The Third Dixon [The walking dead]

Chapter six

Measi leaned back on the rough wooden bench, her legs swinging under the table as she laid down another card. Nathan's brow furrowed in concentration across from her, and she couldn't resist a small smirk. "Oh, come on, really? You're gonna let me get away with that?"

Dale chuckled from behind, leaning on the doorway. "Should've done that one, kid." He pointed at the card Measi had just discarded.

"Hey! If you're helping her, help me too!" Nathan laughed softly, clearly amused by her energy, and mimicked her move, trying to block her play.

Dale's eyes twinkled, and he crouched down a little to get a better look. "Nope, nope, that one—see that? You could've played it differently. Bam. Nailed it."

Measi groaned, shoving her dark hair back from her face. "I don't need a tutor, old man!" But she couldn't hide the smile tugging at her lips.

Glenn walked past with a small basket of fruit, handing them around. Measi accepted a slice of apple, biting into it with a satisfied crunch. She noticed the way Glenn's gaze lingered toward the barn, his eyes narrowing slightly, and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What's up with you?" she asked, teasing but curious.

"Nothing," he muttered, shrugging.

Measi rolled her eyes and turned back to her cards, her lips twitching. "Yeah, sure, nothing. You've got that 'I saw a walker in the outhouse' face going on."

Nathan chuckled. "I like her. She doesn't sugarcoat."

"Life's too short to sugarcoat," Measi said, throwing him a wink. "Besides, I'm saving the sugar for dessert."

She laughed at her own joke, a rare, unguarded sound that had nothing to do with the dead or the constant vigilance of the woods. Nathan laughed with her, and for a moment, the world felt lighter, almost normal.

"Okay, okay," Dale said, shaking his head, still watching them with a fond expression. "I'm telling you, kid, one day all this card-playing and joking won't matter when a herd shows up outside."

Measi waved him off, still grinning. "Yeah, yeah, you've said that before. Guess what? I can still survive a herd and win at cards. Multitasking."

Nathan rolled his eyes dramatically, laughing. "Sure, survivor. Sure."

She leaned back again, tossing a card down on the table with a flourish. Her eyes flicked toward the barn, toward the open sky beyond the Greene farm, toward the world outside that was always waiting—but for now, she let herself enjoy it. The teasing, the laughter, the simple act of winning a card game. Teenager Measi, not just fighter Measi, existed here too—and she wasn't letting it go.

When Shane whistled, the group stirred, gathering their gear and moving toward the others with purpose. Measi followed quietly, keeping her sniper snug against her back, eyes scanning the edges of the tree line as she went. She had learned not to trust the woods completely, even in daylight.

Rick knelt over the map, tracing a finger along the creek. "The creek flows south, past that farmhouse Daryl found. Maybe Sophia dropped the doll there, and the current carried it downstream."

Measi leaned in, following his finger carefully, memorizing the twists of the waterway. It wasn't just a line on a map—it was a lifeline.

Shane crossed his arms, squinting at the roads. "So you think she took this road and then went north?"

Rick nodded. "Yeah. What's up that way?" He turned to Jimmy, who rested his head against his hand, studying the terrain.

Jimmy's brow furrowed. "A housing development. Went up maybe ten years ago."