Safe haven | Rick Grimes

036. THE GRIEF WAS CONSUMING HER

Chapter thirty six

"The grief was consuming her."

Mika and Lizzie walked through the dense woods, their small boots crunching on the fallen leaves. Mika was crying quietly, her shoulders shaking.

"Don't cry," Lizzie told her flatly as they stepped onto a narrow dirt path.

"I want Carol," Mika sobbed, wiping her nose with her sleeve.

"Well, she's not here," Lizzie replied, her voice cold. She pulled a heavy hunting knife from her sheath and held it out. "Here. Put this on your belt."

Mika took the weapon with trembling hands, anchoring it to her waist. Lizzie looked up at the sky through the canopy of trees. "It's gonna get dark soon."

Up ahead, Tyreese came to a sudden halt.

"Where are we going?" Lizzie asked, looking up at him.

Before Tyreese could answer, Scarlett stepped out from the front of the line. She was carrying baby Judith tightly against her chest, wrapping a blanket around her to keep her quiet. Scarlett turned back to look at the girls, her face pale and exhausted.

"Anywhere but here," Scarlett shared quietly.

She turned back around and kept moving down the path. Mika ran up to her side, wanting to stay close to the motherly figure.

Lizzie watched Scarlett's back. "Is everybody dead?" she asked.

The question hung heavily in the crisp air. The moment the words left Lizzie's mouth, Scarlett's mind flashed to Rick and Carl. She pictured the chaos at the prison, the gunfire, and the terrifying moment they were separated. The grief threatened to choke her, so she chose to say nothing.

Scarlett continued walking in absolute silence, her eyes locked on the trail ahead. Tyreese, Mika, and Lizzie followed closely behind her into the deepening shadows.

They soon found a secluded spot to camp for the night. Scarlett managed to catch a rabbit, swiftly killing, cleaning, and cooking it over a small fire for the group. When it came time to eat, she selflessly gave most of her own portion to baby Judith. Tyreese noticed and tried to offer some of his food to Scarlett, but she quietly refused it.

By nightfall, Scarlett snuffed out the embers of the fire to ensure they couldn't be spotted in the dark. Lizzie sat isolated on a low tree branch a short distance away. Nearby, Scarlett, Mika, and Tyreese leaned against the thick trunk of a tree.

Suddenly, Judith began to cry. Scarlett quickly slid her bag off her shoulder, opened it, and pulled out Judith's favorite stuffed bunny. She handed the toy to the baby, zipped the bag shut, and swung it back over her shoulder. Lifting Judith into her arms, she began to pace back and forth to soothe her.

"We shouldn't be out here," Lizzie called down from her branch, her tone challenging.

"Lizzie..." Tyreese warned softly, knowing better than to push Scarlett right now.

Before Lizzie could answer, a loud branch snapped nearby. Everyone froze, their eyes darting toward the pitch-black woods.

"Walkers!" Mika whispered in a panic, as the telltale groans echoed through the trees.

"Time to move," Scarlett ordered.

She turned and immediately spearheaded a path into the darkness. Tyreese, Mika, and Lizzie scrambled to their feet and followed closely behind her.

By morning, they were still pushing through the dense woods.

"Look, grapes!" Mika said, spotting wild clusters growing on the bushes.