Elsewhere (Carl Grimes) {Editing}

Elsewhere |16|

Ellie Moore

"Keep your head up!" Marle yelled. "I'm tired," I whined. He stopped walking and turned to face me. "Ellie Marie Moore! Did I teach you to give up because you're tired!?" He got in my face.

"No sir," I whispered. "Speak proudly!" Merle grabbed my face. "No, sir!" I yelled. "Now keep your head up." He began walking.

I walked behind him.

"Now, if I would have talked like that to my dad." He laughed. "Let's just say I would have gone to school all bruised up. But, I'm not my dad am I?" Merle bent down to see the tracks.

I nodded.

"You're lucky I'm not like him."

~

I sat silently at a table next to Daryl. Rick walked by the gate and stared at us. "Everybody okay?" He asked. Maggie nodded. "Yeah, we are." Rick opened the gate making his way in. He made sure Carl was okay then left. I walked over to the gate and opened it. "Where you going?" Daryl asked. I didn't say anything and just left.

I walked outside and sat down.

"Dad!" I walked around looking for him. I wiped the tears from my face. "Daddy!"

"Don't go soft, Darling."

I looked up saw my dad, his face was blurry, but I knew it was him. He held out his hand. Taking his hand, he helped me up. "I'm not going anywhere." He hugged me. "I love you to the moon."

"I love you to the moon and back." I smiled at him. "Now let's go before your uncle Daryl goes looking for us."

"Hey Barbecue Chips." Carl sat down next to me. "My name is Ellie." I corrected him. "I know but, it's our thing." He said. "Our thing?" I asked. "Yeah, I call you food and you call me Crayon," Carl said.

"Listen. I'm not a friend type of person. Every time I make friends I lose them. I and you will never be friends! There is no 'our' thing and there will never be 'our' thing!" I yelled at him.

"Go away, before I lose you too." I sighed.

"You made a promise to my mom. You promised to stay yourself." Carl said. "I'm being myself." I stood up walking farther down the hill towards the fence.

I killed walkers by the fence. Daryl came down by me. "Why don't you come with us?" He said. "Where?" I asked. "Just come on." He grabbed my shoulder and I followed him.

~

"You know, my mom. She like her wine." Daryl said. "She likes to smoke in bed."

"Virginia Slims?" I asked. Daryl nodded. "I was playing out with the kids in the neighborhood." We walked farther down the hall.

"I could do that when Merle was gone."

"They had bikes, I didn't." He said. Carl listened closely. "We heard sirens getting louder. They jumped on their bikes, ran after it. You know, hoping to see something worth seeing." Daryl shined his flashlight around.

"I ran after them, but I couldn't keep up. When I got there, they were looking at me. The whole block."

"It was my house they were there for," Daryl explained. "That was my mom in bed. Burnt down to nothing." I looked at the ground.

"My dad said he was going to come back for us." I started talking. "Once he found a stable place, he would pull up and take us with him."

"I remember waiting for him every day to pull up at my school or my house to take us home." I smiled.

"My mom was always gone, she was hurt after he left.  I learned if you want something you have to get it yourself." Carl looked at me. "I remember about a month after he left, I was sitting on the couch eating chips playing cards with Daryl."

"My mom was talking to him about him coming back and how he always does." I stared at my fingers. "The police showed up, My grandma too."

"They told her he was dead."

"And if she didn't be the mother I deserve they would take me."

"Even though she changed for me, I can tell she blames me for him dying," I said. Daryl turned to look at me. "No one blames you."

"I shot my mom," Carl said stopping.

"She was out. I ended it." He said.
~

"Elliepop!" Carl said. I rolled my eyes. "Stop calling me that!" I yelled turning around. "No, you're going to keep your promise." He said. "What do you want to do today?" Carl asked. "I want you to go back to your cell and leave me the hell alone," I said.

Carl nodded and sat down on the bed. I groaned and rolled over. Carl leaned over and laid his head and on my lap. I sighed and leaned back.

"I like you." He whispered. I looked down. "I've always liked you." I shook my head. He nodded. "I said like Sophia because I thought if I told myself that I did that I eventually would." Carl grabbed my hand.

I pulled away.

"Go away!" I yelled.

Carl lifted his head up. "Why can't you just stop trying to be friends with me," I said. "I don't want to be your friend."

He looked down. "I'm sorry." He sniffed. "I'll leave you alone." Carl walked out of the room.

I started to cry. "I hate myself," I whispered. I decided to go outside and when I did Rick, Carl, and everyone was already there.

I looked at the fence and saw a walker holding a basket. I was confused. "I don't think that's a walker," I said. Hershel nodded.