Stolen Childhood

Jail Bird

Daryl Dixon

Age: 6

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I sat in the porch and cried, holding my wounds close. I've been whipped many times before but I'm never able to become used to it. It always hurt, but what hurt more is that somebody I love is doing it to me. My mom doesn't even care or does anything about it, just sits on her bed and smokes. Why is wrong with me?! I didn't do anything to deserve this torture!

I stood up in anger but soon fell limp. My side and back was in so much pain it was almost unbearable. I reached down and pulled up my shirt to see this whip marks slashed into my skin. One formed a big gash that was now bleeding.

"W-what happened to ye?" I heard a cowardly, quiet voice in front of me. I looked up and saw Sam standing above me, her eyes filled with tears. I didn't answer; I didn't know how to answer. "Daryl...I-is it because of me...because I brought ye out ta play?" She asked fearfully.

"That's part of it." I lied. That reason was exactly why I was whipped. I could never do anything fun with him around, had to wait until he was either rotting in jail or at a bar.

Suddenly I felt a small drop of water on my leg. She was crying...for me? I'm not anything to cry over. I'm just a stupid kid with a father who could care less about me. She wiped her last tear from her cheek and looked down at me with we brown, slightly red and puffy eyes, from crying.

"I'm sorry. I ju-" she stopped hearing the sounds of police cars pull up in my driveway. They walked up to my door and knocked on it loudly.

"Open the door. It's the police!" One of the men said.

I panicked, and grabbed Sam's hand, and led her to my hiding spot. If they saw me they would know something's up and take my dad away. No matter how much I hated him at times I would never want him in jail, even though sometimes I couldn't keep him out.

I saw the two men drag out my brother and put him in cuffs. My eyes widened slightly, and began to fill with tears. My own brother was being taken away from me, and I couldn't do a thing about it.

"Go to yer brother." Sam whispered.

"I can't..they'll see my scars." I watched them abruptly push his head into the car and drive off. My heart sank into my chest as I walked out from where I was hiding. Where were they taking him? Did he do something?

"Are ye ok?" Sam put her hand on my shoulder and tried to comfort me. I quickly jerked my shoulder, and shook her hand off. I didn't need comforting, too old for that

"I'm fine! What do you care. Ye barley know me." Why in the world was she showing my kindness when I have done nothing to deserve it from her. It's not like I was nice to her or anything. After all, she did take my best friends house.

"Maybe I do care! Is that such a bad thing?" She looked slightly angry, but more concerned.

I looked back, but then ran over to my door and slammed it behind me. Now that Merle is gone, I have no one to protect me from my dad, not like he ever really did that, but now I absolutely have no one. I cupped my head in hands, and slid down the back of the door, my knees close to my body. Maybe I should just...give up. No. I can't just give up, not now, not after all I've been through so far. This life ain't perfect, that's for sure, but it's the life I live, and the only way to get through it is to love it...or at least pretend to. No matter how hard things get, I just gotta push through. I pushed myself up and whipped my tears from my cheek. I'm going to the prison and there is nothing anybody can do to stop me.

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Sam's POV

----------------------------------------------I stared at Daryl as he walked away, and I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he was crying. It made me sad to see him so upset. But why in the world wouldn't he talk about his problems? Don't everybody do that? Ugggh boys are weird!

I walked over to porch and looked at the old rustic house. The wood was chipping and it desperately needed a paint job. One by one I stepped up the creaky porch, and turned the knob in the door. Nothing.

"Daryl? Let me in." I said turning the knob faster. There was still no answer. Suddenly the door opened by itself and I saw that he was gone. Where could he have...he couldn't have followed Merle...could he?! I ran through the house when suddenly I felt something tugging on my arm.

"Who the 'ell are you?!" The man said with a strong grip, a fresh cigarette in his mouth. "Wait a minute! Yer that girl that was playin' with Daryl? Who the 'ell do ye think ye are?!" His strong muscly hands forcefully punched me down unto the ground. I fell hard on my arm and felt a slight snap. His eyes looked down at me, they looked cold and selfish. I cried out in pain and quickly bolted away. Holding my arm close, I began to think of Darryl, did this happen to him all the time? Maybe that's why he's always so grumpy.

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Daryl's POV

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I felt the cold earth on my palms as I crawled through the door, trying not to let the security guards see me, and they didn't. Some secure place they got going here. I walked through the building until I reached the cells, when suddenly two men stood in front of me.

"Well look at what we have here! Hi little guy. Whatcha doing in a place like this." The man smirked in my face and grabbed my shoulder abruptly. I scowled at him and spat in his face. "Little punk!" He grabbed me and the two men began to beat on me, every punch felt like fire being pelted at my skin. Where were these dumb security guards when I needed them?! I could faintly make out two voices coming from outside the wall of the two men hitting me.

"Ye we found this little kid. He's one idiot to mess with- ...someone...-and Dike!" The man exclaimed.

"Let me see this kid." The other guy said prying the two guys off me. My body was now stinging all over from the punches and kicks. My hair was covering my face when I could feel a hand grab me and pull me up. "Hey there lil' dude. What's yer na- YOU IDIOTS THIS IS MY BROTHER!" I looked up and saw Merle screaming at the others. He let go of me and I fell to the floor, wincing in pain. My vision was becoming blurry, and I could barley see anything. There was a moment where I could only see black and there was no sound, and then I saw only white except I could hear faint voices. I soon fell into the darkness where everything was quiet, no sound whatsoever, just silence. I was stranded and isolated in my own mind.

"Daryl! Daryl wake up!" Sam's voice called out to me from the darkness. I could see a faint spark come out of the nothingness that surrounded me, and I was snapped back into reality. My eyes bounced around at the trees and bushes surrounding me.

"W-w-where am I?" I asked. "How did I get here?!"

"Long story short yer brother called in the cops and they walked ye out, and I told them that ye would be fine, and to just leave ye with me." She forced a smile on her face. My eyes wandered down her limp arm.

"What happened to yer arm?" She looked a little frantic and scared. What could be eating at her?

"Oh it's nothin'." She looked off at the green woods surrounding us, and tried not to show that she was hurt. I gave her a look and she sighed. "It was yer dad...he pushed me and I fell on it all wonky."

My eyes fell down to the ground. My stupid father may have always hurt me and my brother...but never anyone else.

"Sorry." I said looking up at her.

"It's fine...let's just get ye home." She smiled and helped me up.

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Kat