Forever Unfinished // Carl Grimes

Chapter 38

Heart Like Yours
- Willamette Stone

~•~

|Breathe Deep, Breathe Clear
Know that I'm here,
Know that I'm here,
Waiting|

The shot flew through her soul, the very sound vibrating through her bones. She felt like her heart had stopped beating, that her whole body shut down for just a split second. She looked down at herself.

No pain, No blood.

"L-Lauren?"

His voice came out desperate, a cracked shallow wimper. He stood next to her, his hand grasping her forearm, his dirt-caked nails digging into her skin. She looked at him, her eyes wide with alarm. He lifted his head, his sherrif's hat bent low. He swayed, his body succumbing to shock and pain. He held onto her, his only support.

Lauren screamed, a sound that tore through her body and soul. Her heart twisted, an inconsolable burning ache no pain could ever match. Blood streamed down his face, a gaping hole of red blood and flesh where his left eye once was.

He swayed, finally collapsing, his body succombing to the terrible abyss of darkness that pulled him away from Lauren. She caught him, her arms holding him as they fell together, a cry of desperate pain leaving her lips. She wrapped her arms around him, his head resting on her lap.

"Carl!" She cried, her heart hammering faster than it ever had before. She clutched onto him, her heart breaking to pieces as sobs racked through her body, "You can't leave me, please don't leave me."

Everything had numbed, like time had stood still. She could feel people pulling her away, but she couldn't hear their pleas. She looked at her hands, stained with his blood. She could only feel pain, she had never felt anything like it before. She screamed and thrashed as they pulled her away, towards the wooden cabin. Rick held his son, whom he had only found again hours ago, carring him towards the safety of the wooden walls.

She could only see shapes through her blurred teary vision. She knew she was being carried, her legs barely moving, her feet dragging on the dusty ground beneath her.

|Stay strong, Stay gold,
You don't have to fear,
You don't have to fear,
Waiting
I'll see you soon, I'll see you soon|

Visions flashed before her eyes, memories of him laughing, smiling. She saw memories of the moments where he picked her up, showing her that no matter what, he'd always love her.

"My heart is beating with yours, it's beating because yours is too. If your heart stops beating, so does mine..."

"...You have my heart, Lauren."

She could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she pressed her eyes tightly together, her teeth holding her lip so she wouldn't cry out. Her fists clenched as she tried to control herself.

"You taught me how to live when I thought all I could do was survive. I will follow you wherever you go, in your darkest hour I will stand beside you, and when you lose your strength I will be your strength. Whenever you feel sad I want to be the one to dry your tears, and if I can help it, they will never be because of me. I'm in love with you and I always have been."