Shadows

secrets

            (season 2, episode 6)

Gracie awakens with a pounding in her stomach and jolts up, "fuck?!" she shouts as hands holds her down, "pin her down!" she heard the old man scream from in front of her. "what's happening?!" gracie yells in pain frantically, "you've been shot. now lay down!"

"it's okay honey...just breathe!" rick says as he holds her hand, she looks up to man, "i'm scared." she whimpers as hershel digs into her, "i know, i know...breathe gracie, breathe..." he strokes her head.

She can see everyone huddling around her, "daryl....daryl!? what happened to him!?"

Carol touched her arm, "he's okay he was shot aswell...the bullet went through him into you. so hershel's taking out the bullet." carol tries to comfort the scared little girl. "he's okay?" she sighs with a jolt of pain, "yes he's okay." carol smiles as hershel's speaks.

"okay gracie, i have to do one final dig to get it out...this is going to hurt so bite down on this." he hands her a towel. "fuck my life..." she whispers in anticipation. "three...two...one!" hershel digs his hand in gracie's torso, gracie let out the most bloodcurdling scream she'd ever done, tears fall down her face and she's shaking with pain.

She looks around half conscious to see all the adults looking at her, worried what a world like this could do to a girl.

But none of them leave her side until hershel's done.

"gracie, it's okay we're done." hershel smiles at the girl who's trembling with pain. She tries to smile back, but nothing happens.

"you did it gracie! you did it!" glenn laughs as he takes her hand. "i did it...?" she weakly squeezes glenn's hand back.

Hours pass and gracie asks a question, "who shot us?". Everyone looks to one another, not wanting to say, "who shot us!?" gracie snaps. "i did...i thought you guys were walkers." andrea comes out of the shadows with a guilty look on her face, "look i don't expect you to forgive me-" andrea gets cut off  "i forgive you." gracie tries to lean up as she takes andrea's hand, "what?" andrea asked confused, "i forgive you, you didn't know." gracie smiles at her. Andrea doesn't know what to do, she just looks at the pale girl.

"you're one good kid." dale says as he pats her on the head. "can i sleep now?" she lays back down as everyone leaves, "thank you..." she mumbles as her eyes float shut.

"mom was right about you...you're crazy!" jace yelled at 8 year old gracie, "i haven't done anything!!!" she screamed as jace walked closer to her, "you made dad leave! you are tearing this whole family apart, even your little brother is scared of you!"
gracie sobbed, and jace continued, "your visions are not real! okay?! your so disgusting with all your sick mind games, you are faking everything for attention!." jace started to break things, "i didn't make dad leave! and i'm not crazy!" gracie screamed at jace who picked gracie up by her shirt, "but you did...." he said as he slammed her onto the floor.

she scrambled for a weapon...anything. She found a knife on the floor and plunges it into his arm.

"you mother fuck-!"

Gracie shoots up in a sweat, "gracie?..." beth ran towards her, "are you okay?" the blond haired girl strokes her hair. "yeah i'm fine." she says as she sits up holding onto her bandage. "no gracie, my dad said you can't sit right now.", "i don't care." she mumbles as she looks around.

"pass me those walking sticks." she commands, "i cant gracie! you shouldn't be out of bed!" beth yells at her. gracie didn't care about the tremendous amount of pain that she was in, she needed to go outside. Beth gave in with hesitation and helped her walk.

she walks carefully, trying not to pay attention to the agonising wound in her stomach, Her face is pale, with beads of sweat on her forehead, and an almost unnoticeable tremor in her hands as she clutches the sticks. Blood as seeped through the bandage and onto her purple top.

Daryl from the chair looks at the girl, and catches the way her hands are trembling holding onto the walking sticks, he glances at lori who has been looking at her, lori face was a mixture of concern and admiration, she knows the kid is tougher then most. Rick gives gracie a fatherly look as he sees her stumbling out of the house with beth by her side. rick runs to help her, carol on the other hand wants to run up to her, but gracie's stoic face makes it hard for her, she knows she wants to do this to prove she's strong. To prove she can beat shane.

Gracie looks to him for a brief second to see him almost smirking under his nose. But she's fine with it, she wants to send him a message, that she can do this, she can survive this world just like any other adult.