My Hunter || Daryl Dixon

Chapter 16

Eight Months Later
I stand in front of the department store, my bat held tightly in my hand. My gun swings across my back, hitting my thigh as I bang on the window. I wait for five minutes before I enter, my bat raised high. I go through the aisles, looking around thoroughly for walkers or any sign of threat. When I find none, I sigh in relief and begin to search the aisles, grabbing everything I need. As I go, I see a vending machine near the front of the store and my stomach growls loudly throughout the silent building.

I walk forward and raise the end of my bat, preparing to strike at the glass. I hit the glass with all my strength and it cracks slightly. I repeat the process two more times and the glass shatters, piling around my boots. I reach in and grab the food and drinks, stuffing them in my backpack. I take a seat in the front window of the department store and pull out a packet of chips and water.

I open them and pull out the map I've been working off for the past eight months. There are red crosses and lines all over the paper, marking all the places I've searched for them. Each time I go somewhere where they could potentially be, I'm let down. However I don't give up my hope, I know I'll find them. I just have to keep trying.

I look at the map and decide to head further north, check out the towns up there. I leave the rubbish behind and pack the map back into the backpack. I swing the backpack over my back and grab my bat, heading out of the store. Up ahead, a lone walker turns and snarls at me. I sigh and stride forward, my bat in place. As I reach the walker, I swing it forward and it collides with the walker's head.

It falls to the ground and I continue to beat it until it's head is caved in, blood smeared all over the concrete. I straighten up and look around, seeing that there are no more walkers. I step over the walker's corpse and continue on the road. I look around the small town, seeing the littered filled streets. Once upon a time, it would have been a nice town. With friendly people and the sound of cafes and people laughing from the store fronts. Now it's empty, reflecting nothing back but the emptiness of the cold town.

I roll the sleeves up on my shirt, Daryl's shirt. It's extremely dirty now and torn, but I keep. My only keepsake of him. I shake my head, not dwelling on the sadness of the situation. My thoughts are interrupted by the sound of car. I turn to look behind me and in the very far distance, I see a large car heading my way.

I dash off the road and into a side alley, climbing into an empty dumpster. The sound of the car gets louder until I hear it pull up somewhere close by. I hear the sound of a couple of car doors opening and footsteps. I lower my breathing and soon I hear the car doors again before the car drives off. I wait a moment before climbing out of the dumpster.

I peak around the edge of the alley and see that the street is once again empty. I shake off the dust from the dumpster and continue on my walk. I keep my eyes peeled for walkers as I walk, though my mind continues to wander off. I think about Belle and Daryl again, wondering where they are. Are they alive? I shake off the thought, refusing to even consider the alternative.

"On your knees!"

I look around panicked, my bat raised.

"On your knees!" The person repeats.

I slowly I lower my knees to the road.

"Drop the bat!" They command.

I lower my bat to the ground and look around for the person, but I can't see them.

"The backpack and the gun too!"

I take off my backpack and lower it and my gun to the ground. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I try to figure a way out of this. I hear footsteps approaching me and soon I'm looking at a pair of dirty combat boots.