Chapter 15

As I lay in bed, thoughts of the mysterious girl and Carley's hallucinations continue to swirl in my mind. The liquor buzz numbs my senses, but I can't ignore the uneasiness that lingers within me. The image of a lost child roaming the woods, watching our camp, is unsettling to say the least.

My dreams are plagued with haunting visions of the girl, her lifeless eyes piercing through my thoughts. I toss and turn, unable to find rest, until dawn breaks through my window. I wake up groggy, the remnants of the alcohol leaving me feeling sluggish and disoriented.

I throw on my worn-out leather jacket and grab my trusty hunting rifle, slinging it over my shoulder. As I step out of my cabin, the camp is bustling with activity.

Carley is engrossed in a conversation with Clementine.  I make my way towards her, tapping her shoulder to get her attention. She turns, a weary smile forming on her face.

"Good morning," I greet her with a smile.

"Ready to go, Poul?" she asks, smiling back.

But her smile goes away as I put my hand up, signaling her to calm down, "No. I'm going alone."

She wanted to protest, but seeing my determined eyes, she sighed and gave up; she went back to talking with Clementine.

Before heading towards the others, I pat Clem on the head.

"Hey, guys! I'm going hunting!"

"This early?" Asks Andrea.

"Yeah, man. Why don't you eat some breakfast before that?" Asks Kenny.

"Nah, the sooner I get something, the sooner the lunch and dinner can be made." I tell them.

Hearing this, they agreed, I just waved to them as I headed off into the woods, with my rifle now in my hands.

The silence is palpable, broken only by the rustling of leaves under my boots. The weight of uncertainty hangs heavy in the air, heightening my senses.

Hours pass, and I caught 2 squirrel and a rabbit, which tied around my waist by their legs. I also killed probably a dozen walkers with my machete. Yes, I switched off my steel pipe 2 weeks ago, as I broke.

As I walk deeper, I see a small hand sticking out from under leaves. I jump back and point my rifle at it. "Come out." I say loud enough that if it is a walker, it'll stand up.

"Hmm..." I hear a tired high pitched hum, as if a person just woke up. No, as if just a child just woke up.

'This is the kid' I ask myself, lowering my rifle a bit, but high enough to be ready to shoot.

I see a small girl climb out from under the leaves. She has her back turned to me, and as she turns around...I see a pair of lifeless eyes.

'This must be the girl Carley has been seeing.'

"Are you the kid that has been around the motel?" I ask her.

She just looks at me not responding. She acts like she doesn't care about what I say, but I can see that she is shaking, and has a bit of tears in her eyes.

I sling my rifle over my shoulder, and kneel in front of the little girl.

"What's your name, honey?" I ask with a reassuring sme. But she doesn't answer.

"Okay...are you alone?" I ask her, keeping my smile.

She nods.

"How are you still alive? What have you been eating?"

She looks to the ground, searching for something, before pointing her finger on the ground, to our right.

I look over and see that there's a couple of worms sliding across the dirt.

I feel a mixture of disbelief and sadness wash over me as I witness the girl's desperate attempt to survive.

"How old are you?" I ask her.

She doesn't say anything, but show the number 6 with her fingers.

"Six?!" I exclaim loudly. "How long have you been alone?"

She shakes her head; indicating that she doesn't want to say or can't remember.

"What about your parents?"

She shrugs while looking away. 'I know that look. They're dead.'

I sigh, while looking around for a bit, while crouching in front of the kid.

"Tell you what, honey. You already know that there's the motel. Come with me. You can sleep in bed, eat actual food, drink water - I can see that you're dehydrated. How about it? I swear to you, that I'll take care of you."

She looks in my eyes, "..hy?"

"Hm?" I put my ear closer to her mouth.

"Why?" she asks, now with tears in her eyes.

I'm a little surprised by the question; and.her sweet voice, but that's another thing.

I gulp and look away for a second. "Because...I had a...I can't say."

She looks at me for some time before nodding her head, taking my left hand with hers.

I stand up, then pick her into my arms, surprising her. She puts her arms around my neck, while I put my left arm under her legs, so that my right arm can be free to move.

"Can you tell me your name now?" I ask her.

".....Maya." she whispers. [She's an OC]

"Very pretty name. It means magic, you know?"

She just shook her head, showing that she didn't know what her name means.

"When we get back, we're going to eat some yummy squirrel. How about it? Then, you can eat some Kinder Bueno as well."

I can feel the grip around my neck tighten. She's excited, I guess.

"I'll also give you some new clothes. What you have now are not even clothes, just rags. Now that I say it, wait a sec." I say, as I put her down.

I take off my jacket, and wrap her in it, then pick her up, the same way, again.

Maya snuggles into the warmth of the jacket, her small frame hidden within the fabric. I can't help but feel a sense of responsibility and protectiveness washing over me.

When we got back, the others were curious about her, sad for her, Carley was also relieved that she wasn't just seeing things.

I gave them the animals I hunted, then went to my room with Maya.