Protect Me Carl

Merky Waters

Carl and I walked back to the house together.

" Dad? Dad, can we have a group meeting?"

" Uh, yeah. where u want it?"

" RV."

" Sure, everyone's already there except for Hershel, Glenn, Maggie, and Beth. I'll be right back with them, meet you over there in five." he began to walk away, but I grabbed his arm.

" Not them. Only the people we had before them." He paused for a second, realizing how serious we were being.

" Well let's go up now then." We rushed up to the Rv.

" Everyone!" Carl yelled. they all came and circled around. " Do any of you know about the barn?" They circled in closer. " It's filled with walkers."

" Carl, are you serious?" Rick asked.

" Dead serious. we need to get in there and kill them before they kill us!" I added.

" We can't do that!" Carol exclaimed. Rick turned to her.

" And why not? they'll break out, Carol. It needs to be done."

" No! Hershel took us in and let us stay with him to let carl heal, and is letting us stay with him! We need to at least talk to him first!"

" She's right" Amy added softly.

" Look, you should talk to him about why and, I mean, if it's a good reason then... we should let them keep them." Lori said.

" They can't 'keep them' they aren't stray cars or dogs! Now I will talk to him but I am only accepting one response. this is just how it has to be for the safety of us. Now go back to what you a were doing, and Theodora and Carl come with me." We followed rick out to the barn. He put his ear to the wood.

" How do you know that there are walkers in there? If you heard the sounds, it could be anything." we were silent. " No, don't tell me you two went in there! It must be pitch black! do you know how dangerous that is? we can't loose any more people, and especially not you two. now go do your chores. I'm gonna go have a talk with Hershel." He walked off toward the barn. Carl and I walked over to Lori.

" Hey cuties! I'm sorry you guys had to be the first to find out about the walkers in the barn. I was thinking that I'd go fishing, wanna come with?"

"Sure" We grabbed the tackle box.

" Is there a lake near by?" I asked.

" Well not exactly 'near by', but once you get there there are boats and lots if fish and a great breeze and ooh you'll love it!"

" Okay." We started walking.

The walk was taking a very, VERY long time. but once we finally arrived, it was beautiful! cool breeze, clear blue water with beautiful fish, and lots of row boats.

" There are enough row boats for us each to have our own, so pick your choose and get out on the water. in a while we'll all come back in. okay?" Lori climbed into her boat. Carl and I looked at each other, both knowing exactly what the other wanted.

" Uh, actually mom, Thea and I were kind of hoping we could take a boat together."'She grinned a devilish grin.

" Okay, but don't get too naughty!"

" OH MY GOD MOM! PERVE!"

she laughed as she rowed away. Carl and I get into our boat and Carl rowed us far out on the water.

" Do anything interesting lately?" He asked smiling.

" No, just went into a barn full of walkers, almost got torn apart limb by limb, and was saved by the most heroic man I have ever seen. So, yeah. the usual." We both laughed at this statement.

" You know, a very similar thing happened to me, except, I saved a beautiful girl from a barn of walkers, then afterword had the best kiss with her than I had ever had in my life."

" So far." I leaned in and began kissing him. We were so off in our own world, that we almost didn't hear Lori call us.

" Hey love birds! I think you have a bite!" First I looked at the fishing pole. she was right, it was drooping. But when I looked up at Lori, all I saw was her in her boat floating in a pool of red. Carl saw this, too.

" MOM! ROW TO SHORE! WALKERS!"He called to her. Carl frantically began rowing back to shore, as did Lori. The red blood was eating up the blue of the water. once we were ashore, we scurried out of our boats. Carl started shooting ones in the water.

" Mom! Go tell the others that the lake is no longer use able, and fast so Daryl can still have time to go hunt." Lori ran off. " Theodora, stab any walkers that make it onto shore. obviously, this meant I had no job. Carl's such a good shot, he took them all Down.

When all of the walkers were dead, I slowly walked up to the bloody water, knelt down, and scooped some up into my hands. I began to cry. Carl came up and hugged me from behind.

" Why you crying Thee? it's okay! We survived!"

" Don't you get it Carl?!" Tears were dripping down my face. that lake was beautiful! And now... Now it's DEAD! THIS IS WHAT IS HAPPENING TO EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE! AND I JUST CAN'T, I JUST CAN'T TAKE IT!" My tears were coming down so hard I could no longer see. " Sometimes I wonder..." I mumbled " If life is even worth living anymore."

" Don't think like that! We have each other don't we? And I still have something beautiful, because I have you! And I will always have that beauty, because I will not let anything ever happen to you. Why do I go on? Because I have you, and that's all I ever needed."

Carl was right. I had to go on. even if i didn't want to, Carl wouldn't give me a choice.