Different Worlds |Daryl Dixon Fan Fiction- The Walking Dead|

Sixteen: Fight or Flight

              It didn't stay relaxed for very long. While we were resting on the porch, watching everyone walk around, an interesting sound snapped us back to reality. "Is that a car?" I asked, jumping up with Daryl. A beat up red car drove up the driveway, stopping just short of my vehicle. I couldn't quite make out the people inside from where I stood, so I took a step off of the porch. Daryl grabbed my arm, tugging me back and stepping in front of me.
A man climbed out of the driver's seat, followed by some younger men. My father and Rick both stepped up, as they'd become equal leaders. Daryl's hand stayed protectively on my arm as he stood in front of me, holding his crossbow rigidly. The men held up their hands, but it didn't feel truthful, if that made sense.
"We're just looking for safety." The oldest man spoke up, lowering his arms slowly.
"We aren't taking anyone in right now." Rick spoke up, my father had his shot gun in hand and half raised.
"You look pretty well." The man said as he looked left and right, his eyes lingering on the garden and cattle.
"We don't have enough room." My dad grumbled, but the man seemed unfazed.
"We've got camping supplies."
"Then use it elsewhere." Rick ordered, waving his pistol.
"We'll be on our way, then." It was odd how they just gave up and climbed back into their car. Daryl and I exchanged a look of concern while they turned around and drove down the drive.
"You just let 'em leave like that?" Daryl tossed his hands into the air. "Might as well just invited 'em to come here tonight and kill us all!" He flung his crossbow over his shoulder and stomped off towards the barn. I thought about going after him, because I did agree, but I also felt like I had to stay back here and try to come up with a plan with Rick.
"He's right. We have to find out if they actually left." I looked down at Rick and he nodded, rubbing his face. We all stood in silence, then I decided that since they weren't coming up with anything, so I should. "I'll go scouting, probably take Daryl." I grabbed my bow and quiver, slinging it onto my bag.
"I should go." I shook my head as Rick stepped up.
"Your children are gonna need you here in case they come back while we're out." I went inside and grabbed my hunting messenger back, shoving some food and two water bottles inside. I also put in my hand gun and put my hunting knife into my boot. I slung the back across my body and hopped down the porch and towards the barn.
I looked inside to see Daryl saddling up Thunder, which told me he'd had the same idea as me. He looked over at me, watching as I took Boot out and got him ready for the ride. "Where do you think they went?" I asked, trying to scan the forest in my mind. They'd pick somewhere close by to set up and prepare.
"They went to the East, so I'm thinkin' the big clearing under the slope." I nodded, he made perfect sense. I attached the camouflage bow scabbard to Boot's saddle and put my bow inside of it.
"Let's go." I grunted, mounting up and waiting for Daryl to join me. I watched as he led the way, and I wondered why he never said he was able to ride before.
We rode off past the others and into the trees, directly to the slope. Instead of running into the clearing, we went on top of the slope so we could look down at them. Daryl was one hundred percent right, but we were also given a surprise. The camp was full, there were many more people than the small group in the car. We quietly watched as the man who had driven the car selected a few of the men, and they all gathered together with plenty of gear.
We tied up our horses behind us to keep them out of sight. Together, we knelt down to get a good look over the ledge. We had the advantage point, a good aim at all of the men and out of sight. It'd even prove difficult for them to shoot at us from the odd angle. Half of the men below were gathered around a pit, anyways, they're backs turned to us. Which was slightly unprofessional, since a walker could fall on them at any point.
"That's the group going to attack the farm." I pointed out to Daryl. They were near the edge of the clearing, turning to face in the direction of the farm. By the way that the leader moved his hands, they were devising a plan to attack.
"We gotta go warn the others." I grabbed him before he could stand up and shook my head.
"They'll be ready. We have to stay here and watch these guys." I felt my stomach twist, I had the same urge Daryl did. The way the men below us were just going among their business told me that they were no stranger to killing other people, it was a regular routine.
The men below us talked happily, what about I could only guess. By the way they eyed the general direction of the farm told me they were waiting for something, a signal. Which meant they were planning on joining the other group at some point. If we didn't act soon, then the farm would have around twenty fully armed men charging into it's front doors. It wouldn't end well, especially without Daryl and I to help out.
A fire shot in the distance, announcing that the farm was under siege. I raised my bow, pointing it at the man closest the the edge of the trees, his gun raised as if he planned on running in for backup. I slowly gripped the release, and the arrow lodged itself in the back of the mans head. My breath hitched as I watched him fall to the ground, but I had no time to regret my decisions. Daryl's bolt went flying, and the men below us started to scatter. I quickly reloaded and let another arrow fly, only able to catch the fleeing man in his back. He fell face first, spluttering and trying to crawl into the shelter of the trees.
I counted the dead bodies on the ground, seven out of ten. Three had escaped, including the goner who'd crawled into the forest. Daryl examined the ground below us. A twig broke behind us, and I ducked as a gun shot. I quickly raised up, pointing my arrow without a thought and pulled the release at the same time. He crumpled to the ground and I grabbed Daryl to head back to the farm. He let out a cough, growling and groaning. I turned back to see a terrifying sight.
