Chapter 9

Beths POV

I gently placed Judith in her crib so that she could get some rest. She started cooing and babbling, so I decided to sing a song my momma sang to me when I was a baby: The Parting Glass.

Oh all the money that e'er I spent
I spent in good company
And all the harm I e'er I've done
Alas! It was to none but me
And all I've done for want of wit
To memory I can't recall
So fill to me the parting glass
Goodnight and joy be with you all

Judith fell fast asleep before I could finish the second part of the song. I smiled at the little one. Daddy always says she sleeps like a rock, but she just crashes out quick. Lori would be so proud of her, as well as Carl who is a very good big brother to her. And even though Rick is skeptical that he's her father, he still loves her as if she was his own. What I've seen between Judith and Casey makes me think they might become thick as thieves. I couldn't get the part out of my head where Judith gave him a goofy raspberry. It was hilarious.

"That was some nice singing." I'd recognize the voice as Casey's and I turned around to see him right outside the cell. He was wearing some fresh clean clothes with a black Hard Rock T-shirt, some darker jeans, but still kept his old shoes on. "Sorry... I just heard you singing and... you know."

I giggled. "It's fine. Come on. Let's leave Judith to sleeping."

Casey and I left the cell so Judith can enjoy her sleep. We walked down the stairs to go outside.

A lot more people were out now, a bunch of them were at the outside kitchen getting something to eat, including Maggie who looked like she had a big plate full. And Carol was making the food with Daryl helping her. There were some kids by the swing set down by the field. I just decided to take a walk around just to relax for a bit.

"You wanna join me?" I asked Casey. "Not much, but it's relaxing."

He smiled. "Yeah sure. What the heck."

We both were walking away from the building and into the grass fields close to the fence where a few Walkers are growling and trying to claw there way through the fence. I looked at them as they continued growling and clawing. It's sad that good people are turned into something satanic, but I know they're not in there anymore, they're in Heaven now just like momma, Shawn, Patricia, Jimmy and the others I knew throughout my life.

"Beth?" Casey's voice brought me back to reality. "You okay?" He asked concerned.

I gave him a smile. "Yeah I'm fine." I told him and started walking away from the fence and just sat down on the top of the field. There was a silent pause for a few seconds before I spoke again. "You often think about who they are before this madness started?"

Casey looked at the fence then down at the ground and then to me. "Sometimes... Yesterday, before I was taken here, there was a... well you guys call them walkers... anyway, he was in an army uniform, and when I..." He paused looking like he was trying to choose his words carefully. "Put it down, I took a look at the dog tags. Paul Stone was his name. Just looking at him made me think of a lot of things. Where he came from, if he has any family, you know..."

I smiled at him. "I'm glad you just don't see them as just mindless killers."

He paused for a second before speaking in a unhappy voice. "They're still threats and they won't stop until we're all dead." He reminded me.

"Thats true..." I whispered sadly. I felt like we didn't need to be all gloomy on a fine day so I decided to change the subject. "So what was Pennsylvania like"

He smiled at the question probably thinking back to some good memories. "Well where I was from was a small town, but it had a couple a malls some restaurants, a lotta warehouses." He chuckled thinking of the past. "I remember on my fourteenth birthday, months before the outbreak, my grandpa came to Pennsylvania and he took me to go see a Harry Potter movie and after that, we went to a buffet and I got alotta food on my plate and I eat so much that I didn't felt so good."

I looked at him confused. "Wait. How old are you?"

Casey sighed but smiled. "I'm sixteen haha."

I gave him wide eyes. "I thought... you were fourteen." I started laughing at the age miscalculation. "You sound younger."

Casey chuckled. "Carl said something similar to me 20 minutes ago."

After that little conversation, we went back to our previous one.

I giggled at the buffet part of the story. "Eating all that food sounded like it wasn't worth it in the end huh?"

He gave me a goofy smile. "Fourteen-year-old me said it was so worth it, despite a huge stomach ache and me groaning a lot."

I giggled again only harder. "You're crazy."

"Crazy awesome!" He boasted.

I rolled my eyes. "If you say so." I liked Casey. Besides Carl, he's like one of my best friends even though we known each other for a day.

I asked him another question. "So you're grandpa is not from Pennsylvania."

He shakes his head. "Nope." He replied popping the P in nope.

I snickered at the popping. "Where's he from?" I asked curious.

"He's from Russia." Casey answered.

I gave him a look of shock and amazement. He has a grandpa from Russia?! Thats so cool! "Really?! Russia?!" I asked amazed.

"Yeah, So is my mom." He said with a smile. "But she moved to the US when she was eighteen, she married my pop, had my brother and me and lived in Wheelsburg ever since."

"Thats pretty awesome!" I exclaimed. "Can you speak Russian?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah. Mom taught me."

"Can you say something in Russian? Pretty please?" I asked.

He laughed. "Well what do you want me to say?"

"I don't care! Just... say what ever pops into your head!" I urged. I don't really care what he was going to say I just wanted him to say something.

He laughed at my eagerness. "Ok um... mee-nyah zah-voot Casey Rodriguez. Kahk vahs zha-voot?"

I paused trying to guess what he said but I had no avail. "Okay I give up. What did you say?"

He smirked. "My name is Casey Rodriguez. Whats your name?"

I laughed at myself not figuring that out. He did say his name in there but I didn't know he said that. "You sounded very fluent."

"English wasn't the only language I was taught growing up." Casey beamed.

"You're grandpa sounds like he was awesome." I remarked.

"He was... although he says he's not a good person." He continued with a sad voice.

I gave him a quizzical look. "Why would he think that?"

Casey looked down at the floor before speaking. "He... was a WWII vet..." I was in complete shock when Casey said that. I've known a lot of kids who had family fighting in WWII but never someone with a Russian grandfather. I let Casey continue. "He was only nineteen when he was sent to fight, and Gramps lost a lot of friends, even two brothers who were fighting as well... He did a lot of brutal things to German soldiers out of anger, and the war haunted him all his life..."

"That's really horrifying." Was all I could say.

"Yeah it was."

After a brief moment of silence. "What was your grandpas name?"

"Andrei." He answered. "He was young and really angry."

I gave Casey a reassuring smile. "But he was there for you in your life and he sounds nice. I think he's a good man."

Casey nodded in agreement. "I know he's a good guy. Thanks for backing me up, Beth."

"No problem." I beamed.

"So what about you? What was life on a farm like?" He asked.

"It involved a lot of hard work, but I loved being with the horses." I said.

Casey smiled. "You had a favorite?"

"Yeah when I six, there was this brown horse that I love to ride out into the field and he was pretty nice. I called him Brownie."

"Haha makes sense." He said with a goofy grin. "And speaking of brownies, I want one."

I rolled my eyes at him but smiled. "Wow... really?"

"Hey! They're yummy and I'm hungry!"

I gave him a playful shove. "Whatever, city boy."

We stayed and talked for a little bit sharing some funny stories and just having a good time just talking. I like Casey. He has a childish side of him that is funny and cool and at the same time he's really mature. Not to mention having one of the craziest stories to tell that I just get a laugh off of.

And heres the real chapter 9 :) Im sorry it took so long, but I was all wrapped up on stuff with grandparents being over cleaning the house, and celebrating my grandmas birthday that was yesterday (Happy birthday grandma) Im also sorry that the chapters don't have a lot of action in them, but this was like a peaceful time for team prison.

I've been thinking if I should replace the plague part with another threat. Let me know what you guys think of whether replacing the flu or sticking with the flu thing. And if you're up for the replacement let me know what you think Thanks so much you guys are awesome!

DeltaSandman out! :)