The Sheriff and The Archer

Chapter Sixteen: Why You're Ignorant

The group thought for a while of different plans, many were suggested and shot down. Others were taken into consideration and then dismissed. Finally, after twenty minutes of thinking and bickering: we scrapped together a half-ass plan that just might be crazy enough to work. I really am living in a movie if this works...

"So, we wait outside until dark then, we check the train car. If nobody's in there we have to check the buildings, or where ever Jade thinks the my might be putting people... And what if they aren't there? What if they're already gone by tonight, Rick?" Maggie questioned.

"We just gotta pray they aren't," Rick sighed.

"I say it's about two now. If the sun sets at seven then we should be good. Five hours. We can hang around, eat, maybe some people can try to hunt or something," Eugene tells us. We respond quietly and move on.

Rick lays down the law, "Okay, everybody. You can walk around and stuff, but not alone and you can't go too far, okay?"

We just walk off on our own paths, some people walking around, some sitting, some working on their weapons. Tara pulls me up from my spot next to a tree and tells me we're going on a walk.

"But why?" I whine.

"Because walking is good for you. Let's go."

"Do you know how much I walk everyday, Tar?"

"Yeah, cause I walk with you." Now we were out of ear shot. "Okay, tell me the truth... what's going on between you and Carl?"

"I don't know. I like him, but I've know him for a week. I mean, how can you start to like somebody in a week?" I raised my hands in defeat and stepped around an animal carcus. Ew.

"Honey, a week in this world is basically a year. It's not the same thing as the old world. The rules of the game have changed." She shook her head and laughed slightly.

"I guess, but my daddy taught me right. I'm old fashioned in some respects," I let my Texan accent rain free. Tara chuckled.

"Never gets old," she muttered. "I think you should go for him."

"I can't. You don't think I've thought of this? I have a million reasons why Carl and I could never happen. One of them being that we're trying to not die everyday. If we ever found a place that was safe and that we could settle then maybe, but... no. I'm not good for him."

"What do you mean you're not good for him, Jade? You're a great person."

"No. I'm not. I'm not trying to fuck up his life. You know what? I'm not trying to fuck up any of your lives," I started to walk away after my little blowup. Tara shouldn't have said anything. She just should've kept her mouth shut.

"You saved us, Jade!" I could almost see the group now. They could probably hear us. Good. They need to know this.

"I was also part of the group that held you and was going to eat you, Tara! No matter where I go people die and people get hurt! You wanna know why I don't talk about my past?" I yelled louder than I ever thought I'd be able to, "It's because none of you WANT to know! You may think that you do, but once y'all find out..." By now the two of us made it back to camp. I looked at their stunned faces. "I don't even want to remember... If any of you ever find out about my past, you'll know it's because I'll be dead or gone soon.

"The past, is the past. Sure, the past makes someone who they are - and sometimes that's good, but in my case it's just bad. I'm sorry. I know I'm being a hypocrite because I wanted to know what happened to y'all before I met ya', but take my word... you don't want to know more about me than you already do."

By now I was out of breathe. I thought my decision over a million times in my head in less than a second before, "After we find your people. I'll get out of your hair. One less mouth to feed and one less person to keep safe, right? It's - it's for the best interest of all of us." I swung my bow from my shoulder to my left hand and moved it back and forth. Hunting. Hunting clears the mind.

I looked into Tara's brown eyes and saw the one thing I didn't want: pity. So I averted my eyes to the others. Pity. Pity everywhere. Daryl and Michonne were giving me looks of respect and understanding, but even Sheriff gave me the look like I was some lost little girl who needed help. I felt sick. I needed to leave - now.

"I'll be back," I muttered in the direction opposite of the others as I walked my way into my personal maze. The woods. The forest. Whatever you wanted to call it, it was never ending. There was always more to explore.

I sure as hell was gonna explore it.

So, yes you guys know about Jade's past already, but after some thought I decided that I'm going to shorten the first three chapters into one chapter and then make it so you guys don't know everything about what's happened to Jade.