like real people do | c.g [#wattys2019]

U L T I M A T U M

"DALE COULD GET UNDER YOUR SKIN... He sure got under mine. Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought. How he felt. That kind of honesty is rare. And brave. Whenever I made a decision, I'd look at Dale and he'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it, one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us... The truth... Who we really were.

And in the end, he said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it, set aside our differences and pull together. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives. Our safety. Our future. We're not broken, and we're gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." Rick ends his speech as we bury Dale.

A few people shed some tears, Carl included, but not me. There's been too much death around us... And I'm afraid that it's taking a toll on me. I know I said I wanted to get stronger, but not numb. It's still there. Unless I'm happy, it's always there. And the happy moments have been decreasing quite rapidly lately.

It's weird, this feeling of Deja Vú that takes over me as we all walk back to the camp. Rick asked Hershel for us to move in, and they apparently agreed, so we're all going to move our things inside the house.

I help move everything that they give me to the places and rooms I'm instructed to take them, but decide to talk to Carl as everyone's out of the room, currently. "Are you okay? At the funeral..." I trail off. He nods slightly.

"I have to be. We can't afford to feel sad." And he walks out the door. I sigh, putting down the things as that was the last box that needed to be on this room. I put my things in a corner of the living room, next to Carol and Andrea.

After that, I see Jimmy nailing wood to the doors in an effort to make them stronger, so I decide to help. Not really much to do here. We don't really say anything to each other, but the job gets done quicker.

After that there's really not anything to do... Until T-Dog calls out. You really can't be bored anymore, can you? We all run out of the house, towards him and Rick, Andrea, and Daryl go to his aid, to see what's going on at the shack, while Glenn stays back, explaining. "Randall's missing."

"Missing? How? For how long? What happened?" People ask.

"It's hard to say..." Glenn tries to calm us all down, but everyone, me included, is just too confused. A few minutes pass with Lori looking after Carl and I, not letting us go over to them, when we hear Shane.

"RICK! RICK! He's armed! He got my gun! I'm fine. The little bastard just snuck up on me, clocked me right in the face!" He yells coming towards us. His face is more bruised than ever before, with blood coming out of a cut on his swollen, probably broken nose.

"Alright, Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Daryl, come with us." Rick orders.

"Just let him go. That was the plan wasn't it? Just let him go?" Carol asks.