Corruption {Carl Grimes Fan-Fiction}

How to shoot a rifle

     I’ll tell you what. I’m not going to start shit. Nope. I don’t want to lose this place over a fight with some girl that doesn’t like me without knowing me, or being too close to a boy. No problems, that’s it, I’m done. Inhale… exhale, I could do that. No biggie.

     After I walked out on Beth and Sophia, I met this woman. She was such a feminine lady. But I could already tell she was hiding something, not like trying to conceal something she took, but trying to conceal an emotion inside. Just by looking at her I knew. Her smile said one thing but her grey blue eyes said another. I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong as usual. She looked like she didn’t mean anyone any harm, probably couldn’t even swat a damn fly if she had to. She was doing something I’d never imagine her doing, though. Driving rusty metal pipes through walker’s heads that were lingering on the other side of the gate. What a smart way of killing them, who would have thought of that? I sure as hell wouldn’t have, but I thought I’d help her. She heard my steps from behind her and took notice about my presence pretty quick. She stopped doing her job. She was so soft spoken.

“Hey sweetie. New here?”
“Yeah… Rosaline. Nice to meet you.” I awkwardly said holding both of my hands together. She just nodded.
“Carol.”
“Em, I was wondering. Maybe I could help you with them? You know…” The cries and shrieks of moans were continuous. The gate shook vigorously.
“You sure? I think you’d like it better if you’d talk with Sophia and Beth over there.” She points to them.

Hell no.

“I-I wanna help out. Help manage the group. Why not be productive when the worlds at its worst?” She chuckles.
“Alright. You could use that knife over there.”
     I picked up a dagger on the ground several feet away.
“I could trust you with that, right?” I glance at her.
“Come on, do I as much look the predator?”
     We started to stab the lurkers as they plopped to the ground one by one.

“Hey, you never know.” She shrugs. “World’s gone crazy, lately. People have gone crazy.”
“But not me.”
“Yeah, well… maybe it hasn’t hit you yet.”
“I’ve had a breaking point… it’s changed me a little, but I’ve never gone crazy. I don’t think that’ll ever happen.”
“That’s what Rick said. Now, I’m not saying he’s a threat, but he has lost his marbles a few times. But I give it to him. He’s been through a lot. Losing people. Blaming himself.”

     Sounds like me.

“Have you?”
“Have I what?” She said killing her last victim. We were splattered in zombie blood. Ew.
“Have you reached your breaking point?”
“Mmm… not yet. But the poor guy’s keeping us safe. It’s been awhile since we’ve lost somebody, so I don’t think we’ve got anything to worry about.” She finished with a smile. “Let’s get you cleaned up and into fresh clothes, what do you say?”

     “Cleaned up” and “fresh clothes” were the most perfect things to hear. She gave me a pair of clothes they’d found in the city and lead me to the showers and handed me a towel. A shower… my first one in almost four months believe it or not. Yuck, now that I think about it I feel so dirty, but I couldn’t take too long in there, as much as I wanted to. They only had so much water. After so long I felt the drops of steamy rain on my back and rubbed all the dirty off my body. I couldn’t comb through my wavy hair but that was okay. I didn’t need to impress anybody. Ten minutes seemed like ten seconds, I did not want to leave the shower, but it’s for the best of the group. It’s only fair. I dried up and put my new, comfortable clothes on. I headed for my cell, laid in my bed and looked up at the bunk. I started thinking.

     If it weren’t for Irene and the others for making me go out in search for rabbit or deer, I wouldn’t have found this haven. I wouldn’t have these wonderful people surrounding me. I wouldn’t have these showers, and this water, or this food. I … I wouldn’t have met him…
And they probably lost their lives yesterday, and I just so happened to be somewhere else when it happened. That’s got to be a sign for something. Maybe there is hope for me. Maybe I’m supposed to be here. Maybe my mom, dad, and Ty are watching over me. I wish I knew why, but I don’t think it’s just from coincidence. Shit I already missed Irene and them like hell and it’s only been a day, I just hope that I don’t lose these people next. They already meant so much to me. Just letting me sleep on this lovely bed was enough to earn my respect. Every time I was in the prison, I’d forget what was happening outside. That’s how good it was. The prison wasn’t even a prison, it was like home. Ironic… but true.

     All these things pondered my thoughts. I sat there just staring at the bunk for a good hour, having my eyes fill up with tears one second, and just being angry about myself the next. I’d look at my arm and the urge to cut was so strong, but I will not do it. I’ll make an oath to myself. No suicidal thoughts no longer. No self-harm. I have to help keep this new family safe. I’ll lean back on them, and they could lean back on me. Like that, we’ll never have to get rid of this place or abandon it. Or lose it. I want to stay here for a long time. I want to make this work. We will sadly lose some, but from that, we could only gain some. We’ll become stronger through the pain and soon enough, we’ll be invincible. We’ll be able to face anything the Earth has to throw at us. I believe we could. We could do it. Before I didn’t, but the shades on my eyes have been drawn. Now I could see I was just blinded all along. There are still good people, and there might be some bad, but we’re all in this together. Bonded into one. We are one.

     My thoughts were disrupted by footsteps going down the hallway. They were slow and steady, and I saw a shadow outside my cell. I couldn’t tell who it was because my curtain was covering my view. I assumed it was Carl, so I pushed myself off of the bed and began talking.

“So, are you going to make this an annual thi –” When I open the curtain and I saw it wasn’t him, I stopped speaking. It was that girl…ugh I forgot her name. The one with the sword. The ninja. She was sitting on the table with sharp eyes and breathed heavily. She looked like she was thinking, but I couldn’t really tell. She was scary. She didn’t even look at me.

“Oh…” She didn’t move. I continued. “I-Is there something wrong?” Her head stayed stiff but her eyes stared at me. “That’s a… cool sword you’ve got there. Where’d you get it from?” She looked away.
     Maybe she wanted some time alone. Some time to think. Maybe she went through something terrible and she just couldn’t speak. I’ll let her be.