Chapter 8: Crazy

"We leavin' tonight?" Michonne asks me as I finish my dinner. Everyone else has left by now, so Michonne and I are the only two left. It seem like I've managed to make almost everyone hate me or get annoyed by me in one day. It might be for the best though; this way they won't miss me so much.

"I guess so but I wan—"

"Sophia, you done eating?" Mom walks into the room. I shake my head no. "Alright, come on in here when you're done. I want to make sure you get on to bed alright." Mom says and then smiles at Michonne and I before going back to the cell block.

"You were saying?" Michonne says.

"I want to write a note to everyone. Want to let them know that this isn't goodbye forever, just for the time being. I don't want to just leave without an explanation." I explain.

"Sounds good to me. I'll find some paper or something. Finish eating." Michonne instruct and walks away. I eat slowly, savoring it. This might be the last good meal I'll have for a while. As I'm eating Daryl walks through the room. We glance at each other.

"Watch." He says plainly.

"I figured." I mutter and shove food into my mouth.

"Ya know ya really hurt that kids feelings. He's sulkin' in his cell." Daryl says from where he stands. He makes no move to come any closer. I look at him.

"Carl? Yeah I know, I'll apologize later." I lie. As Michonne comes back with a notepad and a pen Daryl walks away.

"After you check back with your mom we need to get a move on. Grab your knife and gun and sneak back in here, we'll head back to the cabin or store maybe. I have a plan; we try and find that other group again. It'll be good to have people on our side against Merle and The Governor. People that will back us up, but that we don't care too much about." Michonne passes me the notepad and pen.

I accept them and look at her. "So we use them? That's not right Michonne, I'm not doing that. If you sincerely want to be a group with them and help them out and vice versa then fine, but I'm not using people like that. That's not who I am." I mutter, flipping open the notepad and clicking the pen.

"Fine." Michonne shrugs and look at what I'm about to write. "Choose what you're gonna say carefully, it's the last thing they could hear of you."

I take a deep breath and let the pen glide across the paper.

I write:

Dear…Everyone,

I'm sorry, but I had to leave. I was putting you at in danger by being here. Michonne will be with me, I'll be fine. I'll see you all again hopefully, but for now I need to go. I love you Mom, this isn't anything you did or said, I'm doing this for your safety and everyone else's. And Carl, I'm sorry about what I said; I didn't mean it at all.
I can't say where we're going, but I will say that we'll try and stay close. Don't try and come after us. Don't try and find us. They'll find you here if you do, so stay here where you're safe. Only leave if you have to. If you see any unfamiliar people, kill them.
This is hard for me, as much as it will be for you. This won't be like the highway though, I'm not lost, and I know just where I am. I know my place and what I need to do. Again, I'm sorry. This is goodbye. For now.

Sophia

"That sounds fine. Where will you leave it?" Michonne asks after she reads over my note.

"Right here, they'll find it. Hey, can I ask you a question?" I ask. Michonne nods. "Do you think I'm crazy?" I ask seriously.

Michonne makes a face. "Why would I think you're crazy?"

"Because, I just found my group and now I'm leaving, I actually think we might have a chance against The Governor, and…so many other things." I mutter sadly.

Michonne scoffs. "If that's what makes a person crazy, then I must be insane. Leaving the group for now is the right things to do Sophia; you don't wanna risk putting them in danger. And we do have a chance against The Governor. Half those damn people in his town don't even know how to shoot a gun, they can't fight. He only has a hand-full that do. If we really wanna win, we can. We aren't weak. We won't fall for his tricks, we know better." Michonne pauses and looks at me. "Don't think you're crazy. And if you can't stop thinking that, then it's a good crazy. A crazy that's gonna keep you alive."

I smile. "Then I like being crazy." Michonne smiles back.

"Go get your shit, we need to leave." Michonne says. I nod vaguely and walk to the cell block, realizing that will be the last time I walk in there…and the last time I walk out.

"You okay?" Michonne asks that night as we sit in the same little cabin. Tyreese's group is long gone, and for all we know…dead.

"Yeah, I just feel guilty I guess. I mean, will doing this really help protect them?" I ask. Mich0onne gives me a strange look.

"It was your idea…" She murmurs.

I look at her. "Yeah, but will it protect them? Or are we wasting our time?"

Michonne stands up, towering over me. "If you're having second thoughts then go back Sophia! You should have gone over this back at the prison, not now when we're already gone!" She hisses. I cringe and nod obediently.

Michonne shakes her head and starts pacing around the room. "What?" I ask. She shakes her head. "What's wrong?" I repeat.

"I'm goin' bat-shit crazy in this little cabin." She says loudly.

"I'm goin' bat-shit crazy in this stupid ass car!" Ed yells, honking the horn several times. I look out my window, trying to ignore my father's screaming and complaining. I never did like holidays, because we have to go see Ed's family, and they don't like me. They don't like Mom either. Well they pretend to, but I see the hate in their cold eyes.

"Calm down, I'm sure they'll move in a minute." Mom says soothingly. I feel my phone vibrate in my pocket. I pull it out and look at it. The phone used to be Mom's, but she gave it to me. Using her own saved money she bought a new one for herself and she says the bills. Ed won't allow her to use it for anyone but calling me or him, or the house. He checks it every night. He doesn't check mine though, luckily.

I look at the message on my screen. It's Emma. She's telling me to call her, if I can. I do as she asks, knowing we won't be getting anywhere anytime soon.

"Hello?" I small voice answers.

"Rachel? Why do you have Emma's phone?" I ask. Rachel is Emma's little sister.

"S-Sophia?"

"Yeah, what is it? Are you crying?" I ask nervously.

"E-Emma's dead. I-I wanted to tell you…y-you're her best friend. S-s-she…said that…I-I…" Rachel trails off and I hear her sobbing into the phone.

"Dead?" I ask.

"S-She killed herself…and on Christmas! I don't know why she would do it Sophia!" I feel hot tears start to form in my eyes as I slowly, absently, lower the phone from my ear…

"Go to bed, your killing yourself." I say to Michonne as she paces.

"I'll try, you need to also though." She says, heading to a room. I nod and watch as she close the door. I walk over to the window and peek out of the curtains. It's dark out now, and I wonder if anyone has noticed I'm gone…again. I rub the sleep out of my eyes, I should keep watch, and walkers could show up at any moment.

After a few minutes I start to feel drowsy, but I still don't go to bed. Just as I'm about to fall asleep at the windowsill I see a figure at the tree line. I grab for my knife, just in case it's a walker, but as I squint I realize it's not. It's a human, one that's alive. I recognize the stump for a hand and the knife blade ticking out of it. Merle…and he's right outside of our cabin. And I'd bet anything he's looking right back at me at this very moment.

The action will probably start after this, if it isn't obvious. And also I've hinted at a Daryl and Carol relationship (I do ship them :D) but this story is in no way a ramantic one so it won't be in any way the focus, so if you don't ship them don't worry. Chances are, it won't even happen in this story and if it does it won't be too big of a deal. Thanks for reading and please review! :D