In a world taken over by walkers, ten-year-old Elodie fights to survive each day. But she's not just any survivor-she's a girl who happens to be hard of hearing. Her older brother Jamie isn't exactly supportive. In fact, he's downright cold, leaving...
اوووه! هذه الصورة لا تتبع إرشادات المحتوى الخاصة بنا. لمتابعة النشر، يرجى إزالتها أو تحميل صورة أخرى.
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Elodie sat cross-legged by the crackling bonfire, the warmth seeping into her bones as she watched the flames dance and flicker against the night sky. The rest of the group gathered around the fire, their faces bathed in its golden glow. Carl, his father—Rick, and Lori were nestled together, Lori gently playing with Carl's hair as he lay in his father's lap. They hadn't let go of each other ever since Rick reunited with them. Elodie found it heartwarming, yet it also stirred a knot in her stomach whenever she glanced at the Grimes family, and then her own.
Jamie and her mom sat close beside Elodie, though there was a noticeable gap between them. Her mother still wasn't speaking to her. Elodie had attempted to tell her about Jamie tossing away the roses and her plans to go frog catching with Shane and Carl the next morning, but all she received was a brief glance.
"Disoriented. I guess that comes closest," Rick spoke softly.
The distant rumble of thunder echoed in the sky as the group listened closely to Rick, who was explaining his story. "Fear, confusion—all those things, but... disoriented comes closest," he continued, his eyes drifting down to his son.
"Words can be meager things," Dale remarked, setting his mug aside. "Sometimes they fall short."
"I felt like I'd been ripped out of my life and placed somewhere else. For a while, I thought I was trapped in some coma dream, somethin' I might not wake up from ever," Rick explained, his hand tracing over his chin.
Elodie stared into the crackling fire, pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around them. Comas sounded terrifying to her. She couldn't imagine being stuck in—nothing. She had never known anyone who had been in a coma and recovered. Her neighbor's wife had been in one, but she never got out of it; she passed away. So Elodie never had the chance to ask what it was like. Rick was here now, though.
"What's bein' in a coma like?" Elodie asked, her curiosity shining in her eyes as she looked up at Rick.
"Elodie," Jamie hissed, reaching out his leg to kick his sister's foot. She shot him a sharp glare.
Rick glanced over at Elodie, his expression thoughtful as he considered her question. He shifted slightly, adjusting his position by the fire before speaking.
"It's... hard to explain," Rick began. "It's like being asleep, but you can't wake up. You're not aware of anything around you, you can't move or talk—it's like being trapped in a dream you can't escape."
Elodie turned her gaze back to Rick, nodding slowly, her brow furrowed in thought as she tried to comprehend his words. "So... it's like bein' trapped in your own body?"
"Yeah, somethin' like that," Rick affirmed.
Elodie chewed on her bottom lip, feeling a pang of sadness for Rick and anyone else who had experienced a coma. She sensed someone's gaze on her and turned, meeting Jamie's eyes once more. He raised an eyebrow, silently urging her to stop bothering people with questions. Elodie frowned, realizing that was probably why he had come to get her down from Dale's RV. She glanced at her mother, her jaw clenched in annoyance as she stared into the distance. Clearly, Elodie had to keep her mouth shut.
