the real people| TWD

thirty-two

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO,
like a kid.

Micheal Pelletier
The Farm

               The ride back to the farm was unbearably silent; Kenny drove while Richard sat shotgun, refusing to correct any mistakes or guide his brother in any way. Micheal and Carl sat in the backseat, both staring out their windows at the fields of grass and abandoned farm houses. After a couple wrong turns, Kenny eventually found their way back to the farm.

They came to an abrupt stop in front of the Greene's home. None of the boys moved, or said anything, just watched as members of the group began rushing over.

The barn doors were wide open; dead bodies littered the ground in front of it.

"Think we're in trouble?", Carl asked quietly, his question directed to Micheal.

The raven haired boy didn't say anything, just pulled the handle and stepped out the car; Carl following close behind. Lori was the first to reach them, rushing over with wide, teary eyes and a relieved expression on her face.

For a moment, Micheal fully expected her to slap them, or at the least, start screaming. But she didn't, she pulled Carl into a hug by the nape of his neck, her other hand outstretched to place itself on Micheal's head. "Where were you? What happened?".

Kenny stepped out as Rick finally made his way over, stopping in front of his son and caressing the side of his head, "you okay?".

Carl nodded.

"Where the hell did you go?", Andrea asked, breathlessly from the run over.

The group was now crowding around, confused and worried expressions on all of their faces. "You boys okay?", Dale asked once noticing the cuts and bruises on each boy. "What on earth happened?".

Richard finally stepped out of the car, using his crutches to steady himself. "Richard?", Rick asked, looking to the oldest boy for an explanation. Richard only shook his head, not looking at anyone as he staggered towards the porch steps. Micheal couldn't tell if he was upset or trying to hide his broken nose.

"Where's Beth?", Kenny finally spoke up, catching everyone's attention.

"She's inside, she—", before Lori could finish, Kenny was already rushing towards the house, shoving past Richard— causing him to fall to the steps below him.

T-Dog immediately moved to the boy, but Richard forcefully shrugged him off with a grunt before twisting around to sit on the stairs; his broken leg outstretched in front of him as he rested his head in his hands. The group watched with concerned faces, but nobody said anything.

"What happened?", Lori asked again, this time her question was directed at Micheal.

The young boy watched his older brother, a sinking feeling in his chest as he swelled with guilt. "I—... I just wanted to find Sophia", his voice was hoarse, the note in his pocket felt like it was burning through his skin. He knew he couldn't tell anyone what had happened, he'd be in so much trouble for keeping it from everyone. He felt heavy, like he was drowning in his own mind; every thought threatened to spill.

Lori turned towards the boy and pulled him in for a hug, her arms wrapped securely around him. Micheal tensed. After a moment, he loosely wrapped his arms around her; returning the embrace. Carol never hugged him much, or any of her children for that matter; he couldn't remember if her hugs felt as comforting as Lori's, or if maybe they were as cold as her. Micheal never doubted Lori as much as his own mother; she was real, her love was real. Thinking about it, Micheal's never doubted Lori, or her kindness; much like Dale, she was a very real, genuine, person.