𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 ✔️- 𝑐. 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠

5: Vulnerable

The night passed slowly. Everyone was awake to watch the sky turn from black, to a soft shade of indigo, and eventually, the familiar bright blue.

Elle remained on the ground, ignoring the bruise that had undoubtedly formed on her shoulder from utilizing the weapon that was half her size. She was awake, wide awake. She, too, watched the sky change colors as the long hours passed. She could smell the bodies all around her, the bodies all around camp. She could hear people moving around, separating the bodies between geeks and campers.

The girl didn't know what to do. If she could bring it upon herself to move her aching body, what was she to do? She knew what she wanted to do, cry. She wanted to cry herself into a grave. Some adults had approached her, suggesting she stay in the RV with the rest of the children, but she would remain silent, her eyes remaining on the sky above. She could feel the blood from the undead sticking to her clothes and skin.

Eventually, the smell of burning flesh had gotten to be too much as the bodies of the once undead were being dealt with. Pushing herself off of the ground, she carefully grabbed the shotgun she had used. She didn't care to dust of her clothes or hair to free them of dirt as she began walking.

She saw Rick, Lori, Carol, and Shane sitting around the firepit that remained unlit as they kept an eye on Andrea. Amy, Andrea's sister, had been the first victim of last night's massacre. Andrea wouldn't let anyone touch her sister, not even to bury her. The eyes of the adults landed on her as they had been trying to get her to move for hours.

"Here's your gun." Her voice was barely louder than a whisper as she set the gun against a folding chair.

"Are you okay?" Lori asked her. Elle nodded, wiping sweat from her forehead.

"Our people go over there." Glenn's voice rung out behind the girl. She turned around, wondering what was happening. She could see the distraught look on his face as Daryl and Morales tried to drag one of the unfortunate campers towards the burning pile of walkers.

"What's the difference? They're all infected." Daryl grunted.

"Our people go in that row over there." Glenn told them, trying to remain composed. "We don't burn them." His voice cracked as he grew louder. "We bury them." He brought his voice back down.

Elle slowly made her way over as Daryl and Morales reluctantly began dragging the body where it belonged.

"You reap what you sow!" Daryl shouted at him.

"Man, shut up!" Morales told him. Elle noticed how tense Glenn was about the whole situation.

"Y'all left my brother for dead! You had this coming!" Daryl continued, walking off. Elle approached Glenn.

"Are you okay?" She asked him.

"I'm okay." He murmured. Elle didn't know what it was, but she seemed drawn to Glenn in some sort of way. She had only known the man for a few days, but quickly began to care for him.

"You should take a break." The girl suggested. Glenn hesitated, but nodded. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his gloved hand, walking away from the pile of burning walkers. Elle walked with Glenn to get some water. While it may still be the morning, the sun was beating down on everyone.

"Are you okay?" Glenn asked her, remembering seeing her lay in the dirt all night.

"Just tired." She told him, watching as he took a sip of water.

"A walker got him. A walker bit Jim!" Jacqui's announcement was loud and clear, earning the eyes of everyone as they looked in Jim's direction. Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Morales were quick to form a circle around him.