A Brother's Influence (A Daryl Dixon Story)

The Old Farm House

"I'm going to get some shut eye, you got first watch Daryl?" Merle laid down on his sleeping bag.

"Sure, you girls should lay down too and get to sleep, we got another long day ahead of us tomorrow." Daryl said.

With everyone down, Daryl sat on the log they had pulled next to the fire. He pulled out the compass he had taken from the first gas station they went to today. They needed to go West toward Alabama. The highways were easy to walk and keep the right direction but these side roads could get you turned around fast.

They had a map too which is how they came to take this side road. He put the compass away and was about to take the map out when he heard a moan. He looked at Merle to see if he were talking in his sleep. Nope, it wasn't Merle. There it went again. It was definitely a moan. A Walker's moan. He picked up his bow and went to check it out. About fifty feet out, there were six Walkers roaming, walking toward their camp. He loaded up his bow and aimed it at the closest Walker. One down. He pulled the arrow out and went after the second one with a knife. He kicked the Walker in the chest and knocked him down. Knife in forehead. Two down. He ran and punched the third Walker in the jaw, knocking him down. He kicked him three times before stomping on his head. Three down. The fourth Walker grabbed Daryl by his shirt and while Daryl was trying to get her off, the fifth Walker grabbed him by his pant leg. Daryl threw the fourth Walker to the ground on top of Walker number five. He grabbed an arrow and jammed it deep through both heads. Four and Five down. The six Walker was stumbling towards Daryl, meat on both hands torn off so only bone and blood were showing. Daryl stood back for a minute just taking the scene in. What kind of virus could do this to a person? He pushed the Walker back. He was tired of killing these things already. He pushed the Walker back again. 

"Daryl, where are you?" That was little Butterfly looking for Daryl. She must not have seen the Walkers.

Daryl pushed down the Walker again and put his knife through it's forehead. Six down.

"I'm coming," He didn't want her to know there had been Walkers. "I was just going to the bathroom."

"Oh good. I was worried about you."

"You don't need to worry, That's my job okay?"

"Okay."

"Now you just lay back down, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Tara laid back down and went right back to sleep. It was cute that she worried about Daryl like that. It felt nice.

After another couple of hours, Merle got up to take his turn on watch. Daryl laid down and tried to sleep but it didn't come easy. Thoughts raced through his mind. Chloe, Bartow, Mrs. Harold. Jr.  Was everyone okay or was everyone he knew dead? These were terrifying thoughts and he just wanted to go to sleep. It eventually came about three thirty in the morning which gave him only three hours of sleep. He was bone tired when he woke up.

"Can we have some candy for breakfast?" Jenny asked. 

"No, I'm going to get us some meat. Stay with Merle, I'll be right back." Thirty minutes later, Daryl had himself two squirrels. He cleaned them in a nearby river so by the time he came back, they went straight on the fire.

"What kind of meat is this?" Jenny asked suspiciously. 

"Squirrel." Merle said.

"Beef." Daryl looked at Merle. "Its beef from a cow,"

Jenny looked at Merle then at Daryl then at Merle again trying to see who was telling the truth. "Is it really from a cow, because I don't want to eat no squirrel."

"Oh yeah, straight from the cow," Merle lied.

"Okay then, I'll take a piece." Jenny did not want any squirrel, she wasn't raised like that.