Protect Me Carl

Killing the memories

"Hey beautiful." Carl said wrapping his arm around me.

"I don't feel beautiful. I feel filthy, I'm tired. I have bags under my eyes and my shirt and jacket are all torn. why in our lifetime? why couldn't I just be back home acting like a normal teenager? like, my mom would be screaming at me for one of her weird drunk reasons but you would sneak in through the window and we'd be making out the whole time, and then you'd hide and have sex with me and we'd tell EVERYONE like even Heidi, and..." Carl interrupted me with a kiss.

"We can still do that stuff. well, we can't tell Heidi, but I wouldnt wanna tell that big mouth anyway."

But nobody's yelling at me," and that's when we heard it.

"THEODORA! WHERE ARE YOU YOU WRETCHED CHILD!" Carl and I exchanged glances.

"Hide!" he whispered.

"How did she find us?!"

"I don't know just hide!" I scurried under the bed. Carl threw some sheets over the side to cover me.

"God dammit!"l

"Carl, you hide too! she'll ask too many questions, and you crack under pressure."

"But I won't this time, because I'll be lying to protect you. now shhh!" we heard her footsteps coming towards the room. carl hopped on the bed and pretended to bread a comic book.

"Carl! look how much you've grown!"

"Miss fiddler!" she hugged carl.

"Hello sweetheart. have you seen Theodora?"

"Not recently, no."

"That's funny, I didn't know you could go twenty seconds without your tongue down her throat." Daryl added.

"Daryl!" Carl exclaimed. she just laughed."

"I just can't wait to see my daughter again! Theodora come see me now or you'll be sorry!" She broke her beer bottle against the wall. I was trying tone so quiet I stopped breathing and took little silent gasps when I needed to reload. "SWEETIE PIE! oh! this is her room isn't it? This is her back pack," she sat down on my bed. we were so close. I was so scared.

"Uh, ms.Fiddler, I have to tell you something."

"Yes?"

"Well... Theodora was bitten three weeks ago. she's... Gone."

"Oh. okay." she stood up. "Well I won't stay here, got a group of my own down at ol'shankers bar. Goodbye!" and she was gone. Carl ran to my hiding spot. he gave me a huge hug.

"It's okay theee, she's gone. you're safe again. it's okay."

"How could you say that! what if she comes back! and even if not, we're never safe carl. not even here. not even now." he looked into my eyes.

"AAAGGHHHHH GET AWAY FROM ME PERVERT!" We heard from outside. we ran out and found my mom bitten on the neck by a walker. blood was coming out of her mouth. she was gasping for breath. I shot the walker then went up to her. I held my gun to her forehead.

"This isn't you. it's what you've become. have fun in whatever's next. get me the devil's autograph." I pulled the trigger. i walked back into the prison. after all that time, of the pain, the empty 'I love yous' the abuse, it was over. I ended it. I won.