After noon all hope your all well. thank you for the review guest viewer, it really means a lot, as well as giving me a new idea for a later chapter.happy reading

Chapter 14

January 22nd

Carol's POV

Carol jumped awake trying to remember where she was, as her eyes did a quick sweep across her room, grateful for the light from the landing giving a soft glow over her room. She was home and safe in her own bed. Trying to control her breathing down, carol glanced at her alarm clock it was 3.00am in the morning.

It had been ages since she had nightmare as bad as this. It was as if she was back there, she could still hear ed's voice ringing in her ears and still feel the pain as he repeatedly hit her. Sighing carol climbed out of bed she knew there was no- way she would be able to get back to sleep.

Carol knew it might look and sound silly, but she knew she had to check the whole house, all the rooms and cupboards, just to make sure that ed wasn't here. She knew he wasn't he was in prison. But the only way to keep clam, was to check.

Carol made herself a cup of coffee and walked into her lounge, switching on the tv and cuddling up on the sofa. She hated nights like these, hated that ed still had control over her. Even tho he was locked up in prison for what he did to her and had no clue to where she was. But he still in her head, in her dreams.

Carol knew she was lucky to be alive, and was doing better every day. She had a home, a job, and friends to which she was thankful for, and there was Daryl. Carol wasn't sure what he was to her, but she did think they could at least be friends. But if she was honest with herself she really liked him, she liked his eyes they were bright blue and sometimes you could see everything he felt in them, every pain and hurt. Carol didn't know what had happened to him, but she had a feeling that it was something very bad, something that had cause him to shut down emotionally. She had felt him finch a bit earlier when she hugged him, before he relaxed into her and hugged her back. She loved how his arms felt around her, she felt like she belongs there, which was wired as she hadn't known him for that long. But every time she looked at his mouth, his smooth lips with a bit scruff on his chin, she found herself wanting to capture them with her own, to see how they felt against her own lips and to feel his hands over her body.

The sound of the phone ringing, pushed all thoughts of Daryl from her mind, she glanced at the time on the tv and noticed it was 3.30am. carol had no idea who would be calling her at this hour, so she deicide to ignore it. but when her phone rang again, she thought it might Lori maybe something was wrong.

Carol got up from the sofa and walked into the hallway to answer the phone.

"hello."

No- one answered.

"hello." Carol said again. But she was met with silence yet again. Wired carol through as she hangs up maybe it was the wrong number.

Carol opened her eyes and glanced at the time it was 9.00am, she had managed to get another couple of hours sleep on the sofa. Standing up carol walked into the kitchen to make a cup coffee and noticed she was out of milk.

Carol run upstairs to throw some jugging bottoms and a hoodie on, as she couldn't go to the shop in her shorts and tuck top. Slipping on pair of trainers, carol heading out the door and walked the short distance to the shop.

Turning the corner at the end of her road, without really looking carol bump into someone.

"sorry." She mumbled looking up into the face of man she had never met before

"that's OK." He said sweetly.

"you new here? I've ever seen you around before"

"yes, moved in a few weeks ago."

"that's nice, you like it here?, I'm Shane by the way"

"carol, and yes I like here, sorry for bumping into, was heading to shop for some milk, and wasn't looking where I was going."

"no worries, the shop is closed today, family emergency, fancy getting a coffee there's a coffee shop around the corner."

"oh, I'm not sure, only just met you." Carol mumbled.

Shane laughed. "I see your point, but you can trust me I'm a police officer."

"oh,i have a friend who is a police officer, rick grimes you know him? Carol asked

"yeah, I know rick and Lori." Shane said, "so how about that coffee?"

"sure, why not." Carol said, after all if you couldn't trust a police officer, who could you trust and he knew rick who she did trust.

Carol through Shane seemed a nice

enough guy, he was friendly, maybe a little too friendly for her likely, but still it was nice to able to meet new people and make some new friends, and to sit here having coffee. Ed would never have aloud her to do something like, he didn't like her going out and talking to people especially men.

"carol."

Carol looked up to see Shane smiling at her.

"you ok."

"yeah sorry, was miles away."

"happens to the best of us." Shane laughed.

"I supposed you're right." Carol laughed. "what was you saying?"

"I was asking if you wanted to do something Friday night?" Shane asked

"sorry Shane, I work Friday night's"

"maybe some other time then."

"sure." Carol smiled "well I better get going."

"same here, it was nice meeting you carol."

"you too Shane." Carol stood up from her seat, picking up her take away coffee from the table. "thanks for the coffee and chat."

"your welcome carol." Shane said standing up from their table.

As they made their way out of the coffee shop, carol bumped into someone who was coming in, nearly making her drop her coffee.

"what it! you OK carol?" Shane said.

"I'm fine Shane." Carol mumbled looking up to see who see who she bumped into. "sorry"

"that's OK miss, I wasn't looking where I was going, sorry."

"you should watch where you're going Philip." Shane said.

"you're right, sorry officer."

Carol blow on her coffee before taking a sip, as she looked into the face of the Stranger who she bumped into. She felt shiver run down her spine, he had creeper looking eyes and an even creeper smile.

"name's Philip mama, you new around here?"

"leave her alone Philip." Shane said.

"OK, was just saying hello sorry, didn't mean any harm."

"yes, I just moved here." Carol said. "but I really must be going." Carol smiled sweetly as she moved to walked past Philip.

"see you around carol." She heard him whisper as she walked out of the door