It had been a long time coming. Between his stints in Juvie and the continued disrespect when he was home, Merle had never really been seen as the good kid. For whatever reason, though -- naivety, pure stupidity -- he never would have expected this outcome.

He had been kicked out before. His father and he fought often. It wasn’t really anything new. But something about this time felt... real. Perhaps it was how freezing cold it was that winter. Perhaps it was how the doors and windows remained locked, despite the rapidly dimming sunlight.

With the dropping temperatures, he knew he couldn’t stay out there the entire night. So, he sucked up his pride, and stalked through the sludgy snow to the home of the one person he knew would let him in. He stood outside their door now, waiting to be let in, as he shivered silently.