Feral Citizens

Funeral

"I thought we'd be handling it as a group-"

"Oh, you're part of this now?" He placed both hands on the back of his head and guffawed. "weren't a few hours ago. Hell, you straight up said you weren't with us back at the highway."

"Don't turn this on me-"

"Why not? Ya'll seem quick to turn everything else on me. You think I wanted this? We could've been safe up at Fort Benning if we'd just done what I said in the first place."

"Fort Benning could be gone," I interjected. "and maybe we would have been able to get a lead on where Louis could have been, if you hadn't killed it."

It was the wrong thing to say. He knew who I meant. At the mention of Otis' death, Shane's eyes lit up like a match. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer. I struggled to break free from his bear-like grasp. My heart was going wild, beating so fast I was sure it was going to come flying from my throat.

"Now you listen damn hard," Shane breathed, tightening his grip. It felt like the bones in my wrist were going to shatter. "I was under the impression you understood me here. I trusted you with that, and man, I would just hate to have to-"

"The hells goin' on here?" A familiar, gruff voice demanded behind me. Shane dropped my wrist like I had burned him, stepped two paces back. He glared at Daryl as the man approached us. I felt like a baby deer, stuck between the stag and the wolf.

"Just a minor disagreement, Daryl, you carry on with your business." Shane's answered coldly. His glanced between me and Daryl, as if wondering if he could take us both on.

"Don't look like it," Daryl snapped, advancing. He stepped in front of me, placing his body between Shane and I. "why don't you back off?"

Shane rubbed the back of his head furiously but did as Daryl asked. With one last murderous glance my way, he stalked back to camp, slamming the door of Dale's R.V. shut behind him.

Daryl turned to me, lightly placing my wrist into his large palms. He turned my arm over, examining the slightly bruising left by Shane's powerful grip.

"He hurt you?" Daryl asked. His other hand gripped his crossbow tightly.

"A bit," I admitted, "ow!"

"Sorry," he was speaking softly, as if talking to a child. "what the hell did he want?"

"He... I don't even know, he went off about the barn and looking for the kids, all I did was tell him it wasn't the right way to do it."

Daryl dropped my wrist carefully. "He's paranoid."

"He's crazy, Daryl," I corrected him. "ever since we got here, he's been getting worse. I think what happened with Otis has screwed with his head."

"What, 'cause he killed him?" Daryl replied. My eyebrows shot up. Since when had Daryl known?

"How did you..."

"Thought I was obvious. Shane said Otis gave his life and held off the walkers, but he came back with Otis' gun." Dear God, how had I missed that?

"He thinks it's just me. That I'm the only one who knows." I realised. Shane had threatened to kill me. Or at least, he had been trying to, before Daryl saved me. I'd told Shane on the highway that I planned on leaving. How was I so stupid? I'd played right into his hands, and now I had put myself in danger. Most importantly though, had I put Josie in danger?

Daryl's reaction was worse. He placed his hand on my shoulder, looking into my eyes. "What did he say?" he asked concernedly.

I swallowed, trying to process the fear that filled me. It had chilled my bones, paralysing me. Quietly, I whispered, "I think he threatened to kill me."