TimeBomb (Carl Grimes/TWD)

02

I hopped down from the tree I had been sleeping in.  It was the best place I could find.  The sun is slowly setting but its still fairly high in the sky. 
I grab my axe out of my holster and try to walk as quietly as I can. There's a rabbit a few feet in front of me. I don't have a fire to cook it on but I'll worry about that later.
I just need food.
Im almost to the rabbit when I hear the sound of rustling leaves behind me. 
I quickly find my way to a large tree and hide behind it. 
Probably not the best spot to hide but its all I have.
I try to slow my breathing down as the sound of footsteps get closer.  I turn my head to the side but only enough to get a glimpse of who it is.
Carl. 
Its Carl.
"I don't want to go back." I think to myself "He's going to make me go back."
I clench my fist and take a deep breath.
I wait for him to leave but he never does. 
"I'm just gonna have to run." I say to myself.
I turn my head to get a glimpse of him. 
He has his back turned to me. 
I quickly start off in the other direction.
The sound of leaves crunching beneath my feet is enough to get Carl's attention and he starts to run after me.
"Alex, stop running. " Carl yelled.
I dont respond.
I just keep running.
The sound of crunching leaves gets louder as he runs after me.
All of a sudden Carl tackles me onto the ground.
"Get off of me!" I yell at him
"Tell me why your running? " He asks
"I don't want to go back there. " I respond
He looks at me like I'm in insane "Why don't you want to go back? You're not the one who got their eye shot out. " he says
"Carl, " I say " I just can't."
"Sounds like your just trying to run away like a coward." Carl says "After sh*t hit the fan you bailed. "
"You know it's not like that." I say" I've stayed with you guys through everything."
"Exactly so why leave now?" Carl asks
"It's just, I don't know." I say coming to the realization of how much of a coward I'm being. "I shouldn't of left. "
Carl let's go of me and gets up.
"Let's go back to Alexandria." he says.

~~~~~~~~~
As we reach the gates of Alexandria I can't help but feel nervous.  I know Daryl isn't  going to be happy about me leaving.
We walk through the gates and Carl turns around.
"Maybe you should go tell Daryl your back. " He says
I sigh and say bye to Carl as I walk of to go find my brother.
I walk into the house and see Daryl standing in the living room.
"Alex! Where the hell did you go." He asks as he runs over to me. 
"I didn't want to stay here anymore so I left. " I say
"You can't just decide to leave! We're all a group and if one of us has somethin they want to do they tell the group, especially if your a kid." Daryl says clearly irritated.
"I know and I'm sorry.  I made a dumb decision because I got scared. " I say as I try to avoid eye contact with my brother.  "I'm sorry. "
"You better be sorry.  Damn I wish this wasn't an apocalypse right now so I could ground you." He says
I raise an eyebrow "But if this wasn't an apocalypse then I wouldn't of done what I did."
"Shut up Ya smart ass." He says with a slight laugh.
"So you aren't mad?" I ask
"I trust you and I know you can survive.  If you weren't smart I probably would've been more worried but I know you and I knew you'd be okay." Daryl says.
As soon as he finishes his sentence Rick comes in the door.
"Daryl, we need to leave now if we want to get back before its dark." He says
"Okay." Daryl says.
"Alex your back!" Rick comes over and asks "Where'd you go?"
"After we brought Carl to the infirmary I couldn't handle it and I left. Michonne was the only one who tried to stop me. " I say realizing I probably should've listened to Michonne.
"Glad your back. " Rick says as he hugs me.
When he's done Daryl turns towards me.
"Rick and I have to go on a run. We'll try to be back a little bit after dark. " Daryl says
"Okay. Just be safe." I say as they walk towards the door.
"I always am." He responds.

~~~~~~~~~~