Chapter Twenty-Three:
Pain. The first thing that went through my mind was pain. The ringing in my ears that rattled my head, the burning sensation in my lower shin, and the nails gripping onto my waist line. Then after that came the growing noise. Not mine but those near me, a whisper, a shout, a scream, I couldn't tell what it was. Only that it made the ringing worse.
Next I felt my surroundings come back. The hard plastic that lined the Chevy, the back of the leather seats that my leg was leaning against. The fact that I was I was no longer laying on the floor of the truck instead thrown onto the ceiling.
The window just next to my head was broken, the shards littering everything. The ground, my skin, the surface of the car and the rotting body that was a mere few inches away from my face.
A loud screech was released from what felt like a mile away but actually came from my throat. The gnawing of the beast started to ring through my ears. It's about to reach through the gaping whole of the window but a sharp object smashed right through his skull and out the eye socket. Maroon blood flew in every direction.
I turn away to avoid the rotting blood but to no avail. The thick liquid gets the left side of my face and lands in my ear as well. I look down to see the blue eye brunette laying on his side. He was clutching his upper thigh, as were his hands cover in bright red blood. He groaned lowly, barely recognizing the blood that sprayed all over his dirt ridden face.
I scooted my way across the ceiling of the car until I reached Carl's injury. I grabbed his hand to see what was going on with his leg but instead of it coming off as caring, he sat up straight threatening my neck with his knife.
"Don't fucking touch me- Y/N?" He slowly releasing his tight grip from the knife. "What?"
"Your face is bloody. Wait we need to get out of this truck." He starts to rapidly crawl his way out the broken window without the rotting corpse in front of it. He slides and with a groan as do I. "Get as many supplies as you can with me."
Carl tries to get up straight but instead fell to asphalt. "Hey no. You're injured. Making more blood go to your leg isn't gonna help any of us. I'll go do it."
He continues to try once more but he grudgingly sat down. I stood up and limped my way over to the turned over truck. It hit a metal box at a tilt. As I neared the truck I saw something laying beside the far side of the box.
Scratch that. It's two figures. One laying and one kneeling next to the laid down figure. Shit.
Michonne slumped over Sasha's body. A short piece of metal struck through her upper chest, nearly in between her clavicle. A short gasping sound came to a final stop as the sniper slowly faded away and joined her lost family members.
My eyes started to water, my throats closing up but not out of pity. I never knew Sasha long enough to feel a big impact of her death. But when I say that it hurt as I saw yet another human being unfairly taken away from their life, I'm lying. It didn't just hurt, it really fucking hurt.
Yet another human trying to survive for the human race to just parish. Gone. Again. What the fuck? Is this the way Mother Nature is getting back at us for destroying Earth! Killing the majority of our population. Nature can be beautiful but it also can sure be a fucking bitch.
I could barley speak but a living human needed help, "Carl's injured. On his leg. It's bad I think."
I limped over the few feet next to the still warm corpse. I could just see the pain that would flash through her groups eyes. The pain of memories that they had together. That they were the last memories they'd have, that they lost yet another part of their family.
I reached down and touched her quickly color fading face. Her eyes were still open, the look of fear that she had only a few minutes ago, gone. That would soon be replaced by a never ending hungry look that felt the need for flesh.
I looked down to her chest and saw the metal was black. It was a piece of the metal box, it covered in thick blood. Her own blood dripping down to her body, like her blood wanted to join her body again. To never have left. But alas it was only gravity doing what it does.
Gravity is much like people. It brings people down, has them falling until they hit rock bottom.
A white hot flash of pain struck through my right hand as I gripped onto something sharp. My mind was leaving the present.
Bloody carpet,
Bullet wound.
Too young,
Screaming.
Dead,
Pain.
G O N E. G O NE. G ONE. GONE. gone.
The external pain subsides. My mind does not like me. What so fucking ever. Her laughter sounds like music to my ears until I remember that it will never happen again. She's gone but she's happier there. Not stuck here with Them or the dead ones.
