Double Crossbow (Daryl Dixon) [The Walking Dead]

Chapter 57 ↣ Who were these people hunting?

"we were both created in chaos
we were both born to destroy.
you were like death,
and i was like war.
and where we collided,
darling, i loved you."

—k.a., born disasters

↣ ↢

Daryl

I HEARD THEM coming, but couldn't find it in myself to care. I had chased after that car until dawn was moments away. That was when I had to finally admit to myself that I had lost her. I had stopped and sat in the middle of the road, half hoping someone would come along to end this.

And here they were.

"Well, lookit here."

I didn't bother to look up from the ground, but a quick glance around me confirmed the fact that I was surrounded by this man's group. As the leader bent down to reach for my bow, it was instinct alone that had me landing a punch on his jaw that sent him falling back, and rising with my bow in hand, poised and ready to shoot the man.

All of his men pulled their weapons on me, and the leader yelled from his place on the ground, "Damn it. Hold up."

The one behind me said, "I'm claiming the vest. I like them wings."

So vultures then.

The leader wiped the blood from his nose. "Hold up." As he saw his finger come back red, to my surprise, he started laughing. I traced his movements as he slowly rose to his feet again. "A bowman. I respect that. See, a man with a rifle, he could have been some kind of photographer or soccer coach back in the day. But a bowman's a bowman through and through. What you got there, 150 pound draw weight? I'll be donkey-licked if that don't fire at least 300 feet per second. I've been looking for a weapon like that. Of course, I'd want one with a bit more ammo and minus the oblongata stains."

Wow. He just didn't shut up. I couldn't get a read. Was he gonna kill me with his knife or with his small-talk?

His crew laughed, and the vulture behind me said, "Get yourself in some trouble, partner?"

"If you pull that trigger," the leader started again, "these boys are gonna drop you several times over. That what you want? Come on, fella, suicide is stupid. Why hurt yourself when you can hurt others?" He paused like I was gonna give him a response to such a dick question. "Name's Joe."

However, I wasn't gonna kill all these guys with a few arrows and my good intentions, so I lowered my bow. "Daryl."

I didn't want another group, but I needed something to keep me moving. I looked around the group. I supposed these assholes would have to do for the time being.

↣ ↢

I was up before the sun and restlessness soon came over me. No matter how far I got from that group or how many times I looked over my shoulder, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me.

Unease was pulling at me, making me second guess every step I took. It was like I was missing something. Birds stirred around me as I pushed into a clearing. I glanced up into the trees. What did they know that I didn't?

Before I could think on it any longer, movement caught my eye. It was a hare. I quickly dropped to a crouch and took my shot. I flinched hard though as another arrow flew past me.

I spun around to find Len standing behind me. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Catching me some breakfast."

I scoffed and approached the hare. "That's mine."

"My arrow's the one that hit first. Cottontail belongs to me."