Sneaky

Chapter 88

It took almost ten minutes for 'er to calm down, and just like last time, her hands are still shakin' even though she seems ok now.

At least 'er eyes aren't flickerin' like a light switch no more. She doesn't sound like she's choking neither.

She finally let go of my hand — pretty sure that's gonna bruise — and pushed her hair outta 'er face.

I hesitated but if this could happen again, I need to know. "What happened?"

"Nothin' just... " Eve motioned to her head, winding her finger in a crazy motion. "me, stuff."

I stared, waiting and watched her shift. I can almost countdown to when she'll crack and tell me, now.

As predicted, ten seconds later she sighed biting her lip. "I... Lori & Hershel were talking and it —wasn't their fault— but they said something. A word... that doesn't exactly bring a warm fuzzy feeling."

Warm fuzzy feeling?

I wracked my brain cannot for the life of a me, think of a word that has that but all I can focus on his the fact she just had a panic attack cause of a word. Can that really happen just cause of a word — apparently cause it just did.

"What..." I trailed off, rethinking mid-sentence about askin' what word it was. "Nevermind, it don't matter. You good?"

She hesitated but nodding, getting firmer towards the end. Her eyes caught over my wrist and a grimace pulled across 'er face. "Sorry"

I glanced at it, seeing the red hand shaped bruise already forming around 5 small crescent shaped marks. I waved her off, "Ya don't gotta be, it's alright. Come on," I jerked my head, picking up the planks again.

Eve stacked a couple in her arms and followed.

Eve's POV

I set the boards down and walked around the shed looking for the ladder that should be over here somewhere, I've seen it before. It'll get real annoying if we have to boost each other up and down.

How did Carl even get up there? Monkey child. Maybe he doesn't need me to teach him how to climb trees afterall. Heck, he could probably teach me a thing or two.

I found it on the backside and picked up the wooden ladder, is this thing safe? It doesn't look rotten or rickety or anything.

I stood it up and put my foot on the bottom step, stomping hard. Not even a shift. I think it's ok. We'll just be cautious. Falling off a ladder nowadays — even from just a few feet — could be a death sentence, if you get unlucky.

Given our streak as of late, I'm not sure we've got a whole lot of that left.

-

I pushed the wood plank as high up as I can reach, Daryl crouching on the edge of the slight overhang to take it before nailing it over the others.

I looked around the property at all the trees started to turn yellow, a few dots of orange here and there.

Today is like the definition of fall. I don't know if it's October yet, but that tingly sense I always get around Halloween is starting to creep up.

It's amazing how conditioned your body will get to something when you buy shit tons of sweets on a particular day every year and then proceed to eat them until you're sick.

I have a frickin' biological countdown to 'chow day' now.

"Alright" Daryl sighed, shaking the wood one more time before dusting his hands off. "That should do it."