"What the fuck."
". . ." I had no response. If I were to see myself gripping the bloodied object that killed my family I'd think I was crazy. Especially with the crazy look that was surfacing on my eyes.
I really hate Keenes advice, "Don't care. Don't share. Keep that shit inside. It does no good to others. There you go, there's advice."
I stood up slowly as I looked over at the sad looking humans. They were hurt and confused. I ignored their looks and continued to the flipped over Chevy. I tugged the dead ones body away from the window with a struggle. No one was there to help me. why would they? They just lost someone.
I kneel and crawl through the hole of a window, I grab what I see. A sniper, a knife, my bag, the photo, the map and the walkie talkie. The rest is still wedged in the trunk, the only thing holding up everything from falling was the secured tarp. That wasn't going to last long.
We need a new car. "I'm gonna go walk ahead for a car. I'll be back soon."
I wasn't sure they had heard what I said but I wanted to leave them alone. While they do their own things. I walked the direction we were going, the rain starting to return and come down hard. It felt like the hail was being thrown at my skin.
I'm not sure how far I walked until I found the rusting family can I the middle of the road. It was odd to see a car of any sort in the middle of the road unless you were on a highway. This time I very slowly make my way towards the drivers window, this time I also don't have a strong women to protect me.
Gone. They're all gone. Gone.
I look at the side view mirror and see a lone dead one weakly moaning, scratching against the worn seats. I grab a hold of the grey handle that opens the door and tug. The door nudges but doesn't open.
To get more leverage, I place my left leg in the door and continue the pulling. It buffed once more until the rust lets go of its hold and released the door. Out comes the dead one, falling face first on my foot. I pull my back my foot and stomp on the head so fast like it's become a reflex to kill that easily.
Stomp, crunch. Stomp, crack. Stomp, squish. Stomp, long dead.
I climb into the drivers seat and look back. There are three rows of seats, each row having three seats. The front row, middle seat, has a baby seat already buckled in. The keys are left in the ignition key hole only halfway turned. I turned the keys forty five degrees and nothing but a rumble sounds. I try again to hear the sound of an engine loudly starting.
Oh shit. Driving is gonna be a pain in the was. Especially when you learned how to drive in a few days from a girl who had road rage. Where's Thalia. . .
I pull toward and start to take the series of backups and slight turning until I turn fully around and head back to where the others were.
Gulp. Tap. Scratch. Sniffle. Drop.
"I need music. Music . . . anything." I mumble almost incoherently.
I found only one disc and it was the trash of the songs from the musical movie Mamma Mia! "This'll do."
The lyrics pour out of my mouth as I somewhat remember, getting better over the minutes, from when my mother would play this.
Anything is better than silence. Even bittersweet moments. Ones that cause more pain that happiness.
The smoke of the Chevy truck neared in closer as I drove closer and closer to it. I slow the van as I reach the crash site, not seeing anyone near the truck.
Did they leave me? Did they think I went bat shit?
I stop driving and take out the keys as I open the door of the car. The rain immediately hits my skin at a harsh rate. "Hello? It's Y/N."
I limp around the front of the van, closing my eyes to help them adjust to weather. Bad idea. A crashing force rams into my body. It's not threatening but instead welcoming. "Where the fuck did you go? Michonne was worried where you were and so was I." Carl looked me in the eyes the best he could as he studied my face.
"I said I was going."
"We didn't hear."
"Sorry." I looked away from Carl but he wrapped his arms tighter around my waist, leaning his weight against me. Making me realize something else, he has a bum leg. I let him lean on me as much as I can, almost to the point where I might fall over.
"You're just full of surprises aren't you Y/N. Let's get the shit in the van go. I'm not going to get sick." Short and blunt. what else could you expect.
Carl tried to help for about ten minutes until I walk him to can and help Michonne with the rest. The hardest part was gently lowering down the supplies still being held up. We could just drop it, we had glass jars littered all throughout our scores. Going from jarred jam to beer bottles.
