Almost Broken: Carl Grimes fanfic

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"When you know where you belong, you'll know you're home."
That's what my dad used to say.

Well I sure as hell know I don't belong in this world.

Or maybe I do?

Maybe I've adapted to this world -but I still don't belong.

I'm not home either. Home would be where my family is and that's not here.

Wherever they are, whether it be heaven, hell, or stuck on this earth, I'm not with them...
My stomach grumbles and I move my hands to it.

I need to find food. And now.
I hear my stomach growl again and all of a sudden I'm aware of the extreme tiredness that comes with starvation.
There's a small town down the road I think. I'll check for food there.

Kings county I think... It's small. Hopefully there will be somewhere here, anywhere here with food.

I go into a CVS. At least if I don't find food here, maybe I'll find something useful. The window is dusty and I slowly clear it with the bottom of my teal tank top. Everything looks clear... I just hope it's not one of those doors that have the bell on them, telling all the dead in town that you're live bait waiting to be their dinner.

I reluctantly open the door, and my prayers are answered when there's no sound. I look around the run-down store.
Shelves knocked off their hinges, blood on the floor, walls, shelves.. This place is torn up.

I graze my eyes over the shelves for anything, when I see a small bag of peanuts. I feel my feet move without my permission towards the small pocket sized bag.

I dropped to my knees and rip off the top plastic blocking me from the first source of food I've had in 3 days. In about less than a minute, the small bag is gone, and to my surprise, I actually felt like it filled me up- that is until I stand up and feel the ache in my stomach-- nope, not enough.

All of a sudden I hear a rustling in the back where the medications are.

I quickly pull out my flimsy cutting knife, expecting it to be a fleshy.
Instead, boy with brown flippy hair, not much taller than me comes out from the rack he was behind with his hands held above his shoulders.

My eyebrows narrow at the sight. He has a gun in his hip quiver he could've clearly used against me and my stupid knife.

His hair looks greasy but I can't imagine how I look.

Within the few brief seconds I took in his image, he put his hands down, making me more cautious than I was seconds ago.

What do I say to him?

I haven't talked to anyone other than myself for the past 5 months..

"Uhhhhmmm.." He clears his throat. "Hi?"

He takes a small step towards me, and I take a step back.

"What do you want?" I snap.

"Well first off for you to put the knife down." He jokes but I don't laugh.
"Or not." He mumbles.

I just continue to stare at him.
He stepped out of the shadows and I can now take in his clear blue eyes.

Looking down his arms, I realize, there's barely dirt, no blood... Almost like he's clean. Or atleast cleaner than I am.
I now begin to realize how awful I must look. I stop staring at him and look down to my arms, bringing them up from my sides just slightly, then I look to my shirt, then feel my face. I can feel the dried blood, dirt, and the slight salt that the peanuts had left behind.
I hear the boy chuckle and he steps towards me once again, but this time I don't move away.

"Are you hungry?" He asks me and I debate on whether or not I push him down, and take his gun, or run.

I eye the gun at his side and he notices. He reaches down for it and I jump.

"Hey," I lifts the gun up by the handle and sets it down on the floor.
Seeing his harmless gesture, I decide to answer him.

"Yeah." The word barely comes out.
"I haven't eaten in days." I say stronger this time.

"Here," He chuckles a bit which puts a slight grin on my face.
"Take this." He hands me a foil-wrapped sandwich.

"Thanks." I mumble.

Even though I haven't been around people much, I sure a hell still remember what it's like to be embarrassed. Especially when it came to eating like a pig in front of this boy I've never met before.
I can't decide whether I eat this right now, or wait... I want it now but I don't want to be a pig again...
Wait...
it's a damn apocalypse I shouldn't care.

I open up the foil and carefully take a bite.

Oh.

My.

God.

This is heavenly.
Like godly delicious compared to the little scraps of food Ive been finding for the past months.

"Well..." He puts one hand in his pocket an lifts one to the back of his neck.
"If you want to come back with me and my dad... We have a group, at a prison.. He'll ask you some questions first but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."
He offers a smile and I try to return it. But really, my mind is going crazy in thought.

'Oh god. Another group. I don't want to get attached again- no I CANT get attached again...
But they have food...
And a prison? It has to be blocked off from the fleshies...
Maybe this will be good... Maybe they have showers. I need a shower.'

I'm pulled from my thoughts by the boy clearing his throat.

"Oh- uhh- sorry. I'm just- em well I was just thinking - so I- I uhm... Yeah."
I nod.
"Yeah I'll go back with you."

I smile, a real smile this time. The first smile I've had in a while... I don't remember the last time I smiled, or laughed even.

"Great." He smiled and I can tell by his smile that he hasn't been through as much as I have.
Or- maybe he has?
And he just is handling it better?
He said something about his dad, which means he still has family left so he can't be as alone as I feel.

He starts to head out the door and I follow. He opens the door, and holds it open for me.

"Quite the gentleman." I point out.

He laughs and shrugs before answering me.

"I try." He chuckles a bit more and it causes me to smile again.
He catches up to where I'm walking.

"I'm Carl by the way." He says, looking over at me.

"Rylie."

End of chapter 2
*

*

*

Hey guys!!! Again, please don't forget to vote and comment on what you think? It'd mean a lot to me!