Inferno

thirty two.

"Not gonna give ya that satisfaction."

He watched the way she jutted out her bottom lip to create a pout, before her eyes drifted off to his tent. Daryl followed her gaze and saw the book The Once and Future King on his makeshift bed.

He felt nervous. "I finished it," Daryl cleared his throat. "Didn't have pictures, but it wasn't bad."

A smile grew on her face. "You finished it." Samantha repeated, her facing brighting like the sun.

"Jesus Christ, it ain't that big of a deal," Daryl said. "I know you didn't come over 'ere just to be all happy and crap."

Samantha straightened her posture, and held out something to him - which he didn't even notice she was holding the whole time. When he took it, his eyes scanned the title. Hamlet.

Daryl stared at it for a second before opening it. He felt himself internally sigh. No pictures.

"What's it 'bout?" He asked.

"You ever watched the Lion King?" When Daryl shook his head, she huffed in disappointment but continued, "It's kinda like that. It's about brother going against brother, murder, and the tragedy that follows,"

Sadness washed over her face.

"I got it from Dale's RV."

At the mention of the older man, Daryl felt sorrow wash over him. Dale was an observer too - he noticed things. He was good, too good for that gruesome death, too good and merciful for this world.

"I'm sorry, brother."

"You okay?"

Daryl looked back up and was met with concerned, gentle eyes. Sometimes he didn't like the way she cared for him too much, and sometimes he didn't like how much he was starting to trust her.

"My uncle Jess said the same thing to my dad," Daryl spoke.

The image of his father's bloody flesh was still vivid in his head, his screams as his arm was mauled into still fresh in his head.

His father had been so intoxicated that his mind couldn't comprehend the dead that called, their warnings to anything alive that they were near.

Daryl wasn't even surprised. If his father was barely sober in the old world, why should he be at the end of the world? He got what he deserved.

He hated that man with everything inside him, the hatred consuming his heart, his mind, and his soul - but even as Daryl held the gun, even as he had the chance to be his father's merciless God and end all the years of the physical and psychological abuse, he simply couldn't.

But his uncle did.

Daryl looked up at Samantha. She was still staring, always staring.

"The last thing I said to Dale, that's where I got it from."

Daryl had pulled the trigger because Dale didn't deserve to suffer. His father did, and perhaps that's why he couldn't do the same.

Samantha nodded, understanding him.

"He finally went to Golden pond." She said with a sad, knowing smile.

The two locked eyes.

"With that stupid hat of his." Daryl added, chuckling.

Samantha seemed to bring all the uncharacteristic things out of him. He couldn't decide if he liked it or not, but Daryl didn't have time to decide over the shouts that came from the camp.