Not Alone ✔

Prelude

Anna

Great more staring, I thought to myself as I made my way down the street to a couple friends' house. Haven't these people stared enough to not care anymore, I continued to think as I got to the front door of the house I was headed to. "Knock, knock," I said as I reached the open door and poked my head in to see the inside was empty, "where y'all asses at?!" "Right behind ya," someone said from behind as they grabbed at my sides making me jump and shriek in shock. "The hell Daryl," I said as I turned around and started swatting at him, "you scared the hell out of me!" "That was the point Anna," he said laughing as he grabbed both my arms to keep me from attempting to hit him.

"Where's Merle," I asked after I finally quit trying to hit him and looked around. "Out huntin'," he said as we sat down on the steps to the front door, "won't be back till later this evening." "I see," I said nodding as I sat down beside him. We sat there, in a comfortable silence as some of our neighbors walked by and again stared. "Why do people have to be so nosy," I asked as I glared at the last person walking by who stared at us. "Not used to seeing someone my age around someone your age I recon," he said as I looked over at him to see he was smiling at me. "Yeah well," I said standing up as he watched me, "I only stopped by to tell y'all I'm headed to Atlanta for a few weeks. Visit with some family up there that I ain't seen in a while."

"Why," Daryl asked standing up on the steps after I had walked on out into the yard. "'Cause I gotta stay in some contact with my family," I said smiling at him, "I won't be gone long Daryl. Just tell Merle I'll see y'all both when I get back." "Just be careful," he called as I was walking out of his yard and down the street, "I hear the city can be a dangerous place!" "I'm a grown woman Daryl," I called back, "I can take care of myself thank you! Good bye now!" I carried on walking, couldn't really hear what he had to say after that as I headed home to pack up and leave. Little did I know, I'd probably never see Daryl or Merle again after that day...

To clear any confusion there may be, Anna was 21 and Daryl was his age. Whatever it is. To me it's at least 38.

- Kenz