Chapter 36
•Joslyn•
We eventually followed Carl as he led us into the woods. We have been walking for about three hours now, and it was getting dark. All I wanted to do was eat. I wasn't sure if Carl was going to stop in the woods, but he sure was determined. I adjusted the strap on my shoulder, hoisting it up a bit and I gulped. He didn't look back once.
"Carl's going through an...emotional stage right now."
I looked to my right as Michonne let her head down a notch, whispering to me as she eyed Carl.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you know how Rick has that injury? Carl did that. Pulled a gun on him, shot his ankle."
I swallowed as my ankle started itching.
"Oh."
"Well, I'm sure he didn't really mean to pull the trigger."
Michonne stood straight, and sighed as she pursed her lips, squeezing her right cheek as it formed into half a smile. But it wasn't meant to be a smile.
"Probably just a threat."
She looked down to me and nodded, telling me that it wouldn't be easy for my relationship with Carl either.
What kind of relationship...
"Carl...CARL."
Rick's voice messed Carl's name up, sounding a bit odd as I heard no a but o.
"WHAT?!"
Carl snapped back as his voice was deep and loud. Maggie came behind Rick, cupping his shoulder with her hand.
"We gotta stop, lil' man-"
"Don't call me that!"
He loved it when Daryl called him that.
Daryl went back from where he stepped up, taking his crossbow from over his head and his shoulder, holding it as he would if he were ready to shoot. He looked around, observing the woods as he looked back to us , standing directly in the middle.
"We should stop now. We can all split up, find supplies. When we get back, we can eat, stay here for the night."
Daryl explained.
"Someone should set up, ya know, get the barriers set up."
Maggie was talking about the things we use to keep us alive as we sleep, also known as a string with objects tied to it so if a walker comes by, they will bang together and the noise will alert us.
Oh, gosh.
Carl was ahead of us by at least eight feet when he stopped walking to actually listen. He came back as he took rope out of his bag and started to wrap it around a tree.
"Okay, I think Carl's got that job,"
Daryl said calmly.
"We'll take this side of the woods, and you take that side."
Daryl pointed to either side as he went with Rick and Michonne and Maggie went the other way.
"Maybe you should stay here with him."
My body shook as I heard that suggestion, which I didn't like. Michonne did that thing where she squeezed her cheek and she nodded once, and I did the same, squeezing my lips together. She headed off, following Maggie, and I turned back to see Carl staring at me with the rope in his hand, scolding me.
"Um...Mi-Michonne told me to, uh..."
"Yea. I heard. I pay attention to everything now."
He was already tying the rope to the next tree, making a square, as he looked up at me, and I could slightly see his blue eyes peering from under the rim of his hat. I rock back and forth on my feet and I looked around, pretending I didn't notice his glance.
"You don't need to stay."
My mouth shook, and I didn't know how to respond.
"You can go, just like before."
He broke his stare very dramatically, coldly staring at me and then going back for his work that he would compare to be for charity.
I sighed, playing with the strap of my bag as I headed off. I didn't know where I was going to go, or what I was going to do, but I knew I would stay in the middle, and out of Carl's view.
I figured I would help find food and supplies.
I can do this myself.
I set my bag down as I looked around for sticks and a lot of leaves, trying to remember how to make a snare trap. In the morning, I could grab anything I caught and It was one of the many...techniques my parents taught me.
I set up a trail with sticks, setting the leaves to the side as I reached behind me for my bag, but I didn't feel anything. I looked behind me, and my bag wasn't there. I stooped up, looking around as I brushed hair behind my ear. It wasn't there. My head slammed to the trunk of the tree as it fell against it many times, and my back was against the tree. But, I was pushed. When my sight went back to clear vision, after it was covered with black, all I saw was a barrel of a gun and I was shocked at who was holding it.
"Parker..."
Parker stood in front of me with both hands on his gun. His blonde hair looked messier than before, and the gun that was in my face told me that the first time he met me was not an accident.
"Yep. It's me. Believe it?"
