Barely Surviving // TWD // Daryl Dixon #Wattys2016

Chapter XXXIII -- I'm Back

"Humanity has always been barbaric and crazy and sick, as you just pointed out with Rome," Michonne told me. "It shouldn't surprise you that much."

Some hours later Michonne and I came across a bricked building, we had come into town. The building was probably a commercial one, back in the day, with little shops.

By now Michonne was limping really bad and she kept bleeding. I tried to put my arm around her but when I tried to lift my right arm it hurt so bad, I found it weird but I ignored it. I probably injured it when I was fighting the walkers or when I was struggling with Merle, maybe. It couldn't be that important. Michonne's wound was our priority now.

Cautiously, we walked to the front of the building and sure enough there were around seven shops, all closed now. There were abandoned cars in the parking lot and there was rubbish and dead leaves all over the place.

Suddenly we heard a car, Michonne and I hurried to hid behind one of the abandoned cars and seconds later we saw a red SUV coming from the opposite direction we did. The car stopped in front of one of the shops and I felt my heart beating faster, I couldn't trust people after Woodbury, what if these people kill us right away? Or what if they keep us hostage? My own group killed Randall all those months ago, no one trusted anyone anymore and no one could be trusted, everyone was dangerous. People just did what they had to do to survive and if that meant kill people, they didn't even hesitate to do it.

I saw two people getting out of the car, one went straight to a shop and opened the shutter of it, I could only see their backs at first but I could tell it was a girl and a guy.

"Glenn, take that duck!" I heard the girl saying and my heart skipped a bit. Glenn.

Could it be really them? Glenn? I felt my lips curving into a big smile, thinking that I succeeded, that I actually stumbled upon them, without even really trying.

"Mich, I know these people," I told her with a big smile. "They are from my old group."

Michonne just stared at me like if I was hallucinating, she looked unsure on what to do now. I stared into her dark brown eyes and I silently pleaded to her to listen to me as we heard the two people, Glenn and who I could tell now was Maggie, discussing things.

"You really know them?" she asked in a voice I could barely hear and understand.

"Yeah, I do," I said, my smile never left my lips. "If Hershel is still around he could stitch your wound, he's a doctor – well, a vet actually, but just as good as a doctor. Come on!"

I pat Michonne's shoulder before standing straight and walking past her, I was about to yell to them and run towards them when I heard another voice, another too familiar voice and before I could react I felt a hand over my mouth, dragging me back behind the car.

"And where is it y'all good people are calling home?" none other than Merle Dixon shouted, that bastard tracked us and followed us here.

"Merle?" Glenn muttered in surprise as he and Maggie pointed their guns at Merle.

Apparently Merle hadn't recognized Glenn. He looked surprised and he started to laugh with a shocked expression. Then he lowered his gun, left it on the floor and lifted his hands, well hand and I guess, knife-hand in surrender and took a few steps towards them.

"Hey, back the hell up!" Maggie yelled.

"Okay, okay, honey. Jesus!" Merle exclaimed.

"You made it," Glenn muttered in disbelief.

"Can you tell me, is my brother alive? Huh?"

"Yeah," Glenn said and Merle wasn't the only one relieved to hear that. I found myself releasing a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding, I was extremely happy Daryl was alive.