Future Ghosts • TWD

22. Sophia.

"Shouldn'ta hit ya, whether or not ya said it," Rosie said, frowning at the thought of it.

"I shouldn't have said that, whether or not you said something about my dad," Carl said.

Rosie was very surprised. She thought Carl would be pissed at her for a lot longer. It seemed like he didn't really care that she punched him. Maybe he was just forgiving her easily because he had no one else around his age to talk to. Sophia was still asleep. Hershel said that what Shane brought back from the school would help, but he wasn't making any promises.

"You can punch me back if ya want," Rosie said with a shrug. She really meant it, but Carl just started laughing.

"No, it's fine. I don't have to punch you," he said, still giggling. Rosie found herself wanting to smile too, but she twisted her lips to the side, trying to hide it. "Why do you always do that?" Carl asked after his laughter died down.

"What?" Rosie asked, confused.

"You always try to pretend you're not smiling. You're allowed to smile, y'know," Carl said.

It took Rosie a few moments to try and think of a response, but before she could say it, she was interrupted by a loud, horrified scream coming from inside the house. Carl and Rosie both shot up onto their feet, swinging the door open quickly.

They froze at the sight of Carol backing towards them, her hands over her mouth. Following slowly after Carol was Sophia.

But it wasn't Sophia.

Her skin was pale and her eyes were a murky yellow color. She walked towards Carol slowly, dragging her feet on the ground.

After seeing two more meals in addition to Carol, Sophia- or what used to be Sophia- picked up the pace. Carol and Carl both started sobbing, backing away slowly with tears in their eyes. Rick, Shane, and Daryl appeared in the doorway coming from the dining room, the rest of the group right behind them, trying to see what was going on.

No one knew what to do.

Rick raised his gun and aimed it right at the back of Sophia's head.

"No! Don't shoot that gun," Hershel shouted. His voice was loud and powerful in a way that Rosie had never heard before. Rick turned to look at Hershel quickly, wondering why he couldn't shoot. But Hershel didn't provide his explanation fast enough.

Carl, Carol, and Rosie were back up against a wall, Sophia still heading right towards them. She was getting faster with each step. Rick still hadn't raised his gun again. He didn't want Hershel to kick them off of the farm.

When Sophia was just a few feet away, Rosie pulled her knife out of its sheath and readied in her hand.

"No!" Hershel shouted at her, but Rosie didn't put her knife down. When Sophia grabbed onto Rosie's arms, with her mouth snapping open and shut, Rosie pushed the blade into the side of Sophia's head, and Sophia's dead body dropped to the ground.

Carol rushed forward, falling onto her knees in front of her daughter, and sobbed. "Oh, my baby," she cried, "my baby!"

Carl ran towards his mom, who grabbed him and held him tight against her, staring at Sophia and Carol in shock.

"She... she wasn't bit," Glenn breathed out.

"That's impossible," T-Dog said, shaking his head in distress.

There was a short silence, everyone staring at Sophia and Carol on the floor.

"We're all infected," Rick finally said.

"What?"

"At the CDC, Jenner told me. Whatever it is, we all carry it."

"And you never thought to tell us that?!" Shane asked, his voice loud and gruff.