What We've Become {the walking dead}

chapter thirty one

"These people are weak, Maddie," Carl whispers.

"I know," I sigh. "Most of them haven't ever been outside the walls." I push my back up against the couch so my body is near Carl's legs.

The more time I spend inside these walls, the more skeptical I become of this place. These people.

"Do you think they can learn?" Carl asks.

"We did. It's possible."

"But is it too late for them?" He asks again.

I'm about to speak when I see something out of the corner of my eye. It's Enid. She's walking towards the wall. Soon she begins to climb over it.

"I'll be right back. I need to pee," I lie.

I walk outside to where Enid left stakes jammed into the wall. Without thinking, I climb over the wall and sprint into the woods.

It feels amazing to be outside the walls. Wind rushes through my curls, birds chirp, freedom.

There's a voice in the back of my head telling me to go back, but I ignore it and plunge deeper into the trees.

I stop in my tracks once I spot Enid. She's tiptoeing quietly through the trees with her backpack hiked high on her shoulders.

I stay back behind a tree to observe Enid from a distance, but she picks up speed and starts sprinting towards something she heard. I leave my spot to chase after her, but she's gone.

Something touches my shoulder, startling me. I jump and grab my knife.

"Ugh," I groan, realizing it's only Carl. "What're you doing?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he snaps.

"I saw Enid climb over the wall. I wanted to see what she was up to," I explain.

"You wanted to see what Enid was doing or you wanted to get out of Alexandria?"

"I don't know. Both I guess."

Carl grabs my hand and we walk through the forest. Leaves and nuts crunch under our shoes.

The sound of walkers snarling gets louder until we enter a clearing in the woods. Rick stands near a little shack, surrounded by tons of junk. Four walkers make their way towards him.

I grab my knife again and stand near Rick and Carl as the walkers get closer.

"Get ready," Rick commands as Carl stabs the first walker. Rick kills another and I push one to the ground and stab it. Blood gets on my hands, so I wipe them on my shorts.

Rick's about to kill the last walker when another one grabs his ankle from amongst the pile of junk. Carl and I stab the walker Rick is struggling with while the other one squirms around on the ground. Carl kills it with a metal pole from the junk pile. Rick nods at us and we walk back to Alexandria in silence.

As we near the gate, I can hear shouting coming from inside. We pick up the pace and rush inside.

Daryl is on top of Nicholas, trying to choke him out and Glenn is standing over Aiden who's holding his nose in pain. Deanna stands back, yelling at them as if it's going to help.

Rick tries to break things up as I stand back near the gate, trying to contain my laughter. I really shouldn't be laughing, but the whole situation is amusing to me.

"I want everyone to hear me, okay?" Deanna announces. "Rick and his people are part of this community now, in all ways as equals. Understood?"

I tune out the rest when I notice Enid standing next to me. I smile at her, but she only gives me a sideways glance.

"You don't like me, do you?" I ask, confused.

Instead of answering, she walks off. I try not to let it bother me, so I shrug and follow Carl back to the house.

~

"Now I lay me down to sleep. I pray the Lord my soul to keep. May his love see me through the night and wake me by the morning light. God bless Maddie and Becca, Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Judith, Glenn and Maggie, Daryl, Carol, Sasha, Abraham, Eugene, Rosita, Tara, and Noah. God bless Mom and Dad and all our friends and family living in heaven with you. This we pray in Jesus's name. Amen." I finish saying my prayers with Becca. She pulls the sheet up and kisses my forehead.

"Goodnight," Becca whispers as she lays down on the floor next to me.

"Goodnight."