The Ocean Howls Pain

The house was quiet when Kit opened the back door. She knew Eric and Aaron wouldn’t be there at that time of day or she wouldn’t have gone home. The stare that kid gave her made her unsteady, hands trembling a little. There’d been hate in that look and Kit didn’t want to know why. With the door closed she felt safer though it seemed unlikely he’d follow her. She didn’t hear footsteps behind her when she ran.

Slipping the bag off her shoulders and letting it drop to the floor, Kit wiped the back of her hand over her forehead and walked on wobbly legs for the sink to get some water. It was slightly muggy inside as well as outside but she hardly noticed the trickle of sweat on her back. There were things she was used to that she couldn’t remember getting used to. For how much she was glad to forget the ghosts in her dreams Kit wished there was something besides gray fog when she tried to reach back.

As long as she remained unsure whether the nightmare images were real or false she could – there was someone at the door.

A shadow passed through the sunlight that came in the glass. Kit’s muscles locked holding a glass under the faucet. She set it down and instinctively climbed onto the counter. There was a space between the fridge and the cupboards, just enough for her to crouch almost into a ball and hide herself from view of the back door. The click of the latch made her eye widen, hands clenching at her thighs. The door wasn’t locked. A bad habit of Alexandrians that was rubbing off on her. That was why she tried so hard not to get weak. Kit held her breath, not entirely sure what she was so scared of as she hid.

A boot set itself softly on the wood floor. The door was still open. Kit let her head rest on her knee, staring out at the kitchen and feeling her heart ricocheting around inside her chest. More footsteps, on the grass before they came into the house louder than the others. Someone shushed them with a sharp snap.

“I think she was just scared.” a voice that was deep but obviously teenage spoke in a whisper just to be quieted again.

Another measured step. “Of what? She ran in here, and now she’s hidin’.” a man’s voice hissed back.

“She did just watch our group attacking people in her community. Namely you trying to kill Nicholas.”

An annoyed huff. “They fuckin’ started it. If she didn’t have nothin’ to hide she wouldn’t be doin’ it.”

They were coming closer to being able to see her. Kit couldn’t reach for anything without making noise in the silent house, already forcing herself to breathe carefully to avoid detection. She knew it was the boy who’d glared at her, but she wasn’t sure who the man with him was since she didn’t watch the fight. If she had to make an educated guess from the sound of his voice and the way he was stalking her, Kit would have thought it was the man in leather. The one that boiled with barely contained fury. The back of her neck prickled and she hoped to God it wasn’t him. That he wouldn’t kill her if it was.

Knowing from the closeness of the beats on the floor that they were barely a yard from putting her in their line of sight, Kit shrunk back as far as she could into the small cave created by the cabinets and the fridge. If she was as still as possible they might not see her. With her temple on her knee so her good eye could watch Kit waited still as stone.

The end of a crossbow appeared first, soon followed by the tough, sun browned arms that held it. Arms rigid with wiry muscle and prepared to pull the trigger. She had to wonder at the willingness to murder in the place that had just taken them in. Then again she was the same way, nearly choking Pete to death when she first woke up. The boy didn’t actually sound hostile which didn’t fit with the way he looked at her, but Kit eyed the crossbow like a cornered animal. She was one. Hoping the predator didn’t catch her scent.

For a few seconds, as the leather vest and shoulders appeared along with the man’s shaggy head, Kit thought he might not see her. She was motionless and didn’t dare to breathe even when her lungs burned in protest but his focus was singular, his eyes darting. In a flash he’d turned toward her, prepared to fire an arrow directly into her skull.

“The fuck…” he murmured, and Kit could tell she’d startled him. She must have looked a sight, head bowed low and legs drawn up to fit in the small space. Like the crumpled body of a dead spider.

The boy was at his side in a second, following his line of sight and appearing briefly alarmed by Kit as well. Then he was pursing his lips and touching the man’s weapon but not trying to lower it. The intense squint sent his way made Kit think that wouldn’t have been taken well.

“Look.” gesturing at her, the boy frowned up at his friend. “She’s scared and she doesn’t have a weapon. I just freaked her out…Daryl, come on.”

Daryl, then. He didn’t look any less likely to shoot her and Kit kept looking right back, immobile and mute. “She looks like she’d try and rip my throat out if she could do it without an arrow to the head.” grunted Daryl, greasy hair hanging in his unwavering eyes.

Blinking, Kit realized she had been almost matching the hostility in his expression. Some mindless response to the threat of death. Composing her face so it was blank, she waited. The boy glanced at her, making a face at Daryl. “So what? You gonna kill her now?”

He let the question hang in the air longer than Kit liked, her palms sweating slightly as her back began to ache from the cramped position. With a grunt Daryl began to lower his crossbow. Only enough that he would still be able to fire in a second’s notice. “What’d you run for?” he nodded at Kit as he spoke, suspicion still clear in the way he looked at her.

Without a weapon pointed at her face Kit relaxed minutely. Though she still didn’t squeeze herself out from her hiding spot. It took her a few seconds to respond, her voice low and raspy as it always was if not more so from going hours without speaking. “I thought you were going to kill me.”

“Didn’t think about it until I spotted you runnin’.” Daryl grumbled, the teenager at his side appearing vaguely guilty.

When he noticed Kit was looking at him he cleared his throat. “Sorry I looked at you like that. Just the eye patch…surprised me, I guess. Sorry.”

Kit impulsively reached up to touch the rough fabric of the covering. Most of the time she forgot it was there since the strap was fairly comfortable on her head. It seemed to her that after everything they had to have seen out on the road an eye patch wasn’t really grounds to stare, but nonetheless she shook her head.

“S’fine…I’m gonna get down now.” Kit kept her eye on them warily, moving her uncomfortable limbs with deliberate slowness until her legs were over the edge of the counter and she could slide back to standing. It was quiet, awkward, as the two strangers looked at her uncertainly. One more unfriendly than the other. “They brought you in. From the outside.” she mumbled after a moment, glancing back and forth between Daryl and the teenager.

While Daryl kept scowling at her the kid nodded, reaching up to fix his hat as if he did so often. Kit realized it was a sheriff’s hat, the corner of her mouth nearly tilting upward. “Yeah. You too, right?” She nodded. It was as clear as a tattoo on the forehead. You could smell the road on another person.

If it wasn’t obvious from Daryl’s stiff posture that he was on edge staying there it was clear when he spoke over them. “Come on. Your dad’s gonna be lookin’ for you.”

That made the boy frown but he gave a jerk of his head in agreement. Daryl moved for the front door, his crossbow finally lowered to his side. Before yanking on the handle and slipping outside he glanced back at Kit, obviously remaining wary. She couldn’t really blame him. Didn’t mean she had to like being treated like a suspect.

“My name’s Carl, by the way.” said the teenager, making Kit turn her head sharply back in his direction. “What’s um…what’s yours?”

She considered holding her hand out to shake and then reconsidered. Instead she just gave him a weak grin. “Kit.” I think went unsaid, but she always thought it after introducing herself.

“COME ON.” Daryl’s voice came sharp from outside, making both of them wince and Carl start for the door.

“Nice meeting you. Sorry again.” He looked back at her with a tentative smile and Kit nodded, frowning as the door was closed.

She always thought the people in Alexandria were pitiful. Maybe they were the better option after all.