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E L E V E N

3 months later

A L E X A

Calm. Everything was calm. The only thing that we've killed in the past 3 months is walkers. It was just like the beginning.

Only I was able to go on my own. By that, I mean I never left my room, unless it was for walks.

My mind was clear, except for one thing. I was focused on surviving.

I was different. Everyone could see it. I kept to myself. I even became distant. To everyone. To the world. Even to my dad, which is unbelievable.

The only conversations we have now is when I tell him I'm leaving. He no longer tries to stop me. He worries about me, about what I have become.

He worries that if I go, that I won't come back. But he knew I would do it anyway. I've become a stranger to all of humanity, because although I seemed like I had some left, I didn't.

I gave up on hope and I gave up on the world like it gave up on us.

I was currently roaming roads I've never explored before. They were long roads, I knew it was dangerous to walk by myself, but I was still capable.

I had a backpack on my shoulders, just in case I found anything useful.

All in my mind I could hear my mothers voice.'I'm so proud of you, honey. You're doing it. You're okay.' Oh did I miss her.

Tears streamed down my face as I continued my walk.

'Don't you be sad, lexa. You are doing just fine. You're smart, you have everything figured out, and I'm still right here.'

The last thing she said to me will forever be burned into my brain. I will never forget the fear in her eyes and how shaky her voice was. She knew she was going to die.

'Alexa, baby, everything will be okay. You get out of here and remember mommy is always here. I love you.'

My heart ached to think of her. But I had to stay strong. I couldn't ever let myself get weak again. My hands reached up to my face and wiped the tears away.

I was hearing my dead mothers voice in my head. I was going absolutely insane.

I held my head high and spotted a small plaza in the distance. Wouldn't hurt to check it out. I silenced my steps, listening for any dead ones as I approached the plaza.

None that I could hear so far. I held a knife in hand and made sure my gun was easily accessed for me.

My first stop was the small market on my left. I lightly walked to the shattered glass doors, peering around before I stepped in.

Clear.

I stepped in, seeing that most stuff was looted except a few cans of food and some water. I started to load them into my bookbag until I heard stuff being knocked down and unpatterned footsteps.

I gripped my knife and put my back against the shelves. It was coming from my right.

I tiptoed to the edge and saw the nearly skinless Walker wandering around. I watched it get closer and closer and I stopped my breathing, then jumped out and pierced it in the head with my knife.

Blood splattered onto my face and clothes and I tugged my knife out, wiping the blood away on my jeans.

There was another one following it and I smirked lightly.

"Come on, fresh meat." I pointed to myself. It growled and snapped its rotten teeth, reaching out to me. I backed up, out of the market, where I found another Walker.

I was having fun with this and I knew I shouldn't be. I kicked one back onto the ground, stabbing the other one in the eye. I removed my knife and turned my attention onto the other one.

It got up, stumbling over to me. My eyes stared into the dead, milky ones. I ran up to it, tackling it and smashing its skull into the ground.

When I looked up, I saw another building I wanted to go into. I knocked on the door, waiting to hear the snarls.

When there was none, I entered. An old clothing store. Though I had enough clothes, I still would love to look. But when I heard clanging of hangers, I got ready to stab something again.

I sneaked around, tying to find the source. It was dark in here, so I couldn't see the ground all too well and I stepped on a hanger, making a snapping noise.

Damnit. The clanging of the hangers stopped. I kept an eye out and saw something move out of the corner of my eye.

I turned my head and made my direction that way. I waited to turn the corner, and when I did, I went to slash my knife, but stopped.

There was a gun pointed to my face and my eyes widened.

"Not dead." I held my hands up in defense."Holy shit." The gun dropped and in the small sliver of light, the body walked into it, revealing the one and only Carl Grimes.

My jaw dropped, my breathing immediately turning shaky.

"Carl." I whispered. His face was as shocked as mine.'Never give up on the world, honey. This is what it has to offer you. Take it, because it's all the good the world will ever give you.'

I could just hear my mom. I was crazy.

"How does this keep happening." Carl asked. I couldn't answer. Not because I didn't have an answer, but because I was just so... I couldn't believe it.

These three months without Carl have been shit. I thought I'd never see him again.

His hair was just above his shoulders, his bangs a bit longer. His eye was less blue than I remembered. He was still as cute as he was before.

He was just hopeless now.

"Carl Grimes." A small smile came to my lips. I was in complete utter shock."Come here." Carl's hands reached to my cheeks and pulled my lips to his.

This didn't feel real. My lips smiled against his. It was a genuine smile. My hands also held his cheeks, missing his presence so much.

I was so overjoyed a tear just found its way out. "You have no idea how much I've missed you." I said against his lips.

"Oh Alexa, yes I do." Carl pulled away, planting a kiss on my forehead. "What are you doing here?" I couldn't help but smile. I missed him so much.

"I was just wandering around and when I found this I was looking for clothes for Judith." He kept his hands on my face, the look in his eye says that he couldn't believe this was real.

I couldn't say anything back. I just admired him. It's been so long.

"You were crying before... why?" Carl's smile dropped. He knew me better than I knew myself.

"I miss my mom." I simply answered.Carl exhaled deeply and pulled my body into his. I squeezed my eyes shut, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"You have no idea how good it feels to hug you again." I buried my face into his shoulder.

"This is how I know." His arms hugged me tighter."How you know what?" I pulled away slightly."How I know that we are supposed to be together. We keep finding each other." Carl raised one hand and tucked the short strands of hair that fell out of my messy ponytail behind my ear.

"Maybe we aren't supposed to be away from each other."

H O U R S L A T E R

I layed on a rooftop, staring up at the dark sky. The stars twinkling and the moon shining off light.

It reminded me of years ago. When everything was normal.

"One day the world will rise again." I turned my head to Carl. He also gazed up at the sky, his hands resting under his head.

"One day. One day this will all be over and everything will be back to normal. There will be kids and schools. Jobs. The bad things is that the survivors... us... we will always be on guard. We will always be the way we are now. Nothing will scare us and we would be more grateful than everyone else. We saw the world die... we've got to survive to see it live again." Carl kept his eye on the sky.

"The worst part is... we will always be broken. We've seen things. Some really really bad things. We've done things. Really really bad things. There's no turning back from that. We will always be traumatized. We will always be numb." I turned back to the sky.

The stars were beautiful tonight. I heard Carl sigh deeply and I turned back to him, laying my head on his shoulder.

Carl changed his attention to me and smiled smally at my face.

"One day we will live together on our own terms. One day my dad and my people will learn to love you again. One day you will be more than my girlfriend. You will be my wife." This brought a smile to my face.

"I like the sound of that." I shifted onto my right side, letting him pull my body even closer to his. His lips kissed the top of my head ever so sweetly.

"I love you, Alexa." "I love you."

This is sad but so cute to me