The Longest Mile (#Wattys2016)

Scars

I pulled the small horse necklace out of my pocket, tangling the chain in my fingers. My dad have given it to me the day he left, along with another one that Kylie had.

No decision had been made, but I knew, there was no ignoring my plan. I didn't care if they went with it, I guess that was my way of letting them know I wanted to help. Since the meeting yesterday, I guess the news of what I did speed quickly. The one thing I feared most, was starting to happen. People would ask something that I considered personal, and I made a polite excuse not to answer. The questions are slowly starting to get harder to doge.

I run into Angel from time to time, but he respects that I want to be left alone. If only Enid was like that. Luckily I didn't have to be in the same room as her longer than I had to, which avoided some conflict.

Slowly I pulled myself from my thoughts, pulling out a tank top that had some of the back ripped. I tried to convince myself it was design flaw, but I knew better. Just like I knew Enid had went through some of my stuff a while ago. The blue tank top was the only clean one I had at the moment, and I wanted to wear one of my plaid shirts today. Sighing, I slipped it on. The door to my room opened, and I swiftly slipped on the grey and navy plaid. Whoever it was got a small peak of my left shoulder.
     "Sorry, I just wanted to tell you breakfast is ready." Carol was about to walk out, when I spoke.
     "It's okay. If it was Angel, Preston, or Carl it would be a different story." River and I followed her out of the room. "Speaking of which."
     "Oh, Preston and Emily are off with some of the other younger kids." I turned around, grabbing my bow and quiver, before going down the stairs. I needed to shoot a little. Get my mind off a few things. Carol set a plate down, before placing a bowl on the floor.
"We got some dog food." She told as I took a bite of bacon.

River and I were just finishing up our food, when Carl walked in along with Tobin. He looked at the bow that was set by my feet, and the quiver hung on the back of the chair.
     "Guess you read minds too." He smiled.
     "Mhm. Be careful what ya think cause I'll be one step ahead of ya." I joked, putting my plate away and finishing what was left in my cup. In one swift motion, I put my bow and quiver around me, holding the strap that went across my chest with my left hand. Tobin waved us off before kissing Carol. She gave Carl a wink before he, River, and I went out the door.
     "I half expect you to hold up a crossbow and shoot something with you like that." Carl spoke.
     "Maybe I can see if Daryl will let me shoot his crossbow sometime." I laughed along, as we just kinda walked around aimlessly.

I climbed up the tree near the pond. Having avoided more questions. Carl was stuck on the ground like ushal. From my perch I spotted Enid make her way over.
     "Oh look. The cats up the tree." Only I heard her mumble.
     "Better watch it too. This cat still has claws." I warned. "And the high ground." I could see a glint of some kind in Enid's eye. She was up to something, and I didn't like it. Before she walked off, she made it a point to give me a look. Then left us alone.

We settled at little garden area a few hours after noon, and I pulled out my target. Slowly I backed up, keeping lined up with it. I pulled out an arrow, attaching it to the string before pulling it back. Most of the world zoned out. It was always hard to explain, but when I was like this, with the bowstring grazing my cheek, I was able to tell many more things than I could without my bow in my hands. As if my survival instinct kicks in the moment I pick it up. Different sounds came to me, especially moans from behind the wall. A light breeze picked up, bringing the foul stench of death to my nose. I tensed, as the sound and smell was all, too close. My eyes narrowed. Something was wrong. Very wrong. River stood, he knew it too. I let up my hold on the string for just a second. Then, spinning on my heel, I shot off to Carl's left. His eyes widened, not having expected that, as the walker I hit fell to the ground. Just at that moment, some yelling exploded off in the direction it must have come from. Without saying anything I took off, with Carl and River tailing me. We stumbled in on a group holding off, and trying to keep walkers out. I started a rapid fire of arrows. Then Daryl rounded a corner, running to the line of people trying to force a board over the hole where the walkers were coming in from. I took down two walkers that were headed after him. Right after all the walkers were down, Carl and I rushed over, helping secure the board so we could all step away. Collectively, the group took in a breath. Rick and a few others quickly added a few more boards just to be safe. I turned, and started to walk away.
     "Hey, Sunshine." Daryl called after me. I waited for him to finish, but he just looked back at Rick. Rick came up to me, and everyone by the wall seemed to get a little closer.
     "We're going tomorrow." He informed, and I knew what he was talking about. I gave him a single determined nod. Carl looked at the two of us with confusion.
     "Where did you learn to shoot like that?" Jessie asked. She along with almost everyone else in the community had found their way over here after such a big commotion.
     "Nowhere special." I answered, turning again. I needed to get away from everyone, I was getting uncomfortable with all the attention, knowing questions were filling their minds. Preston kept a hand on Emily's shoulder, and Angel stood next to him in the scattered crowd. My eyes met shortly with the green blue, before Preston came up, and I handed him my bow.
"Can you go set these in my room please. I might just stay out for a while." He nodded before I walked away. Enid made her way over to me, and I still felt some people's eyes watching us. She had something planned, and now was the time to go through with it. I raised myself to my full height as she walked next to me. Now was not the time to screw with me. I could feel anger boiling up in me. Why couldn't they just leave me alone?
     "I know you're hiding 'Sunny'. If that's even your real name." She taunted.
     "Enid. Leave me alone." I growled. I really didn't want to make a big scene today.
     "What so you can keep hiding those secrets of yours?" She was starting to speak louder. "Maybe just cover up one more day? So they don't know you're bit?" Everyone froze. Rick's eyes widened, like everyone else's. I turned on my heel, grabbing the collar of her shirt. A sickening smirk played on her lips. People readied themselves to have to pull me away from her.
    "That was a private conversation. That doesn't involve you." I scoffed. "You have no right to throw around rumors like that."
     "Where?" Someone wondered out loud.
     "Her back." Enid answered happily. "You said it yourself." She whispered. "You'd rather take your chances."
Letting her go, I pushed her back, giving her the bird quickly.
     "Ya know what? Screw you. You don't know anything about me." With that, I turned my back on her.
     "You can't run away from this one 'Sunny'. You can't hide it now." She lunged at me, trying to grab my wrist, but instead, caught the sleeve of my plaid shirt. Not stopping myself in time, my left arm slipped from the sleeve as Enid accidentally pulled it off. She dropped the sleeve, making a small gasp as she saw the left side of my shoulder and back. I froze in my spot. There was a mark still left from the trip Daryl and I took to the candy store. I went rigid, as I knew that there were four scars showing right now. One was almost shaped like a star on my left shoulder. The plaid shirt slowly inched down, slipping from my shoulder, only the right sleeve was still on me. There were collective gasps from the nearer crowd. Now almost my whole back was revealed, showing a collage of pink, red, and white marks.

