The Reaper ⚔︎ Rick Grimes

13 - Flowers for Graves

At dawn, I awoke, like clockwork. As soon as the sun peeked over the horizon my eyes shot open. I was so used to being on the run that as soon it was day my body was ready to go. I didn't get much sleep but I had gotten used to that fact at this point.

I sat up in my bed, stretched, and cracked my neck. The sound of Daryl's light snores filled the cellblock. I had gotten used to that too. After waking myself up more, I stood and found some clean work clothes I had folded underneath the bed. I put on a pair of jeans, a tank top, and boots. I threw on a jean jacket which I knew would be tied around my waist as soon as the sun rose higher in the sky.

I went quietly to the bathroom, trying not to wake anyone up, especially Judith. I washed my face and stared at the scar that ran through my right eyebrow and down part of my cheek. I almost forgot about it sometimes since I didn't see at my reflection much. But it was there. Another reminder of what I'd been through.

We never found out what happened with the people that had taken me. Some of my group went back to take the rest out or come up with a solution but they weren't there along with all of their stuff.

I brushed my teeth with cold water. I then tied my hair up in a ponytail before heading to an exit.

I began my day by hauling boiled water to the horses and pigs from the jugs in the courtyard. Hershel and Rick wanted to guarantee the animals were as healthy as they could be so we assigned more people to make clean water. I filled a couple of buckets up and lifted the heavy receptacles onto the four-wheeler. Using bungee cords, I secured the buckets as well as I could. I had to drive pretty slowly to make sure water wouldn't spill everywhere. When I got to the pens I poured the buckets into the animals' tanks. I did this a few more times to fill the tanks up all the way.

Halfway through my hauling, I noticed Rick leave through the fences with his own large bucket in hand. I was not sure what he was up to, but I always worried about him going out without his gun. Even though I knew he was capable of wielding a knife, the outside can be unpredictable. Especially when the governor was still out there somewhere.

I gave the horses their hay and spent some time brushing both Poe and Flame. Carl would come to care for the pigs with Rick when he woke up.

I noticed Rick come back through the fence. When he spotted me looking at him, he waved. I waved back with the brush in hand. I went back to my task as the man walked over to me.

"They look nice," he told me referring to the horses.

I ran my hand along Poe's dark back. "It won't last for long. Michonne is taking Flame out today. At least this guy will stay nice and purdy for a minute," I said.

Rick chuckled and shook his head at my use of the word purdy.

I motioned over to the bucket he had sat in the grass. "What you got there?"