Tiptoe Through the Tulips
Five.
I felt myself being shook and groaned, curling up tight so my chin was practically on my knees.
“Ariella?” I heard a deep voice say, I huffed and slowly opened my eyes, once they focused I realised it was T-dog knelt over me, “We’re getting ready to go, so get up kay?” I nodded and pulled my upper body off of the ground, once again wincing at how stiff my muscles felt.
“Wherever we stop next better have beds.” I joked, taking his hand as he pulled me into a standing position, he chuckled and turned, scattering the remains of the fire about so no-one would know we had ever been here. “Who exactly are we hiding our tracks from?” I asked, as I bent down to help him,
“I think it’s just about everyone now,” he answered, standing up and stretching.
Rick came back into the camp and nodded at what we had done, “We’re leaving in about ten minutes.” he stated, turning curtly and making his way back towards the cars. I watched as Lori watched him leave, face still in the frown that had covered in the last two days.
I walked over to her, offering Carl a quick 'Hi',
“Can I talk to your mom for a second?” He looked at her worriedly before nodding and heading over to T-dog.
“You need to lighten up on Rick” I told her honestly, perhaps with a bit too much of a hard tone, “You know what Shane was becoming, If he had his way he would have killed three people in those woods and not cared at all.”
“My husband killed his best friend” she muttered, eyes looking anywhere but on me,
“He killed a murderer, I don’t know what Shane was like before this, or even before I met you all but he was turning into a monster, I know it’s horrible Lori and I know whatever happened between you and Shane happened, but, it’s better for everyone that he is dead!” She shook her head, her hands shaking and turned on me,
“You don’t know anything about us.” she spat, turning and marching away from me.
I wasn’t going to waste my time.
Rolling my eyes I made my way over to the cars, grabbing a bag full of food and helping Maggie to place it in the trunk of the red car,
"I’m staying,” she told me, smiling gently at me, “I spoke to Glenn and thought ‘bout what you said and you’re right, I couldn’t do that to Beth and my dad.” I nodded, and smiled back, her own slowly turned into a frown though, “I just wish we knew what the hell we were doing rather than running about with no plan.”
I closed the trunk and turned to face her fully, her skin was pale, hair beginning to grow greasy and large bags under her tired eyes, “I think everyone feels the same way”
“My dad wants to check your head out!” she called as I made my way towards Daryl, I nodded and made my way to Hershel instead, offering Daryl a small wave and eye roll as I saw Carol was once again going at him.
The flash of jealously returned but I forced it down.
My head was healing fairly well Hershel said, there would be a scar but I wasn’t planning on shaving my head anytime soon so that wasn’t a problem, my neck was the issue. I had looked in a mirror at the garage and the thick finger shaped bruises on it had even scared me a little. It looked horrible and was still really stiff, Hershel reckoned I had deep internal bruising.
I’m sure he was right, it’s not like Shane tried to strangle me gently was it?
I had had a nightmare about it last night and woken sweating and with tears on my face, it had been the way he had looked at me, the way I had so pitifully given in, the sensation and belief I was dying.
In that moment Shane had overtaken my Father as the person I was most scared of.
Thank fuck for Rick.
______________________________________
We spent the day driving, with a short stop off at the garage to grab as much gas as we could and anymore supplies we wanted. It was beginning to grow dark and I could see the silhouette of buildings in the distance, it must be the town Hershel was talking about.
Reaching the sign shortly after Daryl slowed to a stop and I examined it, the town’s name was barely visible, covered by posters with warnings to stay away from others and graffiti.
The central street of the town was quiet, dirty, but with everything in order, it looked like it had been abandoned quickly and for years although I knew this wasn’t the cas. Rick left the car first, walking over to Daryl and myself.
“Its getting dark, we find somewhere that looks safe now and scavenge in the morning, a hotel or something, somewhere we can set up a perimeter.” We both nodded in agreement and Rick made his way back to the car, I sighed, placing my cheek against Daryl’s back as I stretched, grabbing a gun from the bag attached to the bike.
“Don’t shoot anything ‘less it’s necessary” Daryl told me and I scoffed.
“I know, I’m not fucking stupid!” He ignored me and instead put his foot back on the gas, slowly leading the small convey into the town. We passed a couple of Walkers who had been eating what looked like a decomposing dog and I gagged as the smell flooded my senses.
I turned back to face the car, seeing Glenn’s face tense and worried, eyes focused outwards on the buildings, I did the same.
