Berry-picking and Murder attempt

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Cass decided to go into the woods in search of Carl.

She'd promised the kid's to play hide-and-seek if they did their homework without fuss, and though she was exhausted, keeping the kids entertained was the least she could do to ease things for the parents.

Eliza and Sophia were the first she found, they had thought Cass wouldn't look inside the cars. Then she found Luis, only after spotting Jim laughing, which led her to the boy hiding under the RV. But Carl had eluded her for a good fifteen minutes now. If it were one of the other kids, she might have started worrying, but she'd learned that Carl was a hide-and-seek expert.

They'd set clear rules for the game, and the woods were definitely off-limits. But, running out of places to look, she ventured quietly into the trees.

Suddenly, a sound caught her attention, and she went to investigate, hoping it might be Carl. But as she pushed forward, she froze.

Shane and Lori. In the middle of... something.

Her stomach dropped. Her first instinct was to run, to leave, but the snap of a branch beneath her boot was the loudest thing she'd ever heard. They turned to her, startled, and her breath caught in her throat.

"Sorry!" She stammered, quickly covering her eyes and turning around. "I didn't see anything! I was just... I mean..." The words were tangled in her throat. "I'm leaving!"

She turned as quickly as she could, her legs moving almost faster than her mind could follow. Her breath was shallow, her thoughts scattered, and the image of them, of that, burned in her mind. She had to shake it off, but it wouldn't leave.

By the time she got back to camp, she nearly ran into Glenn, who looked at her with a knowing grin.

"Hey, I need you to check my sleeping tent for something." He said, the smirk never leaving his face.

"What?" Cass replied, still flustered, her mind racing too much to understand what he was getting at.

"My tent." He repeated, emphasizing the words.

Not understanding, Cass walked over, pushing back the flap of Glenn's tent. But as soon as she looked inside, everything clicked. 

"Oh, Glenn told you where I was hiding?" Carl said, his voice dripping with disappointment that he'd been caught.

Cass paused. She'd completely forgotten about him in the wake of what she'd seen. Her eyes softened as she knelt to his level.

"Don't worry, kiddo. Glenn didn't tell me anything; this was just the last spot I hadn't checked." She shrugged. "Your hiding skills are getting tougher to beat." Cass added, giving him a warm smile.

Carl grinned, looking a little proud of himself. 

"The others are waiting by the RV. Go over there, I'll be there in a minute for the next game, okay?" Cass said, crouching down to his eye level.

"Okay." Carl agreed, nodding eagerly as he ran off to join the others.

Once he was gone, Cass slumped onto Glenn's sleeping bag. Her heart was still racing from what she'd witnessed in the woods. She hadn't meant to see that, but now that she had, it was all she could think about.

Lori had told her the story about Carl's dad. How he had been a police officer, Shane's partner, and best friend. And just before everything fell apart, Carl's father had been shot trying to stop some criminals and was left in a coma. Shane had gone to the hospital to see him before they fled the city, but he didn't make it.

Ever since she'd learned that, Cass had felt an even deeper responsibility for Carl. The kid was already her favorite, and now it was like she had to protect him even more. The thought of such a sweet, innocent boy growing up in this broken world, without his dad by his side, filled her with a heavy sadness.

Between Arrows and Hearts - Daryl DixonWhere stories live. Discover now