After we got that done, Michonne turned the van again so the trunk was facing the Chevy. I climbed in and out down the last two rows of seats to make room, as do did Carl. It felt like hours until we got everything placed into the new vehicle. I climbed into the van and sit in the first row. Michonne had the drivers seat and Carl had the passengers. That was until Carl moved himself to right next to me.
Today was just full of gains and losses. Losses definitely outraged gains. We gained a new vehicle by just good luck but we lost Sasha. I popped open the back window and left a crack open on the window that my face was leaning against. Carl took his left hand and made it so my face was looking at him.
He didn't say anything but instead leaned in closer. Right now was not the time to kiss but who was thinking correctly. He leaned in closer until his nose tapped my own, he tilted his head to the right, allowing our lips access to each others. Carls lips slowly touched my own and this time, they stayed longer, lingering.
"Don't worry Y/N. I got you." I'm not sure what Carl meant by this but it had an effect on me.
Wasn't I supposed to be the one comforting Carl and not voice versa?
Damn. I'm horrible at comforting people. Especially myself but others. . .
Instead as Carl began to lose his cool demeanor, his cheeks became flushed as his eyes watered with pain and his face paled, I let him rest his head on my lap. I brushed his long brown locks with my fingers as the drive went on. With all of the quiet, countdown began.
Days to go until Alexandria.
Years to go until we accept Sasha's fate. Or never.
Who knows until I meet my mom and little sister again. Soon or far away?
On and on the car drive went. On and on my thoughts went.
UNKNOWN POINT OF VIEW
The ground greeted my already raw face. Rough leaves takes against my bare arms and ankles. Someone was chasing me. They have been for days, weeks maybe. I lost track. I keep on hiding but he always finds me and I always escape his grasp.
I stand up fast and started to run yet again. I push through the thick bushes, thorn bushes and whatever else is in my way. The loud thinks of whoever is chasing is close behind. I run into an open field, big mistake. Still I run straight across of what seemed to be once a golf course. The other side of the thick forest seemed to be only getting farther away as I was supposedly nearing it.
My breathing was only getting quicker and more shallow as I kept on running. My lungs and legs wheezing yet again, the cut in my arm stinging as the sweat and dirt was rubbed into the opening wound.
How the fuckity fuck did I get into this situation! Will I can remember is a loud crunching sounds, one after another then a loud gunshot.
Where are my family. . .
My left leg have our underneath my weight, sending my body crashing to the ground. I tried to resurface but my body was as heavy as steel. I struggled to allow my body to lift itself up, with only a spare seconds to spare, my body gets one more burst of energy. I sprint up and head straight into the woods and hope for the best. I only make it a few more meters until my body comes crashing down yet another hill.
Rock after rock, stick after stick and lands with a solid landing in gooey mud. I feel my eyes start to close like weights have been struggling to hold them down for the past few minutes and I just gave up. The footsteps only got closer and soon enough I felt their shadow casting over my crumpled body. I felt their firm hands grab a hold of my waist, hoisting my body over their shoulder like I'm a sack of potatoes. Then I close my eyes for good.
Unconsciousness becomes my closest buddy for what I assumed hours judging by the loss of sunlight as I wake up. The figure holding onto me doesn't scare me the most, what scared me the most is the image that is going on in my view.
3rd Point of View
Rick and the others still struggle to withhold Negan's orders and wants, soon enough they begin to fight back. Which leads to some different turns. Carl and Y/N become clear over the long ride as Michonne distances herself.
The people in Alexandria have already lost so much but are they ready to lose even more? To lose some of their most important parts that keep them together? Some people who you think are the strongest, are the ones most ready to rejoin their lost loved ones in a heartbeat.
Word Count: 2709
A/N: Please feel the right to correct me for my mistakes. Sorry for taking so long. The only excuse is school and procrastination really. The chapter is a bit shorter but thank you for reading and voting.