The purple tulip
Rick began to run to the door.
"Wait!" I said, grabbing my crossbow.
"No, stay here, Melissa!" Rick said, beginning to open the door.
"I have just as much rights to go out there as you!" I said in a harsh whisper. He sighed and opened the door. We ran outside. Now I understand why he didn't want any of us kids outside. Trees were fallen over and walkers were basically cut in half and trapped under them. That could have been us if dad never found this barn.
I followed ricks light footsteps as we ran through the forest, looking for Carl. We wanted to yell out for him, but we couldn't risk having tons of walkers after us.
"God dammit!" I sighed. I shot any walkers that got to close with my gun(it had a silencer on it).
"Melissa, wait." Rick said, running towards me. I turned around and looked at him, breathing heavily from all the running.
"That's your son. My boyfriend. Don't even try to tell me to stop running, he wouldn't have just left, rick. He wouldn't have left me, or Judith, or even you. He would have told us, made me come with him, he wouldn't just leave. He was on watch and now he's gone. You heard the door close, he wouldn't be loud if he left. He would have snuck away. Quietly. Someone took him--" I stopped talking and backed away slowly, covering my mouth with my hand.
"What?" Rick asked.
"My mom..." I whispered. Ricks eyes went wide. He grabbed my hand and ran deeper into the woods.
I saw something near a clearing of trees.
"Rick, stop." I said, running to the clearing. I dropped to my knees at the sight. No, it wasn't carls dead body, but his hat. It had blood on it, and some around it.
I picked it up and hugged it, letting only a few tears fall. Rick dropped to his knees beside me.
"The bloods still fresh... They can't be far." Rick said. I heard leaves rustling. I shot up and ran.
"Melissa!" Ricks voice got quieter the farther I ran. The rustling seemed to be moving. I heard the rustling of the bushes again. I stopped and looked around for the source of the noise. I looked around and noticed that I had lost rick.
"Carl?" I asked quietly, holding up my crossbow.
No answer.
"Carl? Are you there?" I asked, my voice cracking at the end. I jumped a bit when I saw something move, but it was just a rabbit. Sighing, I shot a bolt through its head and picked it up.
"Rick? Carl?" I said loudly. I looked around and forgot which way I came from.
"Dammit." I sighed, my throat closing in with tears. I sat down on a rock and let a few tears fall.
Ricks POV
She went running and I couldn't keep up with her. Great. Now I'm stuck in the middle of the woods with two missing children at four in the morning.
I decided to head back to the barn to tell everybody.
"Carl! Melissa!" I shouted. I waited, but there was no answer. I took a shaky breath and looked around once again before sprinting back to the barn.
I busted though the doors, panting and sweating. Everyone was awake and alert.
"Where's Carl?"
"And Melissa?!"
"I think Carl was taken. I accidentally woke Melissa up when I was looking around for him. She wanted to come looking with me, and, well, she kinda ran off and I lost her... God, what do I do?" I asked, pacing back and forth. Daryl came up to me.
"Chill, dude. We'll go looking for them. We'll find them." He said. I nodded.
+++
(Two days later)
Melissa's POV
Two days. TWO DAYS and I haven't found Carl or the barn. I walked around, playing with carls hat in my hand. I sighed. I've been with the group since the beginning. And now I may never see them again because I fucking got lost?!
I'm usually really good with finding my way around the woods, but if guess I was so focused on finding Carl, that I didn't pay attention to anything around me. So stupid.
Things are rough out in the woods by yourself. No food, no water, no company.
Yea, it's only been two days, but it's felt like so long and I feel like I'm just gonna be going around in circles forever.
You know what, I'm being ridiculous. I'll find them, and I'll be back in carls arms before I know it...
I heard walker growls coming from beside me. I looked over and sighed.
"Fuck you." I muttered before walking off. I eventually lost them.
"Wonder how Beth's doing up there... Merle... Kayla, Lizzie, mika, Amanda, Lori, Andrea, t-dog, Hershel, patricia...
I sighed and walked along the trees, the only sound being heard was my light footsteps and the occasional walker moans.
Right now I'm wishing I brought my backpack. I feel weird without it. I've been surviving with it since the beginning.
