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

[5] The Search

<Caroline's POV>

The next morning, I somehow managed to be on the bed when I woke up. Chandler wasn't in the bed, or in the room for that matter, but I didn't know why he did it.

I sat up from the bed, finding my light Aeropostale jacket was on the ground now, along with my socks, shoes, and drawstring bag. The sun was just showing through the curtains that were now closed, as little rain droplets was racing down the window. My blonde hair was down from its ponytail and the room was a bit humid.

I turned myself around and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing my hands over my face sleepily. I grabbed my bag from its place, opened it, and rummaged through it. I carefully took out the item I was looking for, my brush, and I glided it through my hair, repeating over the tangled spots.

I decided to just leave my hair as it was instead of putting it in a ponytail like I always do, so I grabbed the rest of my things and headed downstairs.

"Hey." I heard Chandler say from the other room. I greeted him back with the same thing, but in a saddened tone. I suddenly felt the urge that I was missing someone, then I remembered Connor wasn't with me. I looked back to the living room, where the puddle of blood and foot prints had still lay.

I could just hear him screaming and grunting in pain, as if it was a memory being replayed in my head.

I shook the image out of my head and continued to the room Chandler was in. He sat at the dining room table, not far from the kitchen, where he was messing with the gun he had.

"What are you doing?" I asked him, sitting across from him at the table. He looked up at me, and set the gun down and replied, "Nothing."

"If you say so." I said, reaching down into my bag and taking some food out. I felt the need I had to ask him the burning question. I popped my head up from under the table, looking into Chandler's eyes and ignoring my bag for the moment, then asked, "Why did you move me from the window last night?"

"You didn't look comfortable." He replied, looking back. "You were scrawled up into a little ball, so I moved you on the bed."

Wow, this doesn't sound dirty at all.

"So, you took off my jacket, my shoes and socks, and undid my hair? While I was sleeping?"

"You were one heavy sleeper."

"Chandler!"

"Sorry!"

I rolled my eyes playfully and bent down to my bag again. I pulled out two packages of crackers, and I handed one to Chandler. He gladly took it and started opening it.

"Don't you think this is weird?" Chandler said, taking a cracker.

"What?" I asked him, clearly confused.

"That your brother just suddenly disappears. Something clearly went down when he was by himself, and strangely, he seemed like he was pretty well beaten. Who would have done that, and how are we going to find them?"

I thought for a moment and just let Chandler's words sink in a bit. I got up from the table and looked out the window, examining the footsteps that were mounted into the dirt.

"The footsteps aren't washed out all the way from the rain, we could probably follow them and see if we could find where he headed." I instructed.

"They like, dried in or something?" Chandler asked, getting up from his spot on the table and walked over by me, then looked out.

"Yeah, the capturer and Connor couldn't have gotten far."

"Well, if they were gone before we got here, and judging by what happened, they could be there or just halfway depending on where they were heading."

I kinda just turned my head and looked at him, then giggled.

"Not bad kid." I said to him, walking away from the window, grabbing my bag and shoes.

"What?" he said and just smiled at me.

"Well, stuff like this is usually scripted."

"Then it's safe to say the show has molded me."

"Molded?"

He just deeply chuckled (which was kinda hot) and said, "Long story, ask Norman."

"Noted."

~

"Okay, since when were the so many freaking bushes in Georgia." I complained, moving yet MORE bushes from my way.

Chandler chuckled at me and said, "You'll get used to it."

"Okay, I'm not from here, I'm from Pennsylvania. Even then, the woods I used to have behind my house didn't have bushes. Just lots of fallen trees trunks."

"Really? I probably got five cuts each time we had to walk through bushes during a scene.

"Either way, I actually don't care. When we had no trees, Connor would be tripping over every damn fallen tree he saw."

We both laughed, before a tree branch whacked me in the face.

"Okay, I guess I saw that one coming." I moved the branch. Chandler just kept laughing, and I playfully shoved him.

"You know, you're actually easier to talk to than I thought." I said and looked up at him. We both stopped walking and he looked at me too.

"Why would you say that?" He asked still chuckling a bit.

"Well, you were on the number one show on television and at least half or more of the girls in America were falling for you. You act like that stuff has never happened, you're just like me, except a bit different. You're famous."

"Was."

"No, you are still famous. If girls will still freak out when they see you, and if people still know who you are, then your famous."

He sighed, then went to say something else before he got snagged behind one of the bushes.

What the hell?

"Chandler?" I said, pulling out my gun and walking a bit closer to the bush, slowly. There was struggling, then nothing. That freaked me out. "Are you okay?"

"Don't move."

The gruff voice of some guy behind me stopped me in my tracks. I tried to hold a tight grip on my weapon, until I felt the cold barrel of a gun being pushed against the back of my head, then my tight grip turned shaky an loose.

"Drop your weapon and put your hands up."

I was hesitant, before bending down and setting down my handgun, feeling the barrel once again after I stood back up.

"J.R., give me the bag."

J.R.? What the hell is wrong with these people?

"Yes sir." A young female voice said.

I heard rummaging through a bag, the someone grabbed something (which was probably the bag) out.

"Good, now hold 'em."

Hold 'em? What does he mean by-

WHAM!

I fell to the ground with a loud thump, interrupting my thoughts.

"Goodnight kid."