I Saw The Lights Go Out - Carl Grimes

Chapter Sixteen - Goldielocks

It was well into the third day of constant walking. The sun had already reached its peak hours ago and was starting to descend. Judith had been quiet for the most part, so much so that I almost forgot we had her along with us, only giggling and yelling when she grew excited. Thankfully the few closest to her kept her calm or sleeping for most of the trip.

Over the course of the day there had been only a few clouds that helped block the heat beating down above us, but the thick air still lingered even with some shade. When the chill breeze flowed through the trees around us it did nothing to relieve the uncomfortableness, it was more so a chilling nuisance forcing us all in our jackets either sweating or bracing the cold. 

After hours of nonstop walking my socks had slowly started to slip down my heals leaving my exposed skin to rub up against the back of my boots. Slowly but surly, the friction pulled the skin and would soon begin to tear. I bared it as long as I could for the sake of the group but I knew we wouldn't stop until night fell.

Unable to take it any longer, I stopped walking. As quick as I could I crouched down and reached my finger down the back of my boot in hopes of pulling my sock up. Carl turned around almost immediately.

"What are you..?" He began to ask as I struggled to fit my hand in the small gap of my heal.

"I'm gonna get a blister if I don't fix my shoe." I grumbled before giving up with a frustrated sigh. I gave up struggling and sat down on the exposed metal track to untie the laces. "It's okay, keep going I'll be done in a second."

"I don't think I should." Carl trailed looking around then back at me. The rest of the group had moved on down the tracks.

"It's fine, honestly. I almost got it." I waved him off. He looked hesitant biting at his bottom lip.

"Okay, but I won't be far up. Watch those walkers behind us. Don't take too long." He replied worrying. I peered back down the tracks to eye the following walkers. Thankfully there weren't many and they were too far back to worry about.

For the first time since the argument this morning I smiled to Carl. With that he hesitantly walked away.

Once he turned I ripped off my boot. I tugged up my sock as high as I could feeling instantly better. I wasn't going to let a blister make my day any worse.

While tugging on my shoe a sudden growl snapped my attention and I whipped around. A decayed woman stumbled toward me, her long thin hair  draped over her snarling face as she reached my way. I stood up and pulled my knife from my hip as she tripped on the elevated railroad track. I took a step back but she suddenly lunged, tackling me to the ground under her. I fell though the air and landed hard on my backpack, my head nearly hitting the other side of the metal rail. A low groan left my throat from the weight of her.

With no time to waste, I shoved her shoulder trying to get her snarling mouth as far away from me as possible. I raised my knife ready to plunged it into her skull when her rotting hand swiped up at me knocking it out of my grasp. It clattered loudly against the tracks.

I wouldn't allow myself to panic but let out a frustrated curse as the walker pushed all her weight into me. I stretched my arm out to the knife as far over as I could, my middle finger just barely touching the handle and I grunted through my teeth. With only one arm holding the walker away from me, my muscles failed me and her snapping teeth come far too close to my face. The dark blood dripping from her open mouth dropped onto my cheek and I pursed my mouth shut.

With all I had in me I pushed hard against her other shoulder only to hear it crack out of place in the process and fall closer. My heart beat rapidly against my ribcage as I shoved my left forearm across her chest. Then I pushed her over closer to my fallen knife using all my body weight to flip us. I sat up and she tried to follow but my firm palm on her boney chest held down her thrashing.

With my heart in my throat I scanned around for the knife but find it nowhere in sight. For a moment, I contemplated using my handgun but knew nothing good could come from it without a silencer.

The walker shook her head, craning her broken neck forward trying to sink her teeth into my hands. As her dirt and blood filled blonde hair fanned the shining metal of my knife peeked through. I grabbed a fistful of her disgusting hair and yanked her head to the side hoping the dead follicles wouldn't give way. I then rammed my knee down on her chest and use my left hand to grab my knife from under her tangled stands of hair.

In one swift movement I lodged the blade into her head and she went still. I breathed out and hung my head over her attempting to catch my breath wondering where the hell did she came from.

More snarling cut my break short. I looked off to my right to see the horde of trailing walkers only two yards away, and their numbers had grown. In a panic, I ripped the knife out of the walker's head scrambling off her soft torso and to my feet. My arm swooped down to grab my boot but I had no time to put it on as arms slashed across the air and fingers nipped at my jacket. With a sharp breath I pulled away running to get any distance between me and those things.

In the distance Carl appeared, but he wasn't joined with the group. Instead he was walking toward me swiftly with his head down and hands clenched. From the sound of my heavy footsteps jogging toward him and looked up. With wide eyes he tried to step in front of me but before he could question why I was sprinting with only one boot on I threw my bloody knife back into my holster and only slowed to grab his arm. From my speed, I spun him around dragging him to follow and his feet scrambled to find the pace.

Together we ran back up the tracks. Carl repeated my name urging me to stop running but I couldn't until we reached the end of the group.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another chapter! I really love writing how they fight and kill walkers it's a lot more interesting and scary rather than just saying they just killed it. Also I really don't mind this chapter at all I'm kind of proud of it, not gunna lie.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Tell me what you think, comment, vote, message me, follow me, anything. Leave suggestions or correction or whatever else.

Love you all.