"Just stop your crying,

It's a sign of the time,

Welcome to the final show,

Hope you're wearing your best clothes,

You can't bribe the door on your way to the sky,

You look pretty good down here,

But you ain't really good...,"

-Sign of the Times; by Harry Styles

Charlotte walked as far as she possibly could from the farm, a whirlwind of emotions swirling through her. Sophia had been in Hershel's barn the entire time, she had been a rotter the entire time. How could anyone come back from that? Having to see a child as the undead...it was heartbreaking. God only knows what Carol was possibly feeling. She'd been under the belief her daughter would be returned alive and healthy. That thought alone made Charlotte's spiraling emotions go even more out of control. It was becoming harder to focus on anything.

Walking faster, Charlotte felt her breathing becoming labored, her heart pounding almost painfully in her chest. She wanted to calm herself down, to just stop feeling so overwhelmed by her own emotions, but it was nearly impossible. Rick had been so determined to bring Sophia back, he'd done everything he possibly could to look for her, and...

Scowling, she shook her head. Everything was becoming too much. Charlotte couldn't stand it. She hated it. She knew that people died all the time, that the new world was filled with violence and other misfortunes, but knowing that an innocent child had been taken down, alone, sent feelings swirling through Charlotte that she hadn't experienced in a long time.

Sophia was alone and scared, a small voice whispered. She didn't have anyone to protect her. Rick left her out there to fend for herself. If he brought her back to the highway, then none of this would've happened.

It would've been easier, right? To blame Rick? He reacted first, went out there to find Sophia after she ran off. It would be so much easier to just blame him for everything that happened. Charlotte couldn't do it, though. Rick Grimes did the best he could, he tried giving Carol enough hope to believe her daughter would be OK in the end. Charlotte couldn't blame him for trying. She couldn't blame Hershel, either; despite Sophia being on his property the whole time.

Stopping, Charlotte felt her breathing becoming even more labored, her heart pounding almost painfully in her chest. Why was she getting so emotional over Sophia's death? Charlotte had witnessed plenty of deaths since the outbreak. Yeah, having to deal with the death of a child is difficult, but why was she so emotional? Charlotte didn't know her, never even talked to her.

Tears formed in Charlotte's eyes, she flinched every time a teardrop fell. A child — that was something that fell on everyone's shoulders, whether they were involved with finding Sophia or not. Sophia's death and turn was on everyone. Maybe that was what was getting Charlotte so emotional. She had been determined in the beginning, but her willingness to help find the young girl diminished over time. She was just as responsible for Sophia's death as anyone else.

She couldn't help the sobs that wracked her body.

—Us Against the World—

The air was starting to get chillier, and Charlotte made no attempt to go back to the farm. She didn't want to go back. She had cried so terribly her body ached, her throat felt raw, and her eyes burned. All she could do was sit down, in the dead grass and dried dirt, and stare out into space. Charlotte understood that the way she was feeling was nothing in comparison to how Carol would be feeling, that much was obvious, but the thought still hurt nonetheless. Looking down, Charlotte studied the ground, but her mind was still wandering. She'd have to get back to camp soon. The sun was in the early stages of setting. The sounds of footsteps behind her got Charlotte's attention. When she turned, she saw Glenn standing there, a solemn look on his face.*

"We're, uh, having a burial for Sophia and Beth's mom," he said, his voice quiet. "It'd be nice if you were there."

"How'd you know I was out here?" Charlotte asked, standing up. Her legs were stiff, but she ignored the feeling.

"Daryl saw you go out here," Glenn responded. "He told me to get you."

With a nod, Charlotte ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Yeah."

"Are you OK?" The look that came on Glenn's face made Charlotte's stomach twist. He looked so concerned for her, and it made her feel terrible. She could only imagine what kind of state she was in.

She shook her head. "I've never talked to that girl," Charlotte said. "I didn't even know her, but I can't explain why I feel like this." She shook her head again. "I don't know if it's because Sophia was just a kid, or because Carol lost her daughter...I don't know," she muttered. "I don't understand it."

"You've tried shutting yourself off from everything," Glenn said. "We've seen how you distance yourself, emotionally and physically. Everything that's happened, everything that's going to happen, it's going to change you. It'll make you someone else. But you shouldn't let everything build up inside you, you shouldn't let it consume you."

Charlotte looked at Glenn for the longest minute. There was some truth behind his words, and it made her think in a way she hadn't before. She had allowed everything that happened to her build up and eat away at her. Charlotte didn't want to get close to anyone, she didn't want to trust anyone anymore than she had to. Things were bad, and Charlotte didn't want to get herself into anymore problems. After Gavin, after everything Charlotte faced since then, she let it eat away at her. Charlotte let it get bigger and bigger until...until Sophia happened. She couldn't push that down, she couldn't let herself forget it. Having to deal with the loss of a child in the new world was beyond comprehension. It was a newer, more foreign kind of pain. Charlotte had to consider that maybe Sophia's death was what she needed to really let everything go.

"You're right," she said, swallowing thickly. "The, uh, the others are probably waiting. We should get going."

(A/N):

What'd you think? Was it any good? I'd appreciate whatever constructive criticism you guys have! That kind of thing is important.

I own nothing in TWD. All I own are my characters and the subplots I put in. If you've got ideas for OCs or subplots, don't hesitate to let me know, OK?

Let me know if there's anything I should improve on.

Sincerely,

Alek Haydn