He spoke to me in a sarcastic tone, acting as if I were the dumbest person he's ever met. Maybe I was...my bag was on his shoulder.
"Look, Parker. I don't know why you're doing this, but give me my bag a-"
"Oh, but I think you know perfectly why, or maybe you don't. You probably think this is all about my group now being dead, and I want to get revenge, but it's not. See, when I first saw you, I knew you were a threat. I was going to kill you right in that house, even if you were a threat or not. But, oh, walkers can barely hear a gun shot in the middle of the woods, and I know you're a threat,"
He cocked his gun back as I was pinned against the tree.
"And you know how we deal with those."
His finger slid on the trigger, yet his arm was pushed towards the sky, and the bullet went up and the gun dropped to the ground.
Carl.
Carl turned him, looking him in the eye as he pointed his gun at Parker.
"Cute...all you do is shoot 'em."
Carl's fist came across Parker's cheek as his jaw was dislocated. Carl took about five punches when Parker pulled his knife from his belt. As he went to stab Carl, Carl held his wrist with the same hand he had his gun in, and he pulled out his knife as Parker's stomach started gushing blood.
When Parker fell to the ground, he rolled away a bit, trying to get away, but Carl put a bullet in his head, now making him nothing but dead.
My hands held the tree by my hips and I couldn't help but breath heavily at a shock of what I just witnessed. Now, all I saw in front of me was Carl's back and a dead body, then Carl slowly started to turn towards me. I stepped off the tree and rubbed my hands together as I felt my hole body go hot from his stare.
"Carl..."
He walked towards me, and I thought he was going to beat me to death, but instead, his hands grabbed my shoulders and my back gently rubbed against the tree. Carl's hat gently scratched my forehead and I could feel his hot breath trail down my ear, which made me breath even heavier, not to mention his hands caressing my lower hips. He didn't look anywhere near my eyes, yet that's where I looked the whole time. His eyes shined to the ground, having the most attention on that, and a moment after, I didn't see anything. I closed my eyes, and all I could do was feel.
Carl's lips gently slammed to mine, yet they had a forceful mood glossed on them. My back arched off of the trunk and Carl's hands slid farther up, and I wrapped mine around his neck.
He felt warmer than his actions led. His chest was like a blanket, and I felt safe against him.
I felt safe. I felt fine. What was Carl feeling... Was he still mad? Did he still care? Did he love me.
I hope he did...I know he did.
The way he kissed me. They way he was holding me so tightly, and it felt like he never wanted to let me go.
I pulled back for a breath as Carl's fingers were just underneath the hem of my shirt, and his fingers rubbed against my skin. I rested my head on his chest, still holding onto his neck, and he still held me tight. I felt his breath slide down my cheek, and I looked up at him.
His eyes still angled down, but he then turned them along with his head. He looked towards the dead body and I followed him as he headed towards it.
He turned it over, grabbing my bag from it's back and he handed it to me, taking out his gun, and he shot the body one last time.
He had to get rid of his anger somehow.
I slung on my bag as I looked at him. He bit his lip and sighed. I reached for his hand, only hooking my fingers between his, and it was the lightest grip, yet it was some affection. No matter what, we would still never let go.
"C'mon. We'll be fine. I want to help."
"I want to help you. I'll protect you."
I remember when Carl said that. He was serious, too. He meant it. I took his hand to show I was serious, too.
"-We'll be fine.-"
We. We would help each other through this whole thing. It was my turn to help him.
He shifted his fingers between mine as we walked, and I caught him staring at me from the corner of my eye. As I looked at him, he looked down.
I smiled.
It felt good to know what love felt like.
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Oh my god that last line that I wrote even gave me feels.
Hello!
This is by far my favorite chapter!
-heart eyes, mothafucka-
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Anyway, finally!
After 35 chapters, I finally get to have them make out:
Favorite chapter.
My bae @mixed-fanfictions kept yelling at me to do it, so here you go B dawg. Love you.
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And woa! 17k reads?!?!!!!!
I love you all.
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Colettie