Shadow (TWD Carl)

~Chapter 16~

Everyone was preparing to do the tasks they were set. Some of us decided to stay at the prison incase the Governor came back. I was put on attack again as I was pretty good before. Ethan hadn't returned yet and I was starting to become sick with worry. Carl was still acting cold and distant from everyone, not even Judith or Kira could cheer him up. I don't know what was wrong with him.

I tried to gain some fake confidence, which worked might I add, and walked over to him. I took off his jacket and put it around his shoulders. He looked up at me with a monotone face before looking at his jacket.

"Thought you might want your jacket back, you might not see it again if I take it with me." He mutters something inaudible and shakes his head. "I want you to keep it here, it's yours anyway."

Silence was evident between us and I wanted to walk away but realized that I still needed to apologise for what I did. "I'm sorry. I should have spoken to you sooner. I know your upset with me for not announcing my relationship with the Governor to you before I spoke in front of everyone. I'm sorry, I didn't know whether I could trust your group or not." I look down to the floor feeling overwhelmingly guilty. I close my eyes trying to rid my mind of the feeling.

Within seconds, a comforting pressure had laced itself around me. I open my eyes to see Carl hugging me. I return the hug and put my head on his shoulder as he put his on mine.

"In future, tell me. Don't leave me to be one of the last you tell. You can trust me." He whispered.

"I know that now, and I'll make sure that you will be one of the first to know things in the future." I back out of the hug as I see Rick coming over to us, clearly to speak with Carl. "Try not to say anything rash to him, he's far enough on edge already." Rick reaches us and I wave goodbye to Carl. "Stay safe while we're gone."

"You too."

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We were out on the road, heading to Woodbury. We stumbled across an immense amount of bodies that littered the streets and grass land. Rick stopped the car and made us get out. I looked over the unmoving bodies, noticing they were acquaintances from Woodbury. I noticed one of the men to be Allen, one of the men that came to the prison with Tyreese and Sasha. It then hit me that his son, Ben, was nowhere to be found, neither was Tyreese and Sasha.

I was torn from my search when a loud bang echoed from behind us. I looked up into the window of a tractor to see Karen, a Woodbury civilian. Rick and Daryl pointed their guns at her and signalled for her to come out carefully. She did what they wanted and looked towards me.

"What happened here?" I inquire.

"The Governor, your father, he... he shot everyone when we escaped from the prison. We were having an argument on whether or not to go back to the prison and Allen was trying to take control of the situation."

"So in anger my father shot everyone."

"Except for Martinez. I was lucky enough to hide before he could shoot me down."

It took Rick a while to think about what we should do and then explained that Andrea is in Woodbury and Karen is to help us get in there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Karen helped us get to Woodbury but when we arrived, we had to hide behind a car because two soldiers were aiming at us with guns. Rick held Karen back but she snapped at him, already knowing that the soldiers had noticed us.

"Let me go! Tyreese!" Karen yelled, snatching her arm out of Rick's grip and standing in the open. "It's me! Don't ..."

"Get down!" Rick ordered.

"Karen!" Sasha exclaims. "Karen, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!"

"Where's the Governor?"

Karen looked over to us, nodding for us to tell them what she told us. "He fired on everyone. He killed them all."

"Why are you with them?"

"They saved me."

"We're coming out! We're coming out." Rick announced. We get up to stand behind Karen with our hands up, showing that we surrender and that we refuse to shoot.

"What are you doing here?" Tyreese orders for us to tell him.

"We were coming to finish this until we saw what the Governor did."

"He ... he killed them?"

"Yeah. Karen told us Andrea hopped the wall going for the prison."

"She never made it. She might be here." I conclude. The brother and sister open the gates to let us in and we run to the place we thought Andrea was being held. Tyreese and Sasha joined us, probably making sure we don't get into trouble.

"This is where he had Glenn and Maggie." Rick states.

"The Governor held people here?"

"He did more than hold them. Will you open it?" I ask as politely as I could. I noticed the oozing blood on the floor and began to worry for the woman.

"One, two..." Tyreese drags the door open and our eyes darted around the room, guns at the ready. Michonne enters first, searching for her friend. We spot her lying on the ground, blood seeping down her arms and onto the ground.

"Andrea!" Michonne cries.

"I tried to stop them." She explained.

"You're burning up." I say as I put the back of my hand against her forehead and cheek. She shakes her head lightly and shares a small smile with us.

"Judith, Carl, the rest of them...Us. The rest of us. Are they alive?"

"Yeah, they're alive."

Andrea directs her attention to Michonne and I who are kneeling next to her body, Michonne holding onto Andrea's hand. "It's good you found them. No one can make it alone now. I never could." Andrea sighs. "I just didn't want anyone to die."

Rick held his gun up to her, knowing she wouldn't want to become one of those things. She grabs the gun and brings it to her temple, wanting to do it herself.

"No." Michonne retaliates.

"I have to. While I still can. Please?" She looks at Michonne and the woman nods in understanding.

I leave the room with others, Michonne staying back in the room with her friend. I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I had imagined Kira or Jack being in this situation. I had to stay strong though.

But everybody knows that it won't be long before the pressure shatters the glass.

A loud 'bang' of a gun was echoed throughout Woodbury, signalling another death for one of us.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Short chapter, I know and I'm sorry. Exams have been harsh on me this week and didn't have a lot of time to work on this chapter. There will be a huge time skip between this chapter and the next so be prepared for that.
Hope you enjoyed it and any feedback is appreciated! Thank you!
^-^
~SG22~