chapter 4, hiding in the shadows.
"Excuse me"
Carol Peletier looked down at a small girl with golden blonde hair, her chubby face made her look so innocent to Carol. Carol smiled and kneeled down at the girl,"yes sweetheart"
"Do you have water here", the question was simple and straight. It wouldn't be good if they didn't have water here at the prison, there was a river running along the right side of the prison. Rick had an idea of somehow getting the river water flowing into the prison, it would take time to figure something out but still a good idea. That way they wouldn't have to leave the prison gates to get water.
There where a few a few water bottles in the cafeteria that Carol knew of, but with all the people wandering around it would be tough to maneuver in, she thought about the blue barrel outside the block that they filled with river water a few days before.
"Yes we do, come I'll get you some", Carol got up and held out her hand. She froze at that familiar moment when her motherly instincts kicked in. No, this was not her daughter. Thankfully she knows how to handle little girls. The girl took her hand and was lead through the crowd."what's your name"
"Mika", the girl said gleefully,"my sister is Lizzie"
"Mika", Carol repeated the name, it suited her."that's a pretty name"
"Thanks", Carol slid open the block door and they walked out. The outside was quieter than inside the cellblock, it felt so unnatural to hear so many voices inside the prison. It was going to take some time getting use to them all,"so Mika, is your sister with your parent", Carol didn't know if one or both her parents where dead so she decided not to name specifics.
"She's with my dad"
Dad, good her father was alive. Looking ahead Carol saw someone she didn't expect to see outside. Beth Greene was pacing back and forth with baby Judith Grimes in her arms. Carol couldn't hold back a smile at the sight.
When Beth finally noticed her and the little girl walking towards the water barrel, she followed them."hi Carol", she greeted also showing her small smile. Beth looked down at the little girl with blonde hair almost similar to her own,"hi, I'm Beth"
"Hi", the little girl greeted back.
"This is Mika", Carol filled Beth in,"she just wanted some water"
"Don't we have bottles inside?"
Carol nodded grabbing a styrofoam cup next to the barrel and began to pour some water,"I thought I could use some air"
"Same here. Well that and Judith didn't like all the noise inside", Beth explained.
"I know how she feels, it's going to take time to get use to it again", Carol closed the water and gave the cup to Mike,"go find your dad, I don't want him to worry"
"Okay", Mika nodded hurriedly,"thank you", she said going back into the prison. Carol watched the girl go safely inside the prison. Not that the girl was in any danger-but still making sure.
"She seems nice"
Carol chuckled,"she's small and innocent, they're all like that"
"Not all of them. My friend in high school had a little brother, and he wasn't like her at all, he was always so mean to everyone"
"Maybe it was the way his parents raised him, not who they where on the inside", Carol remembered some of the mothers from her daughters pre school, how different their parenting skills where. Truly she never knew if they where better or worse for the way their kids would grow up. Even now she wonders for Rick and Carl...there has been a lot of tension between them lately. This morning even, she heard Rick and his son arguing from outside the prison walls.
"Still...", Beth continued,"I'd still prefer Mika"
"Just because she's sweet and innocent doesn't mean it's a good thing", her thoughts trailing back to her own daughter, she was a sweet and innocent girl. That didn't matter in this world,"it puts you in danger"
"That can't be true"
"Well think about it like this. Instead of Rick, we had someone like Mika as a leader. How would the war have ended if we didn't do what we did-or didn't go to get Maggie and Glenn back"
"Oh", Beth said seeing Carol's point.
"I think we should get back inside"
"Is something wrong?"
Beth watched Carol look beyond the fence, her eyes scanning everywhere as if searching for something specific.
"I hope not", she replied giving Beth a slight push to get going. Carol didn't want to seem rude or worry Beth, but she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched. Letting Beth walk ahead Carol glanced one last time behind her, beyond the fences into the forest brush.
Carl Grimes watched Carol once again look out to the fences, she stood like that for a while just looking, that's it just looking. Carl watched her finally leave back into the cell block. What was she looking at? Carl walked to the upper fence separating the field from the prison. His blue eyes trying to find what she was looking at. All he could see where a few walkers piling onto the fence, shrugging he walked back back to where he came from.
"You got it"
"Yeah I got it", Rick watched as another walker body was tossed over the top railing to the ground below. All the walkers where taken care of in this block, now they where removing the body's as Maggie and a few other volunteers cleared the rest of the tombs.
"Hey Tom!", someone called from above,"check get up here and help me"
"I'll be there in a sec", the man named tom called back. He began walking when he noticed a single cell with a blanket covering the entrance. Looking at it he didn't think it should be up. He grabbed the bottom and began tugging.
"Graaarg"
Rotten hands grabbed him through the poor fabric. Tom screamed in pain and was wrestled to the ground, his head bounced off the solid ground and screams filled his ringing ears. The weight was suddenly pulled off him as Rick pulled it off him and onto the ground, raising his axe he struck the head like shape in the sheet, all the walkers movement stopped.
"Oh my god!"
Rick turned his heard 'round to see what was happening. Their where people circling Tom. Thinking fast Rick got to his feet and pushed his way to Tom, that's when he saw it. Red crimson liquid leaking out of a fresh wound."it's not a bite!", he cried.
"Give me a belt!", Rick demanded, he saw the look of horror in Tom's eyes.
