"but the evil is necessary, and you're still hungry for her." - boa

as they finished clearing the house, michonne, salem, and carl gathered their things, the weight of the grim discovery lingering but not spoken aloud. michonne, determined to lift the mood, started teasing carl about his clumsy attempts to sneak through the rooms earlier. salem, catching the light-hearted tone, couldn't help but smirk as carl defended himself, claiming he was just being thorough. their laughter echoed in the empty hallways as they made their way back outside. 

the sun had begun to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows as they walked down the street toward their temporary home. salem's mind drifted back to the earlier horrors, but the familiar banter between carl and michonne kept her grounded in the moment. the three of them were deep in conversation about comic book heroes, debating who would win in a fight between superman and batman, when salem noticed a figure crouching beside their house. it was rick, his face urgent as he waved them back down the road.

without a word, michonne grabbed salem's and carl's hands, and they broke into a run, hearts pounding. rick hurried to catch up, his breath ragged as he fell in step behind them. they didn't stop until they were several streets away, the sounds of their footsteps echoing in the stillness. "what happened?" michonne finally asked, her voice low but steady. rick glanced over his shoulder as if expecting to see someone following. "a group of men came into the house. i hid, but one of them found me in the bathroom. i had to kill him to get out." carl's eyes widened, and he looked to salem, who swallowed hard, the reality of their world hitting her again.

they continued down the road, putting more distance between them and the danger rick had just escaped. the tension gradually eased as they walked, and michonne reached into her bag, pulling out a couple of chocolate bars. she handed one to each of the kids, and they unwrapped them eagerly, the sweetness melting on their tongues as they walked along the train tracks. carl, balancing on the metal rail, started talking about the comics they had found earlier, his excitement infectious. "if i had to choose a superpower, it'd still be teleportation," he said, taking a bite of his chocolate. "endless free vacations, remember?"

salem smiled, nodding along, though her thoughts were still a bit scattered from the day's events. the normalcy of their conversation, the simple act of walking and talking, was a welcome distraction. rick walked beside them, his eyes scanning the area, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly as he listened to carl's ramblings. michonne, ever the steady presence, kept pace with the group, occasionally chiming in with her thoughts on superheroes and what power she'd want. 

as they walked down the path, the four of them talking and laughing, they suddenly came upon something unexpected—a large storage locker, the kind that would normally be hooked to a train. it sat alone on the tracks, weathered and rusting, its surface covered in graffiti and peeling paint. rick was the first to notice the map plastered on the side of it. he stopped in his tracks, causing the others to do the same. michonne, carl, and salem all looked around at each other, then back at the map, their curiosity piqued.

"what do you think?" michonne asked, her voice cautious as she studied rick's face. rick's eyes narrowed as he examined the map, taking in the details. it depicted a route leading to a place marked terminus, with bold letters promising safety and sanctuary. for a moment, rick didn't say anything, weighing their options. finally, he nodded, his decision made. "let's go." he said, his voice firm. they all turned their attention back to the map, studying the path it laid out for them. the idea of terminus—of a place where they could find safety—was too tempting to ignore, especially after everything they had been through.

*:ꔫ:*

"i think we got about a day's worth of water left." rick said, glancing at the group as they walked along the train tracks. the air had cooled off a bit, but the looming need for resources still weighed heavily on his mind. he turned to see michonne watching salem and carl closely as they competed to see who could balance on the rails the longest. "what are you doing?" rick asked, curious about their game.

"winning a bet." carl replied, his voice full of concentration. "in your dreams, salem's got you by a couple of inches." michonne teased, her eyes narrowing playfully as she judged their progress. "i'm still on." carl said, wobbling slightly but determined to stay balanced. michonne chuckled. "spoke too soon, wise guy." "this might go on a while. maybe we can speed this up." rick suggested, walking back toward them with a knowing smile.

"yeah, you're right." carl agreed, then turned to salem with a mischievous grin. he tried to startle her, hoping to throw her off balance, but in his attempt, he ended up slipping off the rail himself. michonne laughed heartily, and salem smiled, clearly proud of her victory. she extended her hand, and carl sighed, reaching into his bag. he pulled out a chocolate bar and offered her a choice—either a kitkat or an aero. salem grabbed the kitkat, and carl pretended to be reluctant, holding on to it tightly.

