Promise? »» C.G.

Chapter 1»» A New Friend

(Y/n)

Otis went out to hunt. So it was just me, Mom, Auntie, and Papa, also a few others I don't really talk to. I sat down on the porch outside with Mom. I drew and drew and drew. I looked up once I seen Mom pick up the binoculars. I seen a man carrying a boy.

"Dad!" Mom shouted. She ran inside. When she came back out, Papa and a few others came out.

"Was he bit?" Papa asked.

"Shot by your man. He told me to find Hershel, is that you?" He asked.

"Stay out here okay?" Mom asked. They went inside.

"I wanna help!" I shouted and ran inside.

"What's your name?" Papa asked, and soon repeated.

"Rick, Rick, my names Rick," he said. He wasn't okay either.

"You need to give me some room alright?" Papa said. I went up to the man.

"Come with me," I said grabbing hand, that was bloody. I pulled him out of the room. His friend Shane came with Otis and they talked.
After a while, Papa had to get something out. The boy was crying, but soon fainted. Rick wanted to find his wife, and Shane, Rick's friend, tried to keep him calm. Papa came out like a doctor and told them what needed to happen.

"My wife, she doesn't know," he said.

"I'll find her. What's her name?" I asked.

"Lori," he said as I sat him down.

"Mom!" I shouted. "I'm going to find his wife!" I ran outside and to the horses.

"What?" Mom asked as I started to put the saddle on.

"His wife doesn't know and I'm going to find her and bring her back," I said.

"You're going to keep that man calm. I'll do it," she said. She got on the horse and took the bat with her. She set off.

"I want to help," I said. I went back in the house.

"My mom will find her and bring her here," I said. "Promise."

"How old are you?" Shane asked.

"I'm eleven."

"Thank you for your help, all of you," Rick said.

"Well, it's Otis' fault because he shot the bullet and the deer's fault for running, it's the least we could do." They all started talking about what they needed. Otis and Shane ended up going. Otis is like my best friend. Always makes me laugh and he always wakes me up in the morning. I grabbed my rose pendant and ran outside.

"Otis!" I shouted. I ran up and hugged him. I put my pendant on his jacket.

"For good luck," I said.

"I can't take this sweet pea," he said.

"Sure you can! I do have another one."

"I'll bring it back in good shape." I went up to the porch as they left. I hope they come back okay. Mom and Lori came back. Rick and Lori went inside. I felt bad. They started talking to grandpa and they were furious about him being a vet. No, not a war combat vet, a veterinarian.

"(Y/n)?" Mom asked.

"Yeah?" I questioned.

"Go help with dinner please." I did what I was told. Afterwards, I sat in the chair on the porch. Two men walked up to the door.

"Should we ring the doorbell or just go in? Looks like someone is living here," a Korean looking man said.

"Well we're passed that kinda stuff now," the African American man said walking up the stairs.

"Did you close the gate when you drove in?" I asked startling them.

"Oh, hi, uh, yes. The latch and everything," the Korean man said.

"We came to help," the African American man said. I looked at his arm as I walked over.

"It's not a bite. I cut myself pretty badly," the man said.

"What's your names?" I asked.

"I'm Glenn and this is T-Dog," the Korean man said.

"We'll have that looked at. Come in, talk to my mom," I said opening the door. They talked my mom and went inside the boy's room. Mom walked over to me.

"Bed time," she said.

"What?" I frowned.

"Bed time. It's when you sleep."

"Not what I mean." She shooed me upstairs.

"Story!" I shouted as I ran upstairs. I heard her laugh a little. She came up and read me a story.

Maggie

They came just in time, but no Otis.

"Otis?" Dad asked.

"No," Shane muttered. I felt tears forming.

"We say nothing to Patricia. Not til after. I need her," dad said.

"(Y/n), what do I tell (Y/n)?" I asked. Dad went inside. Shane stared saying what happened. I felt Lori's hand on my back. I went inside and cried. Glenn, whose name I finally learned, came in too.

"Who else? You said I had to make it right so who else?" He asked. I pointed people out.

"Step mother, step brother," I said. We went outside after the surgery.

"He seems to have stabilized," Dad said. They were happy. Rick hugged dad.

"I have no words," Lori said.

"Neither do I, but," dad started. "How do I tell Patricia about Otis?"

"And (Y/n)," I said. "In the morning, she won't have Otis to wake her up." Tears went down my face again.

"You go to Carl," Rick said to Lori.

"And I'll go with Hershel."

The Next Day

I went upstairs, slowly, and to (Y/n)'s room. I opened the door. She wasn't awake yet. I sat on her bed. I watched her. Glenn came in the room.

"You don't have to tell her yet," he said.

"If I don't, she'll be even more crushed," I said. He put his hand on my shoulder.

"I'll do it," he said. I looked up at him.

"I can't put that burden on you," I said.

"Mom?" (Y/n) asked as I looked back at her.

"Hey honey," Glenn said. I got up and stood at the door.

"Hi," she said as she sat up.

"Is Otis back?" She asked.

"Otis didn't make it back," Glenn said.

"Of course he did, he had my rose pendant."

"No, he, he gave his life to save Carl."

"That boy right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry."

"Not, not your fault. Otis, Otis would've given anything to see Carl up and walking around. Even his life."

"You need anything, like a wake up in the morning, ask alright?" She nodded. I watched as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Can I go play in the fields Mom?" She asked.

"Go, go ahead," I said. She got up and ran downstairs.

(Y/n)

I slipped on my shoes and ran outside to the fields. Once I got there, I layed down and looked up to the sky.
"Thanks Otis," I said. "For everything. You gave me

a new friend."