To Be With You | Carl Grimes [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 25: Not So Sure Anymore

"Oh yeah, I forgot." I said, picking my head up and digging my hand in my backpack. Carl gave me a confused look and then his eyes widened when I took out his shoe. I handed it to him.

He took off his mismatched shoe and put on the one that I gave him. "That feels better. It felt weird walking around with two different shoes on."

"I found it in that house. That's how I found you. I followed your tracks." I said.

He intertwined his fingers with mine, causing my heart to quicken. "How long was it?"

I sighed as I looked at my arm. "Nine days. Now that I think about it, it doesn't sound like a long time."

"But it was." Carl said, squeezing our connected hands. "It felt like forever being away from you. Sorry, that was cheesy wasn't it?"

I smiled as I laid my head back on his shoulder, closing my eyes. "It wasn't."

***

My eyes snapped open and I sat up with a start, my machete automatically in my hand when I felt something on my shoulder. My eyes were widened in alert, dashing back and forth to look for the thing that touched me, but then they landed on sparkly blue eyes.

I blinked when I realized that it was just Carl. I immediately relaxed and put my arm down.

"Sorry," I muttered, angry at myself that I almost hurt him.

"It's fine," he said, his hand still on my shoulder. "Hey, are you okay?"

I nodded, looking at him. "Yeah, just a nightmare. I'm okay."

He didn't look convinced but nodded. In the next few minutes, the whole group was awake and we started to move. I was in the front next to Carl and Rick when we suddenly heard something in the trees next to us.

Simultaneously, we raised our weapons only to see Daryl come out with a bunch of squirrels over his shoulder.

He put up his hands. "We surrender."

I saw a hint of a smile on Rick's face. Daryl went to walk next to him while Carl and I stayed behind them. I could vaguely hear what they were talking about.

"No tracks. No nothing." Daryl muttered to Rick.

"So whatever you heard last night-"

"It's more what I felt." Daryl corrected. "If someone was watching us, there would have been something."

And that was the end of it. Apparently Daryl and Carol heard something last night and thought someone was watching them, but didn't see anything. I was fast asleep by the time they did hear it.

Rick turned around and whistled. "Keep close," he told us.

"...and then I sat on the roof eating a 100 ounce pudding can with the largest spoon in the kitchen." Carl finished his story and I laughed out loud.

"I could've sworn I saw the empty can in front of the house." I said.

"It was the best thing I've tasted in a long time." Carl said.

"Yeah, and I bet you had a real stomach ache afterwards."

"Sure did," he laughed. "But it was worth it."

"Help!" came a voice in the distance. "Help anybody, help!"

My hand gripped the weapon in my hand, looking around my surroundings as the others did the same. It sounded like a man's voice. He sounded like he really did need help. It wasn't that far away from what I could hear.