𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡, 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹

𝗜𝗙 𝗜𝗧 was even possible the hours got slower. The scorching heat was borderline deadly, and they were all weak and deprived of basic human needs.

They had just fought of a herd of walkers, and were obviously battling the worst battle of them all.

Grief.

The group had stopped and found a patch of grass to rest on. Ivy still hadn't spoken to anyone, let alone look at them.

Ivy sat near Abraham. He was the only person that wouldn't try and pry her about her leg, or anything really.

Ivy had heard the sound of a bottle opening. Ivy looked to Abraham and saw him opening a bottle of liquor.

"So, all we found is booze?" Tara asked.

"Yeah." Rosita answered.

"It's not gonna help." Tara stated. Yes it will. Ivy thought.

"He knows that." Rosita breathed out. She sounded disappointed.

"It's gonna make it worse."

"Yes it is." Rosita sighed.

"He's a grown man." Eugene spoke up. "And I truly do not know if things can get worse." Ivy grabbed the bottle from Abrahams hand and took a large sip. She cringed a bit at the burning liquid, but not much. "As for Ivy, she is still minor. That may make it worse."

"She's fine." Abraham took another sip once Ivy gave the bottle back.

"She's fourteen. She shouldn't be—" Carl began to raise his voice a bit. Ivy dropped her head and looked at the ground.

"Stop, you're just gonna upset her more." Glenn spoke up. Ivy scoffed, grabbed her knife and stood up. Ivy walked a bit into the woods to get away from the group.

She slid down against a tree and buried her face into her hands.

They all looked at her like some depressed girl, nothing more, nothing less. She was so much more than that, she was just going through a hard time.

Ivy didn't stop talking by choice. She just didn't know what to say, or how to say it. She was scared she was going to say something wrong.

She didn't isolate herself because she wanted to group to worry. She isolated herself because she needed space.

Ivy knew she was fading away. She was losing herself, and everyone around her knew it too.

Ivy heard growling from a distance. It sounded like it was coming from where the group was. It wasn't walker growls, it was more animal like.

Ivy stood up quickly and ran back to the group. The barking had stopped, and once Ivy looked at the group, the dogs were dead in front of the them.

Ivy gagged and almost threw up. Despite all the things she's seen, she has ever seen a dead dog nor cat. She had both growing up so it was hard to see them lying dead— but she also grew up with humans, and she's killed them.

Ivy had always felt more emotional when it came to dogs rather than humans.

Before Ivy knew it, the group was eating the dog meat. Ivy refused to touch it. She pushed it away every time anyone had tried to get her to eat.

Ivy obviously didn't want to eat dog, but she was also so emotionally drained that she just wasn't hungry.

The image of Beth's dead body made Ivy lose her appetite quick.

The group had tried their hardest to get Ivy to eat, but she wouldn't. They ended up giving up due to the girls stubbornness.

Even though she wasn't speaking, her emotions were still as clear as day.

After everyone ate their food, they were on the move again. Their breaks never lasted longs, they couldn't afford to waste time.

The whole group just wanted to find a place to rest. But with their current situation, that seemed impossible.

Ivy walked farther behind the group and made sure she kept her distance. She saw Carl glance back at her a couple times, but he felt it was right if he left her alone.

As the group walked, the came across water bottles and water jugs in the road. A note that read, 'From a friend' leaned against them.

Rick had showed the note to Daryl who has just returned from the woods.

"What else are we gonna do?" Tara asked. Rick looked around, trying to see if anyone was near.

"Not this." Rick answered. "We don't know who left it."

"If that's a trap, we already happen to be in it." Eugene spoke. "But I, for one, would like to think it is indeed from a friend."

"What if it isn't? They put something in it?" Carol put forward.

Ivy scoffed and picked up a bottle. She twisted off the cap and took a sip. She did it for the group. If this water was poisoned, they would know, and if it wasn't, they would know.

Carl stepped forward and smacked the bottle out of her hand. Ivy looked him in the eyes and saw an expression she had never seen Carl use towards her.

His expression had anger written all over it.

"What the hell are you doing?" Carl yelled. "Do you know how stupid that was—" Carl stopped when he saw the girl mimic his expression. But her looks were deadly. Having Carl— well, her boyfriend yell at her was new to her. Carl hadn't yelled at her since the prison.

"Ivy.... I'm sorry." Ivy ignored him and dipped her head down.

"We can't." Rick spoke. "We can't be this reckless." Ivy looked away from the group as Rick spoke.

Suddenly, thunder was heard rumbling. Everyone looked up to the sky and felt raindrops.

Everyone gasped in shock, smiled, and laughed. Everyone felt refreshed and was clearly happy.

Except Ivy, Sasha, Maggie, and Daryl. The four sulked, not even reacting to the rain. It was almost like the water was invisible to them.

Ivy almost felt annoyed by the rain. Not only did the group have to walk many more miles, but now they had to do it in soaking wet clothes.

"I'm so sorry, my lord." Gabriel cried.

"Everyone get the bags. Anything you can find." Rick scurried to the bags.

Rick threw a bag to Ivy, but it fell to the ground as she didn't catch it. Ivy looked down at the bag at her feet and slowly picked it up.

Their plans were quickly crushed when the thunder had picked up. Judith had began to cry and Carl put his hat onto his little sisters head.

"Let's keep moving." Rick ordered. Daryl turned to Rick.

"There's a barn!" Daryl yelled over the storm.

"Where?" Rick asked.

Daryl led the group the barn he had found. Rick, Carol, Abraham, Glenn, and Maggie went to search the place as the rest of the group stayed outside.

Carl had inched closer to the girl, slowly, but there was progress.

Ivy hadn't even noticed when Carl first stood next to her. It took Carl to 'accidentally' bump into the girl for her to notice.

Ivy jumped and gasped when the felt the contact. Ivy looked at Carl with wide eyes, and Carl just looked at Ivy with saddened eyes.

"Didn't mean to scare you, love." Carl whispered so that the rest of the group couldn't hear him. "Ivy, please talk to me. Or at least look at me."

Ivy simply walked away, sparring herself from Carls prying.

Carl sighed in defeat as he watched his girlfriend walk away. He knew she wasn't angry at him, she was just angry at the world and scared to let anyone in— and he couldn't blame her. She's lost everything.

But he was still going to make sure Ivy knew he cared. He wasn't going to give up on her. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever.

❝𝗜'𝗠 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗗 about her dad." Carl whispered to his father. The group had settled into the barn. Most huddled together, but Sasha, Maggie, Daryl, and Ivy were on their own.

Carl and Rick watched as Ivy stabbed and sliced at the ground with her knife. Everyone was worried about her, but they knew to give her space.

"We're all worried about her, Carl." Rick patted Carls back.

"Whenever we get good news, it goes to shit. I mean— we find out that Beth's alive, Beth dies, we find a place we could actually stay for a bit, it gets overrun by walkers," Carl went on. "I get a girlfriend, something bad happens to her— again. I just want everyone to be happy."

"You kids don't deserve to be growing up in a world like this. No one deserves this but you guys didn't get to have a childhood." Rick sighed. He looked down at his son. "Go over there with her. If she pushes you away, let her. You can always try again."

Carl nodded and smiled at Rick. He stood up and made his way over to Ivy. Ivy didn't move when Carl sat down, she just didn't look at him.

"I'm not here to make you talk, I just wanna be with you." Carl spoke softly. Carl looked to see if Ivy's expression had changed, but she sat there with the same blank face.

"I just want you to know you're not alone."