โ youโre safe here. โ
The passing days felt more like weeks, and luckily it had been quiet for the most part, allowing the one-eyed leader's son to rest. Somewhere along the way, most likely on one of his frequent solo outings, he'd fallen ill. Though it wasn't the typical easily-diagnosed type of ailment, it was much more unexplained than that. The first morning all he could remember was waking up to the room spinning, dizziness having him in bed all day long. The moment he attempted to rise, he fell straight to the floor, left to pull himself back up to the bed, even as unsteady as he was. Something was just...off.
Unable to keep anything down, he refused to even try eating anymore. Even a simple gulp of water had him regurgitating. This allowed dehydration to settle in much quicker, especially with how easily it came in a world like this one now. He suffered from chills one minute, but was broke out in a sweat the next, and as he laid there, sprawled out across his bed, sweat soaking into the sheets beneath him, the entire world seemed to move in slow motion. Each sweat bead that cascaded down his heated face lingered long enough to almost send chills through him.
This went on for days before he finally felt well enough to resume his daily routine. With things settling down around the community, it was one of the first times he'd ever even had a routine. And although he hadn't had much interaction with anyone lately since he'd been feeling under the weather, no more than his father and a couple of the others stopping in to check on him and try to get him to eat, he couldn't help but notice the strange glances he'd receive as the day went on. He could feel those wandering eyes over him as Michonne entered the room. She was probably looking for Judith, but had spotted him first instead. He didn't even bother looking at her, just watched her from the corner of his eye until she disappeared into the hallway.
Instances like those only continued as he made his way outside. Those first steps into the sunlight had him stopping, immediately holding his hand out in front of his face to allow his eye to adjust to the beams that he hadn't seen for days, only the rays slipping through his window blinds, his hat not quite shielding the brightness just yet, the early morning sun still quite low for now. He let out a sigh, the fresh air almost a relief, continuing down the street in search of anything he may have missed over the past few days. It was easy to miss things, everything could change in a matter of hoursโ minutes, even.
He watched his shoes scrape across the pavement as he continued to move forward, trying to ignore those eyes he felt watching him again, but he couldn't help it this time. Reluctantly, his head lifted, scanning across those glances, meeting eyes that looked back at him as if he were just another strangerโ someone that didn't even belong there, as if he wasn't welcome anymore. No one had to say a word before his mind was made up. He had to get out of there again. Even if only for the day.
Picking up his pace a bit, he hurried toward the wall, only slowing down as dread fell over him, knowing how much of a fight it usually was to convince Aaron to let him out. Still several feet away from the gate, his eye widened as it already began to open. He looked up at Aaron who was keeping watch as usual, met with an emotionless stare from the man. He kept his eye on him as he exited the gates, hearing them creak as they closed behind him. He knew he'd be in trouble when he got back, he hadn't even seen his father this morning, let alone told him he was going out, which was... odd.
Trying not to think about that anymore, he started toward the treeline, drawing his knife from his belt. His senses feeling a little weaker than normal, he needed to be ready if any of the dead decided to show up. He kept his steps light, the best he could anyway, taking in the way the woods looked so early in the morning. It felt as if he hadn't seen it in monthsโ the way those beams of sunlight that broke through the treetops lit up the ground below, the oddly fresh and crisp air, no stench of death seeming to linger through the breeze as it usually did. It was enough to relax, even if only for the moment, his knife dropping to his side as he moved forward again.
It was never a good thing to get this comfortable out there, in an area that easily exposed you, and he knew that. But it was nice to feel alive again, for once, his senses finally awakened. Though as he rounded a large tree, it was a hard jolt back into reality as he caught that quick glimpse of a figure. His feet shuffled through the dead leaves, immediately carrying him right back behind that tree. He was quick to draw his gun, knowing by the way it moved that it was a living person, not a walker, even if he hadn't taken any time at all to study its appearance, only long enough to know that it appeared to be a female.
His back pressed hard against the bark, trying his best not to let his heavy breaths grow any longer. He knew he needed to look, to see where they went, but at the same time, he felt that fear creeping back, telling him not to even look, to just run. But he didn't. What if they weren't dangerous? What if they were alone and scared, just like he was right now? The thought of that had that fear slowly fading, his back straightening out, the grip on his gun tightening, his knuckles turning white as he finally peered out around the tree. He couldn't see them, but he knew they were there...somewhere.
And that's when he heard itโ that familiar voice that almost... echoed. It was.. his own voice? Was he going crazy? Had the sickness turned him mad? His eye widened as it finally met the figure he had been trying to evade at first glance, scanning over those familiar features. It was like looking in a mirror. He was talking to ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐๐ก๐.
"๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐."
That haunting voice piercing his brain like something from a horror movieโ his hair already standing on end as the color left his face. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe he was ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ.
His lips parted to speak, though forming words was near impossible. It was slowly starting to sink in, that something wasn't right here. It wasn't the same.
"W-who are you? Wh-what's going on?"
His voice was trembling, fear evident within it. He was beginning to understand the crazy spell his father had had at the prison. And now it must have been his turn.
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