Envy in the Ashes // carl grimes

Bigger than Us

   
      I stood under the water for a long five minutes consumed by emotion before I finally calmed myself down. I know I'll be grieving for the rest of my life, but Sam would want me to make the best of this new life. All he wanted was to protect me, so in a way, maybe it was him that sent those guys to the woods.

Grabbing a bottle of shampoo off of a shelf on the wall, I lather some into my hair and scrub my head over, and over, and over again until every piece of dirt is gone and the water runs clear. I find a stack of neatly folded wash cloths as I peek out of the shower curtain and grab one to use for my body, once again, scrubbing every inch of my skin like mad until I'm 100% sure I'm clean. After I finish, I turn the water off and step out of the shower, grabbing a towel, I dry my hair until it's just damp, and then wrap it around my body.

My teeth felt disgusting and I became increasingly aware of it when presented with the opportunity to clean them. I pulled open the second drawer like Carl said, and was shocked at the pile of unopened toothbrushes sitting there, next to another pile of unopened toothpaste. How are they getting all these supplies? I forget about the question and quickly tear open one of the toothbrushes, using the toothpaste on the counter, I brush my teeth for much longer than the recommended two minutes. I went over every inch of all my teeth, my gums, and my tongue. I started to feel like myself again now that I was clean. I recognized myself a little more, besides the weight loss.

After I make sure the towel is wrapped tightly around me, I grab my dirty clothes and shoes, leave the bathroom, and head back down the hallway to my bedroom. Upon opening the door I find clothes neatly folded on the foot of the bed, just as Carl promised. I close the door behind me and walk over grabbing the gray t-shirt that was on the top of the pile, and drop the towel that was wrapped around my body. I pull the t-shirt over my body, and then the pair of black sweatpants on. I could live the rest of my life in these clothes, because they're so much more comfortable than all the days and nights I've spent wearing the same pair of skinny jeans. After I finish getting dressed I stare at the bed, and could practically hear it whispering my name. I know Carl is supposed to show me around...but I'm exhausted. I plopped down into the bed lying sprawled out on my stomach and groan softly at the overwhelming comfort the bed is providing. It's been far too long since I've been in a real bed, and gotten real, safe, warm sleep. It didn't take but mere minutes before I passed out.

*the next morning*

I open my eyes slowly and blink a few times as I'm woken up by a couple knocks on the door. I sit up and adjust myself on the bed, rubbing my eyes in the middle of a yawn.

"Come in.." I answer tiredly, but loud enough for the person to hear. The door opens slowly and I look up and see Carl take a few steps in.

"Morning" he says with a sweet smile.

"Morning...it's morning? I thought you were supposed to show me around Alexandria" I mutter in confusion not realizing I slept through the night. To be fair, I haven't slept properly since the beginning.

"I came back to check on you probably ten minutes after your shower, but you were already asleep...and I thought you might need the sleep..." he chuckles softly and shrugs his shoulders in his defense. "Trust me there's no time limit on when I should show you around..we try to live as normal as possible, time limits are just more stress"

I nod my head and yawn once more covering my mouth.

"Well...thank you for letting me sleep. I feel like a new person" I giggle softly as I continue talking to him.
"So is there some sort of an agenda for today?"

"Not really no, but if you get up I can actually show you around today" he says, clearly teasing me and tilts his head, his lips bearing a smirk.

I roll my eyes playfully and climb out of bed, stretching with my arms reaching straight up.