Walkers Can't Climb (The Walking Dead/Carl)

Walkers Can't Climb

3 years.

The more I look at Rick, the more I regret him going with us. His shirt and pants were soaked in red blood. He was clearly terribly injured, his leg looked like it was stabbed or shot. He could barely even stand without Carl by his side. His voice sounded croaky. Carl kept on mumbling that his dad shouldn't have came with us. In my head, I agreed.

"So, what were you doing before, well, this happened?" I ask Rick.

"I was a officer, the Sheriff, actually."

"That's handy."

"It's not handy when you're nearly dead, need rest, but still walking." Carl spoke up.

"I told you that I'm fine, Carl."

"And in denial..." Mumbled Carl.

Everyone was quiet for the rest of the trip to the grocery store. The small town we were walking through was oddly quiet. It must've been cleared out a while ago but it's strange that new walkers didn't inhabit is by now. It felt weird, walking through such a quiet area considering that we're in the apocalypse. We advanced towards what used to be a small Italian deli. Rick quickly explained how to use the shotgun Carl gave me before we entered. I felt scared of what we would find inside.

"Sadie, Carl, stay behind me." Rick instructed.

"But dad you can't." Carl complained.

I just went with the instructions.

As soon as we opened the door to the entrance, a walker approached us. Carl shot it with ease.

"Sadie, you need practice, take down the next walker we see." Rick whispered.

I nodded and looked around carefully as Rick and Carl gathered food and supplies.

I spotted one. A walker.

I raised my gun, my hands shaking. Just pull the trigger, it's just a walker, just shoot the walker. I tried to coax myself. The walker moaned as it limped towards me. There was a loud bang as I shot it. I cringed. I've always hated loud noises.

"Good shot." Carl approved.

"We got everything we need for now, lets go."

We went outside to find that we attracted a few more walkers. Rick and Carl didn't do anything, probably expecting me to shoot them, so I did. I missed a couple times but I got all five. I smiled as I shot the last one. I was getting used to shooting the gun.

"Home sweet home." Carl sighed as we reached the small cabin.

I never thought this would be home.

Rick and Carl counted the supplies as I looked around the cabin. I walked through a hallway and stepping into a room at random. It was pink and girly. I sighed, remembering my cozy room back at home.

I found two notepads, one empty and the other almost full. A diary. I read through the first few pages. The cursive writing seemed to go on forever. She wrote a lot about friend drama and cute boys at school. She mentioned that she was thirteen, like me. So this was the average girly girls life. I never was very 'girly' but I wasn't a tomboy either. I was, I dunno, average...? Now, I'm just a survivor.

This girl just went on forever about boys and drama. I giggled at how foolish she sounded. I kept on looking through the girls room. I found some clothes that happened to be my size, a hair brush, some hair ties, colored pencil crayons (like I wanted), some tampons, a small pillow, and a solar powered flash light. I found a picture of the girl, she was pretty. She had bright blue eyes, golden hair, high cheek bones, and a precious little nose. She was the first walker I shot. I sighed and opened her closet. Just to find an eaten up, rotting, dead dog. I gasped and shut the closet. For some reason, I was gasping for breath. I felt a lump in my throat and was holding back tears. My thoughts were jumbled but I still figured out why I felt this way. Spotty, my dog. He looked just like that when I found him. Except Spotty was getting eaten by a walker. My dad to be exact. Sickening memories chocked me.

I continued looking around the house and found a bathroom. I checked if the water was running in the sink, nope, of course not. I looked up to see my reflection. My round, grey eyes looked glassy with held in tears. My small mouth looked dry with lack of hydration. My wavy brunette hair was held back into a tight high ponytail. I could still see a faint pink dip dye. A small scar ran down the side of my forehead. It's been a while since I last looked at my reflection. I stared at myself for a while. Not out of vanity, but out of curiosity. People change over long periods of time. But I seemed to look the same, my hair just grew out.

"Aren't you modest, looking at yourself for so long." Carl was leaning on the door frame. I blushed, even though I was more shocked than embarrassed.

"I guess I am, so shut up." I muttered.

He gave me a funny look.

"Did you two find anything or was that little trip completely worthless?"

"No, we got some supplies. Mostly canned food. And cereal. Want some?"

"Sure. Why not?"