Forever Unfinished // Carl Grimes

Chapter 35

"Me too."

~•~

Anticipation clawed at the hearts of them both. Would they be able to help the people they held dearly to them? Or would they be too late?

Admittedly, when Lauren had first met the group she had come to know well, she felt as though she stuck out. She felt like she didn't fit in their ranks. She had found a friendship in Carl that had given her hope and she continued to carry on. But when she heard their names, her heart lurched in panic. She couldn't lose them, they had become her family.

"We are about two miles outside the town now," Carl announced, "I think it could be somewhere around here."

"I hope so," Lauren sighed.

They had walked for just a half hour, walking among the trees that surrounded the road like a lush green fence. Carl had watched the road, following the tracks that had been left by the motorbikes. The roads remained scarce, bar the few undead that lurked behind the trees and wandered aimlessly along the road.

"I can't see the tracks, hold on," Carl mumbelled, grabbing his gun from the holster on his hip, his head dipped as he peered around a tree, moving into the unguarded area that was the road.

Lauren kept walking, moving with Carl as his gaze studied the patterns left in the dust.

"I think they-"

"Ow!" Lauren cried out as her head collided with a metal fence. She rubbed her nose and cursed.

"You okay?" Carl appeared from the road, his eyebrows knitted together in worry. Lauren nodded, looking up at the tall chain-link fence. A wide dirt path sat, a fence running along either side. Trees ran along the outside, almost concealing the path from view.

"I'm fine," Lauren murmered, more interested in the thought that they may have reached their destination. She jogged out from the cloak of trees and to the opening of gates. A large metal chain bound them together, along with an over-sized golden padlock. A large faded red sign bolted to the gates read 'Woodland Scrapyard.'

"Well, this looks promising," She announced with a sigh.

I just hope we both make it out of this one.

"Hide!"

Carl suddenly grabbed Lauren's arm and pulled her back behind the trees and into a crouching position. A man, maybe in his thirties, approaced the gate from the inside. He gazed out through the gate, looking for anything that may cause alarm. He jiggled the lock and nodded to himself before leaving the gate and returning the way he came.

"We have to be careful," He whispered, "I want us both to get out of this alive."

Carl nodded his head deeper into the forest and Lauren began to walk, following the fence, careful not to stand anywhere in direct view. As the path inside ended, they came to a corner in the fence. Looking inside, they saw cars, crates and a large building in the right corner of the site. A garage sat in the centre of the back of the yard. Armed men guarded their safe zone, their faces covered in dirt, their foreheads glistening with sweat.

"What do we do now?" Carl asked, his eyes trained on on the movement within the scrapyard, "Is this even the place?"

"I think we should just find a good place to watch," Lauren suggested, curiously watching the two guards that stood outside two seperate storage crates, one on each side of their camp, a firepit and makeshift seats between them, "We should gather information.. know what we're dealing with."