The Walking Dead *Daryl Love Story*

Save Our Souls

“We have to walk from here.” The Asian guy said. I learned in the ride that his name was Glenn.

We all got out of the parked van on the outskirts of Atlanta, Georgia.

“I saw the way you were holding on to that gun." Rick said to me. "Were you in the military?” 

I smiled at his question. “No, just a controlling dad, preparing for the apocalypse." The sun reflected off the star on his chest. "Alright, my turn: why're you wearing a sheriff uniform?" 

"I was a cop before all this happened. Got shot in the hospital and woke up here." 

"Damn, that's a hell of a morning present." 

"Thought this was just a dream for a while. When I realised it wasn't, I didn't stop lookin' for my boy and wife. Thank God I found them, now." 

“You know, I’ve never really liked police officers, but you don’t seem so bad.”

He smiled at this. “Shane, the man you met at the camp, he was my old partner before all this happened.”

I nodded my head, not knowing how to reply to him. “How close are we, Glenn?”

“That building right there.” His eyes directed me to a bunch of buildings, which didn't clear anything up. 

*

When we got to the top of the stairs of the building, Daryl couldn’t open the door fast enough. “Merle! Merle!” He looked around the roof more and saw the handcuffs laying on the ground. I could tell when he saw the hand laying next to the cuffs. “No!" His voice was high and breaking. "No!" There was a moment of pause between each 'no' to take in that just his brother's hand was laying next to him. "No!"

I’ve never seen Daryl so emotional. “Daryl, we’ll find him. I promise.” I put my hand on his back. He looked me in the eyes. I was either seeing trust in his eyes, or I was seeing the sun's reflection. For the first time in a long time, I felt sparks in my body. I felt life. I haven’t felt that in a long time. Soon, though, Daryl lifted his crossbow, holding it against T-dog's head. Rick joined in, but putting his gun to Daryl's head. 

"He left him for dead!" Daryl pushed the crossbow more into T-dog's head.

"T-dog didn't mean to." Rick's voice was a turn on at this moment. When Daryl still didn't move, Rick said, "Put it down." 

Daryl hesitated, not wanting to show obediance, but, sure enough, he did.

*

No one spoke when we got out of the van back at camp. They must of thought that he was eaten. I can’t say he wasn’t. All I know is: he made it off the roof without a hand.

“Thank God!” A woman and a little boy ran over and hugged Rick.

“Where’s Merle?” I heard Shane ask Glenn quietly. 

“I don’t know. He cut his hand off on the roof and left.”

I walked over to Cassie, who was leaning against a tree, soaking in all of the people. “What’s that look for?" 

“Merle.. I feel really bad for Daryl. Merle was everything Daryl had left.“

I know, that’s why I said those things to Daryl on the roof. Even though he was a douche, he still has been through a lot.

“Yeah, me, too.” That’s all I could say to Cassie without letting the tears that formed in my eyes fall. I wasn’t crying because I felt bad for Daryl. I was crying because thinking about the past hurt. I haven’t cried in a long time. Everyone was a little dead inside, now-a-days, so I wanted to cry to feel something.

“I’ll be back.” I left Cassie next to the tree and went into the woods. When I thought nobody could hear me, I started crying. I was folded up into feedle position against a tree. It wasn't the kind of crying as when you get your hand slowly sawed off. It was just a few tears, an occasional whimper every now and then. 

I heard something in the woods around me, so I stood up and gripped my knife, ready for a zombie.

“Why were you crying?” Daryl came out of the woods.

I loosened up my grip. “Why were you following me?’’

“I wasn’t, I was already out here. I was looking for more squirrels. You haven’t answered my question.” He paused, waiting for an answer.

I wanted to walk away from him, but I couldn’t. I just stood there thinking of an answer that never arrived to my mouth.

“Ami? I was worried..”  Cassie noticed Daryl. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Cassie turned around.

“Hey, uh," Cassie turned around to me. "Come down to the river with me. I need'a cool down. It's a million degrees today.” 

The little boy and Shane were down by the creek catching frogs, and some of the women were washing clothes and some man was watching them.

The woman that hugged Rick when we got back, walked over to Shane and the boy. She looked calm talking to the boy, but once the boy left, her mood changed when Shane tried to talk to her. I saw her face was strained. She walked away, leaving Shane standing there. He looked at the ground then over at me and saw that I was looking. He smiled at me, and I smiled back. The next thing I heard was a slapping noise. I looked over at the group of women and saw that the man slapped a lesbian-looking person.

Shane ran over to the man and continuously punched him. The women were shouting at him to stop, but he kept on. I ran over there, trying to stop Shane.  “Shane. Shane.” I grabbed his wrists and looked down to see the man beaten to a pulp. Shane yanked his wrists out of my grip, and he walked toward the camp. 

“What was that?” Cassie asked, I completely forgot she was there. I ignored her question. I was watching the woman the man slapped on the ground, holding him in her arms. I shook my head. If I were that woman, I would have done what Shane did to him.