UNSTEADY .. n

24

Amelia's spirit was slowly being crushed. She didn't have much of a willpower anymore, despite her original determination of coming to the Sanctuary in the first place. It was early in the afternoon one calm day in April, and the lifeless girl lay with her head towards the window. Sun peaked through the clouds, showering on the field workers in the courtyard below.

They had purpose.

So where had Amelia's gone? She had once been set on destroying Negan, but now she simply felt numb. She missed Maggie. She missed Carl and Enid. She missed everyone. The only bit of home she had with the saviors was with Eugene after Daryl had escaped, but even he had taken on the characteristics of a cowardly savior. Amelia was left with nothing.

Except for Sean.

Amelia's eyebrows furrowed with melancholy as she turn on her side, nuzzling herself further under the covers. Sean had shown her so much kindness, it was a wonder how he could have kept his cool with her during such a depressive state. Amelia was thankful. He had done nothing but look out for her since their first encounter, and she couldn't help but wonder why. All she knew was that he was gentle and silly, a true reminder as to what real friendships were like before the fallout. Sean was real.

A bird chirp was heard softly from outside. The volume grew louder slightly, causing Amelia to turn and look out the glass again. She was surprised to see a red-bellied robin propped on the window sill.

There was a pool of curiosity in Amelia's brain as she slowly sat up on the bed, staring at it. She hadn't seen many of the colorful birds out for at least a year, and even then, they were few. But this little guy was still there, tweeting and pecking in all his glory.

Gently, Amelia stood up. She struggled to keep her balance at first, still being used to a bed-ridden physique, but she quickly got used to it. She walked over and sat down on a woven chair propped next to the window. Her thin hands pressed against the glass, and with little strength, she was able to lift the window up. The robin tweeted in response.

Amelia slowly lent out a timid finger, watching as it grew steadily closer to the bird. Then, without any warning, it took off into the sky. Amelia's head turned to watch it fly off, only faltering when she noticed the faint smile upon her lips. Quickly, she wriggled her jaw until the expression slipped back into her usual nonchalant gaze.

A breeze rustled by the side of the building, rustling lightly through Amelia's hair. She looked over at the trees, satisfied with the soft rustling of leaves that echoed across the property. It felt like spring. There was a cleanliness about the air, despite the dead wandering around the outskirts of the fences. It was a season of renewal, and the farmers were out planting.

Amelia looked down at the labor occurring just four floors below. There were mothers and children planting vegetables in the garden, other women and men helping with livestock in the fields. A stray chicken sat idly on a barrel of corn cobs, clucking and pecking against the wood.

As ironic as it sounds, the sanctuary felt serene in that moment. It was quiet, but only enough so that it was calm. The soft noises of hard work and bonding was strong in the air, leaving Amelia in a less depressed state, only to be replaced by nostalgia.

Her eyes wandered around the view a moment longer before catching sight of Sean leaving his position at the fence. His gear was off, only the black cargo pants remaining, now adorned in a white T-shirt instead. His dark brown hair was messily slicked back, a few pieces falling in his face. Even from above, Amelia could see his usual smirk. He seemed content.

Getting an idea, she decided to pull her shoes and jacket on before leaving her room for the first time in what felt like forever.

--

As she stepped foot on the soft grass, a calmness seemed to envelope Amelia. The anxiety that had been trapped in her body for so long seemed to disperse into the fresh air, and it was like she had already begun to forget what damnation felt like.

Making her way over to where Sean stood talking to a trade clerk, she cleared her throat of the scratchy mucus that seemed to have made a home in her esophagus. This caught Sean's attention, as he nearly did a double take.

"Amelia?" He asked in slight surprise, squinting against the sun.

"Hi, Sean." Amelia said softly. Sean glanced around, as if searching for some sort of trouble.

"Is everything alright?" He asked in an uneasy tone.

"No, yeah. Everything's fine, I just... I just wanted to maybe get some fresh air." She hesitated, starting to grow unsure of her sudden location. Maybe she should have stayed inside. There was a pause. "Hey, I uh, wanted to maybe take you up on that walk offer, you know, if you still wanna." She said with a gulp. Sean stared at her for a moment before slowly letting a smile creep up on his cheeks.

"Yeah?" He asked smugly. Amelia let the corner of her cheek turn up slightly.

"Yeah, um, yes." The girl nodded to affirm her decision. Sean shoved his hands in his pockets, now smiling like a kid.

"What made you change your mind?" He asked. Amelia shrugged, looking around.

"We all need a spring cleaning sometime, right?" She told him. Sean chuckled in reply.

"I guess you're right." He waited for a moment. "Alright, come on. I gotta show you a place."