Our Shadows (Carl Grimes/The Walking Dead)

Chapter 10: I Told Him I Loved Him

A foot lightly kicked the side of my sleeping bag, making me jump. "Hey, I thought you too hated each other" I rubbed my eyes to see Rick kneeling down to our level. I was still extremely exhausted and when I thought back to last night, I couldn't remember what happened. All I know is that Carl and I were friends again which put a lazy smile across my face.

"We did" I said.

"Well just because you're friends again don't mean you guys can sleep in the same sleeping bag" Rick pointed out. My eyes trailed next to Carl who was blushing.

"Any news on finding Sophia?" Carl asked.

"Nah, didn't find her. Carol is devastated but I'm sending another search party this morning, you two want to join?" Rick asked. We both nodded and fumbled out of the sleeping bag. "Alright, get your gear because we're leaving now"

I grabbed my empty holster beside the sleeping bag and hooked it on my belt. Then took my pistol and checked how much bullets I had left. Three bullets. I sighed, there's no way I'd make it against another walker attack. "How many bullets you got?" Carl asked as he checked his gun.

"Three" I sighed.

"Well you better not waste those or you'll be a goner" he joked. I playfully shoved him before following Rick into the forest.

It wasn't long before my stomach began to growl. "Man, I'm starving. I haven't ate since the CDC" I complained.

"You're not the only one, Adara. We'll get something to eat when we get back" Rick said.

I frowned when my stomach growled again. Carl ran up next to me, rummaging his hand through his pants pocket. "You know, I was going to save this for later but it looks like you could use it now" he whispered so Rick couldn't hear. He pulled out a small bag of salted chips.

My eyes widened, "Oh my gosh, where did you get this?!" I whispered yelled.

He smiled, "You know that town where I got that necklace?" he said, pointing to the silver horse hanging around my neck. I nodded. "Well I may or may not have raided a vending machine or at least what was left of it" he laughed and handed me the bag.

I ripped the bag from his hand and opened it up. A sudden whiff of delicious salt and grease filled my nose and immediately filled my mouth. "You are the best!" Without hesitation, I kissed his cheek. We both blushed, realizing what I had done. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to" I apologized. I probably sound like a hypocrite. Telling him I just want to be friends when I go off kissing his cheek. I mentally slapped myself.

"It's okay" To break the ice, he smiled back and pulled a chip from the bag.

As all three of us were walking deeper in the forest, a loud moan escaped from behind a tree. I shoved the chip bag in Carl's pocket and quickly pulled out my pistol, pointing it in the direction of the moan. A short male walker limped from behind the tree and towards us. Rick sighed and switched his gun with a large blade. "I got this" he said.

He walked up the the walker and stabbed the blade in its neck. The walker raised its arms, swinging vigorously at him. Rick pulled the blade up like a crowbar, separating its head from its body.

I turned my head from the bloody sight. It may be an apocalypse but I'm still not use to separating heads from bodies. I guess The other two were because neither of them flinched or looked away.

We continued to walk down until I heard a faint noise of running water and birds. "Wait, do you guys hear that?" I asked, holding my hand to my ear. They stopped and listened.

"Is that-"

"Water" Carl's voice was full of excitement.

We followed the sound as it got louder and louder until we came to a small creek. I bent down to the clear water that flooded over small rocks and moss. I scooped a handful and slowly tasted the water. "It's fresh!" I said. Before we knew it, each of us filled our faces in the fresh cold water.