Carolina in my mind

Chapter 6

Carolina stood back as Merle knocked his arm piece against the window of the small health food store. When there was no immediate answer, she moved forward. Cupping her hands, Carolina leaned forward and pressed her forehead against the glass as she attempted to peek into the darkened window. The sun was reflecting off the glass. And she didn't see the walker coming until it threw its rotted body against the other side of the glass. Carolina gasped and jerked quickly back. She stumbled and would have fallen back onto her ass if Merle hadn't caught her by the arm to steady her.

Regaining control over herself, Carolina took a better look at the rotting creature. It was her first experience seeing a walker up close. They were scary enough on tv. But that was nothing compared to the horror actually seeing one in person. The walker must have been a portly man while he was alive. And that hadn't changed much. His body was bloated, with a large belly that hung down over the tattered remains of his pants. Vacant glassy eyes stared back at her through the glass as she dared to step closer for a better look. He might look like the man he once was. But that man was gone, leaving only a hollow hungry shell behind. A second walker joined the first, this one taller and slimmer. The filthy remains of his shirt bore the name of the health food store he died inside. And Carolina felt a pang of pity for the man he once was. The one that died at what was probably a low paying shitty retail job instead of at home with his family.

"I think that's it," Merle said, deciding that they'd waited long enough for whatever dead were inside to show themselves. He adjusted the grip on the crowbar in his hands, holding it out for Carolina to take. "You get the door," he suggested, "...I'll get them." Carolina swallowed hard, glancing fearfully at the living dead men on the other side of the glass. Then she nodded. Stepping forward, she jammed the crowbar in between the door and the frame. She'd never pried open a door before. But it seemed a simple enough task. Stepping back, she lifted her boot and gave the crowbar one hard satisfying kick. The frame cracked and the door swung open. Merle darted forward, his gun already up. He fired two shots, dropping both the dead men instantly. Carolina picked up the crowbar and held it in her hands as she followed Merle inside the store.

Thankfully, the rest of the store was uninhabited. And it also didn't look like it had been cleared by anyone yet. Merle explained that he would come back later with some men and clean the place out completely. But since they were already there, the two of them spent about an hour loading up the back of the truck with food and supplies. The store had a small over the counter pharmacy section that they cleared first, tossing all the bottles and small cardboard boxes of pills into a large black garbage bag. Cases and gallon bottles of water went next. Merle carried those out while Carolina filled bag after ziploc bag from the bulk section where the grains and oats were kept. They finished with a trip through the canned goods aisle, filling the rest of the space in the truck with cases of vegetables, fruit, and all the peanut butter they could find that wasn't rancid.

After the terrifyingly deadly supply runs Carolina remembered watching on the show, she was shocked at how quickly and simply they just filled the truck. There was no fuss. No walkers falling from the ceiling. No killers waiting inside to ambush them. They simply opened the door of the store, took what they wanted, and left. Carolina was now sitting cross legged in the passenger seat of the armored truck, eating honey nut granola cereal straight from the box and drinking a can of razzleberry sparkling water.

"Yer gettin' crumbs everywhere," Merle groused, laughing as she looked him dead in the eye before she grabbed another handful of cereal and attempted to cram it all into her mouth at once.

"It's really good," she argued through her mouthful of crunchy cereal. Crumbs went flying out of her mouth, sprinkling the front of her shirt and falling down between her breasts. "Goddamn," Carolina cursed, setting the box down on the seat next to her as she attempted to wipe the crumbs out from between her breasts. "I swear my boobs eat more than I do," she said, sending bits of cereal flying as she picked and swiped them out of her bra. When she looked up, Merle was laughing at her and the truck was stopped.

Still chuckling and shaking his head at her, Merle hopped out of the large truck and stepped in front of it. Carolina watched curiously as he drug a large bushy tree branch out of the way, revealing a narrow drive that led deep into the woods. It looked like it might have been gravel once. Before the grass took back over. Carolina did not remember this from the show. And she wondered with a bit of trepidation where exactly Merle was taking her. Just relax, she told herself, he hasn't hurt you yet. Merle pulled the truck forward past the opening before he got out and moved the large branch back in place behind them. The drive was so narrow that Carolina could hear branches scraping and scratching against the sides of the large truck. Her nervousness gave way to excitement when the dense woods finally opened up, revealing a clearing with a small homey looking cabin in the center of it.

