The Real Apocalypse ★ Chandler Riggs/The Walking Dead [Book I]

[4] Bloody Footprints

<Caroline's POV>

I stumbled through the forest, Chandler not far behind.

"Caroline, wait!" Chandler said, grabbing my arm and turning me to face him. "You can't run off like that."

"Well maybe you should walk faster." I said coldly, slipping out of Chandler's grip, and walking fast again.

"Liny! Stop!" He yelled, grabbing my arm again. "You have to slow-"

"But I need to find him!"

"It's not that far from here, and you're going the wrong way."

"Oh."

He smiled at my stupidity and let go of my arm.

"Come on." He said, gesturing me the other way.

~

I saw the dim, orangey, light of the sun at the edge of the forest, and it led into the field to the house I left Connor at.

"Chandler!" I yelled, running up to the small house. "It's here! I found it!"

I quickly ran up to the house and knocked on the door. It eerily creaked open and I froze in my steps.

"Go on." Chandler said behind me. I put my hand on the door and pushed it open more. I gasped as I saw a pool of blood in the living room, and footsteps, leading to the back door. I quickly walked into the house and into the kitchen, where the back door was at. I opened the door and a bloody knife was stabbed into the wood deck.

I pulled the knife out and looked it over.

The blood was fresh, not rotten.

The blade was chipped on the tip.

And this was NOT Connor's knife.

Connor was attacked, he was beaten, stabbed, and possibly taken. I felt like crying. Who would do this? What happened? Where did Connor go?

I did start crying. I dropped the knife in a sudden shock, as I shoved my face into my hands. I looked on and I saw bloody footprints wash away as the rain came down. I cried harder and harder.

"No!" I cried into my hands again.

"Caroline." Chandler whispered in my ear as he tried to pull me up. "We have to stay here tonight. We won't make it back before sundown and we won't make it through this rain without getting sick."

"Okay." I said, wiping my tears.

~

"Caroline, if we're going to find your brother, you going to have to get some sleep." Chandler said, throwing a pillow over his face.

"I can't, the sky's awake, so I'm awake." I said, turning to him.

"So you can't sleep?"

"And bingo was his name-o."

I turned back to the window. I watched the rain hit the window, and there was only three walkers stumbling outside. I heard Chandler get up from the bed and sit across from me, with his sheriff's hat on. His knees were up to his chest, like mine, and he looked out the window.

"Do you miss Hana?" I asked, not locking eyes with him.

"What?" He seemed confused, and he picked up his head from the window. I looked up and met his eyes, then said again, "do you miss her?"

"How did you-"

"There's a thing called the internet, Chandler. I get connections. Now answer the question."

He became silent. He ran both of his hands through his hair, and left his hands on his neck. He looked out at the window again.

"All the time." He muttered, keeping his eyes out the window, and I kept my eyes on his, and I saw him tear up. "I don't know if she's left for California after she visited again, or if she got back there, and she's dead. But when she called me before she was getting on the plane, that was it."

He looked at me, and I saw the pain in his eyes. It hurt me to see him like this, that Hana could be dead and we wouldn't even know.

I leaned over and wiped his cheeks with my hands. I held his face in my hands and I made him keep his eyes on mine.

"We'll find her." I said softly. "And my brother. We will bring them back to the prison, and they will be fine. Okay?"

He removed my hands from his face and hugged me. He caught me by surprise and he he hugged me tight.

"Okay." His voice cracked, and I felt his tears on my neck as he quietly sobbed. His hat fell off his head and I picked it up. He finally pulled away, then placed the hat back on his head, as he sat back down.

"Now go to bed."

"What about-"

"Bed."

"I'll stay up with you."

"I'll tuck you in like a child." I said, standing up and sticking my hand out. He chuckled deeply and sniffled. He grabbed my hand and I pulled him up, leading him to the bed and laying him down. I pulled the covers over him and I saw him close his eyes.

I turned to walk away, then Chandler grabbed my arm.

"Liny?"

"Yes, Chandler?"

"Tuck me in?"

"I'm not tucking you in."

"But you said you would." He whined. He looked at me with those blue eyes of his and I sighed.

"Fine."

I walked back over to him and tucked the sheets under his body. I finally tucked the sheets by his shoulders and our faces were close. Our breaths were mixing in the air between us, his eyes were staring right into mine, and it made me nervous.

"Goodnight Chandler." I whispered, and pulled away, walking back to the window.

"Night."

I didn't know why I was doing this. Sure, he was my celebrity crush, but I didn't actually think I would fall in love. Was he doing the same? I thought he missed Hana? The thoughts raced through my head, as I laid down on the cushion and cried myself to sleep.