Found Book One

Nightmares and New Jobs

"Elaine, wake up," I shoot up out of bed only to make eye contact with Carl, I wipe my tear stained cheeks.

"Are you okay?" he asks, I nod but apparently my lie isn't convincing. "Someone you loved died didn't they?" he says.

My eyes fall to my lap, "I get them too," he mutters. I sniffle and look back up into his blue eyes. "How did you," I start, "I heard you crying. My room's right next door," he says.

A smile forms on my face when I realize that he's the one that brought me food last night.

"Thank you," I whisper, he nods and stands up, "Wait," I whisper grabbing his wrist. He stops and turns to me, "Can you stay?" I ask, he sits back down on the edge of the bed.

I lay down and pull him down beside me, "What happened?" I ask, he shrugs as he stares at the bottom of the top bunk. "My mom died five months ago when she gave birth to my sister," he says.

"I'm sorry," I whisper he shakes his head, "I still have Judith and my dad, and that's all I care about now," he says. "I'm sorry," I whisper.

"My mom didn't just die," Carl mutters after what feels like a lifetime of silence. "I had to shoot her, I killed her so she wouldn't turn," he whispers. I hug him a little closer to me.

Carl's gaze is heavy as he stares at me and I can't help the flush of my cheeks. He wraps his arm around my shoulder, I turn onto my side so I can lay comfortably beside him. "Try to sleep," he says, I almost sigh at the sound of his chest reverberating.

I shift in bed and blink in the sunlight I frown at the fact that Carl isn't in bed beside me anymore. I sit up slowly, I swing my legs off the bed and stand up. I pull on my boots and lace them up.

"Breakfast?" I ask my dad who is leaning against the railing of the balcony, he smiles and motions for me to follow him down the stairs. "What time is it?" I ask as we walk into the pale yellow sunlight, "I don't know but it's early," he says.

I nod and smile when I spot Hershel and Rick working in the field, Carol is behind the food counter with another woman with curly brown shoulder-length locks.

I smile at her as I walk up to the awning, "Oatmeal?" she asks, I nod and she plops some of the gooey liquid into a plastic bowl.

"Still here I see," I turn to see the girl with golden hair from yesterday, Carl is walking beside her with a baby in his arms.

I smile and walk over to them forgetting my bowl of oatmeal, "Yeah," I answer. "Is this the Judith I keep hearing so much about," Carl nods and Beth walks over to Daryl. "Can I hold her?" I ask, he hands over the small girl with a smile.

"What's with the hat, sherriff?" I ask confidence becoming less of an issue. He smiles and pokes Judith's belly lightly, "My dad gave it to me when I got shot," he says.

I look up at him with sharp eyes. My expression must convey my confusion because he laughs and lifts his shirt to reveal a faded scar on his stomach close to his ribs.

I reach forward and graze my fingertips over the skin there. He watches me with paranoid blue pools. I pull my hand away quickly and take a deep breath.

"Sorry," I mumble looking back into his blue eyes, "It's fine," he says stepping closer to me. I take a sharp breath as he leans down. He grabs my waist and pulls Judith from my arms.

Before he completely pulls away his warm lips graze my cheek, my mouth falls open slightly, "You should eat."

I stare at his back as he walks away and the blonde girl trails back over to me, she blocks my view and I drag my eyes up to hers.