Down by the water • TWD

The Brooks.

Before

The Brooks household wasn't always unicorns and rainbows. In reality, it never was. Avery would sit in her room staring at her blue-painted wall. Trying to drown out the screaming and yelling going on between her parents. Suppose you could even call them that. She would cover her ears until it ended no matter how long it went on for. She swore she would never put herself in this situation when she was older.

She didn't always sit in her room waiting for it to end though. Some nights she got curious when it got quiet too fast. She would tiptoe out of her bedroom holding her German Shepherd stuffed animal her uncle gave her. But there was one night that never left her mind. As she crept down the hall to her parent's room he heard the front door slam. She assumed it was her dad because he always would leave after a big fight. It was quieter than usual though, Avery didn't like it. She slowly peered her head into her parent's bedroom hoping to find her mom. She found her mom, but not in the way she was hoping. 

She first saw the needles on the floor. The caps were off and there was nothing left in them. Have they been used? But for what? Thoughts never left her mind. She peered her eyes up and that's when she was stunned. This image would never leave her mind, and it still never has. She saw her mother lying on her bed, not asleep because her eyes were open. She looked stunned sort of. As Avery's eyes scanned she didn't help to notice the needle marks running up and down her arms. They were red and looked, she wondered if her dad was doing this to her. Her mom would never poke herself with needles for fun, right?

After

"Avery let's go! We don't all fucking day. You wanna die out here?" Her dad grew more and more impatient while Avery went to the bathroom behind the bushes.

"Sorry Dad, I'm coming" She didn't want to upset him but she did have to pee. She slung her backpack over her arms and grabbed her pocket knife stuffing it in her pocket. "What did I tell you about calling me that? I ain't ask to be your fucking daddy" Her dad started walking deeper into the woods practically ignoring her presence.

Avery put her head down while she walked. She played with the bracelet she remembers making during school. Her teacher helped her because she couldn't tie it with her long fingernails. Avery then scoffed, They were all dead now most likely. Everyone she knew before whatever you wanna call this monsterous world, is dead. She kicked every rock she walked by trying to keep herself busy. They've been walking for hours, or that's what it felt like. The two didn't talk much, only when needed. Avery kind of liked the silence though she got to think about a lot of things. Like how hungry she was. As if on cue her stomach began to rumble loudly, which meant her dad heard it too. He looked back and gave her a dirty look. She didn't want to ask for food.

Her dad stopped right under some trees. He began to take our tent out of his huge backpack. Avery imagined herself carrying that backpack, how heavy it would feel on her back, and how tired she'd be. She wondered how he did it. 

Her stomach rumbled again.

She was torn from her trance when she felt something thrown at her. It was a piece of bread, now on the ground with dirt on it. She immediately picked it up and wiped the dirt off ready to eat.

"Thank you sir." she tried to give a smile but nothing was plastered on her face.

"I ain't wanna hear you complainin'" He went back to setting up their tent for the night. The bread seemed to calm her hunger but she knew she would only grow hungrier as the hours went on.

She lay there in her ripped sleeping bag just thinking, still. She never seemed to stop thinking.

Am I gonna die?

Why does he hate me?

I miss mom.

No, I don't.

Why are we always walking?

She heard her dad snoring, which she hated, it would always keep her up at night. How can he sleep so peacefully knowing what is out there? Avery was always aware.

That's when she heard it, the growling coming from outside the tent. Then the shadows came, the shadows of the walking dead people. She hated the noises. Avery crawled to her dad's side of the tent and shook him as hard as she could.

"Wake up. Dad! Wake up!" She whisper-shouted. 

His eyes widened when he realized what was going on. He heard the growling and grabbed his gun from his bag. He turned off the safety and told Avery to shut it.

Its just one

It wasn't just one.

He unzipped the tent slowly trying not to cause too much attention. That was when he saw it, 8 of them all roaming around the tent. 

He panicked.

He shot two of them in the head knowing to go for the brain from past experiences. 

6 more.

5 more emerged from the trees.

"Avery! grab my backpack! Now!" Avery rushed to grab it but as she handed it to him she tripped on the zipper attached to the tent door. He looked down at her. Avery noticed he looked like he was contemplating something. He sucked in his teeth, put his bag over his shoulders, and shot 2 more dead people. "You're deadweight Avery. I ain't dying because of a little girl" Then he ran. Taking the dead people with him.