Tainted//Carl Grimes

False Hope.

We just kept running, trying to get as far from the prison as possible. We ran in a line, My dad, Beth, then me. Beth got hold up as a walker stood in front of her. She tried shooting it, but her gun was out of ammo. I pulled her back towards me before the walker could take a nice big chunk out of her shoulder. My dad shot it in the head with an arrow and hit another in the head with his bow. He pushed me and Beth in front of him, keeping us going. We ran into a large field with weeds that are taller than me. I collapsed on the ground my father and Beth following suit. I was breathing heavily, my whole body ached and my vision was blurred. I didn't even stop myself from being immersed in the darkness.

When I came too I heard Beth talking to my dad. I opened my eyes and yawned, slowly sitting up and propping myself against the same log my dad was propped against. I listened intently to Beth.

"We should do something." It was dark out now an the only light came off of the small fire and the moon. I saw her look up at my dad. "We should do something." she repeated. "We aren't the only survivors, we can't be. Rick. Michonne, they could be out here. Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of E block." She paused, I knew she was right. I looked at my dad, just as expectant as her.

"They could've." I backed her up. She gave me a thankful smile. Then Beth stood up.

"You're a tracker. You can track." She said. My dad remained silent. "Come on. The sun will be up soon. If we head out now, we can-" she cut herself off when she saw it was doing no good. She stood there for a moment, looking back between me and my dad. She sighed. "Fine. If you won't track then I will." She walked over to her knife and sheath and grabbed them off the log they were sitting on. She stopped for a minute looking at me, then stormed off in the other direction.

I looked at my dad, eyebrows furrowed. He sat in the same position, staring off at where Beth went. Beth and I were close. I knew she couldn't fight, especially not walkers. I sighed and stood up grabbing my weapons and going after her, knowing my dad would follow at least me.

We had caught up with Beth easily. We walked for hours, until the sun came up to be exact. We were all spread out though, not acknowledging each other. Me and Beth were still walking when I saw my dad slow down and bend over, wiping leaves away from a certain spot on the ground. I nudged Beth's shoulder and we walked over there.

"Could be Luke's." Beth said. I looked at her and gave a smile.

"Or Molly's. Whoever they are, it means they are alive." I told her putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Naw, this means they were alive four or five hours ago." my dad said. I glared at him.

"Dad you-" Beth cut me off less than halfway through my sentence. "They're alive." She demanded. Then she started walking away again. My dad looked at me giving me a half smile before climbing to his feet and setting off after her.

We were walking down a muddy path when Beth and my dad walked past a berry bush. I stopped a few feet away listening to their conversation. "They picked up the pace around here. Got out in a hurry. Things got bad." My dad has been very pessimistic and I did not like it.

"Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith." I said as I brushed past him.

"Yeah, faith. Faith ain't done shit for us." He said as Beth turned away. "Sure as hell didn't do nothing for Hershel."

Both Beth and I stooped in our tracks when he said that. We both turned around to face him, glares making their ways across our faces. None of us said anything. Beth sheathed her knife, and started to pick berries. "They'll be hungry when we find them." she said. I watched as my dad handed her a handkerchief and she tied the berries in them. She then followed my father deeper in the woods, with me trailing close behind.

My dad stopped and rubbed a leaf that was beside him. It had blood on it, and there were two dead walkers lying on the ground. I stepped closer to my dad. "What?" I asked him, eyeing the blood on the leaf.

"That ain't walker blood." He stated. Beth walked forward some, passing the dead walkers.

"The trail keeps going." She said. "They fought them off." She looked in the distance standing on her toes as if she was trying to spot someone in a large crowd. I stood back, once again, with my arms crossed, watching the pair.

"No. Got walker tracks all up and down here." My dad said pointing in the general direction that a herd must have come through at. "At least a dozen of 'em." We all heard a snap in the woods and I saw Beth draw her knife, I did the same. Of course my dad was to busy checking out those tracks to pay attention. I spun in a quick circle. It was a walker no doubt. When I turned back around I heard the snarling of a walker and saw it advancing on Beth.

The walker grabbed Beth and she started to struggle with it. I saw my dad try to aim the bow, but he couldn't get a clear shot. I ran up and ripped the walker off of Beth throwing him in the direction of my dad. I then turned around and proceeded to check Beth for bites or scratches. She looked fine to me so I backed away. I saw Beth pull her knife and run towards my dad who I hadn't noticed was struggling with the walker. He flipped over on his back bringing the walker to lay on his front facing the air. Then Beth stabbed her knife through the walker's skull.

I looked down as my dad stood up and grabbed his crossbow slinging it on his back. He watched Beth with curiosity. I just sighed and pushed past them continuing on the trail. "Come on." I heard my dad utter to her.

It took a few more minutes, but we found a break in the woods that led to train tracks. I slowed down when I saw three walkers having a small... feast. I sighed and walked forward, digging my knife into the, used to be, female walker. that got the other two walker's attention, my dad got them before they could get me. I noticed these were some people from the prison. I sighed and started to walk again. Not stopping or turning back when I heard Beth start to cry.