Last One Standing ~ TWD Daryl Dixon

43

Buckle up, somehow this ended up being an insanely long chapter. There's a lot of ground to cover.

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Daryl

"Motorcycle mechanic," Beth's voice chirped from behind me. We had been walking through the woods for over an hour now and she had somehow regained her obnoxiously positive attitude.

"huh?" I asked, distracted.

"That's my guess. For what you were doing before the turn. Did Zack ever guess that one?"

"It don't matter," I rasped, leading the way through the underbrush. "Hasn't mattered for a long time."

"It's just what people talk about, you know to feel normal."

"Yeah well, that never felt normal to me."

We stepped out of the trees into a small clearing. "I found this place with Jo," I said in a quiet voice.

"I was expecting a liquor store," she said in a quiet voice behind me.

"No, this is better," I led the way towards the small brown cabin.

I pulled open the door to the small shed out back, revealing a still and jars of clear liquid. I started piling jars into a crate that was sitting on the floor.

"What's that?" Beth asked uncertainly.

"Moonshine," I responded, shoving the crate into her arms. "Come on."

I led the way into the cabin and quickly cleared it. Jo and I had closed the place up before we left and nothing looked changed. Memories hit me as I moved through the rundown cabin. Jo and I had cleared the place out of useful supplies but it had stormed and we spent the night. I remembered sitting across the room from her, talking quietly while the lightning illuminated her face.

I had asked her about her studies before the turn and she had gone into enthusiastic detail for hours.

I pulled down a glass, and blew the dust out of it. I poured a small amount into the glass and set it down in front of Beth.

"That's a real first drink right there."

She didn't say anything.

"What's the matter?" I asked when she made no move to take it.

"Nothing," she said quickly. "It's just...daddy always said bad moonshine could make you go blind."

I snorted. "Ain't nothing worth seeing out there anymore anyway."

She nodded and still looked uncomfortable. She took a dainty sip and her whole face scrunched up. "That's the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted."

I shrugged and she tossed back the rest of it. "Second rounds better," she said brightly and reached for the open jar.

"Whoa," I said. "Slow down."

"This ones for you," she said ignoring me.

"Naw, I'm good."

"Why?"

I motioned towards the windows. "Someone's gotta keep watch."

"So what, you're like my chaperone now?" She asked disgustedly, as though that wasn't exactly what I had been since we left the prison.

"Naw, just drink lots of water."

"Yes Mr. Dixon."

While she drank I set about tacking up some blankets over the windows so we could spend the night. When Jo and I had stayed we sat in the dark but Beth wasn't comfortable with that.