Cupid's Arrow | Daryl Dixon

𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚍𝚎 𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚟𝚎 - 𝚒𝚝𝚌𝚑𝚢 𝚊𝚜𝚜

"Shut up." Daryl said before shooting an arrow at it, killing it. Madelyn rolled her eyes and took the arrow out of the walker before everyone left to follow him. When everyone made it back to the highway, they let Dale and T-Dog know what was going on.

"Shot? What do you mean, shot?" Dale asked.

"I don't know. All I know is this chick rode out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori." Glenn said.

"You let her?" Dale asked Daryl.

"Climb down out of my asshole, man." Daryl said. "Rick sent her. She knew Lori's name and Carl's."

"I heard screams. Was that you?" Dale asked Andrea.

"She was attacked by a walker." Madelyn told Dale when Andrea ignored him. "It was a close call."

"Andrea, are you alright?" Dale asked. Andrea just shook her head and went into the RV.

🧟‍♀️ 🧟🧟‍♀️ 🧟

It was now nightfall and nobody else had returned. Andrea was playing with a gun, Daryl was laying on the ground of the RV and Carol was sobbing. Daryl couldn't take it so he got up and grabbed his crossbow.

"I need my clip now." Daryl said to Andrea.

"Where are you going?" Madelyn asked.

"I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl." Daryl said.

"Wait, I'll come with you." Madelyn said, getting up and grabbing a knife and handgun before leaving the RV with Daryl.

"I'm gonna go for a walk, shine some light in the forest." Daryl said to Dale who was keeping watch on the top of the RV. "If she's out there, it'll give her something to look at."

"Are you sure?" Dale asked.

"We'll be fine, Dale." Madelyn said before the two left for the forest. "Do you really think we'll find her?" Madelyn asked once they were in the forest.

"You've got the same look as everyone else. We just started looking." Daryl said.

"But do you?" Madelyn asked.

"It ain't the mountains of Tibet." Daryl said. "It's Georgia. She could be holed off in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."

"Yeah, but she's a twelve year old little girl." Madelyn said.

"Hell, I was younger than her, and I got lost." Daryl said.

"You did?" Madelyn chuckled.

"Yep, nine days in the woods, eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak." Daryl said.

"Ouch." Madelyn said. "They found you?"

"My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in juvy, didn't even know I was gone. I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear, except my ass itched something awful."

"Oh god." Madelyn laughed, making Daryl look at her. "I'm sorry. That is just horrible."

Daryl laughed slightly as they continued walking. "The difference is, Sophia's got people looking for her. I'd call that an advantage."

"Well, they clearly didn't know what kind of guy they were leaving behind." Madelyn said.

"And what kind of guy is that?" Daryl asked.

"Brave, tough, determined." Madelyn said, warming Daryl's heart a little. No-one ever really said nice things about him and he wasn't used to it but he liked it. Before he could say anything, the pair heard a rustle, making them turn around and see what was making the noise. There was a makeshift camp with a tent and firepit. The rustling was coming from the tree. It was a walker tied by its neck, hanging from the tree.

"Oh god." Madelyn gasped. Daryl noticed a note on the tree.

"Got bit, fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit." Daryl read. "Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging piece of bait, and a mess."

"I don't like this." Madelyn said, turning away.

"Are you okay?" Daryl asked.

"Just trying not to puke." Madelyn said. "I just need to take my mind of it. How'd you learn to shoot?"

"Gotta eat. That's one thing these walkers and us have in common." Daryl said. "I guess it's the closet he's been to food since he turned. Look at him, hanging up there like a big pinata. The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs."

"Oh god." Madelyn said before turning away and throwing up, making Daryl turn around and rub her back. "I thought we were changing the subject, D."

"Call that payback for laughing about my itchy ass." Daryl said, making Madelyn chuckle.

"You jerk." Madelyn chuckled, elbowing him in the ribs.

"Here, drink up." Daryl said, holding up a flask.

"Where did you find that?" Madelyn asked.

"In the cars. Found a whole bottle of scotch." Daryl said.

"And you didn't tell anyone?" Madelyn asked.

"I don't share my alcohol with anyone." He said.

"So, why me then?" She asked.

"You need it." Daryl shrugged. "Plus, I've taking a liking to you."

"You have, have you?" Madelyn teased.

"Just shut up and drink it." Daryl said, making Madelyn roll her eyes and drink out of the flask.

"Wow, that's good. I haven't had a drink like this since-" Madelyn said before stopping.

"Since when?" Daryl asked.

"Oh, nothing." Madelyn said before looking away. "Let's just get out of here."

Daryl nodded, knowing there was something Madelyn didn't wanna talk about and he respected that. She had already told him about her husband, something not everyone in the group knew so he wasn't gonna force anything out of her. If Madelyn wanted to talk, she would talk. The pair then went back to the RV where they were met by Dale who obviously saw that they hadn't found Sophia.