Safe haven, Rick Grimes

036. THE GRIEF WAS CONSUMING HER

Chapter thirty six

"The grief was consuming her." 

Elsewhere, Mika and Lizzie were walking through the woods, Mika was crying "don't cry." Lizzie told her, as they headed onto a dirt path "I want Carol." Mika told her "well she's not here." Lizzie shared, pulling a knife out "here put this on your belt." she told her, Mika took it, as Lizzie looked ahead of them "it's gonna get dark soon." she said, as Tyreese stopped walking "where are we going?" Lizzie asked, as Scarlett stepped out from in front of Tyreese, holding Judith in her arms, she looked at them "anywhere but here." she shared, turning to continue walking, Mika ran up to her "is everybody dead?" Lizzie asked, and when she did, Scarlett thought about Carl and Rick, as she continued walking in silence not answering her, Tyreese, Mika and Lizzie followed her.

Where they soon found a place to camp for the night, as Scarlett caught a rabbit, she killed it, made a fire and cooked it for all of them, as she fed more of her portion to Judith, Tyreese tried to give her some of his but she wouldn't take it, where by night fall she had snuffed out the fire so they couldn't be seen, Lizzie was sitting on a tree branch away from them, as Scarlett, Mika and Tyreese leaned against a tree, Judith started crying, as Scarlett took her bag off, opening it, she pulled Judith's bunny out of it, as she handed it to her, she closed the bag and put it back around her, as she picked Judith up and began pacing 

"We shouldn't be out here." Lizzie told her "Lizzie..." Tyreese told her, knowing she shouldn't push Scarlett, as a branch snapped, they all turned to it "walkers!" Mika voiced, as they could hear them in the woods "time to move." Scarlett told them, turning and walking off, Tyreese, Mika and Lizzie got up following her. 

By morning, they were still walking in the woods "look, grapes." Mika said, noticing the one's on the bushes, Judith was crying in Scarlett's arms "I'm sorry." Scarlett whispered to her "yeah, they're good." Tyreese told her, as Mika picked some off the tree "here, Lizzie, have some." she told her, as she handed some to Lizzie, the two began eating them, as Judith kept crying "okay." Scarlett told her, walking off "Scarlett.." Tyreese told her "just watch them." Scarlett told him, as she put Judith down on the blanket she had been holding her in, she took her bag off, as she got out a diaper.

Judith was still crying "shh. Shh. Look at me. It's all gonna be okay." Scarlett shared, as she began to change her diaper, she threw the dirty one into the woods far away from them, so if the walkers were around they would follow it instead, as she then put the new one on Judith, she then wrapped her up in her blanket and picked her back up, as Judith stopped crying, holding onto her, as a branch snapped "they're coming!" Mika voiced "ah, I heard it, Mika!" Tyreese voiced "don't yell at her she doesn't understand walkers." Lizzie said, as Judith started crying again "your the one that doesn't understand them." Mika shared.

And Scarlett couldn't took it anymore, as she grabbed her bag and began walking off, getting away from all the noise, Judith stopped crying "Scarlett!" Tyreese voiced, running after her so did Mika and Lizzie, and as they caught up to her, a woman could be heard screaming in the distance, but Scarlett didn't stop "Scarlett we have to help them." Tyreese told her, but Scarlett didn't say anything and just kept walking as the woman screamed again "they may be from the prison." Tyreese told her "nobody that matters." Scarlett said under her breath, as she continued walking, the woman screamed again.

As Tyreese turned heading off and as he did, Lizzie and Mika chose to still follow Scarlett, where as they did, a rustling could be heard from the woods, as Mika grabbed onto Scarlett's bag, Lizzie put her hand on her knife, as Scarlett put a hand on her gun, it wasn't a walker that walked out of the woods but Carol, as Scarlett's eyes went wide, Carol looked at her the same way especially cause she saw the blood on her.

They all then went walking through the woods and as they did they heard someone killing walkers, where when they came out onto the railroad tracks, they saw Tyreese killing one of them "Tyreese!" Carol voiced, as Tyreese killed the walker, he turned looking at them all "how..how.." Tyreese said, running up and hugging Carol "how'd you find us? Where were you? How'd you.." he asked, as a man was sobbing "stay here with Scarlett girls." Carol said, as her and Tyreese walked toward's the man, Mika hid behind Scarlett while Lizzie watched "stay on the tracks. That was my mistake." the man said.

"But the woods have more cover." Carol told him "no, you don't understand. There's a place up the tracks. It's safe. You can take the children there. Trust me. Please. Follow those tracks." the man said "come on." Scarlett told them, turning and walking down the hill and onto the tracks, Mika and Lizzie followed her, along with Carol and Tyreese.

As they were walking along the tracks, Mika looked up at Scarlett "can you tell us one of your story's?" she asked, and when she did, Scarlett knew there was no longer a story to tell, losing the man she loved, her son, her baby, she felt lost, where the only thing that mattered was Judith, she didn't wanna speak, she didn't wanna eat, all she felt was pain, the grief was consuming her and pulling her under the water and she was holding Judith above it to keep her alive.

Carol noticed her body language and knew she wasn't in the mood to talk as she took her bag off "there's some water in there. And some food." she shared, as Tyreese looked through it, handing it to Mika and Lizzie, Carol was looking at Scarlett, who was looking at Judith "I didn't see you get out. I thought you.." Tyreese shared "I wasn't there. I hadn't gotten back yet. Rick and I found a car. He took what we had back to the prison while I..kept looking." Carol shared, and the mere mention of Rick made Scarlett want to scream, to break down and cry "I saw the end. And then I saw you running into the woods. You were far away, I lost you, but.." Carol shared.

"You found us." Mika told her, as Lizzie walked up to Carol "I knew you would." she told her, as Scarlett remembered how she told Carl she would find him, she turned around and began walking again, as they all followed after her, where to their left was a sign "look." Lizzie said, as her and Mika walked up to it "sanctuary for all. Community for all. Those who arrived survive." Mika read off, as Lizzie turned looking at Tyreese, Scarlett continued walking down the tracks, as they all followed her.