❛ ❪ grey area. ❫ ❜

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IT HAD BEEN about a day since the group left to find more rations— which is a long time for the group. It worried Moonee, especially when she had to sleep in her tent alone. The sleeping bag on the other side of the tent was empty.

Breakfast was odd. It felt quiet because Glenn wasn't there to bug the children— especially Carl. Marcus wasn't there to sit by his daughter and give advice to Carl and Glenn. Andrea wasn't there talking to Amy about their lives before the Fall.

It all felt odd.

It wasn't like they were gone for that long, but something felt off. A group had been gone for a week once, and it didn't feel like this.

Sophia sat across the small plastic table from Moonee, as she taught her how to shuffle a deck of cards.

Although worry consumed Moonee's mind, she tried to take her mind off the thoughts that chewed at the back of her underdeveloped brain.

Carl was sitting with Shane, as he taught him some kind of knot again, and every so often, Moonee would glance over at them. She didn't quite understand why she kept looking over at the two, but she did. Sophia would often ask her why, but Moonee would just shrug.

"Alright, I'll go over it one more time, then you can do it on your own, okay?" Moonee asked, and Sophia immediately nodded at her words.

Splitting the deck in half, Moonee then shuffled the cards. The cards that flicked together made a, 'brr' noise. She then pushed the cards up to make a bridge, and then all sorted down into a deck again.

Glenn was the one who taught Moonee how to shuffle. Hell, these were his cards. 'Glenn' was written in a thick marker on the side of the box that usually held the deck.

"Okay, I think I've got it," Sophia responded, nodding, as Moonee slid the deck over towards Sophia. Sophia took the deck and began to split it in half.

Amy paced back and forth, while Dale and Jim tried to fix
rv— as if they were going anywhere anytime soon, "It's late. They should've been back by now." Amy said in a worried voice.

Moonee let out a sigh trying to push away the thought of her father injured in any way, or lost— she was just scared of complications.

"Worrying won't make it any better," Dale said, as he continued to try and fix whatever was wrong with his rv.

Sophia went to shuffle the cards, but Moonee quickly stopped her, "Wait," she then flipped one of the decks that were the wrong way, "Okay, now try."

Sophia then went to shuffle the deck, but then the radio began to fill with static once again, and a familiar voice flooded through the static.

"Hello, base camp!" T-Dog's voice sounded through the radio. Sophia immediately placed down the split-in-half decks and looked over at Moonee, then over her shoulder at the radio.

"Can anybody out there hear me?" T-Dog asked, and Shane began to get up from his place next to Carl, while everybody began to rush over to the rv.

The radio was now sat at the top of the rv since Dale claimed that there would be a better signal, and maybe the man who called through yesterday would find his way back.

"Base camp, this is T-Dog." his voice fell through the radio again, "Anybody hear me?"

Dale then picked up the speaker to the radio and pressed the button, "Hello? Hello?" he called through it, hoping for an answer back. Moonee stood up, needing to hear about her father's safety. She approached the rv, and Sophia slowly trailed behind.

"Reception's bad on this end." Dale told T-Dog, "Repeat. Repeat." Dale immediately said, trying to understand the situation on why they called back to camp.

"Shane, is that you?" T-Dog's voice came through, but mainly full of static. Moonee tucked her hair behind her ears— a nervous habit she's had since she was younger.

"Is that them?" Lori asked, her hands on her hips as Carl stood beside her. Dale lifted his index finger to indicate he would respond in a moment.

A large wave of static came through the radio before T-Dog's voice was heard again, "We're in some deep shit." he stayed blunt.

Moonee felt like she was going to throw up her heart was racing so fast.

was her dad okay?

"We're trapped in the department store," T-Dog informed, his breath quick, showing some signs of distress. Shane lifted his hand to rub his face, shaking his head.

"He say they're trapped?" Shane asked, his voice hoarse and stressed trying to already make some kind of decision— he wanted to be the leader.

"They're geeks all over the place." T-Dog explained in a frantic voice, "Hundreds of 'em." he added quickly, "We're surrounded."

Moonee pulled at her earlobes, which had stud earrings in them from before the Fall of everything— the ones her father bought for her on her ninth birthday.

when was her birthday?

It must've passed by now. She remembers that before the Fall she only had two months until her birthday. It's been well over a month at this point.

was she ten years old yet?

Moonee's dad wasn't safe. He wasn't. She knew Shane and his fucked up rules, so she felt like a piece of light in her was slowly dimming out in that moment.

"T-Dog, repeat that last. Repeat." Dale said, wanting to make sure that this was all true, and that the static wasn't just messing his words up.

Nothing but static came through on the other end.

The radio stopped even flowing any static, and Moonee started at her feet for a while, not sure what to even think.

they had to go get them. right?

"He said the department store," Lori spoke up, glancing over at Moonee, knowing that she wasn't taking the news okay.

