It was getting dark, Carl was sitting outside on his father’s porch. Alexandria was still loud with people gathering in the streets. He is seated on the porch in a rocking chair, his little sister Judith in his lap.

He wished he had gone out to scavenge with his father, Rick, and the others, but he had made the decision to stay.

It had been about three days since the scavengers went out, but resources were getting harder and harder to come by, so it took longer to come back, and they were on horses now.

Amidst the calm sounds of people chatter, he hears on of the guards posted on top of the wall shout, “open the gate!” It went quiet, “they’re back, open the gate!”

Carl is able to see one of the guards at the bottom go toward the gates and open the first, then dragging the second open too. Alexandria felt like it went silent, people began to walk down the street toward the gate to greet the returning scavengers… but tonight, it’s different.

The scavengers were loud, running back in panic. One of the scavengers was being carried by two, dripping blood at a rapid pace. Carl puts his sister down on the floor inside the house, before rushing back out and toward the gates himself.

Carl shouts, “Oh god! Is he okay?” His eyes were wide and full of worry.