Daryl's Angel (Book One in the Apocalypse Angel Trilogy)

Chapter 67: Fallen Angels

Hope's POV

I jump up with a start. How long have I been asleep?

I get up off the bed in the house I'm in, looking out the window. The sun hasn't risen yet, and I sit back down. I had raided a lot more houses, and after a few, I started feeling really tired. I crashed in this one, sleeping as soon as my head hit the pillow. As usual these days, my dreams were full of my group, but mainly him.

I walk downstairs, grabbing my bag. I open a can of soup with my knife and eat it cold. I just finish it when I hear a scratching at the door. I put down the empty can, slowly grabbing my knife and creeping to the door. I reach for the knob and throw it open.

There are no walkers, just a scrawny dog on the porch. His tail wags weakly when he sees me, and my heart melts. I have always loved dogs. He looks like a German shepherd Labrador mutt. He whimpers, and I let him inside. He follows me down the hall, and I grab a can of dog food I got at another house, placing it down on the ground. He wags his tail and gobbles down the contents. I can tell he's really hungry.

He licks the can clean and lays down, going to sleep. He has a collar on, and I reach forwards to look at it.

"Augustus. Vaccination...blah...blah..." I read out loud to myself. I look at the dog. "So, your name is Augustus?"

His eyes open and his tail wags when I say his name.

"Nice to meet you, Augustus. I'm Hope."

I hold out my hand and Augustus lifts his paw and places it in my hand. I shake it, laughing. For a moment, the empty feeling in my chest disappears.

"You wanna come with me?" I ask.

Augustus barks happily and jumps up, turning in a circle excitedly.

"Sounds like a plan. Let's go."

I open the door and head back out onto the street, Augustus following at my heels.

"I'm looking for my friends. They'd like you, I'm sure of it," I say.

I walk away from the neighbourhood, walking back near the stretch of forest. I turn into the forest, and Augustus follows. I walk carefully, but Augustus runs ahead, jumping over branches, his tongue hanging out the side of his mouth.

I laugh, but go quiet when I hear groans. Augustus stops too.

Walkers appear from behind some trees and I ready my knife. Augustus growls and his hackles raise.

"Gus...chill. I got this," I whisper.

Augustus leaps onto one of the walkers, biting into its head, dropping it to the ground. He lunges at the next one, tearing its leg off, making it fall too. I run forwards and stab it before killing a few others, although Augustus beats me to most of them.

I stare at the dog in shock. He sits patiently, his tongue still hanging out. He looks proud of his accomplishment.

"Looks like someone knows how to kill walkers." I grin.

He yaps and his tail wags. I walk away from the bodies and unzip my backpack, pulling out a can of stew and the other can of dog food. I pry the tops open with my knife and drink the stew, giving the dog food to Augustus, who eats it happily.

I zip the backpack back up, slinging it over my shoulder and standing up.

"We make a good team, you and I."

Daryl's POV

The country club was no help. Beth didn't find her drink, but I decided to help her. She tried to drink damn Peach Schnapps. Aka, a waste of a first drink.