This town was quiet, far too quiet.
“Ariella?” I heard a deep voice say, I huffed and slowly opened my eyes, once they focused I realised it was T-dog knelt over me, “We’re getting ready to go, so get up kay?” I nodded and pulled my upper body off of the ground, once again wincing at how stiff my muscles felt.
“Wherever we stop next better have beds.” I joked, taking his hand as he pulled me into a standing position, he chuckled and turned, scattering the remains of the fire about so no-one would know we had ever been here. “Who exactly are we hiding our tracks from?” I asked, as I bent down to help him,
“I think it’s just about everyone now,” he answered, standing up and stretching.
Rick came back into the camp and nodded at what we had done, “We’re leaving in about ten minutes.” he stated, turning curtly and making his way back towards the cars. I watched as Lori watched him leave, face still in the frown that had covered in the last two days.
I walked over to her, offering Carl a quick 'Hi',
“Can I talk to your mom for a second?” He looked at her worriedly before nodding and heading over to T-dog.
“You need to lighten up on Rick” I told her honestly, perhaps with a bit too much of a hard tone, “You know what Shane was becoming, If he had his way he would have killed three people in those woods and not cared at all.”
“My husband killed his best friend” she muttered, eyes looking anywhere but on me,
“He killed a murderer, I don’t know what Shane was like before this, or even before I met you all but he was turning into a monster, I know it’s horrible Lori and I know whatever happened between you and Shane happened, but, it’s better for everyone that he is dead!” She shook her head, her hands shaking and turned on me,
“You don’t know anything about us.” she spat, turning and marching away from me.
I wasn’t going to waste my time.
Rolling my eyes I made my way over to the cars, grabbing a bag full of food and helping Maggie to place it in the trunk of the red car,
"I’m staying,” she told me, smiling gently at me, “I spoke to Glenn and thought ‘bout what you said and you’re right, I couldn’t do that to Beth and my dad.” I nodded, and smiled back, her own slowly turned into a frown though, “I just wish we knew what the hell we were doing rather than running about with no plan.”
I closed the trunk and turned to face her fully, her skin was pale, hair beginning to grow greasy and large bags under her tired eyes, “I think everyone feels the same way”
“My dad wants to check your head out!” she called as I made my way towards Daryl, I nodded and made my way to Hershel instead, offering Daryl a small wave and eye roll as I saw Carol was once again going at him.
The flash of jealously returned but I forced it down.
My head was healing fairly well Hershel said, there would be a scar but I wasn’t planning on shaving my head anytime soon so that wasn’t a problem, my neck was the issue. I had looked in a mirror at the garage and the thick finger shaped bruises on it had even scared me a little. It looked horrible and was still really stiff, Hershel reckoned I had deep internal bruising.
I’m sure he was right, it’s not like Shane tried to strangle me gently was it?
I had had a nightmare about it last night and woken sweating and with tears on my face, it had been the way he had looked at me, the way I had so pitifully given in, the sensation and belief I was dying.
In that moment Shane had overtaken my Father as the person I was most scared of.
Thank fuck for Rick.
______________________________________
We spent the day driving, with a short stop off at the garage to grab as much gas as we could and anymore supplies we wanted. It was beginning to grow dark and I could see the silhouette of buildings in the distance, it must be the town Hershel was talking about.
Reaching the sign shortly after Daryl slowed to a stop and I examined it, the town’s name was barely visible, covered by posters with warnings to stay away from others and graffiti.
The central street of the town was quiet, dirty, but with everything in order, it looked like it had been abandoned quickly and for years although I knew this wasn’t the cas. Rick left the car first, walking over to Daryl and myself.
“Its getting dark, we find somewhere that looks safe now and scavenge in the morning, a hotel or something, somewhere we can set up a perimeter.” We both nodded in agreement and Rick made his way back to the car, I sighed, placing my cheek against Daryl’s back as I stretched, grabbing a gun from the bag attached to the bike.
“Don’t shoot anything ‘less it’s necessary” Daryl told me and I scoffed.
“I know, I’m not fucking stupid!” He ignored me and instead put his foot back on the gas, slowly leading the small convey into the town. We passed a couple of Walkers who had been eating what looked like a decomposing dog and I gagged as the smell flooded my senses.
I turned back to face the car, seeing Glenn’s face tense and worried, eyes focused outwards on the buildings, I did the same.
This town was quiet, far too quiet.
♠ ♠ ♠
Hmmmm