"she said to herself 'well, it could've been worse', and it almost worked." - tv girl

the group trudged along the cracked asphalt, their feet dragging through the dust of forgotten roads. salem's shoes, once a faded gray, were now stained a deep red, her toes throbbing with each step. sweat matted her hair to her forehead, and her skin felt like it was coated in dirt and grime. she glanced at carl, who walked beside her, holding judith in his arms. despite the exhaustion on his face, there was a peace in him that salem envied. judith cooed softly, her tiny hand gripping at carl's shirt, utterly safe in the chaos surrounding them.

salem watched them for a moment longer before her eyes swept over the rest of the group. tired, hungry, sore—it was written on every face. maggie was walking quietly beside her, eyes distant yet focused. "you doing okay?" maggie asked, her voice soft but strong. salem nodded, not trusting her voice to hold up. maggie's gaze flickered to the heart-shaped locket around salem's neck, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"that's a beautiful necklace," maggie said, her eyes briefly lighting up. "beth had one just like it. it sparkled every time she wore it. her momma gave it to her when she turned ten." her smile faltered at the mention of her sister, and salem could see the grief lurking just beneath the surface. daryl had been searching, hoping, but beth was still gone, her fate uncertain. maggie's pain was unfathomable, but somehow, she kept smiling, even in the face of everything.

salem clutched the locket tighter, feeling the weight of the silence between them. "let's stop here." rick's voice cut through the quiet, and the group followed him into a small clearing nestled between the trees. they dispersed quickly, dropping to the ground in exhaustion, trying to preserve what little energy they had left.

salem sat beside carl as he fed judith, her eyes watching the baby as she sucked contentedly on the bottle. "she likes you." carl said, glancing at salem with a small smile as judith's wide eyes flickered up to her. "she likes that bottle," jack chimed in, wedging himself between the two of them. his usual teasing grin was back in place. "got any more protein bars?" he asked, turning to salem. she shook her head, trying not to let the weight of his question settle on her. "dang," he muttered, but his eyes stayed on her longer than usual. he reached up, brushing at something on her cheek. "here, you got—"

salem slapped his hand away, standing up abruptly. she could feel the frustration boiling inside her, the childish way he treated her making her feel small. she wanted to tell him that she had cared for herself while he was gone, but the words stuck in her throat. instead, she turned and walked into the trees, her body tense with emotion.

she walked for a while, letting the cool air of the forest calm her nerves. she wasn't far when she spotted a walker, hunched over something, chewing in that slow, grotesque way they did. she pulled out her knife, creeping closer, her heart pounding as she prepared to put it down, to cut it open. the dead had become a comfort, a reminder that life was simpler for them.

just as she was about to strike, a gunshot rang out, the walker's head snapping back as it fell to the ground. she spun around, her heart leaping into her throat as she saw jack standing there, smoke still curling from the barrel of his gun. "what the hell was that for?" salem snapped, her voice shaking with anger.

"you tell me," jack shot back, his tone harsh. "what's your problem?" "nothing." she muttered, crossing her arms and stepping back. "no, it's not nothing," jack growled, stepping closer. "what's your issue, salem? you've been acting like this for days." "nothing, jack." she repeated, softer this time, retreating a step. "what? are you afraid of me now?" jack barked, his voice rising. "cat's got your tongue? spit it out."

"keep your voice down." salem hissed, hearing the distant groans of walkers nearby. her eyes darted around the trees, the danger sinking in. "so what?" jack shouted. "they're just walkers! they don't mean anything!" as if summoned by his words, the dead began spilling out of the trees, their moans filling the air. salem stumbled back, startled as one lunged at her. before she could react, jack was there, stabbing it through the skull. more came at them, and jack took them down one by one, his rage fueling each swing of his knife.

"that's it, huh?" jack sneered, turning to her. "you're all grown up now? you don't need anyone to take care of you anymore? come on, salem. you can't be that stupid. you can't even kill a walker." "why are you being like this?" salem whispered, the weight of his words sinking into her chest. the sadness she had been holding back for so long began to creep in, overwhelming her. "just get back to the group before you get yourself killed." jack snapped, his voice cold.

salem turned without another word, walking back toward the road, her heart heavy. jack followed behind her, his footsteps loud in the silence between them. when they emerged from the trees, rick waved them over, gesturing for them to rejoin the group on the road. salem walked up to carl, who was now empty-handed, judith having been passed to someone else.

"you okay?" carl asked, his eyes searching her face. salem nodded, forcing a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "we'll be okay." carl said, resting his hand gently on her back as they started walking again. salem's stomach churned, hunger gnawing at her, and a wave of heat washed over her. she smiled weakly as she walked beside carl, his quiet presence comforting her, even as everything inside her felt like it was falling apart.

the group trudged on, the sun dipping lower with each step. salem's legs ached, her feet heavy and raw from hours of walking. she tried not to think about the hunger gnawing at her insides or the exhaustion clouding her mind. as the last light faded, a walker stumbled out of the treeline, its arms outstretched.

"i got it." jack muttered, stepping forward without hesitation. he drove his knife into the walker's skull, the sickening crunch echoing in the silence. without a word, he flicked the blood off the blade and fell back into step, his face set in a hard, emotionless mask. salem watched him for a moment, her stomach twisting.

as the darkness finally swallowed them, rick found a small clearing off the road, hidden by the trees. he started a fire, keeping it low, the embers burning faintly to avoid attracting attention. every crackle of the wood was a reminder that danger could lurk nearby—remnants of terminus, or worse.

salem sat huddled beside maggie, the cold creeping in now that the sun was gone. the flickering light of the fire cast long shadows on everyone's faces, their exhaustion clear in every furrowed brow and hollow cheek. her eyes drifted toward jack, who sat across from her, sharpening his knife with a clenched jaw, his focus entirely on the blade.

"you two get in a fight?" maggie's quiet voice broke through salem's thoughts, surprising her. salem blinked, glancing at maggie, who was watching her with a knowing look. salem nodded slightly, unsure how to respond. she was always amazed at how maggie could read her so easily, even when she wasn't speaking.

"big brothers can be like that," maggie said, her voice soft but understanding. "he'll come around. i bet whatever it was, it's just because he wants you to be safe." salem stared at the fire, letting maggie's words sink in. she hadn't thought about it like that, but maybe it was true. jack had always been protective, even when it frustrated her. but something about this fight felt different, like a shift between them.

most of the group thought she and jack were siblings, and in a way, they were. they had grown up together, survived this world together. they were closer than most people could ever understand. but lately, salem wondered if they were still best friends, if they still understood each other like they once had.

she glanced at jack again, his face illuminated by the fire's dim glow. his jaw was still clenched, his movements sharp and precise as he sharpened his knife. she didn't know how to bridge the gap between them, or if he even wanted her to. the silence between them felt heavier than it used to, and salem wasn't sure if they could ever get back to the way things were.