Torn Apart • TWD

Chapter 8 - butterfly

"You know, when I was younger I had a baby doll that looked just like you," Tessa informs the baby in the car seat. The girl has finally finished her net trap and is hooking it up to a tree while speaking to calm the infant while she's alone in the clearing.

"Maybe when you're old enough to leave alone, I can find another one that looks like you," she glances behind her to see Lola's hand outstretched, reaching for a squirrel that's climbing a nearby branch. The child considers reaching for her knife to catch some lunch, but the smile it has put on the baby's face makes her return her focus to setting her alarm system in the form of cans.

"My daddy tried to find me a doll that looked like me, but their skin colour was never right," remembering the disappointment she felt when there were none that looked like her and the delight that ran through her when her mother showed her the doll she had made just for her, and it was almost a replica of the girl.

She carried that doll with her for years, and when Gabriela was old enough for a big girl toy, she gifted it to her, despite their mother saying she could make another for the toddler.

"You did have that rag doll that kind of looked like you, but you threw up on it a few weeks ago, remember that?" Reminding the infant of when she was unwell and vomiting uncontrollably. They lost a lot of toys during those three days.

Lola starts cooing at a butterfly, fluttering unusually close to the infant. She starts crying in frustration at not being able to touch the creature which prompts the girl to drop what she's doing and get to the baby before it results in screaming.

"It's okay, Lola," she sits next to her and wipes away the falling tears, "Of course, you like the butterfly," Tessa rolls her eyes with a laugh, knowing how fascinated the baby is with the drawings of them that are splattered over the basement and on her bottle.

"Look," she slowly picks a brightly covered flower sitting near them and holds it close to the insect, and after a moment of inspecting the plant, it gently lands its six legs onto it, blue wings halting their fluttering.

Lola is completely engrossed by what is happening, no longer making any noises only staring with big eyes. The girl steadily brings the flower closer to the baby without disturbing the bug that's feeding on the nectar within the pink petals.

With a secure grasp on the flower, she continues to lower it towards the infant, and gently holds it out, close to her body. Seeing that the baby is about to grab the butterfly, Tessa gently pins her arms down with one hand so she won't accidentally harm the creature.

Lola once again coos, a sound of curiosity that makes the child smile at how bewitched the little one is. Dolores' legs suddenly flail as she whines which quickly turns into a scream that scares the butterfly into flight.

The sound of growling is what informs the girl of what made the baby react in such a way. A biter is staggering through the trees, stumbling in their direction.

"Don't worry, I won't let the monster get to you," Tessa reassures the baby with a hand over hers as the corpse trips over the strategically placed log and falls onto metal claws, trapping it to the ground.

Grabbing her bow and sending an arrow into its brain, the infant screams stop once the biter is no longer moving or making its exclusive noises.

With a sigh, the girl brings Skye closer to the baby so she has something to keep her quiet, as Tessa gets up to add the finishing touches to her trap.

Seeing as the baby is too stimulated out in the open, getting distracted by squirrels, butterflies, and the dead, she grabs the handle of the car seat and her shirt that was thrown to the floor by the open doorway, so that Lola can go have her nap in the basement. Tessa was already going to be leaving for her search for the prison later than usual since the trap needed to be set up.