You were sitting in the shade of a tree, watching Carl as he taught the new kids in the Alexandria community how to handle a gun. The bright sun highlighted your best friend's serious look, and you admired his patience in instructing, even after everything they had been through. The class seemed attentive, except for one boy, more curious than the others. He got too close to Carl, looking at him closely with unsettling curiosity.

Without warning, the boy ripped off the bandage covering Carl's right eye.

"No-!" Carl exclaimed, his voice shaking. The color left his face instantly. His scarred eye socket, the mark of the battles you both knew all too well, stood exposed in the light. The moment seemed to drag on as the other new kids backed away, visibly uncomfortable. Some walked away, shivering, unsure whether it was fear or repulsion they felt.

You held Carl’s gaze, but he didn’t say anything else. He simply took the bandage back with quick movements and walked away, visibly shaken. You knew where he was going. Without thinking twice, you got up and followed him to the fence, the place where you used to sit and talk about what was happening in the world. He was there, standing still, breathing deeply, his gaze distant. For a moment, silence was all they were filled with.

"Why did you follow me?" Carl asked, voice low but full of frustration.