Scars.

There were so many. Some overlapped, and others... Others it was too obvious that someone inflicted them. Several groups of perfect burned circles were around my shoulder blades and lower back. But most of all, four of them were large and round. I know by now Daryl's eyes started at my left shoulder and looked at the unbelievable amount of seared memories that marked my back. He probably looked at the cigarette marks too. I saw Rick out of the corner of my eye as I turned my head slightly, keeping it angled down. His eyes went back and forth to the reminders that I had been shot before. My right shoulder was ragged with red from barb wire. A few red streaks connected on my arms. The shock and surprise practically floated in the air.
If only they could have seen what my wrists use to look like. The now hardly visible lines that marked my wrists, were part of several caused from someone else's amusement. Straightening up, I gave everyone a better view. I took ahold of the plaid shirt before I pulled my arm out of the sleeve, clenching the patterned fabric.
     "Take a good damn hard look at it." I barked. "This is what fifteen years has ended me. Some of them I had before all your worlds went to hell." I remarked as I walked away....

The sun had set, and I knew I should have gone to the house a while ago, but I wanted to hold off any interaction with anyone for a while. I had gotten my bow and quiver back, before I hid myself in the tree. The plaid shirt tied around my waist. There was no use in trying to hide it any longer. I slid down the trunk of the tree, hitting the ground. I sighed at the events of the day, just thankful that I don't have to be here for long. I just needed to get out again, even if it was for maybe a few hours. I'd be fine again, find something else to help out with. I walked down the street on the right side out of habit, when my thoughts were interrupted.
"Why didn't you tell me about your plan? That it involved you going out there?" Carl asked, and I turned to face him.
"I didn't think I needed to." I paused. I knew exactly he cared about me, Carl's my friend, so I cared about him too, but I didn't think he cared this much. "Carl, I just need to get outside these walls again. Just for a little bit, then I'll be fine, back to adjusting."
"Adjusting? Sunny, it's been a month since Daryl brought you back. I thought you'd see this place as home by now."
"I do. It's just, I like to help out, and here I can't help as much." I was trying to hard not to start a fight.
"Just admit it. You think this place is a cage." That was it. That was the last straw. If he wanted a fight he was about to get one. And a hell of one at that.
"Don't you dare tell me about what you think is a cage Carl! You don't even know what one is! You should be thankful. My whole life was a damn cage before all this happened!" I snapped.
"You keep saying that but you don't tell anyone anything." He spat.
"Because my past is ugly. You practically saw half of it today! It's marked all over my back Carl. I can't find the words to explain how I relive some of that shit just when someone grabs my shoulder." I knew he remembered what happened with Preston. Carl was about to say something else, but I interrupted him. "I don't give a shit whether you like it or not that I'm going out there. But I am damn it. I have to and I want to and you can't stop me." I snarled, turning around. As I did so, there was movement out of the corner of my eye.
"But would you let Angel talk out out of it?" Carl asked coldly. I spun on my heel, grabbing an arrow, notching it, and pulling the string.
"There is nothing between me and Angel." I growled before letting go of the string.
The arrow flew right over Carl's shoulder, the tip making a small cut on his ear. With that I turned back around, and continued to storm off.
"You missed me!" Carl scoffed angrily.
"I hit what I aim for." I growled, still walking away.

Since my back was turned, I didn't get to see Carl's look of confusion as he turned around. I don't get to see him look down and find I had saved his life once again. To see I had shot a walker that had slipped behind the walls earlier today. Or to see the look he would give when he realized that I still care about him even though I find him the most infuriating person on the planet right now. Most of all, I didn't get to see the regret in his eyes for the things he said, or arguing with me. But. He didn't get to see mine either.

A/N
Be sure to remember that horse necklace! It's gonna come back later! So Enid and Sunny have a not so good confrontation, ending in the whole (well almost everyone) community to see Sunny's scar ridden back through the holes in the tank top she wore (that maybe Enid sabotaged). Four round scars. Four bullets, tis been revealed. Yes Carl gets mad that she's leaving with a chosen group to carry out with her plan (psssst, I think he likes her as a bit more than a friend). She saves his but again, even tho she's pissed at him....
Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter! Until the next! Please remember to comment and vote!