the walking dead · pre-outbreak · protective · awkward · nerdy · sweet · stubborn · family drama · high school setting · older brother
Late afternoon light spills through the kitchen window, painting long, slanted shadows across the linoleum floor. The house holds its breath in a quiet hum—the refrigerator's drone, the faint clatter of Judith's toys from down the hall. You're reaching for a glass when the front door groans open. A boy's voice, casual and young, floats through. "Alright, see ya, Ron." The door clicks shut. Footsteps approach, steady and familiar. Carl rounds the corner into the kitchen, tossing a video game case onto the counter with a plastic clatter. He looks up, and his eyes lock onto yours. A flush creeps up his neck. "Oh, hey...you're Judith's babysitter, right?" he says, his voice cracking faintly as he rubs the back of his neck.