"the chill stung my arms. the pain of the cold was almost to much to bare. besides the sound of the raging storm just outside i was alone. id been alone for a long time. ever since they took my brother. he was my protection. wed lost his girlfriend a long time ago. her baby was with someone else. i wondered if he is okay. i was in an abandoned two story home. only one was inside. he had been stuck in the basement door all i had to do was beat his skull in with a vacuum cleaner. my heart was shattered. without my brother i doubted i would survive the night.

I havent seen teddy or charlie, or my parents since the outbreak. P.J was the only one i had. at the age of seventeen i sat there in the dark with the rain pouring down outside. no one by my side. no reason to go on. the next morning i was surprised when my eyes opened. i grabbed my things and set out. i got about ten miles down the road before i had to take a detour into the woods. i had found a sign in the dirt that said "alexadria" most of the other words were blurred out. i heard a noise behind me slipped and hit my head then i woke up here."

Gabe told the people around him.

"so your all alone?" a black girl with dreads asked.

"yeah"

"i have three questions for you" a scruffy looking whit man said. his badge shining in the boys eyes. "how many walkers have you killed."

"two or three, pj did most of the killing"

"how many people have you killed?"

"one."

"why?"

" i couldn't see him suffer like that... he was my brother." gabe stared blankly at the ground. tears welling up in his eyes.

a boy with long hair entered. "dad there are people from another camp here... they wanna talk to you."

"okay... carl this is gabe... make sure you see to it he gets to his new house safely show him where everything is, answer any questions he might have and if theres a problem just go to carol or Daryl." the man and woman left the room and carl approached the boy.

"so... you okay?" Carl asked. "i dont know what its like to have no one... ive never been seperated from my group or anything... i wonder off but ive never been completely alone."

Gabe looked up at the boy with sarrow in his eyes. "i hope you never have to experience being alone."

"im the one who found you by the way." The long hair boy told him. " i had just been wondering off like usual... my dad doesnt like it when i do things that could get me killed."

"ill bet he wen all to hell when you hurt your eye."

"he was there... i got shot."

"oh my god..."

"not the first time either."

"wow..." Gabe looked away trying not to offend the boy by staring.

Throughout the rest of the day Carl introduced a rather shy Gabe to the rest of the camp. The artillary, the church, the gardens. he met maggie and glen, abraham, sasha, ugne, rosita, and the preacher. After meeting most of the people Carl led him back to his home. a tall two story, lonely looking, fairly nice home.

"all of this for me?"

"yep..."

" ill have to be by myself again..." Gabe started in fear at the large prison looking sheltar.

"if you want you can talk to my dad... we have a spare room." Carl smiled at him "for now lets just check it out... see if you like it."

Gabe nodded and the two boys entered. there was a large kitchen and a living room. a love seat and a couch. a downstairs bathroom, and office. upstairs were three bedrooms. one at the very end of one side the other two opposite one another near the other end of the hall. Gabe picked a room. the smallest room.

They entered to see a twin sized bed. it was centered in the middle of the room with its head board at one of the windows.

"can we move it to a corner?" Gabe asked.

"sure." the paler boy responded.

the two of them shovved the bed to a corner so that both the head board and the side were up against the walls. the foot of the bed face the door and a single nightstand was moved over to the left side of the bed. they sat down facing a large dressor. it was empty. the whole room felt empty.

"dont worry... we will have it filled up in no time... get you some out dated posters. a lamp, a nice rug."

Gabe started crying and Carl immediately stopped talking. Carl looked at him in sympathy.

"i had to kill my mother after she bore judith. she was already dead but she was turning."

Gabe hugged Carl. Something about the one eyed survivor made Gabe feel safe. He reminded gabe of PJ the way he spoke, his kind words of comfort. Carl hugged back wanting to understand his new friends pain. wanting to fix him... see the boy smile. these were harsh times and sadness was a bad weakness, any and all happiness was hard enough to find already. Carl didnt know what to do.

Carls father entered the doorway in silence and saw Carls face over Gabes shoulder. He was proud of his son. There was care and sympathy in the young grimes heart. the silent sobs from Gabe nearly broke ricks heart. Machonne stepped in behind her lover.

"Hey." she said calmly.

Gabe turned to her direction letting go of carl.

" if you want you can stay in the guest bedroom tonight... or untill you feel more comfortable here. tomarrow we will decide your job for the community."

"im a mechanic... i rig up useful tool out of raw materials. i can build turbines and things for power, i can dig wells for clean water..."

"perfect... you might be useful..." rick grinned.

After Rick, and Michonne left Carl led Gabe Back to his own house and up to the guest bedroom. the sun outside was beginning to set. Carl Gave the timid boy a set of clothes and an extra blanket before desending to his own room.

Gabe lay in the darkness staring up at the ceiling. his heart, in shards, beat slowly. as he closed his eyes he saw the face of his brother PJ flash before his eyes. he relived the moment where he shot his brother between the eyes and tears rolled down his face. he felt like he was suffocating and wondered if this was where he gave it all up. he slipped his hand into his pocket and removed his wallet. using the light from the window he grabbed a picture of his siblings and held them to his chest as tears poured down his face. were they alive? would he ever know?