Chapter 5

It has been over two months since I left the prison. Maggie and Glenn showed me to the gate just before mid-day. I had wished luck to Rob and Mary after I left the council meeting, then packed all our belongings plus a few things I was given and Carol forced me to take a two litre bottle of water and a couple cans of food.

As we were leaving Michonne cornered me and told me I changed her thoughts on this place and showed her that she needed to stay with her people. She wanted me to take her chestnut mare. I declined her, but she insisted that the mare was no use to her anymore and I could use it to move faster and safer with the children. I thanked her dearly, and said I would repay her later in life.

Even though the chances of meeting someone twice in this world were rare, I had a feeling we would all meet again.

I never saw Carl; I didn't speak with Rick again. I did however leave a letter with Maggie to give to Rick. To sum it up the letter was my life-story and me hoping that the letter answers his questions, and saying if we meet again that we leave the past in the past. I also left the photo from the day Carl was born, showing him who his family really was.

Maggie and Glenn asked me to reconsider a hundred times but I kept declining. I wished them luck, and rode out of there with Raider's arms wrapped around my back and Sami-Jay strapped to my front. I never considered turning back, knowing deep down it wasn't the place for me.

I would never say it was easy out on the road, but we survived, day by day, week by week. I named the chestnut mare Apples, coz on the first day of riding just going whichever direction she wanted, she leads us to a large field that had a huge apple tree filed with ripe, red apples. We stayed at that field for two days. I stockpiled as many apples as possible and filled an empty can with apple seeds.

I never had a true destination so I just let Apples go her way, which after months of raiding and walking, led us here… Washington DC.

I stand next to Apples, reins in hand, Raider sits on her back with Sami-Jay in his arms. They have grown so much in the last couple of months. I have been teaching Raider his letters and numbers. He's such a smart kid, each day as we walk I have him repeat things back to me. He knows the alphabet. I found some kids' books in a house last week and I help him read them to pass the day.

Samantha-Jay has started to walk, that is when we stop over at a house for a night and she doesn't have to be held for fear of having to run at any second. She hasn't talked yet and probably won't for a while. If I can remember right babies start talking around eighteen months, and I estimate Sami-Jay at being thirteen months, something like that. I'm hoping to stumble across a parenting book soon. I never had time to read one the first time around, and I wonder if there's a part about raising kids in the apocalypse.

"Mummy, where are we?" asks Raider, pulling me from my thoughts.

"Washington DC. This was where the president of the United States lived. He was the man in charge of making the rules." We are on a mountain road that overlooks the most of DC. It didn't fare too well, with clear fire and bomb damage. "That big long white building over there," I say pointing, "is the White House, that's where the president lived." I don't know whether I should use past or present tense, was or is, lived or lives. Who knows.

"You know everything mummy." I smile up at my boy. He would have to be almost five years old now, and he is the spitting image of his father. His black hair is shaggy from never having a proper cut, skin tanned from hours in the sun, and his eyes are the darkest blue; spitting image of his Daddy.

"Not everything… but enough." I tug on Apple's lead and continue up the road. "And I will teach you everything I know. How's that sound?"

"Can I learn how to shoot a bow?" I chuckle and shake my head.

"One day, one day." We continue in silence for an hour or so. I take out three infected with my machete in this time. It's mid-day and the sun is baking us. We're on a straight stretch of road now, edged by forest. I would walk in the shade of the trees if the grass wasn't so long, but it's too risky to have a rotting infected bite Apples on the leg, or, maybe worse, me.

"Mummy we're almost out of water," Raider informs me, shaking our last bottle of water. There is half an inch of liquid left in it.

"We'll find some soon babe, keep your eyes peeled for a driveway. Might be overgrown and rundown but it's the best shot." We haven't found a viable water source in over a week, all the rivers have run dry in the past month. "Tell me the alphabet, haven't done that today."

"A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H… I, J, K, L… M, N, O, P, Q… R… S… T… U… V… W… Oh"

"No babe X you already said O-" I correct.

"No, no, sign. What's it say Mummy, what it say?" I look over to where Raider is eagerly pointing with his free hand. The other hand holds close a quiet Sami-Jay happily sucking her dummy.

The sign has half fallen over and is faded but I can make out the title and a picture of a house. "Alexandria, The start of… sustainability."

"What's that mean Mummy?"

"Um… it must have been a new suburb. A suburb is a group of houses," I clarify to his confused head tilt.

"What's Su-sustan…abowoty mean?" I chuckle at his pronunciation.

"Sustainability, means self-reliant, not needing help from the outside world. Sustainability mmm…" Depending on how close to finished the it was there could be solar power set up, clean water maybe. I'm sure I could rig a panel to a power box and get water running if they weren't rusted. And if it was still in the process of being built there shouldn't be too many infected around.

"What are you thinking Mummy?"

"Too much and not enough, babe," Well it couldn't hurt to look, could it?

#Please review, it really means the world to hear what you think of my work, wether its good or bad, love to hear#