In Dreams (8/16)
For notes and disclaimer, please see part one.
Previously, on the Waking Dead-Carol follows Sophia to a waterfall, and Daryl lets Carol in, just a touch.
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Priceless
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The astonishment on Carol's face, at the beauty of the waterfall was the exact opposite of the horror on Sophia's delicate features. Carol had forgotten about the predator in their midst when faced with the exquisite landmark. Only when her sweet daughter’s shrill shriek reached her ears did she propel herself forward, making the final push into the safety of the alcove behind the falls.
It had been a peculiar place to get into, as Carol had to climb a steep hill and edge along a well-worn rock lip to join her daughter.
Sophia looked up at her mother with an almost smug expression.
“This won't protect us forever,” Carol said, already trying to figure out what the next steps needed to be, to ensure their continued safety. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the cavern, because she did, but there were no supplies there, no food, no escape. She wracked her brain, her eyes looking everywhere. The cave didn't have a secondary exit. The creek down below hadn't been deep. Up didn't seem to be much of an option either.
“Doesn't have to. Look!” Sophia pointed outward, at the bear.
It shuffled, shifting its weight from one paw to another, sniffing at the air. It appeared confused, confounded.
Carol bit the inside of her cheek, watching as the bear attempted to ascend the hill. Once it reached the top, however, it very nearly fell back down again, as its body was simply too heavy to maneuver the terrain. She pushed Sophia behind her. At the very least, if the bear charged, she could take the brunt and maybe Sophia could find her way out, to Daryl, so that her baby could live.
“No, Mom, it's okay...”
To her amazement, the bear lost footing, sliding down to the flatter ground. While it attempted to scramble up again, it never found its way to the tiny ledge, to make its way to the alcove behind the water.
“See?” Sophia hugged her mother tightly. “I told you...”
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Daryl's timing was off. Carol was up a solid hour before he expected her to be. He frowned, but she didn't seem to be hurt or upset this time. She looked confused. He waited, until her eyes found his, and he nodded her over.
She wasted no time, getting up and crossing to him, leaving her blanket forgotten on the ground. “What do you know about bears?”
He chuckled. “Bears again?”
“Can they track through water?”
“Water's always been somethin' hard for trackers to get a read on. That's why it's good, you get caught by somebody, you run through the water for a while. Upstream, downstream... don’t matter.”
“Yeah, but bears have animal abilities, right?”
He looked at her for a moment. “You realize that was all just in your dream... Whatever bear you and Sophia might've found, don't mean you're gonna find one here.”
She paused. “Well, yeah, but--” She drifted off suddenly, wrapping her arms around herself and taking a half step back from him. “You do think it's silly, don't you?”
Whatever shift she'd made, he hadn't made it with her. “What?”
“My dream. Bears.” Her tone was almost accusatory.
“Aren't dreams supposed to mean somethin'? Like, you see a house, but it means somethin' else. Can't be just... you and Sophia bein' chased by a bear.” While he nearly continued his train of thought, he didn't. He realized it would've been a mistake-a bad one-to remind her that Sophia was dead.
She closed her eyes. “You do think it's silly.”
While he didn’t think anything, he was getting quickly agitated. “I never said that. Don't go rushin' to conclusions. I'm just tryin' to say my piece.”
Carol quieted. She thought he understood how real it felt to her, how important it was to her. It was the only encounter she'd have with her daughter on this earth, in dreams.
“Maybe you'll run into a bear out here someday, maybe somethin' worse. Our group ain't gettin' bigger. We ain't gettin' anybody back we lost.” He saw a look of guilt, of pain darken her face. “All of us gonna make sure we don't get any smaller. That means you don't go rushin' off by yourself, don't let anybody else do the same.”
She pushed through the emotions that churned in her stomach at the thought of her precious Sophia gone forever. “You go hunting all the time by yourself--”
“I can take care of myself.”
“But you just said--”
“Say somethin' did happen to me, huh? Say you were out there with me.” He pointed toward the distant tree line. “I go down, you go down. You stay with the group... we're only down one, not two.”
“You're so much more valuable than I am. Night watchman, hunter, survivalist...”
“Figured this whole world bein' shit thing woulda taught you somethin'. Everybody's got value. Everybody's damned priceless. 'Specially those you can trust.” With his words completed, he stalked off, his determined steps taking himself past her, to the further reaches of the encampment.
Carol felt as though she'd had the wind knocked out of her.
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