"Wha-I'm not bitten!", he repeated.
"Did it grab your arm here!", the man didn't seem to register that you don't just turn from bites. Rick grabbed a belt from a guy name Isaac.
"I-I don't know", he stuttered, his right arm continued to bleed as Rick right ended the belt."w-wait what are y-you doing!", Tom tugged his arm away.
"Look", Rick said getting his attention,"we don't have a lot of time, just hold still". Rick grabbed his arm with one hand and raised his axe with the other. Rick briefly glanced into the man's eyes, but before he could say anything Rick dropped the axe with all his strength.
A blood curdling scream was heard before complete silence,"he's dead!", someone yelled.
"No he's passed out", Rick reassured,"someone grab his feet we need to get him back to C block"
Herschel was getting the people waiting as comfy as possible when it happened, Rick and another man came rushing through into the block carrying a still body,"Herschel!", Rick called.
"Rick, What happened!"
Rick didn't answer immediately, he followed him as they moved into the nearest empty cell, putting the man on the bed gently as possible,"he was bit", Rick quickly explained, and needed no further explanation as Herschel could tell what needed to be done. He was a bite victim before.
"I need something to clean the wound, and bandages"
"Alright"
"No Rick", Hershel stopped him,"you've done enough, I haven't seen Carl at all today, why don't you go find him", and just like that Rick was kicked out the cell. Looking around he could see the worry and fear in the people's eyes.
"There's been an accident, but he'll be fine", Rick tried his best sounding like everything was okay, but was it? Nothing was for certain. Some nodded, some just didn't do anything, but it was a lot more quiet. With all that had to be said he took Herschel's advise and went to go check on Carl.
Carl had now officially walked around the entire prison, he's been doing this for a while now just wanting to avoid everyone. No doubt he was still mad about this morning. He was walking along the fence when he saw his dad approach. Carl scowled and looked away, focussing on the walkers snarling at him from the fence. His fathers footsteps stopped and Carl felt his shadow over him.
Rick didn't say anything, instead he turned to watch the walkers Carl found interest in. Nothing was said. The walkers where the only ones making any vocal communication.
Carl side glanced at his father, trying to figure out his game. Why wasn't he saying anything? Did he just honestly come here to watch walkers? Even Carl wasn't really watching the walkers, he only did it to avoid the usual conversation, Carl got frustrated and huffed,"well?"
Rick briefly looked at his son,"well what?"
"Aren't you going to say something"
Rick considered it, but decided against it,"nah"
Carl was utterly confused now,"Then why are you here instead of with those people?"
"Just came to check on you"
"Is that it?"
"If you want me to talk I'll talk", Rick told his son, continuing to watch the walkers. Carl did expect his dad to come and talk like he usually does, but he didn't want to say anything.. Carl didn't say anything else but Rick noticed the sideways glances expecting him to talk. And talk he did,"there was an accident down in one of the blocks"
"Someone dead"
"No, he got scratched", Rick expected Carls response and added,"I took care of it"
"Did you kill him"
"No, he's going to be fine"
"You should've", Carl spat.
"Is that what you would do Carl...kill an innocent man", Rick narrowed his gaze on his cold son, Carl's attitude was really starting to get on his nerves."okay, say if we killed the person that got scratched, but it wasn't anyone from Woodbury. What if it was Daryl, Beth-or Judith", that got a response.
"It's different!"
"How Carl", Rick kneeled to his level,"look at me in the eye and explain how"
"Because they attacked us dad! The Governor came with his people to kill us-and you-you just let them into our home-where our family is!", There was a sudden silence. Carl and racked stared at each other,"and their not family"
"Your right Carl", wait-what? Was he actually agreeing with him,"their not family". Rick never let his gaze down,"they'll never be as close as we are", Carl understood that by 'we' he meant Daryl, Carol, Beth, Herschel, Maggie, Glenn and Judith,"but...", Rick continued,"their with us now. We're not to far gone to not give people a chance"
"Did you give the Gover-"
"I think this conversation is over", Rick cut him off,"I don't want to hear anymore of that out of your mouth understand", Rick didn't really care what Carl had to say so he continued,"since your doing nothing but looking at walkers, you can take over watching you sister for a while. You don't take her anywhere outside the cell block, understood"
Carl slowly nodded.
"Good. The tombs still need clearing so that's where I'll be, if you need something Carol or Beth could help until I get back", Rick was about to leave but stopped himself, looking back at Carl he patted his son's shoulder,"I know your mad now, but you'll get used to them"
Carl watched him walk away. Was he right? How could he get used to something like this. Deciding to not to anger himself anymore he focused on his current task. He was looking forward to being with Judith, for some odd reason whenever he was around her all his bitterness and worries vanished for a little while. That's why he was mostly worried, he didn't trust these people around her.
He only made it a few steps forward when he stopped moving all together. An uncomfortable chill ran up Carl's spine throughout his whole body. His icy blue eyes looked over his shoulder, he didn't know why but he felt like he was being watched. Nothing but walkers he could see, maybe it was nothing. Shrugging Carl started walking again.
His eyes failed to notice one eye watching from the shadowy brush, a sick grin crossed his features. The boy felt his presence but didn't even know he really was being watched. A thought crossed his mind while he watched Rick talk to this boy he could only guess was his son, and now all he had to do was plan it all out.