"Daryl, no-no-no-" I stuttered, looking down at his heaving form. His hands clenched a bleeding hole, telling me he'd been shot right in the side. I scrambled to take off my hunting jacket, then tugged off my shirt. I quickly ripped my shirt and wrapped it around his waist, tightening it against his wound.
"Well ain't that something." A voice chuckled behind us. I grabbed my bow, but a gun pressed against my temple. I hated that I was in this position yet again, shirtless and at gun point, Daryl immobilized.
"Put the gun down." I hissed, not daring to turn and look at the man.
"Why would I do that?" He asked, nudging my head with the gun, driving it deeper against my skull.
"Because I told you to." I retorted, my fingers itching to grab my gun. Daryl shifted, groaning in pain.
"You, stay still." The man barked, putting a hand on Daryl's shoulder to force him back into a sitting position. However, Daryl had already down what he wanted to do. One of his crossbow bolts was now centimeters from my hand that lay in the grass. I gave him a weary look, unsure of what might happen if I try what he was suggesting.
"What do you want?" I sighed, so badly wanting to turn and face him.
"By the looks of those bows, y'all are the ones that killed my buddies down there. I just want you to sit tight, just wait until the others come back. Then we'll deal with you." I couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle, which turned into almost hysteric laughing. "What's so funny?" He drove the barrel of the gun into my head, and I just limply went where it pushed me.
"You really think your people will make it out alive?" There was still some heavy gun firing in the distance, traveling through the trees and onto the slope. "You have no idea who you're messing with."
"Is that right, blondie?" I knew I was getting to him, he was anxious to hear what I had to say.
"You're not the only group that's had to kill to survive. I mean, look down there." I grinned, feeling as he shifted his weight awkwardly.
"You got us by surprise, if it would've been a fair fight-"
"Ten against two isn't very fair." I cut him off. "If it had been a fair fight, say you and your buddy against us, no bullshit. Well, you'd look like him." I motioned to the dead body laying a few feet behind him. "Maybe even worse." I shrugged, acting nonchalantly.
"Shut up, just shut your mouth!" He cocked the gun, his finger on the trigger.
"Or what? Gonna shoot me so my friend here can just put a bolt in your eye?" I challenged, and I gasped as the gun hit me hard on the side of the head. Angry, I tried my best to stand up, but he shoved me back down.
"That's what you get, bitch!" Daryl was fuming, staring at the man above me.
"Watch your mouth or I'll stomp your ass!" He roared, and I knew he so badly wanted to knock the man upside the head with his crossbow. I slightly shook my head, he needed to settle down. I looked at the grey shirt to find it soaked. My heart clenched, if I didn't hurry up, Daryl would bleed out right here.
"You can hardly move." The man spat, and Daryl shot him the middle finger. The gun fidgeted, telling me the man so badly wanted to point it at Daryl's face, but decided against it.
"I can move enough." Daryl threatened, flexing his arms as he readied to do something.
"Daryl, please." I croaked, and he looked over at me. The rage in his eyes died down as realization settled in.
"Yeah, listen to the pretty little girl. Bet you have fun with her, eh?" A hand gripped my hair, raising my face. I could finally see my captor, he had brown hair and a scruffy beard. His clothes hung on him like he'd lost a measurable amount of weight since he last wore them. I spat at him, and he released my hair to wipe the spit off of his face. "Fiesty, too. She like that in the bedroom?" Daryl sneered, and I wanted so badly to reassure him. I didn't risk the movement, the gun still planted against my head. By now, the gunfire had died down.
"Looks like all your men are finally dead." I commented, breathing heavily.
"You just wait and see. They'll be back." He grunted, his knee pressing into my back.
Down below us, someone stumbled through the trees. My heart jumped at the sight, had his people really won? However, there was something wrong. The man wasn't right, he had blood spilling from his mouth. A deep slash across his neck and one of his arms was missing. "Joey, Joey!" The man behind me called, and the decapitated one looked up.
"What happened, man?" He coughed, looking at all of the dead bodies. "It's over, they're all dead." The man below heaved, falling to the ground to cough up more blood.
"What do you mean they're all dead?" I shouted down, Daryl staring at him as well.
"We lost, dude. Shit hit the fan." With that, the man fell face first into his own coughed up blood, heaving shakily.
"Shit hit the fan a long time ago." Daryl grunted, turning away from the gruesome sight.
"Looks like you're the only one left." I said to the man behind me. "Why don't you let us go, we can walk away from this." I suggested.
"You expect me to believe that when I lower this gun, you won't grab that bow and stick an arrow right between my eyes?" The man's voice was shaking, he was in hysterics. The wrong words could mean a bullet through my brain, he called the shots now. No one to wait for orders from.
"We can give you a backpack of supplies, you can take whatever is yours and we'll let you leave. Just as long as you stay away." I said calmly, "We just have to stay calm." I sighed, the gun still attached to my temple.
"Stay calm?! You killed all of my people, and I have to stay calm?" He roared, he was going to snap any second. I had no choice but to fight back, there was no talking my way out of this.
"I'm sorry." I muttered... It was now or never.