"I heard it too," Dale added, as he tried at the radio again, maybe in some weird way he thought they would call again and mix up the words so that they would actually be fine.

The camp was quiet, and Lori let out a small breath, needing to talk Shane into saving the group, before consoling
Moonee.

"Shane..?" she asked in a soft voice, slowly approaching him, but Shane was quick to respond.

"No way." he half-snapped at Carl's mother, "We do not go after them. We do not risk the rest of the group, y'all know that." he tried to stay on his high horse.

Moonee looked over her shoulder at Shane, a teary-eyed glare plastered over her young features. Amy didn't take too kindly to the response either.

"So we're just gonna leave her there?" Amy asked in an irked voice, her words in disbelief at his inhumane way of leading the group.

"Look, girls," he stepped forward, his vision panning between the two hurt girls, "I know that this is not easy—" he began in some kind of sympathetic tone.

"They volunteered to go." Amy's words were sharp, as Moone just kept her gaze fiery as she fully turned to face Shane, tears threatening their way out of her eyes, "To help the rest of us."

"I know," Shane kept his voice understanding— as if he couldn't help them, "and they both knew the risks, right?" he slightly tilted his head at the two who tested his leading.

"See, if they're trapped, they're gone." Shane's faux sympathy melted away into a blunt tone, "So we just have to deal with that. There's nothing we can do."

"Are you kidding me?" Moonee's broken-up, angered tone fell from her mouth, as Amy began to snap at Shane at the same time.

"She's my sister, you son of a bitch." Amy snapped at Shane, before storming off, leaving the group that stood around the rv.

Shane watched as she left, his gaze following the blonde, but then looked over at Lori, who just stared blankly at him. Lori then stepped forward, "Shane, the girl's father—" Lori started out, referring to Moonee.

"I said no." Shane immediately snapped, and Lori just stood there. Lori obviously didn't know what to do. Who did?

Were they just going to defy Shane and lose everything they built to stay alive in this fallen-apart world that is an apocalyptic wasteland? No. They couldn't.

Lori then shook her head at Shane, before pushing past him to approach Moonee, who never stopped glaring daggers at Shane.

"Hey, sweetie." Lori started in a whisper, as she slowly knelt to the girl's level, Carl watching the interaction, "It's going to be okay." she tried to comfort the girl, as she pushed some hair from her face.

Moonee didn't even take her gaze off of Shane who kept avoiding the young girl's gaze. Finally, Shane left, and Moonee let her gaze fall over to Lori.

"Your dad's smart." Lori said, as she wiped the tears that had fallen from Moonee's eyes— involuntarily, "He's gonna get through this, and so are you. No matter what."

Moonee shook her head and covered her face with her hands, a small sob escaping her lips at the thought of her father being trapped in a large city full of geeks.

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Moonee was sat on the shore of the creek, just listening to the wind, the water in the creek, and the animals that made peaceful noises of life.

Everything was sinking in.

The first geek she killed still lingered in her mind, while her father's near death also loomed in her brain.

The world ended. The world ended and opened a cage of death, releasing it amongst the world, and surrounding the ones who lived in death.

She couldn't stop thinking about how her father was trapped, and scared, while an extremely large group of the dead were around him.

"Moonee." a voice spoke up from behind the girl, who had her chin on her knees, while she hugged her legs into her chest.

Moonee sniffled and looked over her shoulder to see Carl approaching, stepping around the large stones that were scattered around the creek.

"Yeah?" she asked, her eyes still glistening with tears, as she watched him approach her, first crunching under his dirty sneakers.

Carl sighed and looked out at the creek, then over at Moonee, who kept her gaze on him. Carl then moved to sit down next to her on the dirt.

"I lost my dad." he said, as he looked down at his shoes for a moment, drawing shapes in the dirt with his index finger, "So I know what it's like."

Moonee wanted to cry at the word 'lost' she didn't lose her dad. He was alive, and Shane was refusing to even attempt to save the group.

Glenn was there.

Glenn.

Glenn, the guy who pushed around Carl. Glenn, the man who watched over the children of the camp. Glenn, who owned the deck of cards with his name written on the side of the box.

"I know you did," Moonee said, looking out at the creek, her brown hair blowing in the breeze of summer, a frown never leaving her lips.

Maybe they weren't so different.

Maybe the contrast of their lives was now fading into a familiar grey area, and they were in the same exact situation.

Moonee had now lost— she didn't like to use that word— her father, Carl did too. Moonee was not forced to be raised by people who weren't even related to her. Carl only had his mother, and Shane pretended to be his father.

Slowly, Moonee reached into the pocket of her jeans and took out the small Canon camera that Daryl had fetched for her. She turned on the device, and Carl looked over her shoulder— although Moonee was taller than him.

