Future Ghosts • TWD

59. Father.

"What're you doin' up?" Daryl asked as Rosie came closer.

"I gotta pee," she said, bouncing on her toes impatiently.

Just as Daryl was about to reply, there was a rustling in the leaves. Rosie turned around quickly, looking into the woods. It was quiet for another second, and then a twig snapped. Daryl stood up quickly, his crossbow in hand as he walked closer to the trees. Carol got up with him, a gun in her hand, while Rosie stayed behind Daryl, peeking out from behind his back. Daryl held his pointer finger up, telling them to stay still and be quiet, so that's what they did. He waited for a few more moments, watching and listening, but nothing happened.

"It's nothin'," he said, dropping his hand back down to his side. Even though he said it was nothing, he stayed there for a few more moments. Still, nothing happened, so he turned back to Rosie. "Maggie sleepin'?" he asked. Rosie nodded, bouncing on her toes again. "Carol'll take ya," Daryl said.

Rosie turned to Carol, and Carol was looking at Daryl. After a moment, Carol looked off towards the woods and started walking. "Come on," she said, giving Rosie a weird smile. It wasn't weird because it was funny or creepy, it was weird because it seemed fake or uncomfortable. Rosie tried to ignore it.

After a minute of walking into the woods, Carol stopped and started keeping watch while Rosie went behind a tree and did her business. When she was done, Rosie stepped back around to the other side of the tree, next to Carol. Carol did her weird smile again and started walking.

"Why're you doin' that?" Rosie asked as they walked.

"Doing what?" Carol asked.

"Smilin' like that," Rosie said. She looked up at Carol, but Carol didn't say anything. Rosie looked at her red cowboy boots for a moment, her eyebrows furrowed. "Are ya mad at me?" she asked.

Carol stopped and sighed, putting her hand up to her face for a moment. She turned to Rosie. "No, I'm not mad at you, Rosie. Things have just been... hard. I'm sorry," Carol said. Only she knew she was apologizing for much more than her fake smiles.

Rosie still felt confused, but she didn't push any further. She thought it might've had something to do with Lizzie and Mika, so she just stayed quiet.

•

"Daryl?" Rosie said. It was early in the morning, and Rosie couldn't sleep, so she had spent a lot of time trying to convince Daryl to let her come hunting with him. It took a little while, but it worked in the end, because here she was, following behind him as they went hunting in the woods. Daryl had already caught four squirrels. Rosie hadn't caught any; she still didn't have a weapon- or a belt, for that matter. "Can I try usin' your crossbow?" she asked. She'd asked this several times before, and he always said no, but she thought maybe he'd say yes this time because she didn't have anything else to use.

"Nah, you're too small. Use your..." Daryl trailed off and his eyebrows furrowed. He looked back at Rosie, looking for a weapon in her hands. There wasn't one, obviously, because she didn't have one. "You don't have nothin'," he said. Rosie nodded, and Daryl sighed. "Shit. Why the hell didn't ya say anythin'?"

Rosie shrugged. "Thought ya knew," she said.

"Can't be out here without a weapon. Ever," Daryl said sternly. He pulled a knife out of the sheath on his belt and handed it to her, handle first. "When you need somethin', ya gotta tell someone. I can't read yer mind."

"Ok. I need a belt," Rosie told him.

"We'll be gettin' on the road soon. There'll prob'ly be somethin' you can use in a shop or anythin' we pass by," Daryl said. Rosie nodded and they kept on walking. She kept looking over at him, though, eyeing his crossbow. They went on like that for awhile; Daryl ignoring Rosie as she silently begged for him to let her try the crossbow.