Alexandria was quiet after the herd. You would think after I watched three people die and my eye was taken by a bullet, it would take forever to open up to anyone again. But by the time I pushed the insecurity of my exposed eye socket, I went outside the walls a lot more with Enid.
One time, it was just Enid and I when we heard the click of a gun. I got up from my seat on the ground and my hand wrapped around my gun.
"Don't even think of it, asshole," An unfamiliar voice snapped, "Or I'll pull the trigger."
I heard Enid gulp nervously, holding back her fear as best she could. The grip I had on my gun loosened as I met with the eyes of the threat. She stood, covered in the stench of a rotten corpse, her e/c eyes shone beyond the dirt and grime that caked her face.
Beautiful, I thought.
"Don't pull the trigger," Enid said in a small voice.
The girl then started to quake with fear as she dropped to her knees. Her breaths became heavy. Her eyes had dilated and she was terrified - of everything. All I could think of was to go to her and hold her close to my chest. Under her breath, I could hear her mumble the words, "I'm so sorry."
"Hey, just count with me," I said softly, "Alright? One, two, three."
The girl looked into my eye, using it as a focal point. In a small voice, she started to count with me. I could feel Enid's eyes on me, watching as I helped the girl. The girl repeated the three numbers until she'd regained herself.
She sat on the forest floor, her knee brushing against my own. None of us talked for a while until I fought the courage, "Are you okay?"
The girl nodded, chewing on her bottom lip.
"Why did you have an attack?" Enid asked. I looked up at Enid, glaring at her. How could she be so insensitive to ask her that?
The girl smiled at me before turning her attention to me, "I'm not like this. I don't threaten people and I don't kill. I don't know what came over me. And I just thought-"
I placed my hand on the small of her back, "You don't have to explain. What's your name?"
"Y/n. Yours?"
My lips pulled into a crooked smile. Y/n. What a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. If I could convince her to come home, I wouldn't treat her like I the way I do to my father or the others I show little respect for. I'd treat her with care - never to hurt her.
For her, I'd do anything.
-author's note-
this was literal trash, kill me.
can we all just talk about carnid and who finds it cute and who wants to shoot themselves bc it happened?
