Just Keep Walking

One hundred and thirteen

Mary was sobbing as they left the church, clinging to Michonne's chest, who was stood scarily still, as if she was frozen with fear. Rick was sat on the ground, his head in his hands, letting his tears fall freely.
When they heard the sound of the silenced gunshot, Mary began to wail even louder, and Rick snapped out of his trace like state, and took her off Michonne, rocking her slightly in his arms, kissing the top of her head, holding her suffocatingly close. He held her for a while, and when Mary finally looked up at the sky, the sun had risen and the majority of Alexandria was on fire.
"Daddy. Daddy, I'm so scared. I'm scared." Mary cried shakily.
"I.... I know. I know. But... I... Just..." Rick mumbled shakily.
"Daddy." Mary whined tearfully, tugging his ear, and Rick exhaled shakily. "Daddy. Daddy, what do we do now? Daddy?"
"I don't know. I don't know what we do now." Rick breathed, his voice cracking.
"We bury him," Michonne answered, "we go to the graveyard, and we bury him. We put out some of the fire, as much as we can, and then we go to Hilltop, and we finish this."
"I can't... I can't..."
"I know. Wait here." Michonne nodded, and she went back into the church. Mary could hear her sobbing inside, however when she came back out, mo tears were on her face. She had wiped them away, she'd forced herself to be strong again.
"Come on," Michonne breathed, "let's take him there. He's ready."
Rick got up, leaving Mary on the floor, and he went into the church. Mary watched in confusion, then went into the church, crumpling when she saw Rick and Michonne getting ready to Carl's body out of the church, covered in a white sheet.
"Come on. We... We have to bury Carl now, sweetie." Michonne breathed.
"Why have you covered his face? Don't cover his face. It's beautiful. Don't cover his face." Mary whimpered, and Rick sighed shakily.
"Mary..."
"Don't cover his face! He doesn't like things that close to his face. He doesn't mind his hat, because it's not too close, but that is. It makes him not breathe properly. He doesn't like it!"
"Mary," Rick sighed, "this isn't... This isn't Carl. This is just his body. Carl is... Carl is gone."
"That doesn't make sense!"
"Mary. Just... Carl's in Heaven now."
"No he's not, he's right there!"
"But his spirit is. What makes Carl Carl is." Michonne explained sadly with a sigh, but Mary just sighed, harshly scuffing her boot on the floor.
"Come on, baby." Michonne said softly, and Mary nodded, going to walk away, then she ran back, and picked up Carl's hat which laid forgotten on the church floor.
She held it to her chest for a second, inhaling the scent of Carl, then she lowered it, holding it by her side. She couldn't wear it, not yet.
"Come on, babe." Michonne sighed softly, and Mary trailed after her parents, going walking to the graveyard in silence.
"Okay. You good?" Michonne asked, as they began to lower Carl's body onto the ground, and Rick nodded, putting Carl down. Rick walked away instantly, and he came back with two shovels. He took a shaky breath in, then began to dig, crying as he did so. Michonne began to help, as Mary watched on in tears.
Suddenly, Mary froze, her blood running cold. A half sigh, half grunt, had come from Carl's body, and she was stood up, her hands shaking, holding her knife towards her brother's head, her eyes streaming.
"Mary?"
"He made a noise." Mary whimpered shakily, and Rick sighed, running a hand through his hair, crying and unable to deal with Mary.
"Baby, he hasn't come back, he..." Michonne sighed, but Mary cut her off.
"He did!"
"After dead, the body can release gas. Grunts and things. Saw it in the force. It's common." Rick mumbled, and Mary shook her head, then pulled back the sheet on Carl's body. As soon as she saw Carl's body, she fell to the ground, sobbing shakily, wishing she hadn't moved the sheet at all.
"Okay. Okay." Michonne whispered, coming over and stroking the side of Mary's head. Mary's eyes stayed on Carl's face, the skin grey, his eyes shut, a bullet hole penetrating his skull.
"It doesn't look like him." Mary sobbed, looking at her brother.
"Oh Moo." Michonne breathed, covering Carl's face again. Mary carried on sobbing, but was hitting Michonne, pushing her away, and she didn't stop until Michonne put her down. The girl's body shook with pain and tears, and she found herself laying by Carl's chest, the place where she slept so often. She laid there with him for one last time.
When Rick and Michonne had finally finished, it took a long time for Mary to let go of Carl's hand, but when she did, she stayed there motionlessly, staring into space as Rick laid Carl in the grave, and him and Michonne covered over the hole.
Mary slowly stood up, and looked at the mound of earth, and stayed there for a few seconds, then ran away, stopping a few feet away and vomiting everywhere, tears streaming down her face.
"Okay. Okay, I got you. I got you." Michonne whispered, stroking Mary's back, but the child just screamed, and screamed, and screamed, her eyes and throat burning. She just kept screaming.