Elena was always composed and methodical. She knew how to survive the world way before it finished. She wasn't looking for attachments, for people to call a family. Because attachments are liability, make you weak especially in this new world where...
The five of us stayed behind on the highway for another night. I explained everything to Dale, and then together as a group, we decided to remain and wait in case Sophia returned.
Glenn was sent to take T-Dog to the farm. The cut on T's arm was getting worse and needed proper cleaning and stitching. Something we couldn't provide on the side of a road.
But we couldn't stay here forever, so Daryl decided that in the morning, we would put up some signs for Sophia to wait for us and check it every day.
I had this uncomfortable feeling in my gut. It was nearly forty-eight hours since the girl disappeared, and we didn't find any traces of her. I remembered cold cases like that when the trail went cold, and there was nothing the police force could do. Daryl didn't speak to me, and neither did I to him. He crossed a particular line, and I wasn't too happy about it.
It was morning, and Carol was using some paint we found to write a message for her daughter on one of the cars. I spilled some of the liquid into a mug I found, doing the same, a few cars over.
We packed all the supplies we scavenged into the RV and vehicles and then took off. Daryl upfront on his bike, Andrea and I following him in a car Shane found and fixed. Carol was behind in her Cherokee while Dale steered the RV.
"You don't like me very much, do you?" Andrea asked me after a few minutes of silence, so I looked at her, taking my eyes off the road for a second. Was that why she insisted on going with me?
I sighed and replied, "It's not that. I like you, and I think you're a strong person," I started trying to find a way to say what I needed, most politely. "But, I think that Amy's death hit you hard."
"Don't bring her to it!" She tensed, but I was not going to stop. She needed to hear me out.
"When I was a newbie, fresh out of the academy, my parents were murdered. I was twenty-four." I could see her glancing at me from the corner of my eye.
"Did you find out who did it?" her voice softened, and I heard some genuity in her question. Damn it, it's not supposed to be about me.
"Yeah," I nodded and took a few shaky breaths. "Yeah, I did. I killed the bastard, but not without getting hurt." Absently I run my hand over my belly, where scars were hidden under a shirt.
"It made me reckless," I continued, "Pure, blindsiding need for revenge. It made me stupid, and I paid the price. I was thinking only about myself and killing the monster who killed my family. I got hurt, and one other agent was killed." There was a silence between us now, as Andrea was thinking about what I said.
"It's not that I don't like you, Andrea. But I think that Amy's death makes you reckless." I was getting to the point. "You're rude and selfish. And you gotta keep your attitude in check. And trust me, I know it's easier said than done. But don't make the same mistakes I did. Don't push away people who try to help you."
Andrea swallowed hard and looked out of the window before she spoke again. Changing the subject altogether. "So I walked with Daryl last night. Looking a bit more for Sophia."
"Alright." What's your point, woman?
"He told me the story, how he got lost in the woods as a kid. Wanna hear?"
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