IVORY | Carl Grimes

nine - fortuitous ;

food was scarce.

the inevitable hunger pains gnawed on the inside of the small girl's stomach. the worry she once carried for such a matter no longer held the same significance. she knew in time that they would slowly become drowned out by everything else.

the group hastily took down the makeshift camp in the center of the woods as items were packed into various sacks. it emulated a stage in saskia brown's life. the component of her time with this group known as the welcoming stage was over. those memories were stored away in her mind, and she was looking for a new place that would accept her within the group. saskia had found a mutual respect with a few of the members.

after only one conversation with carl and a few fleeting glances, the boy had gained a noticeable understanding with her. for as persistent as glenn was, it certainly paid off because saskia could claim that he was the one person in the camp that she felt one hundred percent safe with, though she would not outwardly admit it. maggie had grown to care for saskia like her own already, and though saskia was wary of it, she still appreciated her seemingly unending kindness.

saskia carefully shifted her weight from one foot to another, practicing her balance. her backpack had grown heavier and the bow strung across her shoulder threatened to slip every time she attempted to readjust her pack. the situation was not ideal, and she thought to herself how even though she might not be currently living her best life, she was at least living. the simplicity of the sun's radiant warmth that provided light for the path ahead was no longer something she could take for granted without feeling guilty.

"i have a question."

saskia swore that her heart had nearly skipped a beat altogether upon hearing a voice seemingly directed at her before returning to its rhythm. her fingernails turned down into her hands, and the crescent shaped marks were not pretty as their counterpart. the moon was a sight to see and held beauty, but the marks inflicted on her own skin left little to appreciate and view with starry eyes.

saskia cleared her throat and pushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear to distract herself from the new voice. her eyes tentatively swooped up to meet the brown eyes reflecting back into her own. deep set and tired, saskia yearned to read between the lines to gain a clearer understanding of the intentions of whom she was speaking to.

"from what i've gathered," the woman spoke in a sophisticated sense still holding onto a noticeable air of playfulness to it, "you're quiet, saskia."

saskia merely nodded as a response but furrowed her brows in confusion. what was wrong with the quiet? why attempt to kill it? it caused no nuisance, which was something be grateful for in a world as such, so why release the stone upon the mockingbird?

"i guess," saskia muttered under her breath reluctantly, squinting one eye under the sun's harsh glare. her visage included a crinkled noise and lips upturned in a questioning way, indicating a confused feeling, returning to her face some of the lost innocence.

"but," the woman voiced with a hum, drawing out the word alongside a nod of her head, "glenn definitely isnt. every time i try to introduce myself to you little one, you're talking with him? that's rare anyway, because you don't talk much." the woman's words were over dramatically annunciated with exaggeration added to every word.

saskia's hands, wrung out with her ever present worry, suddenly dropped to her sides. her anxious nature had prepared her for an unanswerable or invasive question, but she had instead received one as an attempt to lighten the dreary mood cast over the group due to the present conditions.

"first of all, i'm not little," saskia spoke abruptly with annoyance lying within her words, "but, uh- i guess you're right." saskia let a breathy laugh escape her lips, "i'm sorry, i don't think i have your answer-" her words let off as she failed to conjure a name to place to her new acquaintance's face.