Scars (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

||Chapter Four||

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I decided to do something with my few hours of thinking. I had to pull my weight as Rick said so I should probably help Carol with dinner.

I rushed out the room in search of the cafeteria. I've never been in this prison even though I lived in the area. It's not like I had a reason to be. I was always stuck in that Godawful place that I was forced to call home. It was crawling with snotty kids and isolated places. The prison reminded me of it because of the spaced rooms with bunk beds and gates to keep us in. There wasn't real bars and cells in where I lived in, but it felt like it since I was an only child and I had no roommate. The orphanage was a living Hell in disguise. People who passed the deceiving building didn't know what was going on in there. Kids cried their eyes out because they failed at an interview or their biological parents didn't visit them that day.

I never got visitors or parent visits. I didn't even know who were my parents were. The most I remember from those days were Ms. Darlene putting me in formal dresses and driving me to a hospital. Once I walked through the glass double doors in the front, everything was hazy. I don't remember being put through tests out or just going with Ms. Darlene for support. All I remember was the long car rides. They were silent and painful. Ms. Darlene didn't even turn on the radio which made it all that more depressing.

After the long, and Hell filled years, I was finally thrown out of the place. I was given a few scholarships to colleges around the area so I took them reluctantly knowing that was the only way I could support myself. I went through college with flying colors and landed a decent paying job being a receptionist at an insurance company. I was working my way up in the company closer to being a saleswoman when the shit hit the fan.

I knew how to shoot a bow since my school had a competitive archery team. Ms. Darlene would let me set up targets in the play area when I was older to practice my shooting as long as no other kids were around. I was glad I had the skill because it became very handy.

My eyes scanned the area looking for wide doors or signs that say 'cafeteria'. Footsteps then startled me. I looked over my shoulder to see Rick's son strutting over towards me. "Oh, Carl. Just the man to help me. Where's the cafeteria?" I spun on my heels to face him.

He gave me a look of disgust and sighed,"Through that gate on the left." He nodded beyond me to metal bars and a dark corridor. I glanced behind me and turned back to him,"Thanks and, Carl...I hope your dad isn't giving you the wrong idea about me. I'm just like you. I'm just trying not to die in the next second. I'm just trying to survive... I mean live," I stuttered afraid of his response.

"What's the difference between live and survive?" he asked shifting his weight to one foot and resting his palm on his gun that was on his hip. "Well, surviving is breathing and killing geeks so you aren't torn apart and living is breathing, but you're enjoying it. Yeah, I don't have to get drunk every night, but I'll find a way to like it," I smiled slightly. Carl returned the same expression.

"You can spread that around if you want, but just know I put my copyright on that," I smirked turning towards the cafeteria. "I want to know how you saved Daryl," I heard Carl call making me stop in my tracks. I looked over my shoulder with the smirk still on my face,"Over dinner?"

I saw him nod his head enthusiastically which made me chuckle slightly. I started to walk closer to the cafeteria and pushed the gate open. I felt Carl's eyes pierce my back before I disappeared as I turned a corner.

There it was, the cafeteria. I pushed down the door handle to the entrance and shoved it open. I saw Carol at the corner of my eye cutting up something by the serving area. The metal picnic tables scattered around the room giving it the contained and isolated look with its dark, concrete walls.