Shared Blood (A Walking Dead fan fic.)

Newbie - Chapter 4

IN THIRD PERSON

Dinner rolled around and it was almost instantly filled with chatter. Caylx sat in the middle of a blonde haired woman and Daryl. She was alone in this while they all talked away about this and that. Poking at her peas Rick's voice boomed out.

"We have new memeber. Lets all introduce ourselves." Rick said loudly over everyone. Instanly, everyone quited down to hear what he had to say. It felt like Rick was almost a god, an authority figure to all of them...Like if you cross him or get in his way your toast...

"Im Rick. Thats my son Carl." He pointed to a young boy across the table. He looked like Rick too. He was the one from before with the sherrif's hat that was too big. He gave her a light smile and went back to cutting his chicken.

"And that theres my wife Lori." Rick quickly gestured over to a pretty woman with long wavy hair pulled back with side bangs hanging out. Lori was pregnant, not too far along, but you could tell. The baby bump was a decent size, but Caylx felt slightly bitter towards her. Who would think to bring a child into this world, now, the way it is? But she left the issue alone, knowing it wasn't her place to shove in oppinon into.She gave Caylx a warm smile and looked back up a Rick.

"Andrea." He pointed to the girl with the blonde hair next Caylx. She nodded to her quietly keeping to herself.

"Maggie and Glenn." Rick pointed to another pretty woman about 17 or 18 sitting next to an asian boy the same age. They gave her warm smiles and went back to whispering to each other. If it wasnt ovious to her they oviously had a thing going on.

"And T- Dog." Rick smiled warmly over at the black man who sat quietly the only one not speaking. Caylx gave a nod towards all of them and ate a piece of her bread.

"Now that you've met everyone cant you uhh..." Rick scratched his head nervously, "You know fill us in on yourself."

Caylx was a little nervous. She wasnt used to public speaking and she never liked it before the mess that was the world today. 

"Erm....sure." She sighed putting her fork and knife down on the table. "Im Caylx. 14, from Connecticut." Caylx sighed hoping that was enough.

"Nice to meet you Caylx." Andrea, the blonde haired woman, replied. 

"Were very glad to have you here." Lori, Rick's wife, returned a bright smile at Caylx. Caylx did her best to smile but she knew she looked pathetic. Truth was, it took alot these days to get her to smile. All Caylx could think about was surviving, at a young age, she shouldnt have to think about that.

The rest of dinner was mostly small chatter and silence which Caylx didnt mind she was tired and didnt feel like talking. She felt maybe after bathing which she hoped she could here, and some sleep she would feel better.

After Caylx finished eating she sat there as the others finished quietly.

"Here Caylx are you done? Let me bring you to your room." The blonde haired woman Andrea said smiling and standing.

"Okay. Thanks." Caylx said returning a light grin at her. Lori stood and toke some of the dishes over to the sink and began to wash them. Caylx followed Andrea up the stairs which creaked as they walked up them. The stairs were a glossy dark brown with no carpetting and they were sorta narrow. They made Caylx feel like she needed to hold onto the walls to stay steady and that she needed to bang the walls for more room. 

They continued to go up the spiral of stairs until they came to a small hallway of three rooms.

"Here. You can stay in this one. Noones been in this one since Ottis was gone." Andrea said walking in. Caylx nodded uncomfortably.

"Look I know its going to be a little awkward at first but since your staying feel free to open up a little. Everyone has already...Newbie." Andrea gave her a warm smile and patted her head ruffling the red hairs a little bit. Caylx returned the smile lightly and nodded in agreement with her. Really, Caylx did agree but she couldnt just start talking to them like they were her family. She knew that and thats precisly why she wouldnt be saying much until she knew more about them all.

"For now, Ill get you something from Beth or Maggie that will probably fit. Ill take your clothes when your done changing and give em a wash. The bathrooms down the hall. Go shower and freshen up a bit...You could use it." Andrea smirked and left the room.

She sighed and walked after her out of the room down the hall to the small room that was the bathroom. When she walked in, a large white ivory bath stood with a rusty old shower head and white partially moldy curtains. A matching sink and toilet lay on opposite sides next to the shower.

Caylx felt happy knowing that she was about to take a shower for the first time in months. Shed imagine the people sitting her around her at dinner could barely take her harsh almost walker smelling stench.

Silently she slipped off her clothes and laid them flat on a open space of ground. There, she looked at herself in the mirror.

A tear rolled down her face as the person she was looking at was not herself. Hair that was so greasy it was pin straight. Dirt in the roots of her hair that was clearly visible. Dripping makeup from long ago still caked onto her eyes. Small blood spatters on her neck. A long white pink scar along her cheek and small bloody dirty cuts lined the rest of her body. Visible tan lines helped diminish the dirt spots that were only visible naked.

This was not the face she once knew

The face she once knew was clean and well kept. Not tired and angry and sad with dirt and cuts smeared everywhere.

She sighed and turned the knob of the shower handle. A loud bump came from the wall and the water instantly spurted out of the head. She felt the icy coldness of the shower and smiled wide.

"Caylx? Can I take those clothes? I brought you some stuff." Andrea knocked on the door peeking in.

"Yeah thanks." Caylx said quickly wrapping the white towel on the hook on the wall around her body and handing her the dirty clothes. 

"Gimmie the boots too I'll wash em." Andrea smiled and handed her a towel and some other cosmetics.

"Thanks." Caylx gave her a large smile and handed her the clunky large boots. The steam was circling the bathroom but Caylx grabbed the bar of soap and shampoo and stepped in.

The pulsing of the water was hard against her skin and she felt lots of stinging from the cuts. Instantly, she saw her tan skin become two shades lighter due to the dirt. She sat under the hot water a little on the ground picking at her toe nails and at the scabs and dirt on her skin.

She ignroed the pain from the old cuts and bruises that throbbed under the pressure of the hot water that had been absent for so long. She knew she needed it. So Caylx gritted her teeth for 5 minutes and let the water wash away the impurities.

Eventually, she had the strength to stand and scrub the soap vigorously over her skin. She saw her grimy nails and scrubbed those as well but they were jagged and sharp and she didnt like looking at them so she let them be.

As Caylx combed the shampoo through her hair she could smell a flowery scent. Almost like a rosey fruit. The label on the shampoo said Rosey Mango. It was an interesting combination but anything was better than smelling like she did.

A large smile spread across her face as she could feel the stickyness and greasyness slowly leave her body.

The steam flew around her with little mists of spray from the shower head and soon she was finished.

Dripping like a dog, Caylx stepped onto the matt outside. With a creak of the shower handle the pulsating sound of water against ground silenced and it was quite. All she heard was the silent rhtymic drips from the shower head.

But then the loud bang of a gun shot rang through her ears....and the peaceful silence was over.