I lifted up my shirt a tad and looked at my now-healing gunshot wound. It still hurts from time to time, but in this world, pain comes with living. When you're hurting, at least you know you're alive.
Right now I'm wishing I had my dad, and I didn't get angry at him. He didn't mean to slap me, he would never mean to. He's just overwhelmed with everything that's been happening lately.
-
"Daddy! Daddy! Look!" I shouted, running to my dad with a flower in my hand. "I picked a flower! It so pretty!" I said. I was only four years old at the time, so basically anything was fascinating to my little mind.
Dad scooped me up in his arms and took the tulip from my small hands and smiled.
"Very pretty." He looked at me and touched the tip of my nose with his finger, making me scrunch up my nose and giggle. "You know what it's called?" He asked.
"Uh... Oh! A.. Tu...l-ip?" I questioned, trying to sound it out. "Oh! A tulip!" I said. He chuckled and nodded.
"That's right." He said, handing me back my flower and kissing my cheek.
-
I've always remembered that moment. So, as I stand there staring at the tulip by my feet, my eyes begun to water. I sniffle and wipe my eyes. I picked it up and smiled.
I heard footsteps near me. I turned around and pointed my gun up. I saw a figure walk by, their hands up.
"Who are you?" I asked. They walked closer. I dropped my gun.
"Carl..." I whispered. I ran up to him and hugged him, wrapping my legs around his torso. He hugged me tight.
"Told you I'd never leave you." He whispered into my shoulder. I cried tears of joy.
"Where were you?" I asked, playing with pieces of his long hair.
"I killed her..." He said. "She took me like she took you...I-I had to, Melissa... I heard and saw how awful she was to you and I could just let her do anything bad anymore. I shot her... I killed your mother... Oh my god, I'm so s--" I kissed him, making him shut up. He let me back onto my feet and cupped my face with his hands.we broke apart, our foreheads touching.
"What are you doing out here?" He asked.
"I got lost like two days ago..." I mumbled. He wrapped his arms around me.
"We'll find our way back." He said. I nodded into his chest.
"Where did she take you? How?" I asked,
"Knocked me out... Dragged me through the woods I guess." He mumbled. I nodded.
"Hey..." He lifted my head up with his fingers. "I'm here... You're here... We're both alive and okay, don't cry." He said, wiping my tears away.
"O...okay." I said, sniffling. He smiled,hugging me tight again.
"God, I'm so glad I found you..." He whispered.
"I'm never leaving you alone at night again." I said. He chuckled.
+++
"Groups probably worried sick about you." Carl said. I looked at him, swing our intertwined hands.
"Are you kidding me? They're terrified for you. Your dad especially. You should have seen the look on his face when he found out you were gone."I said.
"You're probably the most important part of this group you know that? Everyone loves you." He said. I sighed, shaking my head.
"Wait I remember this part of the woods... Um...we go this way." I said, pointing to my left. "God, I'm tired." I said. He stopped and bent his knees.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
"Hop on." He said. I raised an eyebrow.
"Seriously?" I asked.
"Yea. It's a serious piggyback, now hop on." He chuckled. I laughed and jumped on his back. He held onto the back of my knees while I wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder, my face facing the side of his face. I giggled and kissed his jawbone. He turned his head to face me and smirked.
"Aren't I heavy at all?" I asked, shocked that he could carry my weight on his back.
"Are you kidding? You're as light as a feather? What are you, ninety-five pounds?" He asked.
"I don't know, haven't really checked lately." I laughed.
"There it is!" He said. He began to run to the barn. We got to the door and he let me down. I knocked on the door a few times and heard people rush to it. I saw someone's eye look through a crack in the door.
"Special delivery," I laughed. I heard rick rushing to open the doors. He did and engulfed the two of us in a huge hug.
"Thank god..." He breathed. I chuckled.
"Dad!" I called, running up to him and hugging him, the purple tulip still in my grip. He hugged me back tightly.
"I'm sorry." His voice cracked at the end.
"Me too." I said.
---
WOW REALLY BAD CHAPTER IM SORRY IM SOOORRRYYY
DONT HATE ME PLZ