MEMORIES

003

Carl hasn't left his father's side since Rick's return. But even in the joy of their reunion, his eyes kept glancing over to Helena, sitting cross-legged under the shade of a nearby tree. Her curly hair framed her face as she sat engrossed in yet another thick book—Pride and Prejudice this time. Helena's lips moved subtly as she read, occasionally flipping a page, unaware of the world around her.

Carl admired Helena, not just because she was one of the few people his brother's age, but because she was smart—way smarter than him, he thought. He'd never read as much as her, but she didn't make him feel dumb for it. She was like a sister, someone he felt protective of, even though she could easily get lost in her own world.

Next to her, Miles was tossing a worn-out football in the air that he found in the woods with Theodore while exploring, his dark skin gleaming in the sunlight as he called over to Carl.

"Hey, Carl! You coming to play or what?" Miles shouted, grinning. Miles had an easy-going nature, always upbeat despite everything going on. Carl liked that about him; he made everything feel a little more normal, even in a world that was falling apart.

Carl glanced at his dad, who was talking quietly with Lori. He caught a glimpse of Shane, pacing by the camp's perimeter, looking restless. There was always this undercurrent of tension between his parents and Shane lately, and Carl didn't understand why.

"I'll be right there!" Carl called back, giving his dad a final hug before jogging over to join Miles and Theodore.

Theodore, standing next to Miles, was tossing a few stones down the hill, his dark eyes always watchful. He was older than Carl by a couple of years and acted like it, even though Theodore never lorded it over him. Theodore was more quiet than Miles but had this calm about him, like he was always thinking three steps ahead.

"Man, your dad's a badass," Miles remarked, watching Rick from a distance. "Walking into Atlanta and coming back alive? That's something else."

Carl grinned, his chest swelling with pride. "Yeah, he's pretty great."

Helena, still reading, smiled faintly at the conversation but didn't look up. Carl often felt like she was in a world of her own, but she had a quiet way of paying attention to everything happening around her.

"Helena," Carl said softly, crouching down beside her. "You gonna join us?"

Helena finally looked up from her book, her brown eyes warm despite her reserved nature. She shook her head, a gentle smile tugging at her lips. "I'll pass, Carl."

~

The morning air was still, and the camp had just begun to stir awake.Theodore had taken the first watch of the night, so he was still asleep in his
tent, while Helena sat nearby, reading quietly as usual, using the first light of dawn to make sense of the small text in her book. Miles had been the last to wake up, stretching lazily by the dying
embers of last night' s fire.

Suddenly, a piercing scream shatters the
Silence. "Mom!" Helena hears Carl's voice echoing from the woods in the distance. He had gone out there earlier with Sophia and Jacqui.

Her heart races as she scrambles to her feet, anxiety coursing through her like an electric shock. Carl's panicked scream reverberates through the camp, sending everyone into a state of alarm. A hundred dreadful scenarios flood her mind, and she can't help but fear the worst.

Without a second thought, helena darts towards the direction of the scream. Her feet pound the earth beneath me as she races into the woods. The twisted branches and ominous shadows create a daunting labyrinth.

Helena calls out for Carl, her voice trembling with both fear and urgency.As she pushes forward, she sees Miles, Theodore,Lori, Shane, and Rick running toward his voice too. And as we see him, Sophia, and Jacqui, Carl rushes into Lori's outstretched arms without hesitation.