The Sheriff and The Archer

Chapter Eleven: So I Didn't

Just then, after I thanked Carl, the car stopped. It must have been around four o'clock now, we had no reason to stop, we still had a few hours of daylight left.

Everybody got out of their cars and walked to the center. We had a few people stand on cars as lookouts, but they were still in earshot.

"What's up?" Abraham asked.

"We need a plan, where are we going to sleep tonight?" Rick asked us all.

"We got five tents, they're small, but can fit two people each in them. Three can squeeze in one, then we have two people on watch during the night," Maggie told us.

"You're thinking like Glenn," Daryl said.

"Greatest compliment you'll ever get!" Glenn slung his arm around Maggie who smiled.

"Okay, who's taking watch tonight?"

Carl and I spoke at the same time, he said Us! and I said Ugh!

"Carl's punishment and Jade cheated," Michonne explained to the group.

I looked up at the clouds, "I hate life," I squinted at the sun. Tara put a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back and forth a little as an apology.

"Alright, let's set up!" Rick called as he headed back to the car. We helped pitch the tent, get organized, hide the cars, get weapons, cook the food, make the fire. By the time we were done the sun was setting and it was already getting colder.

"What the hell? We're in Georgia! We should be sweating right now!" I whispered to Tara, who sat next to me on the dirt.

"Shut it, Texas. You're used to being baked in the sun," She whispered back. We just laughed at each other.

I stood up, wiped off my butt and headed towards the car. It was pitch black so I was being really quiet. I didn't want any walk - crap. I was pinned down, I could feel its breathe on my neck as I held its forearms to keep it from scratching me. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna... I desperately looked around for something when I saw one of the worst possible weapons... like ever! A freaking rock sat on the ground a few feet away, but since my life was a cliche zombie movie: it was out of reach.

Apparently no one had noticed I was in danger. Probably because I couldn't scream, one sudden move and I'd be close enough for the walker to get my neck. Because of the way I was holding its arms I had an inch of wiggle room. I peered at the rock from the corner of my eye and tried to think fast. I got this. I'm no damsel in distress! I don't need any one to save me! I can save myself! I quickly let go of the walkers left arm and grabbed the rock. I flipped us over and bashed the rock into its head. Once. Twice. Three times.

Take that, mother - ah shit. One more moan was behind me. I turned around with the rock in my hand and pushed the walker over. This one was a little girl, it reminded me of... Char. It reminded me of Char.

I shouldn't have hesitated, but I did. It got back up and headed towards me again.

"I'm sorry this happened to you. I'm sorry you never got to live a full life," I backed up. I was aware of the quietness around me. They were definitely watching. "It's not fair," I pushed it down again. What the hell are you doing? You never do this. "I'm sorry, Tommy, Cate, Darcy, Marin, Joe," I named two of my siblings and young members of past groups that I lost, "Abby, Dex, Zayn, Dana, Char," I was well aware of the tears by now.

"All of you were too young, I guess its better up there, right? You know it shoulda been me. Not my sister, not Char! She was eleven when she died. Whoever you were, you look around the same age... I don't get why this happened, but it did and now I'm standing here having to kill people that are now dead everyday, so what? I can avoid the inevitable? Well, yeah I guess. Maybe living is just a reflex... just like every other fucking thing I do! And now the dead come back to life to eat the living? Huh, screw that and screw you!" And then I hit it in the head. And again. And again. And again. Until its arms fell limp and its head was mush.

My hands were a disgusting mess of brain and guts and blood, so I couldn't exactly wipe my tears, Hell, I didn't even try. I just stood up and walked over to the car that held all that water. I took out I gallon and spilled a good fourth of it on my hands. I washed myself off and finally wiped my tears. The fact that my hands were wet just made my face look worse, but as usual: I didn't give a flying fuck.

I turned to the group, "I'll explain... but not right now....please," I looked at Rick, who nodded and walked closer to me.

"Carl can take watch on his own, you know?"

"I'm fine, Rick. Thank you."

He walked past the group to the tents. They took that as the bedtime bell. Carl took my wrist and led me past the walker bodies. Don't look, he told me. So I didn't. We climbed up on top of the red minivan, which was still in the middle of the vehicles. We sat back to back to support each other.

After around twenty minutes I scrounged up the courage to speak, "I'll tell you. Someday..."

"I know," he whispered back. I leaned back to see the stars.

"Have a little faith in me," I sang and smiled. He laughed, but of course.

"So what happens when we make it back to Terminus?" Carl asked.

"I don't know," I told him truthfully, "Maybe we go in there and get shot at, maybe we have a nice civilized conversation, maybe we shoot at them, maybe your family is there, maybe they're not. There's too many possibilities."

"You really thought about this, didn't you?" he shifted his hat.

"Yes, Sheriff, I did." He nudged me with his arm.

"Why do you call me Sheriff? I mean you know my name so why would you do that?"

"I don't know. I think Sheriff suits you. It goes with the hat and all... Why, do you not like 'Sheriff'? I'll stop if -"

"No! I mean, no, no, you don't have to. I like it." I smiled again. Jesus Christ, this guy makes me smile more than cake!

"Well, why do you ask so many questions?"

"Because I wanna know stuff."

"Mediocre answer!"

"Shut up! That's a great answer!"

"Whatever, Sheriff."

After that we stayed quiet, and actually did our jobs. We made a few jokes here and there and took out the few walkers together. I found out that Carl and I do pretty well as a team, or at least we kill well... as a team... and we have each others backs. The two of us pointed out constellations that we knew and patted each other on the back for remembering them.

It wasn't all that bad being around Carl, I guess he's my best friend...

So this chapter was really short. Have any of you seen the trailer for season 5? It's on YouTube and I'm actually going to take stuff from there and use it.