Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Downfall - 032

A/N: Hey, guys! As a Christmas present from me to you (or just general holiday season if you don't celebrate it), I'm gonna be uploading every day this week until Christmas Eve! I hope you all enjoy, and are having a wonderful time of year, Christmas can be hard for a lot of people so please remember to keep them in your hearts this year! Lots of love, a traumatic chapter, from me to you xxxx

Brooks lay on the ground, staring up the dark tunnel to the two walkers heads. They snapped their mouths, attempting to force their way down. Both were failing miserably. Brooks could hear the crack of thunder, and aggressive roar of rain beginning to pour down. All her hopes of being found were instantly crushed as her tracks were being washed away.

The circular space was underneath a tree, the gap being just big enough for a malnourished ten year old girl to fall through. At the bottom, she was in the foetal position. Her left shoulder badly burned and screamed out in agony, begging for her attention. She didn't move. The sticks and stones underneath her back and legs were digging into her painfully. She didn't move. The rat that sniffed her ankle would've sent shivers down her spine on a normal day. She didn't move.

The Dixon had had one to many near death experiences to get up. One to many near death experiences to care. One to many near death experiences to fight for her life. She'd just had enough.

Brooks lay down there for two hours. She could move, had she wanted too. She could've fixed the agonising pain that she started believing that was deserved. She could've done a lot of things, but, she didn't. Brooks could usually see the silver lining to a situation, a light in the tunnel, a sun through the clouds. But, being basically buried alive after Shane Walsh had attempted to kill her again? She couldn't.

Just as she thought one of the walkers was about to squeeze through the gap and kill her, there was a loud bang. It made her jump, putting extra pressure onto her burning shoulder. The other walker got up to follow the sound, but yet again, a bang. Brooks didn't jump that time, however, she did force herself to sit up. She stared at the dark gap. The young child could barely see a thing, but it wasn't long until a torch was being shone down.

A gasp was heard. "River?"

Brooks raised her right hand to cover her eyes from the bright light. "Grimes, that you?"

"What're you doing down there?" He asked.

"Bakin' a cake, ya want red velvet or chocolate?" 

He smiled to himself. "You do vanilla?"

"No."

Carl laughed a little. "How long you been down there?"

"It Christmas yet?"

"Not just yet."

Brooks grinned. "Then not that long. Ya gonna help me or not?"

Carl scoffed. "Not with that attitude."

"Damnit, Grimes!"

"Kidding, I'm kidding." He laughed. "Actually, I might not be. How am I meant to get you out of there?"

"I'm about to relocate my shoulder, you expect me to do everything myself?" Brooks huffed, standing to her feet.

Carl shrugged. "Fine, I'll figure it out."

Brooks set about relocating her shoulder. She extended her arm, groaning loudly. She used her right hand to grab her left wrist, and with two deep breaths, she pushed it back in. "Oh, god!" She let out, thankfully as the pain instantly subsided. 

"Woah!" Carl let out, before he landed on top of Brooks and both kids fell to the ground.

Brooks groaned. "Ouch."