"I may have saved her from the monsters that crawl through the dark, but she saved me from the worst monster of all. She rescued me from who I would have become without her, the monster that would have easily conquered my body."
* * *
Reese Chambler...
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ONLY THREE MINUTES. That is how much time we have until everything we have fought for is destroyed and we are cut down to our knees, forced to beg for our lives.
And what terrible lives we will lead after tonight, knowing that we once tried to free ourselves from this horrific man's death grip and failed. We failed to protect the ones we love, we failed to keep them alive in a world that is constantly trying to eat them up.
In the black spots peppering my vision, I can see the deep, dark death that is closing in around the small flames we have sparked, wanting nothing more than to snuff out our already dying light. Things were already bad, but after the events that will happen in just three minutes, things will only get worse.
Along with Michonne's, my gaze slowly shifts over to the scared boy, and when his glazed-over eye meets mine I feel a sharp and sudden shock jolt through me. The boy stares at me for a quick, suspended moment, then he throws the cover of the manhole to the side. It collides onto the concrete with a heavy metallic bang that echoes in the thick air around us.
"Come on," He growls before breaking into a sprint towards the armory. The achingly familiar whistling snakes around my legs, making my knees feel loose and my balance wobbly.
"C-Carl..." My voice stammers out in choppy waves from between the hammering pounds that are rocking my chest. I can feel the cold rush of water pushing against my lungs, squeezing them painfully as I try to breath evenly.
"Carl, we have to get everyone ready to fight," Michonne's usual smooth voice is hitched with worry. Her body is stiff, fighting off the terrible trembles that erupt from the pure fear that resonates around us. The panic buzzes and crackles in the air as people start to move quickly out of their homes. Some dart their eyes around in confusion, but those that heard Negan's booming voice rush over to us with horrified expressions.
"We need to get out of here!" Someone in the growing crowd shouts. Carl blinks twice, keeping his head level and his eye glued on something in the distance.
"No," He slowly says as he looks at Michonne, "No."
We stare at him with scared eyes as we all try to catch a glimpse of the thousands of thoughts racing through his head.
"No, we just need to make them think we are running," He mumbles.
"What?" Aunt Tara snaps. Carl pushes past her, reaching the truck parked on the street. He throws the tarp in the bed to the side, revealing multiple canisters of gas.
"Carl, if we stay here we will get killed. You heard him, they are going to destroy this place," Michonne grunts.
"We aren't going to stay in Alexandria," Carl says slowly as he looks to me, "We are going to be under it."
