ᗯᕼEᑎ TᕼE ᗪEᗩᗪ ᑕOᗰE ᗩᒪIᐯE [ ᴅᴀʀʏʟ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ]

- 10 -

Bright. . .

Very bright . . .

I opened my eyes, and was met by the bright sun shining into the room from the window to my left. I groaned as I rolled over to hide from the sun.

Daryl isn't here.

Slowly I rolled out of bed and made my way out of the room. As I entered the kitchen I saw Carol baking.

"Good morning" she said in a cheerful tone. It sounded fake, but I ignored it. I wasn't sure how to respond so I took the opportunity to ask about Daryl.

"Did they already go on their run?" I asked quietly, looking around. Carol nodded with a hum as she continued with her baking which emitted a sweet aroma.

"What are they?" I asked, pointing at the pan of tan balls that looked like cookies but as the same time didn't look the right color. She turned towards me.

"They are cookies, I made them with nuts, and I put beats in to make them sweet" she responded happily about her homemade cookies.

"Smart" I whispered, and Carol nodded. The atmosphere began to get suffocating as a thick silence filled the room, so I decided to speak what was on my mind before it became unbearable.

"You aren't too fond of me are you?" I asked in what was almost a whisper. The older lady turned to me and smiled. A forced smile I bet.

"Your right, I'm not" she said, "I wasn't too sure about you when Daryl brought you back so I was quick to draw my gun" she continued as she let out a laugh.

"But who knew you were so sacred of people" she laughed out. It was true that I wasn't much of a social butterfly before the apocalypse, but that remained true even now. I felt embarrassed about being called out for my shyness as I let my hair fall in front of my face. Truthfully, I might have mistook it as an insult on my end if I hadn't figure out Carols true character by now.

"You know, after this short time of having you around I can see why Daryl brought you back" Carol admitted almost reluctantly. Her statement left me curious.

"Why is that?. . Does he not usually bring people here?" I asked letting the curiosity get the better of me while pushing my social anxiety aside. She just nodded.

"He wasn't always open to the idea of bring people in. So when he brought you here unconscious, I was a little surprised" she spoke like a mother would about her child. I let out a soft chuckle at her statement.

"What's so funny?" Carol asked as she looked up from where she was placing the freshly baked cookies into a box.

"Sorry. . . you kinda reminded me of someone I use to know" I responded. This seemed to catch her attention.

"Really? How so?" She asked.

"She had a very motherly nature when it came to me, and use to about me to people she knew like you did Daryl" I chuckled again quietly as I recalled the memory. Carol smiled; this time it was one that felt genuine.

The two of us engaged in some small talk a bit longer as I got to know her better, or at the very least a side of her she was willing to share. I could tell she wasn't one to trust easily which reminded me of myself at times. When I told the short story of how Daryl had found me, she seemed to find it absolutely hilarious that I tried to hide from a tracker in a tree, but in my defense it worked the first time. Looking back on it though, I do admit it was stupid. But had I never fallen out of that damn tree the second time, I'd never know this place existed. I'd never know I could feel safe again, or that there were still good people in a world that had corrupted the majority.

.• ____ •.

A while had passed before I quietly slipped out of the house for some fresh air. I had decided to walk around after I discovered from Carol that I had slept in pretty late. As I approached the sizable lake in the center of Alexandria, I walked over to the gazebo I spotted off to the side which I climbed atop of. I slid over to the side of the gazebo roof that faced the lake, and sat down as I  pulled out the box of cigarettes from my bag along with a lighter. Placing the cigarette between my lips, I lit the end and took a deep inhale.

"It's been a while" I spoke to myself, cigarette now between my index and middle finger. I stared at the reflection in the lake as the smell of cigarette smoke brought me some peace.

What a beautiful place, I thought.

It's a shame it's been through so much, and much more to come. . .

___________________
Chapter 10: End