Found Book One

Going

My eyes flutter open and I squint in the early morning light. Michonne's hand rubs my shoulder. "We've gotta  get going," she whispers to me. Carl jumps slightly and sits up. Michonne opens the door and we step out into the sunlight.

I look around at the dead men, I close my eyes and turn away from the murderous scene. Carl takes my hand and I flinch away from him, "I'm not gonna hurt you," he whispers.

I nod lightly as he brushes his thumb over my cheek, I grab his hand. "We have some medical supplies. I think you might need stitches," Michonne says.

She rips a strip off her shirt and presses it to my still bleeding cut across my eyebrow. "She'll needs stitches if this doesn't stop bleeding," the woman says. I nod and Daryl walks over to me, "We should get going," he whispers. 

We walk until we see a train car with another banner hung across it. "We need to stop. I need to see if there's anything I can do," Michonne says pulling something out of her bag.

Rick and Daryl stop and stare at the sign above me. Michonne pushes me so that I'm sitting on the edge of the metal lip of the train car.

Carl sits beside me and grabs my hand. "This is gonna hurt," Michonne warns as she pulls the thread through a needle.

I nod, closing my eyes as she presses the needle into my skin. I squeeze Carl's hand as she weaves the needle into my skin. "Okay," Michonne says with a small smile, "Eight stitches, not too bad."

"Guys," Daryl grumbles pointing to the banner, we all back up to them to read it. Michonne grins and wraps her arms around me and Carl. "If our people saw this they'd go. We can find them," she says.

I smile lightly and reach over to take my father's hand in mine. "We can find them, daddy. You know that they would go there," I say hugging him, he nods and rubs my back.

"Yeah," he says turning to face Rick, "We'll go," he says. Carl grabs my other hand as we walk down the railroad tracks.

"I have a proposition," Michonne states, I look up at her. "Whoever can stay on the tracks the longest gets first pick," she taunts holding up five candy bars.

She steps up onto the iron rail, "You're on," I say with a smirk. Carl climbs up and so do I.

I tiptoe behind Carl I clutch my bag tightly as Michonne waves her arms in Carl's face. He wavers slightly but regains his balance.

"What's the hold-up?" Daryl calls walking toward us. "We made a bet," Carl says. "Is there any way to speed this up?" Rick questions, slowing down his pace as well.

"Not till they fall!" Michonne yells making an explosion noise as she makes a motion toward Carl. Her foot slips and she falls on her butt in the gravel.

Everyone starts laughing as Michonne huffs. Carl laughs so hard that he stumbles. This time he doesn't catch himself but he does grab onto me.

He falls back and pulls me down with him, he groans as I land on his stomach Michonne rushes over and pulls me up off the ground.

Daryl takes me in his arms then kneels in front of me. "Are you okay?" he asks, I smile as he looks at my palms and knees.

"I'm fine dad," I mutter grabbing his hand and pulling him up off the ground. "Everyone good?" Rick questions. Carl laughs and holds his hand out to Michonne. "Come on we both get to pick."

I shake my head, "No! I would've been fine if you hadn't grabbed me," I argue.

We both look to Rick and Daryl to settle the score, they both point to me, "She gets it, it was your fault that she fell," Rick says with a sly smirk.

I laugh, "Yeah that should be a penalty and he shouldn't get a candy bar," I announce. Michonne shakes her head.

"No all of us get a candy bar you just get to pick first," she says holding out her hand with the pile of chocolate.

I pull out the Three Musketeers bar from her fingers. She eyes me and lets out a groan as I grab it and clutch it to my chest. "Oh come on," she whines.

I smile and keep in my hand, "I got first pick," I say with a smile. She rolls her eyes and takes the candy bar she wants, Carl picks his and the other two men take their pick of candy.

"Look," I say running over to another Terminus sign Carl follows me and grabs my hand with a smile. "We're almost there. Just a few more miles," he says. "Yeah we can get closer to finding our people," I mumble hugging him.

"We need to keep goin' if we're gonna get there by dinner," Daryl says looking closer at the map to Terminus.

"Yeah let's go," I say leading him back to the tracks behind his dad and mine. Michonne walks behind us with quiet feet. I count in my head to stop myself from thinking about what happened last night.

I can feel the bruises on my neck, Carl's hand doesn't leave mine but he doesn't try to touch  me anymore than that. I turn to look at him, "I'm sorry," I whisper. Carl's brows furrow, "It wasn't your fault."