Turbulent // Carl Grimes

There were far too many of them.

I stumbled back as the corpses began closing in on my trail. Darkness seemed to engulf the area despite the sun's bright rays, and the smell of death became overwhelming. Desperately, I turned my head, trying to find anything that could protect me enough to find a way out of this mess. My eyes met with a cabin within close enough range, so I bolted for it. It was a dinky and rotted old cabin, barely big enough to call a home.

Once inside I quickly searched for anything that could be used as a barricade but found nothing of enough weight. I threw myself against the door and hoped to a higher power that my body wouldn't collapse once they started trying to bust inside.

It wasn't long before they did, their snarls and haunting moans growing nearly as loud as the pounding of their body against the weak wooden door. My feet slid against the wood as the weight grew heavier and heavier. Beads of sweat dripped off my skin and exasperated groans ripped from my throat. Something was going to give, whether it be my body or the door first would all be up to chance.

It was too much.

Then suddenly, it wasn't anymore.

The piercing, unmistakable sound of a gunshot rang through the air and seemed to grab the attention of most of the corpses. The weight lessened on the door until there was nothing left.

I waited for what felt like eternity, while whoever saved me tore through the dead outdoors. They continued until the world around me grew silent, the only sound being ginger steps towards the cabin.

"Whoever is in there, come out with your hands up." A deep voice called from just outside the door.

My only weapons were already holstered, so all I had to do was open the door and put my hands above my head like the voice asked. I did so slowly, careful not to invoke any fight or flight responses. I usually don't trust people anymore, but I was desperate and they just saved my life. It was my only shot if I wanted to survive.

When I looked past all the corpses scattered along the forest floor, I saw two men and a woman before me. The woman, a pretty brunette, stepped forward slightly while holding eye contact.

"Set your weapons on the ground, we mean no harm, sweetheart." She called, her southern drawl feeling familiar and comforting. I hesitated, tensing up at her request.

I needed to protect myself.

"We're not gonna hurt you, I promise you that." She paused for a moment, "We have a camp a few miles north of here, there's fences and a lot of people. We want to help you, but we need to protect ourselves first and foremost, which is why I'll need your weapons for a moment."

Her explanation seemed genuine, but I was still unsure. I pulled my gun out first, as the lack of bullets made it virtually useless in this situation. Setting it on the ground before me, I put my foot on top of it and slid it towards them.

The woman picked it up and inspected the weapon, popping open the chamber to see it had no ammunition. Then I placed my fingers upon the hilt of my knife, chest growing tight with anxiety. The woman opened her hand towards me, silently asking for the blade.

I swallowed hard, then shook my head fervently.

The girl glanced towards the two men beside her and one seemed unbothered by my hesitance. The crossbow strung across his back was intimidating, but his stature seemed relaxed–even kind.

"I think she's fine, I mean...she's just a kid."

I cringed at the wording. Technically he was correct, but I don't think anyone who's gone through what I have could be considered a kid anymore. Finally, the second man stepped forward and gestured towards himself.

"My name's Glenn, we can take you back to our camp if you want, but you'll have to answer three questions first. Does that sound okay?"

I nodded. What did I really have to lose? I know I would die if I stayed out here alone any longer. If they really had a camp, that's exactly what I've been needing. If not, and if it's all just a cruel trick, I just hoped they would make my death quicker then a corpse would.

"How many walkers have you killed?"

I pondered, "Too many to count."

"How many people have you killed?"

I froze. A lump grew in my throat as I answered, "Three."

"Why?"

~~~

The walk back towards their camp was silent at first, none of us feeling the need to say anything, or perhaps we were trying to find the right words to speak. The woman, who I now know was named Maggie, broke the silence.

"How old are you?" She asked, her curiosity obviously getting the best of her.

I shrugged, "Sixteen or seventeen. I've lost track of the days, so I'm not sure which one."

Before Maggie could speak again, Glenn spoke up with a bit of optimism. "It's June 7th. We have a few calendars at camp, and we've done our best to keep track of the days."

My eyes widened, surprised by the date I heard. I was sure I was only alone for a month or two, but if he was correct, it was much longer then that. Suddenly I remembered why he told me the date, and I realized I could answer Maggie's question correctly.

"Seventeen. I'm seventeen."

Maggie smiled, making a comment about how there were people my age and younger at their camp. Her words shocked me, causing me to fall back a bit in pace. She glanced back.

"There's people my age?"

She nodded, "Yeah, plenty of 'em."

I took another breath and fell back into pace with them, watching as their camp, an old prison, came into view. To say the least I was a bit taken aback. So far what they told me wasn't a lie, and the doubled up fences and spikes surrounding their prison seemed to assure me that this place was actually safe.
As we approached, I saw a man with a beard spot us through the fence and approach the entrance. He pulled a chain which caused an opening to form for the four of us, which we quickly ran inside. The man looked at me curiously, then turned to Daryl, the one with the crossbow.

They exchanged a few words quiet enough to evade my ears, and I sat back and watched. When they finished, the man turned towards me with his hand outstretched. I took it slowly, trying to remain cautious of those I didn't yet know.

"I'm Rick Grimes, it's nice to have a new addition to our camp. You'll have a week to settle in and relax before we throw you into any tasks. Eventually you'll have duties around here, but for now, I want you to wind down. I'll have someone escort you to your cell so you can rest, and tomorrow we'll get someone to show you around. Does that sound alright?"

I nodded, watching as Maggie gestured for me to follow her towards the prison. I began doing so, knowing she was leading me to my new room—well, cell I guess. But before we could get ten steps away from the area, Rick called towards me again.

"I never caught your name, by the way."

I looked back slowly,"Sage."