The fews days that passed were hectic.
Trying to get Carol on her feet and used to the farm house.
Dale wasn't speaking hardly.
Glenn and Maggie hit it off.
Lori decided to try her best to school the kids.
Daryl and Rick went out on hunting trips to stock up on more food.
Skye kept to herself, doing what she could.
She couldn't forget what Beth said to her, she couldn't let it go.
She was hurt and Beth saw that.
Beth was pulling away, her father's worry for her grew each day.
But he was still busy trying to care for his farm.
Beth saw everyone's busy attitude as a chance.
She had broken down.
She couldn't take much more, her mental state was compromised.
While Maggie was out on a run with Glenn she snuck up to her room.
She grabbed an old duffel bag she could easily sling over her shoulder and filled it with a few clothes.
Once it was filled she slid it under her bed.
She went into the hall, listening.
She could hear Lori talking to Carl and Sophia about their studies.
She heard no one in the kitchen so she went down the stairs and into the kitchen.
She looked around the cabinets and grabbed a few light things she could stuff in her pocket and some water from the pantry and ran back up the stairs. She stuffed what she had collected into her bag.
She would wait until dawn to run.
She went to her window and watched the sun go down.
It didn't hit her that she would have to use a weapon to protect herself.
She decided once Maggie was asleep she would take a knife.
She sat in awkward silence while everyone ate supper.
Conversation was short if there was any.
Rick was the only one trying.
Dale ate his supper quickly and went to bed.
Beth nibbled at her food.
When everyone had finished up and headed to bed, Beth lingered down stairs hoping that Skye would say something to her.
In the back of her mind she wanted Skye to see her.
She wanted her to beg her to stay.
But Skye had no idea what she was going to do.
In the mist of everyone getting ready for bed Beth caught a glimpse of Skye.
But she didn't look in her direction.
She just cuddled up in her blanket on her spot in the living room.
Beth wanted to watch her sleep, to chase away the fear that had made her so tough.
"No, stop that" She whispered to herself, trying to push the thoughts away.
It was these thoughts.
These feelings toward Skye that drove her over the edge.
Beth's mind wasn't total mush, she could figure out what was happening.
She was in full control of the mental break down she was having.
But then again she couldn't help herself from reacting.
She spent a few more minutes looking at Skye before heading up stairs.
When she got into her room Maggie was already asleep.
She would miss her sister.
She would miss watching her fall in love with Glenn.
She would miss her growing and living, even in this messed up world.
Above all, she would miss her father.
His gentle nature and compassion.
He was to good for this cruel world, yet he made the best of it.
She admired that.
She wished she had her mother here.
Her mother would know what to say, her mother would accept her regardless.
She eased quietly into the bed.
Her thoughts occupied her mind while her body relaxed.
She tried to think of the days before all this happened so she could stay awake.
But those memories only made her sad.
She tried to plan out where she would go.
What was safe for her.
Maybe she would run across another group.
Maybe she could live out her life on her own.
She was a quiet and shy girl, but she never liked to be alone. She usually stayed by Maggie.
She smiled to herself.
Her sister had taught her well.
Confidence flooded her veins and she ended up smiling bigger.
She could do this.
She kept telling herself that, over and over until dawn came.
She eased out of bed and bent down to grab her bag.
She slung it over her shoulder and quietly headed down stairs.
She tip toed over to where Skye was laying and felt around the floor beside her.
Her fingertips grazed a cold metal and she picked up one of her long knives.
She was sure she wouldn't mind if she took one, at least she hoped.
She knew she only had a few hours of running before anyone noticed she was gone, so as soon as her feet hit the cold morning ground she ran.
That was it.
She was gone.
There was no turning back.
Beth knew the woods by the farm house like the back of her hand.
She used to play out here with Maggie when they were little.
She stopped to catch her breath. She was on a hill that over looked the woods.
She used this to her advantage, climbing a tree to scope the land.
But she was a little to confident, she had watched Skye make her perch almost anywhere.
She judged wrong and slipped and fell, hitting the ground with a thud, she groaned and got back up.
She was at least ten years old the last time she had climbed a tree.
"I don't know where to go, this was a bad idea" she said to herself.
The silence was killing her already. She bit her lip and looked around.
Her mind was racing, she didn't want to linger long.
Memories started to flood her mind, one memory particular served her well.
She took off running.
When she was younger she played with one of the kids from church.
His father built him a huge tree house not far from where she was.
It was off the ground, had to be in good condition still. She felt she would be safe there.
~
Skye was in the middle of dreaming when she heard foot steps by her head.
