ᴀɴɢᴜɪsʜ » ᴅᴀʀʏʟ ᴅɪxᴏɴ

{33} I Found You.

An open can of corn caught Daryl's eye as he scanned the surface of the one good cabinet. With his right hand, he picks it up to give the inside a good look. This can have been opened recently. A good sign that Sophia might be here. A bad sign if the individual held some kind of threat.

Daryl continued down a hall connected to the front foyer and kitchen. A pair of stairs leading up to the second floor faced the entrance of the home. And underneath the staircase sat a wide enough closest used for storage. Daryl slowly crept closer towards the door, his hand slowly reaching for the doorknob. Sweat rolled down his chin as he gripped the handle, praying to the God who abandoned them that something good lay behind this door.

With a grunt, Daryl swung the door open and illustrated his crossbow. The little to no light shining into the home gave Daryl a glimpse of a small body. Immediately, the archer noticed the shoes attached to the thin legs to belong to Sophia.

"Sophia!" Daryl shouts, throwing his crossbow beside him. He carefully knelt and carefully took the young girl into his arms. She lay asleep, breath hollow. It appeared as if she had been slightly suffering from starvation but taken care of. A large jacket sat on top of her torso to keep her warm. "I found you."

Daryl touched her dirty face, realizing she is alive but barely hanging on.

Panic settles in, throwing the little happiness he had found once seeing Sophia still alive. She needed a doctor, warmth, food, and her mother. Daryl placed the strap of his crossbow onto his shoulder and positioned Sophia into his arms to carry her away from this place. As soon he kicked the closest door shut with the tip of his boot, the shadow of a woman caught his attention.

She held a shield in front of her and a sword in her left hand, eyes narrowed.

"What are you doing?" the woman questioned, gripping the handle of her sword.

"She needs a doctor!" Daryl barked. "Get out my way before I make you get out of my way."

The Filipino woman shifts her feet, not allowing her demeanor to change. However, her worried eyes place onto Sophia, as if she had been the one taking care of the girl for the past week or so. The appearance of a frightened mother flash across her face. Nonetheless, she pushes her dangerous expression back.

"Put her down," The woman demands.

"Did you not hear what I just said? Her mom is waiting for her and Sophia needs someone to help her!" Daryl's voice grows with every word.

"Her mother...." The woman whispered lowly, flicking her eyes towards a sleeping Sophia. The young girl snuggled her face against Daryl's chest. Comfortable. "How do I know you aren't just some weirdo - hey -"

Before the stranger could continue, Daryl pushes past her as if she held no threat to him. With turmoil, the woman lowered her shield and began to scramble for her items. She follows behind a half-jogging Daryl. No matter how many times she told the man to slow down and explain how he knew Sophia, Daryl did not answer nor did he slow down.

The mysterious woman barely knew how to fight, but the least she could do was take care of a little girl who needed her help. If Sophia truly belonged to this man and his group, perhaps they could help her find some refuge. So, she quietly ran behind him, gripping her shield tightly.

***

Jodie sat in a chair across from the bed Beth lay in. The teenage girl now curled up in a ball as Maggie gently pushed back soft strands of blonde hair. About an hour ago, Beth had decided to slice open her wrist. Thinking ending her life might be the best option. However, after doing so, Beth realized ending it all wasn't what she wanted. Jodie gripped the edge of the wooden chair, brows knitted together as she thought deeply.