Deadland

Chapter 56- Rabbit

Joe's body thuds to the ground and Daryl aims his crossbow at him. Everyone, minus me, aims their guns at Daryl's head. 

"Damn it, hold up!" Joe yells. 

"I'm claimin' the vest!" Len yells. "I like them wings." He smirks as he eyeballs Daryl from behind. 

"Hold. Up." Joe warns, wiping blood off his nose. 

My nosebleed has slowed though every few seconds I have to wipe under it. 

Joe looks at the blood on his finger before laughing, a little too hard, and standing up. 

"A bowman," Joe notes, sighing. "I respect that." 

Daryl hasn't seen me yet but if he turns his head even slightly to the right, he'll see me half-naked and beat. 

"See, a man with a rifle, he could have been some kind of photographer or soccer coach back in the day." Joe begins again. "But...a bowman's a bowman through and through. What you got there, 150-pound draw weight? I'll be donkey-licked if that don't fire at least three hundred feet per second. I've been lookin' for a weapon like that." 

He smirks, "Course I'd want one with a bit more ammo and minus the oblongata stains." 

Len laughs behind Daryl, "Get yourself in some trouble, partner?" 

"You pull that trigger...these boys are gonna drop you several times over. Is that what you want?" 

When Daryl doesn't respond, Joe continues. "Come on, fella, suicide is stupid. Why hurt yourself when you can hurt other people?" Joe's lips curl into a sadistic smile. 

"Name's Joe." 

Daryl lowers his crossbow and looks Joe in the eyes. "Daryl." 

I don't know how I feel about him being in this group. I know it'll keep him alive and I know he would never force himself on any girl. But I can't say that he wouldn't fight for me if one of the men claim me. 

When he hears everyone lower their guns, he looks around. 

His eyes finally meet mine and his eyes widen. He looks me up and down and I can see pure dread in his eyes. 

I shake my head slightly to tell him to act like we don't know each other. 

He looks me up and down before looking around at everyone with a whole different look. A look of disgust. 

"This here," Joe steps next to me and wraps his arm around my waist. "Is Adrian." Daryl's eyes narrow. "Why's she..." His finger goes from my face to my shirt, then back to my face. 

"Well, see, Adrian here is our...toy is the wrong word. But whenever you want her, whenever we want her, all you's gotta do is say claimed. That goes for everything." 

"What if she says no?" Daryl asks, his voice angry. 

"She's claimed. She can't." Joe smiles again and his hand tightens on my waist. "I've claimed her for now. Once I'm done, you can have 'er if ya' want." 

I continue to look at Daryl with a blank expression though seeing his look of regret, anger, and heartbreak, is enough to finally make my eyes tear up ever so slightly but I blink back the tears. Though, they don't go unnoticed by him. 

"Where're you goin'?" Joe asks as I stand up. 

We set up camp in the middle of the woods last night. Daryl and I slept on opposite sides though I was itching to curl up next to him. 

"God, can't a lady go to the bathroom in peace?" I groan, walking away. "Better come back soon!" Joe yells. 

The truth is, Daryl wasn't here when I woke up though his stuff was. I'm going out to look for him before they do.