She groaned and sat up.
Rick was pacing the floors. She wiped her eyes and stood up.
"What's going on?" She asked, pulling her hoodie over her head.
"Beth is missin'" Carol said as she walked into the room.
Skye's heart began to race. She bent over, feeling around her sleeping bag for her knife.
"Damn it" She muttered as her hands came up empty.
"She took my knife" Skye said, fiddling in her bag for one of her other ones.
"Where in the hell could she have gone?" Maggie asked. She was on the verge of tears.
"We'll find her" Rick said.
He gathered everyone outside. Hershel handed him a map of the land that he spread it out on the hood of his car.
"We will go in small groups. Dale, you take the binoculars and stay on the RV. Stay on watch in case you see her or any walkers"
Dale grabbed the binoculars and headed to his post.
"Glenn and T-dog, you two take the cars and scout the high way. If she's on the road, we want her off as soon as possible"
T-dog nodded and followed Glenn to the car.
"Maggie, you go with Daryl and I. You know where your sister would be and Daryl is one hell of a tracker"
Maggie nodded and tears fell.
"Carol, you stay close to the house, but keep an eye on the back property. You have a good eye and you're a good shot. But you're just now back on your feet."
Carol nodded and locked eyes with Daryl.
He nodded to her and she gave him a small smile.
The small exchange said enough for the both of them. She was telling him to be safe. He was telling her, he loved her.
"Hershel. You stay here. If she comes home on her own she will need her father"
He simply nodded. He walked back into the house, praying the whole way.
Rick gave Lori a small kiss and hugged Carl.
"You be careful out there and bring her back safe" She said, running her fingers through Carl's hair.
He nodded and loaded his gun.
Daryl had his crossbow ready. Maggie had a knife.
The three of them took off into the woods.
They had a few hours to look before sun down.
Skye had already beaten them into the woods.
She didn't stay around to be given orders. She would find Beth all on her own.
She had been running for awhile She stopped, noticing a place where the leaves had been crushed.
She was standing in the spot where Beth had fallen from the tree.
"If I was her, where would I hide?" She asked herself out loud.
Much like Beth, the silence of the woods made her head start to hurt.
Skye's eyes caught a glimpse of something shiny on the ground.
She picked it up and inspected it. It was the silver cross Beth wore around her neck.
Skye closed her hand around it, looking around. She looked up and then at the leaves below her feet.
Then it hit her and she giggled a little.
"She's trying to climb. Good girl" She said to herself, smiling. A little bit of relief shot through her veins knowing that she was at least smart enough to keep herself safe.
Now her only problem was finding where she would climb up to.
~
After running for what felt like an hour she reached the tree house.
It appeared to be in good condition. The ladder was still intact.
She sighed in relief and slowly eased up it.
She quietly shut the hatch behind her.
There was an old chair they dragged up there and some books, even some old blankets.
It was all a bit dusty, but she figured she could manage.
She sat in the chair and unpacked her duffel bag.
She folded her clothes and tucked them in between the empty bookshelves against the wall.
Nesting was a bad habit she had gotten from her mother, but she couldn't rest until she had everything arranged.
She smiled when her eyes fell on the small first aid kit her mother made her keep up there.
She opened it and pulled out a band aid, covering a gash she had gotten from falling out of the tree.
She tucked the kit neatly into her bag and hung her bag on a hook by the door.
She smiled and put her hands on her hips feeling accomplished.
She spent the next few hours nesting even more, brushing away cob webs and wiping away dust.
Her stomach growled a little and she decided to eat a granola bar she had taken from the pantry.
It wasn't the best but it hit the spot.
Using good judgement she grabbed up her wrapper, she didn't want to attract ants.
She lifted up the hatch and slowly climbed down the ladder.
She walked a little ways from the tree house to avoid building up trash near her refuge.
She looked around, it was winter and all the leaves had fallen from the trees. She could see pretty far.
Not one walker in sight. She smiled to herself and headed back up to the tree house.
She closed the hatchet and slid the little lock closed. She was almost certain that walkers couldn't open doors just yet, but she didn't want to take any chances.
She sat by the window while it was still day light, flipping through the magazines that were still up there.
Night fell and she climbed into the old chair, wrapping up in a blanket.
She was afraid to sleep.
Not for fear of walkers or what ever else might be in these woods.
She was afraid that Skye would creep into her dreams again.
So she decided to let her mind drift. She knew eventually she would have to make a supply run.
She planned it out until her eyes got heavy, she couldn't hold off anymore.
She closed her eyes and drifted off.