"Ya wanna leave yer fancy water here or take it back ta the apartment?," Merle asked. Since Carolina wasn't sure where 'here' was exactly, she didn't know how to answer his question.

"Uh," she stammered. "...back to the apartment I guess." At least she knew they had a fridge at the apartment. Merle simply nodded, not seeming to have an opinion on the subject either way.

When he got out of the truck, Carolina swung her own door open. She watched curiously as he retrieved a large case of water from the back. He asked her if she would grab one bag each of the grains she took from the bulk section. And she did as he requested, following behind him with the bags. Merle set the water down on the porch railing and retrieved the key to the cabin from a hidden spot near the door. The key went into his pocket. And he carried the water inside, setting it on the kitchen counter. Carolina did the same with the bags before she turned around to observe the place.

The cabin was small and cozy inside. There was a wood burning fireplace with a large enough hearth that it would be easy to cook or boil water inside it. The main living area of the cabin was all one connected room. And on the wall next to the couch there was a bookshelf full of well worn paperbacks. One door looked like it might lead to a small bathroom. And the other was swung open, revealing a bed and the colorful quilt and a crochet throw blanket that were covering it. The place was not abandoned or dusty. On the contrary, the cabin had lived in feel. Carolina began to wonder how much time she and Merle spent in this place. It was certainly more appealing than the drab utilitarian apartment they shared in Woodbury.

The groaning creak of wood caught Carolina's attention. And when she turned, she saw that Merle had kicked back the rug that was covering the kitchen floor to reveal a large trap door. He carried the water down a set of groaning wooden steps. And when Carolina moved to get a better look, she could see that there was a large storage area below the cabin floor. And it was stocked with what looked like months or maybe even years worth of food and supplies.

This was definitely not on the show, she thought. And Carolina began to wonder if Merle had this place all along and just never told anyone. Not even his brother, which seemed unlikely. Or if Carolina's presence in his world had altered something. Maybe he only stockpiled this place because of her. Merle didn't need all this to survive. He could live off the land. Like a nomad. Was it possible that her presence in this world was changing things? This is all a dream, Carolina reminded herself. There is no world to change because this isn't real, she chided. Eventually I'll wake up.

"I got this if ya wanna check the garden," Merle suggested. Carolina nodded, feeling like she was in a strange daze as she headed out the cabin door and down the porch steps. The garden was easily found. It was not as well maintained as the house. But she could tell that someone had at least planted and mulched it to keep the weeds under control. Maybe even her. She headed for a patch of ripe strawberries. Kneeling down, Carolina unhooked her overalls. She let the back straps dangle down as she used the front bib as a makeshift bowl. Picking through the leafy patch, she pulled the ripe fruit from the vine. When she got as many strawberries as she could carry without smashing them against her shirt, Carolina stood up. She felt a hand on her shoulder. And she turned expecting to find Merle there. But it wasn't Merle touching her. It was a rotten walking corpse. Suddenly finding herself face to face with a walker, Carolina let out a blood curdling scream. She dropped the front of her overall, spilling the ripe strawberries onto the ground at her feet as the monster grabbed and clawed at her. She pushed back against its chest, trying to keep its snapping jaws away from her.

Just as suddenly as it grabbed her, the walker was gone. Merle yanked it back and away from her, stabbing the monster through the head like it was nothing. Carolina screamed again, her mouth and nose still full of the horrible rotten smell of the thing. She was breathing fast and hard when Merle pulled her into his arms.

"S'alright," he soothed. "Yer okay. It didn't getcha." Carolina grabbed onto him, her fist twisting into the back of his shirt as he led her back inside the cabin. "Shoulda neva left ya out there by yerself," Merle grumbled, chiding himself aloud. "I was right fuckin' here. Thought it was safe."

"S'not your fault," Carolina argued. She'd only watched six fucking seasons of this shit. She ought to be able to kill one measly walker without Merle's help.

They were standing just inside the closed cabin door. And when Merle pulled her against him, she hugged him back just as tightly. Carolina never thought of herself as a damsel in distress type. But she'd be damned if just having her life saved wasn't a major turn on. The last boyfriend she had wouldn't even kill a big spider she found in her bathroom. And Merle just killed a literal whole zombie to keep it from biting her. Before she had a chance to reconsider her actions, she was kissing him.