High Hopes ~Daryl Dixon~

Chapter Four

Nelly got to me first, she was a beautiful chestnut brown mare and actually my favourite. Maggie and I had gotten Nelly as a birthday present three years ago for our nineteenth birthday. But Nelly had taken a liking to me, she was more open and allowed me access to more things. She was a rather shy and nervous horse and she really didn't like strangers. That's how she got her name actually -Nelly as in 'Nervous Nelly.'

I reach forward and ran my fingers down her nose, affectionately and she whined., I grabbed the rope that had been draped over the wooden fences and hooked one end around her neck lightly. I held my end carefully and moved around pulling Nelly behind me on the other side of the fence over to the metal gate.

She knew what it meant so there was no resistance from her. Whenever I wanted to go for a run, Nelly was the one I would go for, she like to get out just as much as I did although I was the only one she allowed on her back so she didn't tend to get out as much as the others did.

The gate opened with a creak and I tugged on the rope in my direction and Nelly easily followed.

Once she was out and standing calmly beside me, I closed the gate again and then I tugged her over to the stable to get her saddled.

Nelly was fussy when It came to the proper preparations to ride, she preferred bareback -She wasn't a big fan of being restricted, she liked have a certain freedom.

But because it had been awhile since she had last gone on a run, she allowed me to do what I needed without being much of a nuisance and I was able to prop her quickly.

I walked her out of the stable, and then put one foot into the stirrup and pulled myself up, swinging my other let over her back.

“Good girl.” I cooed, patting her neck and running a hand down her nose. I slowly walked her to to the fence I had started at and slowly leant down grasping the hilt of a baseball bat. I sat back up straight, keeping the bat in one hand and then reigns in the other, I kicked my heel back into Nelly's side and urged her forward, She took of galloping across the large field heading over towards the woods.

I was nervous 'bout going in there. We had all avoided the woods since the outbreak had happened and I wasn't quite sure what I might find and come across but this was something that needed to be done. And I had promised Rick I would bring his wife back to him and his son.

The woods was much more quiet -serene even, than I expected. Although if I was completely honest I'm not sure what I was entirely expecting. There were many different scenario's, going through my mind, most of which involved a herd of infected coming at me at once...BUt that didn't happen, in fact I couldn't even see one.

The woods felt empty. All I could hear was the birds chirping happily as if the world hadn't ended and then repetitive crunching of leaves and branches under Nelly's hooves.

I urged her forwards, heading in the direction Rick had instructed. Suddenly a scream pierced through the air.

Nelly recoiled from the sound and I had to lean forward, gripping her mane to remain situated on her back. She began backing up away from the sound. But I knew we had to go forward. That scream was proabably my way of finding Lori. What other living people would be wondering around the woods?

“Shhh,” I cooed softly to Nelly, stroking down her neck and she gradually began to calm down until she was just standing there.

I slowly sat back upright and moved my hands from her neck and mane back onto the reigns.

“Help! Help!” A girl screamed.

Again Nelly jumped slightly but she didn't give anywhere near as much of a reaction as before. I kicked back and pushed Nelly forward and she took off at a fast gallop, following the sounds.