Dixon's Baby Girls

Part 39: Sorry Brother

    The group had a meeting about whether or not to kill that Randall guy. Us kids had to stay upstairs, didn't stop Carl from eavesdropping and then filling me in. They decided, despite Dale's attempts to fight otherwise, to execute Randall.

    Now it's night time and me and Carl are in Beth's room in the house, with her permission of course, looking for something to do while they execute him in the barn.

    "I'm bored out of my mind." I say to Carl.

    "Me too." He agrees.

    "There's got to be a board game or a good book or something in here." I look in the closet and find a monopoly game. "See I told ya. You want to play this?"

    He shrugs. "I want to be out there, I don't get why they treat us like kids."

    "Maybe because we are." I state the obvious.

    "You know what I mean Hay. They treat us like we're Maddie's age, like we can't do nothing."

    "I guess you're right. But, I don't get why you'd want to be out there watching anyway. I'm looking for anything to get my mind off of the fact it's happening."

    "He is a bad guy Hayley."

    "I never said he was a good guy Carl."

"Well I'm leaving."

"To go where?"

"To go watch. You can come with if you want. If not then stay here." He suggests

"Uh yeah I'm gonna stay here. What if your mom asks for you?" I ask him.

"Tell her I'm in the bathroom or something." He says and then leaves without another word. I roll my eyes.

    "Well, guess that's a no to monopoly." I sigh, still bored out of my mind.

    I go back to the closet to see if there is anything for only one person to do, and I find a book. I look at the title to see it's a yearbook. I pick it up and look through it to see if I could find Beth. Then I find her picture and it seems like it was from right before the world changed for the worst and she was a senior. I look through the rest of the pages since this was providing some entertainment. Then I turn to a page and see another picture of Beth. According to the caption underneath it was her in music/chorus class.

I hear the bedroom door open, and look up to see Beth she looks at the yearbook I was holding and she smiled.

"Looks like you found my senior yearbook." She says still smiling.

"I was just really bored. I'm sorry. I hope you don't mind." I apologize hoping she wouldn't be upset.

"No Hayley. It's okay I don't mind at all. I'm just surprised you found it. Did my best to keep it hidden." She laughs.

"Why? It seems like your senior year was fun."

"Well some of it was. I wasn't the most popular kid. I was sort of invisible in high school aside from my small circle. Plus, I'm not such a big fan of my senior picture." She giggles.

"Oh. I wasn't popular at all in my school."

"Why?"

"Because of my family. A lot of people looked down on us Dixon's. I was bullied a lot because of how parents talked about my uncle and father around their kids."

"That's so wrong Hay. You didn't deserve that. You're such a pretty, sweet girl!"

"It's alright. I had one friend at least. He did hang out with the kids that bullied me too, but he stuck up for me a lot. I really hope he's still alive." I say, then frown looking down at the yearbook again. Thinking about Jacob making me sad. I feel the bed dip, and look to see Beth sitting down beside me.

    "I bet he is. Sticking up for someone in need, despite risking his relationship with the bully is a pretty selfless thing to do. He sounds brave and strong." She says putting her arm around my shoulders.

    "Yeah he was. I really miss him." I pout.

    "Come on let's go get some air. Maybe you'll feel better." I nod and we go outside together. As we walk out I see Carl walking back with the guys. We walk over close to him, Lori, and Rick. "I'm gonna go check on Maddie real quick I'll be right back." Beth says then goes back in the house to check on my sleeping sister.

"Carl, go inside. Now, please." Rick orders but Carl comes and stands by me as Rick explains to Lori, "He followed us. He wanted to watch. I couldn't."

"That's okay. That's okay." She reassured him. So Randall isn't dead? Okay.

Suddenly we hear screaming coming from the fields.

"Get the kids." Rick tells Lori.

"Come on, come on." Lori tells us.

"T-dog, get a shotgun now!" I hear Shane shouting.

"I want you to go in the house, I want you to lock the door and I want you to stay inside." Lori orders looking right at Carl, but knowing I'm listening too.

She then runs after the group. Carl just follows her. I stand there not knowing what I should do, but then I decide to run after them as well not liking standing by myself, and knowing Beth is with Maddie.

When I get there I regret it, what I see being the scariest and most heartbreaking thing I've ever experienced. Dale, the man who was nice to my family from the start, the man who told me stories while I sat with him on watch, and the man that I thought of as a grandfather I never had. Lay there with his stomach torn open, guts coming out and bleeding profusely; dying.

    I stand there with tears in my eyes, but not falling. Looking at poor Dale unable to tear my gaze away. I don't know why, maybe I'm going into shock.

"just listen to my voice. All right, please. Hershel! We need Hershel! Look at me. Dale, we're gonna help. We're here." I hear Rick say, When daddy comes and grabs my shoulder, even then I'm unable to look away.

    "Hayley. Stop looking Hayley." He says getting in my line of vision. "Didn't want ya to see that much less observe all of it."

    I finally look him in the eyes. "Daddy?" My voice cracks I feel a lump in my throat. "Dale?"

    "Yeah. He's not gonna make it, sorry babygirl." He says and that's when the tears fall down my face. He just pulls me into a hug. "I'm sorry you had to see him this way sweetie."

    He just keeps hugging me as Rick pulls his gun and points it at a suffering Dale's head.

    "I need you to go to Carol okay." Daddy tells me. I hug him tighter not wanting him to let me go. "Baby I need you to go to Carol please. Just for a minute." He said and I do as I'm told and walk to Carol who is crying but hugs me close to her anyway.

    Daddy grabs Rick's gun. Then he points it at Dale's head also. I hear him say, "sorry brother" and then the gun goes off making me jump and then start bawling, knowing that such a kind, wise man is gone. And died such a horrible death.

    I feel Carol loosen her hug. I look back to see daddy and I launch myself into his arms.

    "Come on Hay let's go." He picks me up and starts walking back to the house, him rubbing my back and me clinging to him as I cry my heart out.  

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RIP DALE🥺😢
I know I've been MIA with writing this story. I've seen comments and votes and I'm so sorry I haven't been able to post as much as I'd wanted, but I've been busy and have had a lot going on. But I hope you love this chapter and I'll update again ASAP! Appreciate y'all's love for the book, much love to y'all!❤️