Surviving The New World (Book Six in the Surviving The Walking Dead Series)

Turning Over A New Leaf

"What did you like to read?"

"Anythin', really. Fiction, biographies, nonfiction, whatever when I'm bored, how-to books when I wanna learn somethin'."

"So you're a self-taught jack of all trades, huh?" I looked down at my stump and let out a sigh.

"I used to be," I mumbled."

"You still can be. You've got attachments now, I'm sure some things will get easier to do. I'm not saying you'll be able to do absolutely everything, but your life will get back to normal soon."

"My life was never normal, Earl." I took another bite of the zwieback. "Thanks for the food and give the kids my best."

"You're not gonna do it yourself?"

"Rosita is a goddamn spider, Earl. Dependin' on how she spins 'er web, I might not see half them kids ever again."

"You can't think like that, sweetheart."

"They look at me like I've got the fuckin' plague, like I'm a monster waitin' for 'em to trust me so I can bite their heads off."

"They're scared of you."

"Bullshit."

"They are. You're like the boogeyman, they tell horror stories about you."

"Gee, I always wanted to be famous," I scoffed.

"People tend to be scared of me sometimes. Not out of fear, but worry, I think. I'm a recovering alcoholic, and anytime I'm around alcohol, everyone just stares at me. I haven't had the taste for it for years.

"Good, that shit'll kill ya...congrats on your sobriety."

"Thank you." The room fell silent. "C-Can I ask you something?"

"I'm locked in a cell, ain't goin' nowhere, ain't like I've got much of a choice to listen."

"Harper...what happened to her eye?"

"Is that one of the Michaela Boogeyman stories?"

"Just with the older kids. They've been saying some awful theories and I wanted to know the truth."

"What do ya do here?" I asked, changing subjects.

"What?"

"What do ya do around here? I mean, besides babysit prisoners when other people are too fuckin' goddamn lazy to do it themselves."

"I'm a blacksmith."

"Good," I nodded. "You've made yourself indispensable."

"And you are too."

"How, because I'm Daryl's wife?"

"Because you're smart. People who are smart and have the know-how tend to make it far in this world." Earl looked up towards the stairs as the sounds of hooves echoed from outside. "Lucky you, I think they're back."

"Thank God," I sighed with relief.

"Eat up, I'll let them know what happened and send them down." I reached my hand through the bars and smiled.

"Thank you." Earl shook my hand and made his way up the stairs, shutting the cellar door behind him. I sat down in the cot and ate my dinner in silence, but no one came, not immediately at least. After an hour, the cellar door finally opened and Rick and Daryl entered their room, only to stop and stare at me from the other side.

"'Bout damn time y'all came for me, it's hot as shit in here." I smirked as I rose to my feet. I waited for them to unlock the cell, but they didn't move. "You gonna let me out or are ya gonna stare at me like I'm an animal at the fuckin' zoo?"