The Last of The Living

Chapter 3 - So you're saying Maggie looks like a deformed puddle-?

For the first time in a while, Skye felt like she belonged again.

It had been a week since arriving at the farm, but it felt like much longer to her. Before even setting off on their journey, Rick had confiscated her knife and refused to give it back long after she had been trusted into the inner circle.

"Hershel doesn't want any guns on his property," Rick had lectured her and Carl a few days prior. Hershel was this old man and the owner the property surrounding the farm. From what Skye had gathered, he was a peaceful, slightly grumpy person who had been sheltered from the outside world since the beginning ; in a way, she kind of envied him.

Skye opened her mouth to speak out in protest, but before she could Rick cut her off,

"I know it's a knife, not a gun, but it's a weapon and to me a weapon is a weapon."

"what is we get in trouble and need to kill a walker?" Carl replied desperately as he watched his Dad place his pistol into a large black duffel bag with the other firearms.

"why would you be needing to kill a walker by yourself?" Carl's mother Lori said as she passed them by holding a washing basket full of wet clothes to be hung up.

"You'll never be out there alone anyway so there's no reason for you to have a gun, now help me hang this up to dry."

With one final, 'this-won't-be-the-last-you-hear-of-this' glare at his Dad, Carl slumped away looking back at Skye as if begging for help. Skye just smirked evilly and waved him a cheeky goodbye, resulting in a death stare from her recently new friend.

Turning back to Rick, who was counting the guns he had confiscated, she realised she could finally ask him something she had wanted to discuss for a while ever since she first met Carl in the hideout.

"Rick?"

"Yeah Skye?"

"I want to help with the search. For Sophia,"

Rick paused mid count and looked up to stare into her green eyes.

"Kid,' He began in a sympathetic tone which told Skye everything he was going to say before he had even said it.

"I know I'm a kid, you don't need to remind me of that," She said cutting across him," But I've spent time out there, I know how to track, fight, survive, I could be a real help,"

"Look Skye I hear you completely, I mean it, but you're a kid, an experienced kid I'll give you that, but still a kid, it wouldn't be right to take you out into dangerous territory looking for another little girl,"

"But Rick-"

"No Skye, and that's final," And with that, he spun firmly on his heel and walked off, hauling the duffel bag on his shoulder.

Typical, she was actually half decent at doing something and she was banned from doing it. Skye sighed as she considered her options. She truly respected Rick and didn't want to disappoint him, he was a good man with morals and principles which in this world was in short supply. Adding to that, she didn't want to do anything to risk being kicked out of the group. She had formed friendships here, especially with Glenn, who had taken her under his wing shortly after her arrival to the farm.

All these points seem like perfectly acceptable reasons to drop this subject all together, but at the same time, all she could see was Carl's hopeful face at her promise to help them search for Sophia. The whole foundation of their friendship was built on that promise, she didn't want to ruin it all.

In that moment Skye had a decision to make. As Rick started walking away, Skye swiftly reached her hand in through the partially zipped opening, grabbing her knife and Carl's pistol before carefully pulling them out and slipping them into her jacket pockets.