeing the spoon she had set down. without hesitation, he picked it up and dug into the peanut butter, taking a large glob.

michonne chuckled, shaking her head. "i was thinking we could use a little outing, find some more food and water. maybe find something to keep you guys occupied, too." salem nodded, appreciating the thought. she felt safer with michonne, rick, and carl than she had in a long time. as much as she missed jack, being with them gave her a sense of security she hadn't felt since the world changed.

michonne set the peanut butter aside, grabbing a couple of bowls from the cupboard. she poured cereal into each one, the familiar sound of the flakes hitting the bowls filling the quiet kitchen. with a quick glance at salem and carl, she added milk to both bowls and placed them on the table in front of them. "here you go," michonne said with a small smile, setting the bowls down gently.

carl immediately started eating, still half-asleep but clearly hungry. salem picked up her spoon, stirring the cereal around a bit before taking a bite. the simple act of eating breakfast together felt almost normal, a rare moment of peace amidst the chaos. michonne grabs two bottles of water and sits one down in front of carl. he starts to laugh and salem looks up from her bowl. "do you have something to say about my extremely comfortable and attractive shirt?" michonne jokes, rolling up the sleeves on the white button-up that is way too big for her.

"no, no,no. it looks great," carl laughs. "oh, you missed a..." he says pointing to a button undone on her shirt. he turns back to his bowl, scooping more cereal onto the spoon. with a chuckle, michonne sat down across from them with her own bowl, watching them with a fondness that made salem feel even more at ease. "wish we had some soy milk." she sighs. "seriously?" carl asks, turning his nose up. "yes, seriously. have you ever tried it?" michonne asks and salem watches the two with a smile on her face. her aunt always used to bake with soy milk--something about high protein. for a moment she can almost smell the chocolate chip cookies she and jack would come home to.

carl looked over at michonne as he started to talk about his old friend from second grade. "my best friend in second grade, he was allergic to dairy. every day, he'd bring that soy stuff to lunch. i tried it once. it was awful." he said, shaking his head with a smirk. salem listened, noticing how much older he seemed—like he carried years beyond his actual age. she couldn't help but think back to her childhood, which felt like a lifetime ago.

the last birthday salem could remember was her tenth, maybe a year or two ago. the memories were hazy, but one stood out clearly: her uncle had only realized it was her birthday because the weather had started to change—february in georgia meant the first hints of warmth. despite everything, jack had made that day special. he had found a silver chain that matched the locket she always wore. it wasn't perfect, but it was close enough that salem had cherished it. he had given it to her in a small cardboard box, the kind that used to hold something much less meaningful. as carl talked, salem instinctively reached up and clutched the locket around her neck, her thoughts drifting to jack. wherever he was, she hoped he was safe.

michonne and carl shared a laugh over the soy milk, their voices breaking through salem's reverie. "i would rather have judith's formula--" carl joked, but his laughter abruptly faded, his expression darkening. the mention of his sister had hit him hard, the loss washing over him like a tidal wave. "i'm gonna go finish my book. i have a couple of chapters left." he muttered, pushing back his chair. he stood up quickly and headed upstairs, his footsteps heavy with grief.

michonne sighed softly and looked over at salem, her eyes full of understanding. she didn't say anything, just gave a small, encouraging nod. salem nodded back before getting up and quietly following carl. she could hear his footsteps ahead of her as she made her way up the stairs, the wooden boards creaking under her weight. when she reached the top, she gently pushed open the door to the room. it gave a soft creak as it swung open, revealing carl sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her.

he didn't notice her at first, lost in his thoughts, a single tear slipping down his cheek. as salem stepped closer, the movement caught his attention. he quickly wiped the tear away, his head turning to see her standing there. their eyes met, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. there was a silent understanding between them.

after a moment, salem walked over to the bookshelf. her eyes scanned the spines until she found what she was looking for—a spiderman comic. she pulled it from the shelf and hopped onto the bed beside carl. without a word, she handed the comic to him. he looked down at it, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he opened it.

as carl began to read aloud, his voice filled the small room, bringing the comic's world to life. salem leaned back against the headboard, listening intently. the familiar story provided a brief escape, a small comfort in their chaotic world, and as carl's voice filled the room, the weight of their reality seemed to lift, if only for a little while.