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YOUNG MARIE WALSH SAT on a large, sun-warmed rock at the edge of the quarry, her legs swinging back and forth as she watched the adults move about the camp. The midday sun hung lazily in the sky, casting long shadows over the rocky landscape, and the sound of water lapping against the shore was almost calming, almost like things were normal again.
Except, nothing was normal. Not anymore.
She tugged at the fraying edge of her shirt, her bright green eyes scanning the camp for her dad. He was always so busy these days, always doing something to keep the group safe, to make sure nothing bad happened. He had become the group's unspoken leader. Marie knew that was important, but sometimes she wished he could just sit with her, like he used to before everything changed. Back when the world wasn't filled with walking dead bodies and scary nights full of strange noises. It was only when he had brief moments of freedom that he would sit with her, hug her and play games with her.
Her left hand came up to block out the sun as she peered around. "There he is." She whispered to herself, spotting Shane down by the water. He had taken on the responsibility of getting the group their water supply each day.
She knew he wasn't very happy. She knew he missed his best friend Rick. He managed to hide his emotions well but sometimes, when he thought no one was looking, Marie would catch a sad frown forming on his lips. She didn't like this. She wanted to help him. She didn't like when her daddy was sad but she also didn't know how to make him smile.
Marie glanced at the fire where Carol were cooking something over the flames, her daughter Sophia by her side. The smell of whatever it was, probably fish from the quarry, making her stomach growl. She was hungry, but she didn't want to eat. Not yet at least. She wanted to understand. Understand why everything had gone so wrong. She still didn't get it.
Before, things had made sense. She went to school, she did her homework, she played in the backyard with her friends. She watched cartoons and baked cookies. Then, out of nowhere, the world just... stopped working. People stopped being people. They turned into monsters—geeks, she's pretty sure Glenn had called them.
It scared her. She hated how it made her feel small and powerless, even though her dad always told her she didn't need to be afraid. "You're tough, kiddo." He'd say, ruffling her hair with a smile that almost reached his eyes. "You've got me to protect you. I'm never gonna let anythin' happen to you."
But how could she be tough when she didn't even understand why it was happening?
Her pink shoe clad foot kicked a small stone off the edge of the rock, watching it tumble down toward the hill before vanishing into a bed of verdant leaves. She frowned, biting her lip as the question that had been gnawing at her came bubbling up again.
