Chapter 2

It's already midday and Carol can't Hold herself back no longer. When She heard there is a little girl, about Sofia's age, sitting outside in the car, she wanted to run there at full speed. She misses Sofia desperately and no one is to blame her.

"Well isn't that some pretty hair?" Carol says, standing at a Safe distance from the car.

The girl looks out to see who is talking, since it's a new voice again. 'How many are here exactly?!' She asks herself in her head and touches her tangled hair in confusion since it can only look all but pretty.

"My name is Carol" she announces with a smile and kneels down, still looking at the breathtakingly beautiful Girl, covert in dirt and blood. What gets her though are the bruises and her heart constricts for the girl.

"My little Girl has just the same hair colour, only way shorter." She says and her eyes glaze over.

"Where is she?" The girl asks curiously, since 'Glen' only mentioned the boy from earlier, 'Carl' she remembers. When Carol only gives a sad smile, the girl says "oh".

There is a stretched silence, which for a change the girl breaks.

"What was her Name?....your daughters?" She asks and pulls her knees up to her chest to lay the side of her head on it. She was getting tired due to being up since the early, dark hours.

"S-Sofia...her name was Sofia." Carols voice cracks and a shaky smile comes on her face. It has been long since she spoke her name.

"What's your Name? I bet it's as pretty as you are." carol asks after wiping her eyes lightly.

"I....I can't remember..." The girl says honestly. The last time someone addressed to her by name, was when her mom was still around. And that was too long ago to even remember. Her father only called her 'Girl' or 'Kid'.

"Well I'm sure one would have a name-" carol says but stops when the girl seams to get defensive. "Doesn't matter. I'm sure we'll find a perfect name for you. But first, why don't you come and I'll show you where you will be staying." carol hurries but remains where She is.

The girl bites her split lip. She doesn't trust these people. But, this woman has something warm about her. Her eyes give a feeling that the Girl never felt before. At least she doesn't remember ever having this warmth in her chest.

Hesitantly she turns and her feet hang out of the car. She reaches behind her without breaking eye contact with carol and grabs her hat, to clutch it to her chest. Next she reaches down to her left and grabs her board that is resting at the foot of the seat. She slides down from the seat and her shoes crunch the grid of the prison ground.

Carol still remains in  her Position and only rises up when The Girl stops a few feet in front of her. They walk inside and everyone stops what they are doing.

The girl inspects everyone with calculating eyes. There is an older girl sitting on the table, feeding a baby with a bottle. Carl is also sitting at the table, his hand frozen in the air above the babys face. Glen and Maggie are a bit further back, in front of one of the cells. The crossbow guy is on the upper level, cleaning his arrows, not minding her. Rick is standing in the middle of the cellblock and that's it. Carol walks further in and turns to her. Every cell in her body screams for her to dash out and run forever but she ignores it.

"So, do you want to be on the ground Floor or uparais?" carol asks her and the girl answers by letting her eyes swift up. Carol smiles and nods her head towards the stairs. As she takes a step, Carl rises from his seat, which the girl notices and takes a step to the side, pressing her right shoulder into the cold wall. Her board is between like a shield and carl sits down again.

After a while the girl manages to rip her eyes away from Carl and looks around at the others. Carol is still smiling at her and the bow guy stoped cleaning and now watches her.

"It's okay...you can come." Carol assures and the girl checks everyone over once more. She leans off the wall and takes a step further in but makes sure to stay near to the wall.

Daryl raises his brow at that, noting how the girl carries herself. He acts as if he is minding his arrows again but watches from the corner of his eye as carol and her make their way to the stairs. Next he hears the familiar noise of boots hitting metal as they climb them. Carol walks up and passes Daryl without a care, while the girl pauses at the top of the stairs. Daryl keeps his act up and the girl cautiously goes to Carol but always leaves an arms-length distance. He knows this behaviour. It gives him chills and his scars tingle in response.

"Pick one. Mine is that one on the left. The middle one. So you can always come if you need something." carol says and Daryl is now leaning one of his arms on his pulled up knee, watching them while he rubs the little scruff on his chin.

As if feeling his eyes on her, the girl turns her head to him. "Don't mind Daryl. He only seams like a big, bad wolf but he is very Sweet, I promise." carol assures and Daryl frowns, picking up his arrow again he resumes cleaning it.

