CHAPTER THREE, 003
❝ MAN OH MAN ! ❞

SILAS has been to a funeral before; his grandmothers. She was his adoptive father's mom, and she recognized him as her own grandchild, no different in blood or last names. He remembered the open casket, and the way she had seemed to fake, with the rosy cheeks and red lips.

He turned to his adoptive mom that day, peering up at him with a hint of confusion on his face. He whispered somewhat quietly, in front of the line of people waiting to pay their respects, "mom, why doesn't grammy look dead? she looks like a clown."

Everyone laughed. Even his adoptive dad, who hadn't stopped crying over his mothers lost life.  He had brought this atmosphere of happiness and laughter into a room where everything was dark.

Today, he choose not to make a remark on the life that had been lost. His brother had returned with the necessities that were needed to save Carls life, but Otis, a man Silas had grown to know well, hadn't.

They were holding a funeral without a body, something that wouldn't be uncommon in this world. He wouldn't ever say anything, but he knows that something wrong had gone down. Yes, Otis didn't make it, but the story his adoptive brother was giving him, wasn't adding up.

He could see it in the way his brother now acted, and how he didn't look him in the eyes anymore. Silas was dumb, he knew something bad had happened, he just needed to know what.

He thought his brother was dead, and now he's alive and running everything once again. They've either been picture perfect brothers, or enemies, and it's never in the middle. After Silas had been arrested, it seems as if that was the case once again, the two were strangers who didn't know one and other.

"Daddy?" Malie looked up at her father, eyes wide as she quickly glanced back down to where the grave was. "Do you think he suffered?"

Taken back only slightly, Silas crouches and gives his baby girl a sad smile. He pretends not to notice the look in her eyes when he says no, but he also pretends to not notice the way his brothers eyes had darted to him and her so fucking quickly too.

The funeral ends when Silas wraps his arms around his daughter and son, pulling them both close into his side. Luke, his son, sniffles as he moves out of his father's grasp and places a hand picked flower on the rocks. Malie does the same, only her tears are more heavy and her body shakes with sobs.

Silas crouches again, and this time, he places a flower too. He lets his hand rest, and he offers a small prayer for Otis. He's never been the religious type, but the Greene family is, and he would forever give them what they believed in. "Thank you." He speaks softly, before he stands and walks away with his two children beside him.

SILAS breathes in the late afternoon air as he walks beside Carol, Andrea, Daryl and his brother Shane. They're out looking for the two missing children, Riley and Sophia. The airs thick with tension and the scent of pine as Daryl leads the way, his crossbow at the ready, with Andrea and Shane close behind.

Silas stands closer to Carol, who lags a bit, her eyes scanning the underbrush with a desperate hope. His eyes are more alert than hers, he's standing ready with the gun Hershel had given him.

"We'll find them, Carol. We'll find Sophia and Riley." Silas reaches out and places his hand on her shoulder, which she tenses under. Silas takes that as a sign to move his hand away and keep it by his side. "They're both strong, from what I've heard."

Carol glances at him, grateful for his presence, despite barely knowing him. "I hope you're right. Every minute, hour, day, that passes — it gets harder to keep hope that they're both alive."

Silas notices the way that she says they're. She doesn't just talk about her missing daughter, like a grieving mother would, but she gives in all the pain and allows her grief to extend to the boy they couldn't find. The one that had chased after Sophia with hopes that he could keep her safe if they were separated.

"I've heard a lot about Sophia from the others. She sounds like a brave girl, sweet and kind too." Silas starts the conversation, again, wanting to know more about the girl — and boy — they were looking for. "Tell me more though?"

Carol's face softens as she talks about her daughter. "She is. Sophia is strong and smart. She's my little fighter. My world, my everything. Always has been."

"What does she like to do?"

"Sophia loves to read. She has this old stuffed dolly she takes everywhere, It's been her comfort since she was a baby. She's such a gentle soul, always thinking about others. If she knew what happened to Carl, I know she would have been so quick in asking what she could do to help him." 

"She sounds incredible. We're going to bring her back, Carol." Silas gives Carol a bright smile before he glances towards Daryl, who hasn't looked back towards them since they started to talk. "And we'll bring Riley home too."

This time, Daryl does look back. He has a raging glare resting on his face as he stops, leaves crunching under his boots. "That place, isn't our home. Yours, but not mine, nor my brothers."

Shane signals for the group to stop. He crouches down, examining the ground closely. Andrea stands by, her larger gun ready, eyes scanning the perimeter as she turns in a circle and looks for anyone or anything that could harm them.

"Footprints. Big ones. They could be Riley's — they're deep, he could be carrying her." That's all that bothers me Daryl and Carol need to rush forward, side by side, and follow the tracks until they reach a river bank where the tracks end.

The group presses on though, two heading along one side, and three down the other direction. The forest growing darker as the sun sets, the calls of distant birds and the rustling of leaves create an eerie soundtrack to their search. Silas feels the anxiety radiating off of Carol, which makes him feel ever worse.

This time, it's Daryl who halts suddenly, raising a hand to signal silence. Silas and Carol rush over, and the group freezes, when Daryl points to a small clearing where a piece of cloth flutters on a low branch.

"Looks like part of a shirt. Could be theirs." Carol rushes over, her eyes wide with recognition. She goes to take it off the branch, but Silas calls out, and she stops.

"It's tied there," he points out, and Daryl is the first to examine the knot and how strategically it's placed. "If it's Riley's, or even Sophia's, someone tied it there."

Realization dawns on Carol when she gently touches the fabric. "That's Riley's. He was wearing that when we all got separated."