In the Sound

I stumbled back a few steps.

Swaying blindly. Brows furrowed in utter confusion. My feet trying so hard to stand firmly. I shook my head a little, dark locks flopping out of my messy bun. The mug of water spilt at my feet, pierced into small shards or porcelain. I wasn’t sure if I was more upset that I spilt my drink or that this lesbian slapped me.

“How dare you give him such a hard time huh?”

Her voice was soft, trembling every few seconds. I watched her carefully, fists balling into tight holds. One, I could take. Two? Definitely not.

“A hard time? He gave me the hard time, almost killed my dog!” I muttered in a throaty growl.

I edged into her space, expecting her to be hop back like a little bird. She was slow, and skinny, her collar bones peeking out of her pasty chest. Nothing about her screamed rough around the edges. But the woman didn’t flinch, and I knew that she must have seen much worse than me.

Her eyes thinned into a fiery glare. “And be grateful you have him back! We’ve all lost people. Daryl too. But you need’a go in there an’ apologise.”

“Carol,” Lori intercepted, stretching her arm back out again.
Carol swayed her hip away from Lori, “No. No!”

She swatted around her waist, shooing Lori away like she was a pesky fly. Annoyance riddling her lanky muscles. She brought a finger up and prodded it near my face, “that man has been out in those woods every day, lookin’ for my little girl.”

“Funny. You seem a little old to be his girlfriend.”

I scrunched up my nose at her, the way I imagined Kit would too. The heat swelling like a whirlpool in my chest, making my head twirl with red. I bore into her dark, hollowed eyes, my mouth stretching into a slight snarl.

Carol flustered back at this, lids fluttering like the wings of a startled butterfly. Her bony cheeks trembled in the slightest way. The way that Kit did yesterday. And in that moment my anger flushed through my fingers. Seeped out of my bones. Out of my mind. All that was left in my crevice was just a cloud of something new. I just felt sorry for her. A mother without her child. It was my unhappy ending without Kit. It was the trap I almost laid into.

“He’s a good man. And it doesn’t matter what you think, it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. He deserves better than people who treat him like that. That goes for all of you.”

She took a hesitant step back, heels grazing the grass beds. Her bony chin tipped towards Lori and Dale. Their faces matching in surprise. Wide eyes and parted lips. Carol spun in her spot and strode away from the camp.

I kissed the pads of my fingers over my slapped cheek. It stung as I poked it.

“Is everyone gonna greet me like that?” I squinted my eyes at the two owls watching me.

Dale’s withered eyes were like coins, before he broke into an awkward laugh. “Don’t take it to heart, Carol’s been like that with everyone. Daryl’s been leading the search for Sophia.”

An awkward hush lingered between us, making me shift awkwardly. I glanced back up to Dale who pushed another mug into my sweaty grasp. I laced my fingers through the handle and nodded in thanks at him. I brought the mug just under my chin, feeling the steam tickle my face.

“Honey, I don’t think we’ve got any spare tents,” Lori gave a slight shake of her head, dark curtains of hair waving with the wind. “Is there any room in the RV?”

I blew a steady breath over the top of the mug, gaze flickering between Lori and Dale.

Dale rubbed at his white shadowy beard, eyes deep in thought. After a moment he shook his head slowly, “Shane’s on the couch. Glenn’s on the floor. I’m in the bed. Unless you wanna sleep in the driver’s seat, it’s a tight fit.”

Both Lori and Dale’s lips were locked in tight lines. I couldn’t help but feel the disappointment sink into my heart and anchor itself there. I nodded in understanding, my heart beat padding in its cavity. There had to be spare room somewhere other than in Daryl’s tent. Or Carol’s.

I didn’t wish to die during the night.

Lori raised a brow and counted on her fingers, “Four tents. Andrea and Carol in one. I share with Rick and Carl. T-Dog’s is too small to fit someone else in there. That leaves-” She waved over to the last tent, set awhile away from the others.

How convenient.

My feet moved before I wanted them to. One after the other. Edging closer towards his tent. Where I knew he waited inside. I sighed, watching the tent cautiously. I wasn’t good with negotiations. Or friendships. But Kit needed somewhere to stay.

“Daryl’s.”