The Way the World is ¹ | the walking dead

| 17 | 17 days

Daryl Dixon and Madalyn Taylor felt grief and guilt so large it could rival the moon.

Madalyn pulled her glove from her left hand then held her hand above her face. Her eyes looked over the scabs and fresh scratches littered across her palm. She flexed her hand and winced at the stinging pain. She brought her other hand up and ran her finger across the scratches. Her nail trailed over her skin lightly until she pressed down.

She bit back a grunt as her nail dug into her palm, leaving a brand new line among the others. Her eyes trailed down her hand until they landed on the bracelets around her wrist. Tears sprung up in her eyes causing her to bite down on her tongue.

I will not cry... I will not cry...

She grabbed her glove and slid it back on her hand, hiding away the scratches. She didn't know if they would scar or not. It didn't matter anyway. That hand was never going to see the light of day.

She heard footsteps approaching causing her to sit up. Carl walked up to her, Judith resting on his hip. Madalyn glanced between the two. "I think she misses you," Carl said. Judith cooed almost as if in agreement.

Madalyn wanted to smile. She wanted to so bad. But Judith must also miss Beth. And Madalyn certainly does miss Beth.

And... now she just felt awful again.

"She can't miss me. I'm still here," Madalyn stated. Carl sighed while looking at his feet.

"Liar."

"What?"

Carl focused his gaze on her, suddenly looking incredibly serious. "Yes, you're here physically. But other than that... you're not here."

Madalyn stared at Carl, her heart cracking. She started picking around her nails and hoped Carl wouldn't notice. "I'm sorry," she whispered. Carl moved one of his arms from Judith, leaving only one arm to hold her up. He reached forward and grabbed Madalyn's hand.

Madalyn looked between their joined hands and Carl's face. His eyes softened while a gentle smile formed on his lips. "I'm here for you, Madalyn. I'm always here for you," he said.

Madalyn felt tears threatening to spill while she gazed at the boy in front of her. He was far too much for her already shattered heart. She sniffled and rubbed her nose. "Thank you, Carl. I'll try," she said.

"Try to smile first?" he asked while giving her hand a squeeze. Madalyn shook her head lightly. "Okay. I'll try again tomorrow. You'll be okay on your own for a bit?"

Madalyn nodded. He smiled softly at her and turned away, his hand slipping from her grip. Madalyn watched him go.

She couldn't lose Carl Grimes. She wouldn't lose him.

~*~*~*~

It's been one hour since Tyreese died.

Madalyn stared at his body as they lowered him into the grave they dug. Tears fell freely down her cheeks while she tried to stay upright.

'But we're gonna live first. And we're gonna live a long time.'

Tyreese told her that. He hadn't promised it, but he said it. He said that eighteen days ago. Eighteen days was not a long time. He also told her this world couldn't take everything from her. So, why did it seem like it was trying to?

Someone laid a white sheet over Tyreese, and they began to shovel the dirt on top of him.

"'We look not at what can be seen, but we look at what cannot be seen'," Gabriel said while holding a Bible in front of him. Tara went forward and shoveled some dirt into the grave. "'For what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal'."

Carl went after Glenn, still holding Judith in his arms. Once he was done, he went up to Madalyn, holding the shovel out to her. She stared at the shovel, gently taking it from him. The shovel felt heavy in her hands as she walked toward Tyreese's grave.

She looked down into the grave. She couldn't see Tyreese beneath the white sheet and dirt, but knowing that he was down there hurt enough.

Tyreese was good. And strong. He was selfless. He helped save Madalyn from herself. And she couldn't save him... just like she couldn't save Beth.

Madalyn crouched down, her hand covering her mouth to suppress her sobs. The shovel fell from her hand as her body shook. Why him? Why did the world have to take him? Why did the world have to take Beth?

Was this world so cruel that it only took the good ones?

It's the way the world is...

If that was the case... Madalyn hated this world more than she hated herself.

Someone wrapped their arms around Madalyn's waist and lifted her up. She turned, her vision clouded by the tears, and saw Daryl looking down at her. He carefully grabbed the shovel, his arm still wrapped around her back. He shoveled some dirt into the grave before holding the shovel out to Sasha.

"'For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God'," Gabriel continued while Daryl guided Madalyn away from the grave, "'a house not made from hands, eternal in the heavens. In the heavens."

Daryl and Madalyn stopped a bit away from Tyreese's grave. Madalyn leaned her body against Daryl's side, his arm wrapped around her. Sasha could barely shovel any dirt into the grave. She was lost without her brother.

Maggie was lost without her sister.

They were all lost.

Rick picked up the shovel after Sasha dropped it and began to shovel in the rest of the dirt by himself. Madalyn screwed her eyes shut and hid her face in Daryl's chest. She cried into his vest while he kept his arms wrapped around her.

After only a few moments, Daryl led Madalyn away, leaving Rick to finish burying Tyreese. Madalyn didn't fight Daryl, just let him move her. She didn't have the energy to do anything.

Later that day when the sun began to set, Madalyn stepped up to Tyreese's grave. She ran her fingers across his beanie that they put on top of the wooden cross at his grave. She bent down and placed a gentle kiss on the beanie.

"Thank you, Tyreese. Be at peace now," she whispered, her words becoming lost in the wind. 

~*~*~*~

𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫'𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞

i actually bawled my eyes out at tyreese's death. when my dad pointed out that the people in tyreese's hallucination didn't have their injuries anymore while in that car, i legit broke down into tears. he deserved so much better and judith deserved to know him :(

the fact that the seventeenth chapter of this story perfectly matched up to be titled "17 days" is so pleasing to me

this is the first chapter since the beginning under 2k words. the next chapter should be much longer though. i actually cannot wait to write the next chapter

thank you for reading!