Only one more chapter left! I'm excited, but I'm also sad to see it end. I do hope you'll like it, and if you don't I might post an alternate ending thingie. Anyway, here's the chapter, let me know what you think! Love the feedback!
Carl
I think two days have passed since I left. The morbid thoughts that corrupted me before have thankfully left me, but the voices still haunt me. Guilt is starting to eat me away. Mia talks to me most of the time. She usually reiterates the same thing every time:
I'm so happy now that you've left, Carl.
I didn't really love you. You were just some annoying little shit my mother made me hang out with.
I just used you for shelter.
I don't need you.
But, sometimes, she tells me how much she loves me. I don't know which one is true. I don't think I will ever know.
My thoughts are interrupted by footfalls, quickening in pace behind me.
"Carl!" the person shouts.
I turn slowly and engulfed in an embrace before I can register anything. I shove this… person off of me and find that it's my father.
"Dad?"
He nods and wraps his arms around me once again.
"What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Not sure, really."
"Alright. Let's go just back, ok?"
"No."
Dad tilts his head to the side and turns to face me again.
"No?"
"You know Mia wanted me gone. I don't want to make her be in my company. Besides, if you let me come back, I might kill you."
"You think…? You must really… Mia wanted to look for you herself, but I wouldn't let her!"
"Bullshit."
"Excuse me?"
"Bull. Shit."
"You really think that's bullshit, huh?"
"Yeah, I do."
"How about this. We go back. We talk to Mia. If she wants you gone, then you're gone. If not, you stay. Deal?"
I paused for a moment. I really did want to go back. It seemed like a fair thing. Mia would definitely say something.
"Fine. Let's go."
Mia
I woke up with a congested nose and bruises on my upper arms. I must've fought pretty hard. I sighed and sat up grudgingly. I decided that I didn't want to move today. It really wasn't worth it. There wasn't anything here to motivate me. So, I'll just wait. I'll wait for Rick to come back and tell me that Carl didn't want to come back.
Or that he's dead.
Both are likely. But, I didn't really care at the moment. I didn't really care about anything at the moment. I just sat, wallowing in my newborn depression.
Hours must've passed before I dimly registered that someone was knocking on the wall by the bars. I moved my eyes from the floor where they'd been resting all day to find that Daryl was standing at the door, waiting to be granted entrance.
"Come in," I mumbled.
He slid the door open and walked in. He stood awkwardly in the middle of the room, waiting for me to speak. Once he realized I wasn't going to initiate a conversation, he cleared his throat and spoke up.
"So, uh, kid, you alright?"
"I'm super," I replied quietly.
"Yeah. Sure you are. So, ah, listen. If ya don' wanna come out today, that's ok. I know tha' Carl was important to ya, and we're all hopin' he's alright."
His sudden concern made me look up from my spot on the floor and at his awkward form.
"Thank you for telling me this, Daryl."
"Glad to do it."
He nodded and left the cell, closing the door behind him. I smiled weakly for a moment, flattered that he would be so… friendly towards me. I mean, he didn't know me that well. He must be really close to Rick or something. He must know what Rick thinks of me. But, that wasn't enough to bring me out of my gloom. Only one thing was enough.
"- and she just thanked me. That's all," I heard Daryl explaining.
"Well, Carl was her first boyfriend. They were close before this whole thing, too. But, you remember what Rick told us: we have to try to get her relatively happy. You know how important she is to him. He said she's like a daughter," I heard Carol reply.
"I know what he said. I just…"
I hadn't realized that I had travelled over to the bars and peeked over at them. Daryl must've noticed me watching them. Carol noticed him looking at me over her shoulder, so she turned and saw me looking at them.
"Did you hear us?" she asked anxiously.
I nodded slowly. She just blinked slowly, most probably thinking of a reply.
"Just know that it's fine. You don't have to comfort me. It won't be worth anything because you can't make me feel any better. I appreciate you trying and all, but you can't do anything to make me happier. Unless you can relate to your best friend going insane and running away."
They both looked stunned. Probably because that was the most I'd said and the loudest I'd been all day. I retreated back to my room and stayed there until I fell asleep.
Please review and all that good stuff! Look forward to the next chapter, because it's gonna be good!