The girl pics the cell far to the right. The last cell on the row. Daryl hears Carol talking to her and  he also hears beth talking, asumingly to Rick. Daryl drowns out Carols blabbering and focuses on Beths voice.

"Did you check her for bites?!" She asks lowly and the concern is evident in her voice.

"You didn't." She says in shock as Rick doesn't answer.

"Beth, haven't you Seen for yerself? There was no way of-" Maggie joins in only to be cut off.

"Yes Maggie, I've Seen her! The blood! So, we handcuff Daddy to a bed But we just openly risk it with her?!" Beth hisses in a whispered yell.

"Hey! Watch it!" Maggie warns and shuts her up with a pointing finger. Beth storms into the cell Hershel is lying in.

Carol stands at the stairs again. Alone. Daryls eyes go from her to the cell down the row.

"She wants to Rest. Who can really blame her." Carol explains with a light chuckle at the end. "Child Must've been through hell." She adds.

Daryl gives her a half smile and nods. "I'll go, get some clean clothes for her." Carol says and turns to leave into her own cell.

His eyes go back to the cell, that now will house the girl and he notices that there comes no sound from there. Only Carl, who is cooing at Judith and Maggie and Glen murmuring to each other are heard, nothing else. 

A few minutes pass and Carol walks towards the cell, with a set of which should be Sofias pj's. Daryls eyebrow rises. Carol walks in and then runs out again in pure Terror. Daryl stands up and the others are looking up in confusion as they hear the Loud stomping on the metal row.

"She's gone! My girl is gone!" Carol says in panic, while clutching Daryls west by the coller.

"What?" Daryl asks confused of what carol is talking about. Then it hits him but more importantly the part where she said 'She is gone'. That can't be, he whatched The cell the whole time since Carol walked into her own cell.

"Shhh." Daryl says and puts his hands on Carols shoulders awkwardly. "Let's look again. she has to be in there." Daryl says lightly.

"N-no. I didn't see her!". The others now are on the stairs but Daryl holds them off, knowing the Girl won't appreciate this many people hogging her personal-space.

"Come. It's okey." he says to Carol and walks to the cell. He signals her to stay on the outside and looks around. Soon, the edge of her board sticking out from under the bunkbed catches his eye. He lightly lifts the mattress and sure enough there she is, leg's pulled up into her chest in a fetus-position.

Daryl puts his finger to his lips and lifts the mattress further up so that Carol can see the girl completely. Curled up, Head using her Board as a pillow and eyes shut. His heart lightly squeezes at the knife clutched in her Hand. He looks up at Carol, who is looking with glassy eyes and a hand pressen to her mouth.

Daryl Let's the matress down, as lightly as he can and walks out of the cell. Carol goes to hurry in but he holds her back. She looks at him, confusion clearly on her face. He lightly takes her by the upper arm and leads her to her own cell and Waves the others off in the process.

"Sit." he says gruffly and Carol does. "I know, You're missn' yer girl but...this kid...can't you see?" daryl says and glassy eyes snap to him in a hard stare.

"She clearly is troubled and i don' think it would be very fair to use her to Fill-" Daryl goes on but is cut off.

"don't you dare!" carol says hurt. "Don't you dare say that to me!" She repeads.

"Carol-"

"I want to be alone" She says to cut him off.

"Whatever!" Daryl says with a frown. He knows she is still grieving  but he won't let her use that kid to sooth her pain, to later be disappointed, for the kid not turning out to be anything like she would want her to be. That kid is not like Sofia and forcing her to become that, would be selfish.

He goes to his 'Nest' and starts making new arrows, to steam off. All the while sneaking glances at the cell on the far end of the row to the right.

The day goes on and Carol eventually comes out of her cell and walks down to the others. More time passes with Carl throwing his Tennis Ball at the wall and asking why the new kid won't play with him. Then he hears Glen coming up with an idea, to check the kid over in her sleep and Daryl can't hold himself back any longer.

He stands up and walks down half the stairs to Lean over the railing to tell Glen  "no one is coming near that kid." in a intimidating growl.

When non of them say something, both frozen in shock, he walks back up the stairs to move his mattress so that it blocks the way to the cell the kid is staying in.