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chapter thirty-two | the change no one wanted
IT WAS DIFFERENT now. It was no longer cold, more humid than anything else. The wet and warm air made everyone feel like they were suffocating when all they were surrounded by was emptiness.
That's one word Laurel would describe how she was feeling. The word was old and abused by now.
Seven months since the horde destroyed their supposed safe haven and they lost members of their family. Laurel hated thinking about it, how much time has passed when it felt like just yesterday. Her brother sacrificed his life for Andrea and ended up dying in one of the worst ways possible, same with Patricia and Jimmy. She no longer felt this enormous feeling of loss and pain. She felt scraped of her emotions and happiness, leaving her with only her skin and bones.
She was a deserted shell of who she once was.
Laurel was no longer the sarcastic and loud woman that the group knew. She was void of emotion and only opened her mouth to give a call out during the scavenges she always went on with one of the men or Maggie. She really only conversed with her sister.
Her hair was shorter, reaching the top of her shoulders and the blonde highlights disappeared as winter dragged on and the color turned a dark brown. Her black bandana was usually around her head to keep her hair out of her face. She was tinier somehow, losing most of her fat from starvation. She was more toned though, believe it or not, but she looked so weak and some days she felt like it and it took a lot of energy to even turn her head. However, when she had to fight, she would fight with a strength that came out of nowhere.
She was more skilled, she learned to shoot better from Rick when he gave her more lessons at the beginning of the winter. Laurel had better artillery, from a scavenge maybe two months ago at a hunting sports store in a town center. She has a growing collection of knives and now a black leather gun holster that went around her thigh which she liked much better than the ones that went around her waist. Her pants didn't feel like they were falling down all the time now with her new belt with a knife holster attached.
Cassie never left her sister's side, coming with her to scavenge as well. Laurel gave her the old knife holster she had as the small girl became more comfortable with it and useful.
Cassie, unfortunately, started womanhood in December and Laurel had to help her scavenge for tampons and pads, feeling bad when they couldn't find her any pain medication. Cassie had the curse of the Hill women, cramps that would make her not being able to move. But, she was strong and went with the group everywhere they went no matter the pain.
Their last night on the farm, Cassie didn't realize until much later that she lost her teddy bear. After that, it was hard to sleep without it. it was something that reminded her of before the end, reminded her of her parents and the love they shared. Losing that teddy bear meant she lost her safety and innocence, above all else.
