Firecracker ➝ Daryl Dixon

Chapter 12: Strangers

Her whole body was tingling as it tried to fight through the fog.  The pain in her skull made it nearly impossible to remember what happened but the feeling in her stomach let her know that it wasn’t good.  Her hearing slowly came back as she heard herself suck in some much needed oxygen and that’s when she heard the voice.  Female and unknown but it was yelling out her name- her full name.  Arden’s eyes fought open and she wildly looked around for the source of the yelling.

“Are you Arden Sofia Sanchez!?”  The petite woman repeated once more.  She had long dirty blonde hair that was pulled into a low side ponytail.  Her face was red and coated in sweat and her whole body was visibly shaking.  “Answer me!  Are you-“

“Yes!” Raising her voice caused her ears to ring and her head to pound.  She winced in pain and attempted to touch her head but couldn’t seem to lift her arm.  A mud covered rope secured her to the base of a tree while a bearded man crouched down next to her, a shotgun in his hand.  Tremors of fear ran up her spine as she flicked her gaze between the man and woman.  “How do you know my name?”

The blonde sighed and motioned at the tree, “Untie her Hank.”

“Ya sure?” the man had a thick Southern accent and his murky green eyes looked up at his female companion, “Girl might run.”

Arden rested her head against the tree and silently begged that this horrible migraine would just go away.  It was making it impossible to pay attention or figure out why she now separated from Daryl  Daryl.  “Where is he?”  Arden’s voice rose, causing Hank to stop untying her, “Where is he!?”

“He’s fine,” the woman knelt down near Arden allowing her to see just how pretty she was.  She looked to be around Arden’s age but in a much better condition.  Her body was curvy and her skin was surprisingly clear though dark bags hung under her baby blue eyes.  “Just calm down so we can untie you and have a talk about all this.”

“I don’t want to talk,” Arden gritted her teeth, “I want to know where Daryl is.”

“Ha!”  Hank threw his head back and laughed, “Told ya Talia!  Man like that had to have some sort of a hick name like Daryl- you owe me ten bucks.”

 Talia rolled her eyes as if she were used to the older man’s antics.  Arden turned to glare at the man wishing that she could punch him for his comment.  Too bad her punch would only land her in more trouble, especially with this guy.  Hank was big in all senses of the word.  His long beard was his most prominent feature and the speckles of grey it contained hinted at his age. 

“There ya go,” Hank muttered, ignoring Arden’s glare, “Tried not to tie it too tight, looks like it left a mark though.”

Arden ran her hands over her forearms which indeed were red and indented from the rope.  She attempted to stand up but a rush of blood to her already aching head forced her to stay seated.  “Where’s Daryl?”

 Talia sat down on her bottom and crossed her legs Indian style.  “Don’t you wanna know how I know your name Ms. Arden Sophia Sanchez?”

 Hearing her name made Arden’s pulse quicken.  Only a handful of people at the prison even knew her last name and no one, not even Daryl, knew her middle name.  Brown eyes scanned the pretty blonde sitting near her wondering if they had ever crossed paths before this.  “Ugh,” Arden scratched at her skull, attempting to remove the pain and bring back her ability to think straight, “Just…where the fuck is Daryl!?”

 “He told me you had a mouth on you,” Talia smiled and began playing with the dead leaves around her, “But he also said your bark was much worse than your bite.  What he call her Hank?”