Moonee opened up the photos on the camera, and let out a small laugh when she saw the photo of Glenn holding Carl against his will.

She then clicked on the next picture, and it was a photo of her father sarcastically scowling at the camera. Another small laugh left Moonee's lips, and a tear involuntarily fell from her eye, and onto the camera.

Moonee began to cry, and turned off the camera, not being able to look at the photo any longer. Sobs left Moonee's lips, as she frantically tried to wipe all the tears that poured from her eyes.

Carl frowned at her state, and wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort her in some way. Moonee continued to cry, and dropped her camera on the ground, as she wrapped her arms around Carl's torso.

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Moonee tried her best to avoid Shane. She didn't want to see him, talk to him, or even be in his presence. But since she was under Lori's care, that would be hard.

Lori sat in a camping chair, while Carl was sat down on the ground in front of her. Moonee was playing with the ends of her hair, as she sat in a small camping chair next to Lori.

Shane was sat across from the three in a lawn chair, while he cleaned his gun, and Moonee avoided his gaze to her best ability— still angry with him.

Carl was getting his hair cut by his mother, and Moonee was next up for a trim, "Baby, the more you fidget, the longer it takes." Lori warned her son, as Carl kept moving his head when she combed out his hair, "So don't, okay?"

"I'm trying," Carl whined, his tone annoyed at the fact that his mother was forcing a haircut on him. Moonee stared down at Carl, who wouldn't stop moving for his mother.

"Well, try harder," Lori responded in a calm tone, as she put both of her hands on the sides of his head, to straighten his posture.

"If you think this is bad, wait 'till you start shavin'." Shane spoke up, and Moonee looked out into the distance— refusing to look at the man, "That stings."

Shane moved his gun, and examined it, before returning to cleaning the gun again, "That day comes, you'll be wishin' for one of your mama's haircuts."

Carl looked over at Moonee who didn't speak and looked away from Shane, then he looked back over at Shane, "I'll believe that when I see it."

Shane let out a chuckle, "I'll tell you what, you just get through this with some manly dignity, and tomorrow I'll teach you something special." Shane spoke, as he lifted the gun again, examining it.

Moonee then finally looked at the man and watched his movements, and Shane looked in between the two children, "I will teach ya' both how to catch frogs."

"We've caught a frog before," Moonee said, looking away from Shane, and Carl nodded at her words before also speaking up.

"Yeah, we just caught one yesterday," Carl added to Moonee's words, and Shane immediately responded to the children.

"I said frogs— plural." Shane said dryly, "And it is an art, my friends. It is not to be taken lightly. There are ways and means, few people know about." Shane said, as she began to screw something onto his gun, and glanced over at the two again, "And I'm willing to share my secrets."

Carl looked over at Moonee, and she shrugged, not saying anything. Lori looked between the two, before straightening out Carl's posture again.

Shane chuckled, "It's a one-time offer, kids. Not to be repeated." he said, not looking at them, as he continued to work on the gun he held.

"Why do we need frogs... plural?" Carl hesitated before asking, confused about what he was even saying.

Shane didn't respond immediately, "You ever eat frog legs?" he asked, looking over at the two children who immediately grimaced at his words.

"Eww!" Carl and Moonee immediately shook their heads at the thought of eating the animals they caught as strictly pets.

"No, yum!" Shane immediately interrupted the two, an amused look plastered on his face. Moonee scoffed and looked away again.

"No, they're right. Ew." Lori agreed with a grimace, as she continued to trim up Carl's hair, her scissors making a loud snipping noise every time she cut a piece of hair.

Shane laughed and shook his head, "Nah, when you get down to that last can of beans, you're gonna be lovin' those frog legs, lady."

"I can see it now—" Shane then moved his voice up an octave, "'Shane, do you think I could have a second helping, please? Just one.'" he playfully mocked, making a slight Californian accent.

Lori looked up at him with an amused look, "Yeah, I doubt that." she scoffed, and Shane laughed at her slight offense from his impression of her.

"Don't listen to her. You two and me, we'll be heroes. We'll feedin' these folks cajun-style Kermit legs." Shane pointed at the two children, and Moonee rolled her eyes, not amused, looking over at Dale who messed with his rv.

"Yeah, I would rather eat Miss Piggy." Lori said, combing out Carl's hair again, "Yes, that came out wrong." she said in a plain tone, and Shane laughed at her.

"Heroes, kids, spoken of in song and legend. You two and me, Shane, Moonee, and Carl." Shane laughed, and Carl let out a small laugh along with the man.

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-- 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 :
    i want to do like the ai things with like moonee and carl but like idk how to.

    so i'll probably just make like spliced photos instead 😖..

    this lowk took a while bc i couldn't find pictures.

but awww moonee and carl had a little moment 🥰🥰 i lowk love them but then i realize i'm the author of this and i have to do some things i don't want to !!!

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