Torn Apart • TWD

Chapter 21 - memories fade

Tessa is almost out of the woods, literally and figuratively. The sun is slowly making its way to the horizon and the child has been trudging through the trees for hours, she knew her leg would slow her down but this is ridiculous. In perfect health, she could have gotten to the town in half the time it is taking her to just get to the forest edge.

She had gotten out of the prison without much pushback, there were some people in the group that she didn't even know the names of that tried to make Rick fight her decision, some even tried to approach her to stay but the girl quickly fled whenever someone got close.

Tessa had said her goodbyes to Dolores, giving her a kiss on the head and holding her close to her chest when the two were alone, then feeding her a bottle that the others in the group were struggling to do, while the girl easily got the baby to drink.

The arrows that were previously stuffed under her cell door have been returned to the batch sticking out of the green bag which is hanging off her shoulder, and her unicorn and dinosaur bag is lightly hitting her back with every step since the drawstring is around her neck.

Leona was shoved into the very bottom of the bag hanging around her neck, the child was not risking the chance the tiger would fall out again. More toys than expected had to be left behind, not only the original ones that have now been hidden under the bunk bed to avoid suspicion since she had said she was going to pack, but a handful more had to be abandoned since Hershel had sprung at her with medicine for her leg and any other injuries she may get.

Most of what was gifted to her was pills to help with the pain and to keep down chances of infection, but the old man had taken it upon himself to add in some medicine used for illnesses she may have been too young to of been vaccinated for. There was also a note with instructions on how to properly care for her wound, and a message in the corner saying that if she had any trouble she could always come back, with a little scribbled out map starting from her old home that they found her in with lines and landmarks directing to the prison on the back of the paper.

Though it was a nice gesture, but she was the one to find the prison and them in the first place, like hell does she need a map to find it again.

The child is close to the town she had been hopping houses in while looking for a permanent home. There is one house that would only take an hour of her limp walking away, but there is another with traps around it that would take four hours to get to, with it getting dark and the girl's leg in agony plus she's drowsy from the painkillers, it was an easy choice.

The gun that used to belong to Carl is safely hidden away, her hoodie has been tucked into her jeans and zipped up, leaving the perfect little pouch to keep the weapon close to her. Though the hoodie is thin and leaves an outline of the firearm, her denim jacket that only comes out in the cold does nicely to hide it.

Tessa had to dismantle the homemade silencer, seeing how she was trying to keep the gun concealed and that end of a baseball bat may be smart, but it makes a deadly weapon look laughable and is too big to hide in her hoodie so it has been packed into a bag.

Daryl should be grateful she stole the weapon, Carl may not be but Daryl will, that gun is the only reason she didn't fight for the crossbow to leave the prison with her. They have plenty of firearms among the group, but she's only ever seen one of those beauties that sits over the hunter's shoulder.

Three squirrels are hanging from their tails in her hand, the girl managed to hunt them during the little breaks she had to take when her leg felt like it was close to giving out. Tessa is eager to get to the house so she can have dinner, one of the squirrels is particularly large and should subdue the pain in her stomach nicely. Maggie had offered her a porridge breakfast before she left, and for formal reasons, she didn't take it because she has her own food, but for personal ones, she didn't think she could choke that down even if she was forced, some foods she just can't bare to put in her mouth and that mushy slush that looked like it had already been chewed is one of them.