The Dead World

Eleven ~ Felony Charges

Trigger Warning - Beatings, talks of execution

"I told you" Randall panted after Daryl hit him again.

"You ain't told me shit" Daryl snarled at him hitting him once more.

"I barely knew those guys, met 'em on the road!" He cied out spitting blood from his mouth.

"How many in your group?" Daryl questioned but the kid just shook his head so Daryl took out his hunting knife making him whimper as he stabbed the knife into the wood next to his injured leg "How many!" He snarled.

"Uh, Thirty! Thirty guys!" He yelled out breathing fast.

"Where?"

"Uh..." the kid hestitated so Daryl ripped his bandage off making him cry out when it ripped old scabbing off with it "Uhh, I don't know I swear! We were never anyplace more than a night"

Daryl pressed the tip of his knife into his leg "Scouting? Planning on staying local?"

"I... I don't know! They...They left me behind!"

"You ever pick off a scab?" Daryl tried warning the boy just wanting him to give up the information.

"Come on man! I'm trying to cooperate!" he cried but Daryl knew he wasn't so he continued pushing the knifes tip in to his flesh.

"Start real slow at first but sooner or later you just gotta rip it off" He snarled getting up close to his face.

"Okay! Okay they....They have weapons...Heavy stuff, automatics" The kid stutters "But...But I didn't do anything"

Daryl thought that was highly unlikely "Your boys shot at my boys, tried to take this farm. You just went along for the ride? You're trying to tell me you're innocent?"

"Yes! These...These people took me in. Not just guys uh, a whole group of 'em! Men and women, uh, kids too just like you people" He shouted "Thought I'd have a better chance with them you know? But, we'd go out, scavenge...Just the men. One night...We found this little campsite. A man and his two daughters, teenagers you know? Real young, real cute..." the boy faded off trying to judge the mans reaction but he just turned to look at him where he'd previously had his back turned.

So the kid continued, this guy looked like te guys back at camp so maybe he liked the same things "Their daddy had to watch while these guys...they...And they didn't even kill him afterwards! They just...They just made him watch as his daughters...They just left him there." He looked back at the man who still was giving him nothing to go on "You can come with me! They would take you in! You can even bring that girl, you know, the one that smells good...With the pretty curls...Yeah! I've seen her walking about sometimes, You co..." He didn't get to finish as Daryl foot made contact with his gut making him fall to the side.

The moment he had mentioned Phoebe's curls it was like someone had pulled a red film over Daryl's eyes and he didn't even register hitting the boy until what seemed like moments later he pulled away and the kid was in bad shape, his face already bruising, horrifically swollen, his whole face was covered in blood and not just his own either, Daryl's knuckles had split from the force he was hitting the boy.

Feeling sick he just left the barn locking it he quickly found the others, most were already gathered he walked up catching the end of the conversation.

"We gonna keep him here?" Glenn questioned Rick.

"We'll know soon enough" Rick answered nodding toward Daryl who was wlaking over while both Shane and Phoebe watched him approach.

"Your boy there's got a gang" Daryl announced joining the group and standing at Phoebe's side. "Thirty men. Got heavy artillery n' they ain't lookin' to make friends. They roll through here, our boys are dead. And our women, they're gonna..." Daryl trails off his jaw tensing. "They're gonna wish they were." He quickly looked at Phoebe who was already looking at him, she saw how stressed he looked so she shot him what she hoped was a comforting smile.