The Girl Next Door • Carl Grimes

Chapter 46: The Clearing

Carl

• The fall of the prison •

When I saw the pain in Grace's face after we all watched Hershel get killed in cold blood, I had no other option but to fire.

She stayed on the ground, clearly not believing what she'd just seen. My anger got the best of me and I kept shooting.

Sooner than later it all got really bad. They drove the tank through, and I had to run. I ran back inside of the prison hoping to find Judith, then I would go find Grace. That was my plan.

I looked and I looked, but I couldn't find her. I felt so hopeless, but I heard the firing begin to cease. I ran back outside and I saw my dad limping out of the ashes. He was covered in blood, sweat, and dirt. His shirt was ripped and blood was just absolutely gushing out of his swollen face and mouth.

"Carl," he sighed in relief, "you find Judith? And where's Grace?" He asked me.

"I- I can't find her. I can't find Grace either. I can't find any of them." I said as we walked through the prison yard.

"It's okay. It's okay. I found you now." My dad reassured me.

I looked down as we walked and I saw Judith's carrier. Upon further inspection I saw that the carrier was empty and full of blood.

"No, no!" My dad cried out, putting his hands on his knees like he did the day my mother died.

I saw a walker coming up toward us and I shot it right in the head. I didn't stop though, I kept shooting it over, and over. I kept reloading my gun and shooting even though it had ran out of bullets.

My dad grabbed a hold of me and tried to stop me as I let out a scream and a cry. I'd lost Grace. I'd lost Judith. I didn't know what to do with myself.

I came to my senses and grabbed a hold of my dad as he weakly walked away from the prison. The further I walked, the heavier I felt. I felt as if there was the weight of the prison and all we had lost tied to me, and I couldn't walk.

I kept looking back, and I began to scream out, "Grace! Grace!!!" But it was no use.

My dad shushed me and told me we had to keep going, we had to leave it behind. We had to leave her behind.

•

Grace

I kept pushing through until we made it into the forest. We were now far enough away from the chaos and destruction that I could take a breather.

"I need a minute." I said breathlessly as I sat down against a tree, still holding Judith.

"You alright?" Tyreese asked.

"Yeah, it's just my ankle. I hurt it, at the beginning. It never really healed quite right and, well I messed it up again today. I'll be fine though." I said as I inspected my foot.

"I'm sorry Grace, I know I hurt you. I just didn't want the explosion to get you." Tyreese said apologeticly.

"No, don't be sorry. You saved me. You saved all of us." I said as I looked at Judith and then the other two girls.

I ripped a piece of my sleeve off and grabbed two sticks from the forest floor. I placed each stixk on opposite sides of my ankle and tied the piece of fabric around it tightly while I kept Judith in my arms.

I stood up and we kept on walking. We walked in silence for the most part except for the noise of my gun moving side to side as it was slung against my back when I walked.