"you won it fair and square." carl said, feigning disappointment. salem opened the packet and, in a small gesture of camaraderie, split the bar in half, offering one piece to carl. he smirked and took a bite, the tension between them easing as they continued walking along the tracks. they kept moving until they reached the edge of the woods, the hours passing by as the sky darkened. salem began to shiver as the temperature dropped, and carl noticed, slipping off his sweater and offering it to her. it was a small gesture, but one that salem truly appreciated. she pulled the sweater tightly around her frail body, feeling a warmth that was more than just physical.

as the sun began to set, they settled down for the night. rick had caught a rabbit earlier, and now he was cooking it over a small fire. the scent of the roasting meat filled the air, making everyone's stomach growl. "how hungry are you on a scale from 1 to 10?" rick asked, looking at each of them. "15." carl answered, practically drooling as he stared at the food. "28." michonne said, earning a smirk from rick as he turned back to the fire.

salem pulled the sweater tighter, feeling the warmth of the fire mixed with the comfort of the sweater. rick carved up the rabbit, giving portions to carl and salem before taking some for himself and michonne. "i'm gonna go check the snares." rick said after they'd eaten, wiping his hands on his pants. carl immediately offered to go with him, and the two of them set off into the woods. left alone by the fire, salem and michonne sat in silence. the flames danced before them, but salem's mind was elsewhere, haunted by the images of the room she'd discovered earlier. the sight of those girls, the room, and what had happened there played over and over in her mind. every time she closed her eyes, it was all she could see.

michonne watched salem carefully, noticing the distant look in her eyes, the way she poked at the fire without really seeing it. after a few moments, michonne leaned closer. "are you okay?" michonne asked softly, her voice gentle but full of concern. salem nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on the glowing embers. she wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come. the weight of the day was too much to put into words.

michonne could see the struggle in salem's expression, the way she seemed to be carrying the burden of what she had seen all on her own. after a moment of silence, michonne spoke again, her tone even softer. "salem," she began, choosing her words carefully, "i just want you to know if you ever want to talk to me, i'm here. i know it's not easy, but you don't have to carry everything by yourself. we're family now, and that means we look out for each other. you can trust me, okay?"

salem glanced up at michonne, seeing the sincerity in her eyes. for a moment, they just looked at each other, the unspoken bond between them growing stronger. salem knew michonne was trying to tell her that it was okay to speak, that it was safe. slowly, salem nodded again, this time with a bit more conviction. 

by the time rick and carl returned, their hands empty, the small camp was already beginning to feel colder. the air carried a sharp bite, and the shadows of the trees seemed to stretch endlessly around them. rick handed the last piece of rabbit to michonne as they quietly packed up their things, the fire now just a smouldering memory of warmth. salem stood up, still wrapped in carl's sweater, and adjusted her bag on her shoulder. the group set off again, this time immediately moving through the dense woods.

rick stopped periodically to check his compass, the small needle wavering before settling on a direction. salem watched him closely, noticing how his eyes scanned the trees, always alert, always wary. they moved steadily, the crunch of leaves beneath their feet the only constant sound. it was unnerving, the noise never let up, always reminding them that danger was just a footstep away.

"we're close now, right?" carl asked, his voice tinged with impatience and fatigue. the cold was getting to them all, seeping through their clothes, making the walk feel longer and more difficult. "to terminus? yeah," rick replied, his voice firm but weary.

carl walked a little closer to his dad, his thoughts weighing on him. "when we get there, are we gonna tell them?" he asked, the question hanging in the cold air. "tell them what?" michonne asked, her voice calm and soothing, a stark contrast to the tension around them. "everything that's happened to us. all the stuff we've done. are we gonna tell them the truth?" carl clarified, his eyes searching rick's face for an answer.

rick paused for a moment, his gaze fixed ahead. "we're gonna tell them who we are," he said finally, the weight of his words heavy with the experiences they'd endured. "but how do you say that?" carl pressed, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "i mean... who are we?"

that question lingered in the air, echoing in salem's mind. as they continued walking, her thoughts drifted back to a time not so long ago, when she wouldn't have hesitated to answer that question. back then, she would have said they were part of the dead. her and jack, and their uncle—they had moved with the walkers, slept near them, ate what they could find. the dead had protected them in a strange, twisted way. they had been her family, the only family she had left.

but now, everything has changed. after meeting rick, carl, and michonne, she found a new family and a new purpose. yet, the change was overwhelming, too big and too sudden. without jack by her side, the world felt off-kilter. he had been her anchor, her protector, and without him, she felt lost. she craved to see his face again, even if he was one of them now. at least then, she could feel some connection to her past, something familiar in this world that was constantly shifting beneath her feet. even as she walked with these people—people she was starting to trust—she couldn't shake the feeling that part of her still belonged with the dead.

the question of who they were gnawed at her, just as it did carl. they had survived, they had adapted, but at what cost? and who had they become in the process?