burning love

A-43

Me, Michonne, Carl, and Rick all sat around the fire that we had made the night before. We all stared at the fire blankly until Carl spoke, 

" I'm starving." I nodded my head in agreement. 

"Let's check the snares." Rick suggested. Michonne and Carl stood to follow him. 

"Bella you gonna come too?" Carl asked me.

"Nah, I'm probably gonna clean the camp up and then go hunting." I said. Rick nodded his head at me. They left the camp and followed behind Rick as he explained the different snares. I cleaned the camp up putting out the fire and rolling up our sleeping bags. I put everything in a pile and covered it with some brush in case a wonder came through and decided to take it. I strapped my sword to my back and adjusted my knives on my thigh. I put my gun in it's holster. I picked my bow up and pulled an arrow outta it's holder and placed it into my bow in case I came across anything. I stopped and took a second to breathe. My belly had gotten huge, I had maybe 3-4 months left. I had caught my breathe and walked about a miles radius away from our camp. Today I hope that God will bless us with something. Carl really needs to eat. I was walking through the woods when I stopped in my tracks and saw squirrel staring straight at me. I pulled the string back on my bow and let the arrow soar through the air. It pierced through the squirrel. I picked the squirrel up and yanked the arrow from it placing it back in my bow. I put the squirrel into the bag and walked a little further. I'm sure we would've caught a shit ton of animals by now if Daryl was here. I heard the hoot of a day owl and looking through the trees trying to find it. The owl hooted again and I looked at it. Honestly it was flawless looking, it was white with black speckles on it. I pulled my bow back and shot the owl. It fell to the ground and I picked it up putting it with the squirrel that I had caught earlier. I headed back to camp and caught about two more squirrels which would be enough for all of us to eat. I got back to the camp just as Rick emerged from the other side. 

"What did ya find?" Rick asked. 

"About three squirrels and one day owl." I said as my grin grew bigger. 

"What about you?" I asked. 

"We got a squirrel. But we gotta move, there is a herd coming this way." And just like that my smile faded. I nodded my head and headed towards the highway, and we walked along side the tracks. We had walked all day until the sun started to fall and we stopped at a broke down truck that we had found. Rick had started a fire in the road by the truck and Michonne and Carl had dragged a log over by the fire, while I skinned the animals. As soon as I was done skinning one I gave it to them to cook. They each at their squirrel quickly, Carl complained that he was still hungry and I gave him my squirrel. 

"No Bella you need to eat, we'll just make the owl too." Carl said. I had completely forgot about the squirrel, I skinned the owl and handed it to Rick. Rick cooked the owl over the fire while I slowly ate my squirrel. Rick had finished cooking the owl and then cut it evenly between us. I ate my owl just as slow. After I had finished eating I said my good nights and got in the driver seat of the truck Carl followed behind and got in the passenger seat.

"Do you think we'll find them?" I asked hopelessly.

"Yes, we will." Carl said with determination. 

"I miss them. What if I don't find Daryl or Bailey?" I asked. I know I sounded like a little kid but I was losing hope.

"We will find them and until we do I promise to keep you safe and healthy." Carl said.

"Your like the little brother I've never had you know that right?" I told Carl.

"And your like the big sister, I've never had." Carl said.