Afraid of Being Alive (Shane Walsh Love Story)

Chapter 11: Falling Through Permission Slips

“You alright?” asked Daryl as we trekked through the forest in what was previously silence.
“Honestly? I don’t know.” I sighed, “just having…. I don’t know… guy problems.”
“The world has gone to shit and you chicks still manage to have guy problems? Your species amazes me sometimes.” Snickered Daryl.
“Ditto to that.”
We walked on for a bit more, stopping at some bushes every now and then and checking to see whether the berries were poisonous or okay to eat. Daryl knew how to tell the toxic berries apart from the healthy ones, so it was great to have him along with me. You’d be shocked how many berries that look like blueberries are actually deadly to eat; same goes for blackberries. We picked almost a small basketful of raspberries within around a good twenty minutes of walking about, knowing how delighted the kids of the group would be to see the number of these.

“So we got heaps of berries and barely any meat.” Frowned Daryl as he held up the singular woodchuck that he’d shot down with his arrow.
“Mmmm, that’s no good.” I said flatly, “where do you think all the animals have gone?”
“We probably ate them all.” Joked Daryl as he slung the rope of woodchuck over one shoulder.
“Maybe we’ll find something as we head back to camp.” I smiled, picking up a juicy red raspberry and popping it delicately into my mouth.
Daryl nodded and we were on our way yet again.

We had walked quite far out from the camp, maybe 25 minutes or so. That wasn’t a good sign as it was indeed getting a tad dark. I still had something I needed to do today, and that was apologise to Shane. I felt like a bitch with the way I was ignoring him and I had to make things right. It wasn’t his fault. He plucked up the courage to kiss me and I chickened out and walked away without further ado. And it’s not that I didn’t want to kiss Shane for I most definitely did. He was very good looking and I was a sucker for his bad-boy personality.

We were only about ten minutes or so away from the camp when Daryl spotted a deer feeding on something. His face lit up at his positioned his crossbow at the beautiful creature. I crouched down to help me remain silent.
“Dinner.” He grinned as he shot the arrow directly into the deer’s neck. I was standing here and thinking about how lucky it was that Lola was off somewhere with Amy and not with me, for she’d probably have a fit and break down at the sight of the majestic animal dead on the ground, bleeding profusely from its neck.
“I’ll go help you carry it.” I said, getting up from my crouching position and beginning to walk up ahead when the sound of shuffled footsteps echoed through the forest, the feet accompanied by a strange gurgling noise that sounded like someone was being strangled.
“Stay back!” hissed Daryl as he stretched his arm out in front of me and pushed me back gently.

Out of the bush across from the deceased deer on the opposite side of us slumped a dead-one, its foot twitching with each step. The dead-one’s eyes were hungry for anything they could get their hands on. It’s arms were stretched out eagerly as it approached the deer with a constant limp, the growling noises it was making only growing louder with its excitement.
“Holy shit,” I whispered as the dead-one kneeled clumsily by the deer and tore into it, “they… they never come this far up.”
“Must be running out of food in the city,” frowned Daryl as he loaded another arrow into the crossbow, “and you know what that means.”
“We’re about to become their next source of food.” I whimpered, clamping my hand over my mouth in fear, trying to stop myself from crying. I didn’t want to move; leave again. I was sick of living a nomadic lifestyle and just wished to remain in one place for longer than two weeks’ time.
Daryl aimed his crossbow at the dead-one and fired, hitting the thing right in the head, the arrow  piercing the brain as a bit of blood spatter occurred, the undead creature falling lifelessly to the ground and on top of the deer.