Broken Memories • The Walking Dead Fanfiction

16

SKYE

The sounds of voices and laughter thundered through my ears, and it was a joyful, hearty sound. Yellow light flooded the church and I sat quietly on the first pew by myself. Rick had returned safe and sound with the group, and now they were celebrating for the safe return and having a place to sleep in general.

I twiddled my thumbs, eyes locked to the floor, for many unsaid things ran through my head as everyone around me celebrated.

Carl and the kiss that seemed to put up a blockage between even the mere thought of leaving. But Gemma still lingered in my mind like an untaken chance. A forgotten hope. I'd have to leave her on hold for now. Besides Carl, or whatever twisted relationship that we had made, I still had Rick and Michonne to keep a promise to. I had Glenn and Maggie to get closer to. And I had Judith to keep fighting for.

I still had things here that I could be sure of, while Gemma, a lost memory, was still an uncertain opportunity. Carl had been right; I didn't know if she was really alive.

"Hey." I was pulled from my thoughts as Maggie sat down beside me, a two plates of food in her hands. "I saw that you were alone and probably needed someone to talk to. And that you need to get some food in you. So eat, you need your strength."

She smiled. I offered a weak grin back and rested the piece of styrofoam on my lap simply, eyeing the bit of beans and something I didn't recognize.

We sat in silence for a moment, the two of us immersed in the sounds of vibrant conversation, and my eyes lingered to Carl across the room. He sat with Judith.

The two of us hadn't really talked much since the kiss and I had distanced myself from him due to the pure awkwardness that obviously sat between us. I didn't really feel much for him. Whatever gave him an urge to kiss me escaped my understanding, for I simply thought that it was just the heat of the moment.

It may have been a heat of the moment or whatever it was, but it had worked with an upmost decency. I didn't want to leave just yet. Or at least I was thinking more about staying.

"So Skye, who was that girl in that photograph?" Maggie asked quietly. "I didn't really get the full story."

"So that's why you came over here..." I murmured, pulling out the polaroid of Gemma. Maggie, after all, was the one who picked up the picture, claiming it looked like a sister she used to have. She was probably quite confused.

"Yeah. You just seemed really upset about it is all."

I sighed, rubbing my brow. "It's a picture of someone I used to know. Her name was Gemma. She was close to me, and it's just..." I trailed off, not really knowing what to say. "It's just that this shows that she could be alive. Like recently, she was alive so... you know."

"What are you going to do about it?" Maggie asked, looking at me closely.

"I haven't really decided. I want to look for her. Leave. but..."

"But you have reasons to stay here?" Maggie finished my sentence. I gazed over into her eyes sadly as a small incoherent smile found its way on my face. "Is that it?"

"Yeah. That's it." I nodded. Maggie placed a hand on my knee in an opiating type way and nodded her head. She pointed to the photograph.