Worth It

Chapter 34: Claimed

I sat next to Carl, reading a book and spooning cereal into my mouth. I watch as Michonne walks in with a bowl and three bottles of water. Carl starts to laugh and I soon join in twirling my spoon in my bowl.

"Do you have something to say about my extremely comfortable and attractive shirt?" She asks us, rolling up her sleeves. I chuckle and shake my head, turning another page in my book.

"No, no, no, It looks great." Carl says. But he couldn't keep a straight face either. "Oh you missed, uh..." He points at a button on her shirt and she looks down before buttoning it.

"Wish we had some soy milk." I couldn't take it, I burst out laughing, something I haven't done in who knows how long. I cough, the cereal catching in my throat. I hit myself in the chest once before swallowing.

"Seriously?" Carl asks laughing. She joins in laughing "I tried it once, never again." Carl says laughing. "I would rather drink powdered milk. I would rather drink Judith's formula!"

I stop eating as Carl stands up. I sigh, rubbing my forehead and trying not to think of the daughter I lost.

I eventually finished and stood up before walking upstairs. "Hey.." I mumble, knocking on the door. I lean against the doorframe and sigh, dropping my head. I walk over and sit beside him and take his hand in mine. We don't talk. Just sit there and mourn our loved ones together.

Apparently Carl and James had left to look for food while Rick and I were out. A couple of walkers found them and just as they were about to land on Carl, James tackled them, resulting in a bite mark to the shoulder.

Carl told me that James shot himself, but not before telling Carl to tell me that he loves me and he knows that I love him. He said I needed to live for the people that died. They waited before telling me. 

I clenched my jaw along with my fists. I turn and rip open the door, slamming it shut behind me.

It didn't take long for me to find him, laying on the ground. I cover my mouth, sobbing as I step back. I run forward, dropping beside him and cradling his limp head in my arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." I whisper, over and over as I rock him.

I brush his hair back and kiss his forehead. "I love you." I'm sorry." I whimper. I lay down beside him, holding his body. "I love you."

I wake up in Rick's arms. It's dark out. He was walking up the porch stairs when he noticed me awake in his arms. I look away from him, staring at the door.

"They leave?" I ask Rick as he walks inside my room. "Yea. They'll be back by noon." He says, lying down. He lets out a low sigh before looking over at me. "I'm tired." I mumble, letting my eyes droop. He opens his arm and lets me lay on it, snuggled into his side.

I appreciated it, but I couldn't help but compare him to Daryl.

"Wake up." Rick whispers, shaking me. "What?" I mumble groggily. "Wake up!" He whisper shouts. He pulls me up and pushes me down under the bed. I watch in fear as someone walks into the room. Their boots hitting the floor and the sway of their gun.

I whimper and cover my mouth with my hands. 

I can hear the ticking of Ricks watch and he pinches it, stopping the sound. Don't make a sound. Stay silent. Do not let them touch you.

He walks to the foot of the bed and stops. So close that I can see fresh blood on his boots. His loud, annoying, scare the shit out of me boots. He eventually makes his way over to the nightstand. He gets into the bed and sighs and I watch as the underside of the bed falls. Rick flattens out immediately.

"Are you shitting me?" I mouth to Rick. The man was snoring. Fast asleep and snoring. "Comfy?" Another man asks in the doorway. "You waking me to ask if I'm comfy?" The man on the bed asks.

"I want to lie down." The other says. "Two other bedrooms up here to choose." The man on the bed says. I shake my head. This wasn't going to end well, and based of of Rick and how he looked, he didn't think so either.

"Them's kids beds. I want this one." He walks up to the bed slowly and Rick gently nudges me over. "It's claimed."

"I didn't hear it." The second guy said. "You gonna have to lay claim somewhere else." They begin to fight and I whimper, listening to the grunts. One falls to the ground. Rick grabs my hand. We stare at the two of them fighting on the floor.

Please don't look over.

But eventually he does. 

His eyes widen. "Len! Len, stop!" He continues to get choked as Rick tilts his head. I inch back but Rick holds my wrist tight. And then he's dead. Len lays onto the bed and once again it falls to the ground as Rick flats out.

He sighs, throwing his leg off the side of the bed.

When we finally hear the snoring of the man above us, Rick slides out the side before reaching under to pull me out. "Len, Tony! Get your asses down here!" Rick pulls me into the bedroom Carl was using before pushing me up against the wall.

I watch as a man walks up to the doorway, throwing a tennis ball un against the wall. He leaves a few seconds later and Rick turns to the window.

"Claim, Claim, Claim!" I cover my ears and whimper again. "Theres a lady shacking up here! Come on down!"

Rick pushes me down onto the floor before grabbing one of the trophies from the mantel. "Come on." He mumbles. I stand up and follow him. "Hold on, let me get my gun."

Rick pushes me back out and into the bathroom before shutting the door. The man sitting on the toilet stands up, knocking me in the head, and I once again black out. I can feel the fear creeping into my body along with the distance feeling of my surroundings.

Is this how I die? I couldn't leave Daryl, but I already knew that it was too late and I was loosing myself in the darkness.