SHATTERED | Daryl Dixon [ON HOLD]

4

I sat at the table of the RV, opposite Andrea and Shane and beside Glenn. I rested my head against the window, watching the clouds go by as I felt my eyes get heavy. The guilt was eating away at me, I could feel it. "You okay?" Glenn asked, nudging me to snap me out of my trance. I nodded, gaining a weak smile from Andrea across the table.

"Maybe someone should talk to your sister?" Andrea whispered, all of us tilting our heads to the back of the RV where Cherry sat on the bed alone.

I shuffled awkwardly in my seat and turned back to face Andrea, "She'd - um - probably be better by herself. For a while," I stammered. Andrea looked across at Shane and nodded slowly, both of their attention going to the gun he was teaching her to assemble. I rested my head back on the window, watching the road soon begin to get jammed with abandoned cars. Daryl, who had been ahead of us for the whole journey, drove back around past us to Rick's car and then back up.

"Road's blocked," Daryl yelled, moving alongside the RV on his Dale to report what he'd see to Dale. The RV slowly rattled down the road, winding between the vehicles. I inhaled sharply, staring at the corpses sat up in their cars and sprawled across the road as we passed them.

The RV came to a halt, a popping sound coming from the engine making all of us jump. Dale groaned loudly, slamming his hands on the steering wheel as he got up and swung the door open. Shane and Glenn followed him out of the RV and Andrea headed after them. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back towards me, "Are we going out there?" I whispered, concerned about standing around the walkers.

Andrea furrowed her brows, as if not believing my concern, but when she met my serious gaze she sighed, "You don't have to worry," She reassured me.

"Look I've only ever killed one walker," I explained, lowering my voice to a whisper as I became aware that Cherry was in the room next to us, "And it was strapped to a table by my father." Andrea nodded understandingly, and slowly stepped out of the RV. I followed behind her like a lost puppy as we were met by the group and the stench of rotting flesh. I held my hand over my mouth, screwing my eyes shut and begging myself in my head not to throw up.

"I told you this would happen, and here we are stuck in the middle of nowhere." Dale sighed, resting his hands on the front of the RV as the steam puffed out of the engine.

"Look around," Daryl started, opening the boot of the car nearest to him, "You might be able to find your radiator hose, and water, and food, and clothes."

Lori shook her head as many of them copied Daryl and began scavenging through the cars, "This is a graveyard."

"Just get what you can," Rick decided. Everyone dispersed around the mass of cars and trucks. I awkwardly stood by the cars, unsure what to do with myself. Andrea went back into the RV, so I went with her, seeing that there was nothing I could be doing out there. She sat at the table like she was earlier, her head in her hands as she stared at the dismantled gun on the table. I placed myself opposite her at the table, repeating what I had done the whole journey from the CDC - staring out of the window and being quiet.

"Are you okay?" Andrea asked, shuffling in her seat, "Stupid question, I mean, you just lost your dad. And I understand how it feels. I just want you to know you're not alone." The corner of my lips turned up into a smile at her comment, I felt relieved that she and Glenn were reaching out to me. I nodded to her and went back to staring at the corpse hanging out of the car beside us.

I knew you had to destroy the brain. I'd done it once before. Being at the CDC and attempting to read my father's notes when he wasn't looking had only taught me so much. Destroy the brain. Whether it was with a gun, or a knife, or a plank of wood. Destroy the brain. They were attracted by sound, smell and sight. 

I snapped out of my trance, noises from the back bedroom alerting me. Both Andrea and I tensing as Cherry stormed towards us, her eyes boring into my head. Quickly looking away from her, she soon left the vehicle. I exhaled a shaky breath, thoughts of my father and the CDC flooding into my head.

Andrea reached her hand across the table to steady my shaking hands, "You okay?"

"I just need a moment," I whispered, placing my fingers on my temples, "Mind if I use the bathroom?"

"Sure. I'm gonna see Dale on the roof," She informed me. I moved away from the table and pushed the bathroom door open, stepping inside the cramped bathroom. I placed the toilet seat down and sat down on it, after shutting the bathroom door. I screwed my eyes shut, covering my eyes with my hands. The tears streamed from my eyes, quiet yet gushing. I felt the guilt and regret burning in my chest. 

I heard footsteps enter the RV. Andrea had probably come back to check on me. Wiping my eyes with the sleeve of my coat, I sighed and stood up. "I'll be out in a second," I called out, resting my hands on the door. Suddenly it jerked towards me, as someone slammed themselves into the door. I cursed under my breath, the loud groans from the other side of the door confirming that it was a walker. Panic surged through my veins as I fell back onto the toilet seat. It snapped its jaw at me through the slits in the door. Leaning up against the wall, I pushed the door shut with my feet. I couldn't understand why no one hadn't come in to help me. Had they left? I slammed my feet against the door again and pushed harder, praying someone would help. 

Looking around the tiny bathroom frantically, I saw nothing that would help me kill the walker. I grunted frustratedly, the groans of the walker growing louder as it fought with the door. I pressed my hands against the walls to keep me upright, looking up and praying. At that moment, I saw Andrea and Dale peering down at me through the small window in the ceiling. Andrea flipped open the glass and Dale reached down, slicing through the mesh covering with a screwdriver and dropping it down into my lap. 

I steadied the screwdriver in my right hand, slowly releasing my feet from to door. I raised my foot up to the walker as it stumbled through the door and kicked it backwards. Forcing myself up, I advanced towards it as it launched itself towards me again. I pushed it against the wall, slamming the screwdriver into its head repeatedly. I wanted to scream, blood spurting across my face as the walker thrashed around. Eventually, it became limp and slowly slid down the wall. I fell back, catching my breath. The screwdriver still stuck out of the corpses head. Andrea rushed into the room, "Holy shit, are you bit? Are you okay?" She asked, her eyes widening at the amount of blood covering my face and arms. 

I studied the daunting deep red colour painted on me, "I'm not bit and I think I'm okay."

A/N

WOW I'M SO SLOW AT UPDATING! I'm so sorry. And this is turning out way different to the first version, but I'm loving it. Comment if you like it and if you're enjoying it :)