Touch » d.d

twentyfour

Haleigh's POV

I ran on, out of breath but if I made it back to the highway by sunrise I would have a chance of seeing the rest of them there. If they had any sense with them, they would meet where all of these problems started off at. I know Sophia's supplies are still there, which is a surprise. I'll grab some of them and if they're not there, well I guess I'm back to square 1. Alone.

The sun was starting to rise and I kept on going, holding onto my dagger as if my life depended on it. I'd already came to a near-death experience tonight and I don't want another one. Or even worse, a death experience.

I could see the highway in sight and I calmed myself down, caught my breath and continued to walk through the woods. I kept looking back every now and then to see if the walkers were after me but there was not a single one. Either the big herd was still at the farm or they had moved on in the opposite direction to where I was heading.

As I climbed over the rails to the highway I looked around and found the car we had put all the supplies on for Sophie. My face softened as I thought about the poor girl and it came to my reality that after the barn, we practically just gave up the search. She was either dead or, well a walker.

I looked around and noticed no one was here. I gathered some of the supplies from the car bonnet and tucked them into my backpack before slinging it back over my shoulder.

'Well then, looks like I'm on my own.' I muttered, I was going insane. Talking to myself, there was no other entertainment. The only people who could make me laugh and entertain me were gone. I looked down at the floor and noticed tyre tracks faintly on the road, I wasn't a great tracker but I did learn from the best.

Daryl had taught me how to track, well the basics of tracking when we were out looking for Sophie one of the days. I remembered Daryl and my eyes blurred up with tears. No you can't cry now. You've came so far without losing it.

I followed the tyre tracks up until it was too hard for me to track, I thought the best solution was to keep going the way I was going but only in the woods. If another herd passed through I would be toast. Burned toast. Or bitten toast, whatever.

I kept going what I thought was east but I couldn't be too sure. The only way I could tell would be with a compass and I wasn't going to go shopping anytime soon so I would have to make do with what I thought was right.

It was starting to get dark again and I didn't realise how long I had been walking for without stopping to open one of the cans of food there was in my bag. I stopped briefly for five minutes to unzip my bag and get out of can when I heard the talking. The panics and I could recognise the reassuring voice from anywhere.

Rick.

I threw the can of food on the floor and I ran as fast as I could towards the sounds of the voices. I just hoped and prayed that I wasn't hallucinating or anything. As I peeked through the trees I could see Daryl's motorbike clear as day and then the back of his head came into vision, along with the rest of the group. They were stranded on the roads, obviously one of the cars had ran out of fuel and that was why they were panicking.

I stepped on a twig as I was about to come out of the woods and it snapped and echoed loudly among the trees and the dark night.

'What was that?' Beth's voice sounded scared as she looked around frantically for the source of the noise.

'Could be a raccoon, could be a possum.' Daryl's voice suggested. I decided to come out of hiding and I walked down the slope slowly, still no one saw me coming.

'Or it could be me.' I said smiling, Daryl turned around immediately and ran over to me and pulled me into the tightest hug possible. I was took aback at his sudden act of affection but I didn't hesitate to hug him just as tight.

'Don't leave me again, Dixon.' I mumbled into his shoulder. I could feel the growing smirk on his face but I didn't turn around to look at him.

'As long as you promise to not leave me again, Blondie.' He spoke back. Daryl pulled away from the hug and I smiled a genuine smile, something that I hadn't done since before the turn.

'I promise.' I spoke softly as I pulled him into another hug and I didn't want to let go.

'Haleigh.' Hershel held a breath I think he didn't know he was holding and he walked over to hug me, that caught Glenn's attention and he ran over and joined the hug festival.

I looked over, as we pulled away from the hug, towards Lori and Rick, Rick went to grab Lori's hand but she was having none of it. She stormed back over to us in hot pursuit, Rick following slowly after her.

'You know when me, Glenn and Haleigh found Randall, right? He had turned but he wasn't bit.' Daryl spoke up as the group was quiet. Rick looked a bit alarmed when Daryl muttered those words and he caught my eye. I raised an eyebrow at him as I stood next to Glenn, Daryl stood opposite me.

'How's that possible?' Carol questioned Daryl as if he was insane. I looked at Daryl then back to Rick.

'Rick, what the hell happened?' I snapped, I knew something happened out there between him and Shane. He wasn't here with us right now, which I was glad about.

'Shane killed Randall just like he always wanted to.' Rick started slowly, he looked at Lori and Lori just shook her head in disgust at her husband before stroking the top of Carl's head.

'And then the herd got him?' Carol asked another question once again. This question was a bit stupid considering there was no bite marks on his body and Daryl had already stated this.

'We're all infected.' Rick mumbled, I snapped my head up and glared at Rick.

We're all infected?