I woke up as promised, with someone tripping over my legs. I groaned and jolted up, hitting my head against the wooden table. I let out a string of profanities, cursing the table and calling myself an idiot as I rubbed the sore spot on the side of my head, a small bump beginning to form.
"Sorry," I heard a female's voice call out to me. This time, I carefully crawled out, being mindful of both my head and the table, and saw Amy staring at me, her bottom lip between her teeth.
"No worries." I muttered, my eyes squinting from the light flooding into the R.V. "I was well warned that this could happen." I chuckled.
Amy smiled at me halfheartedly before walking out of the R.V. I fully stood up, feeling the familiar pop in my knees, and stretched out, my arms flying above my head. That was the best night's sleep I've gotten in a long time; I haven't felt this refreshed in a long time. Turning to face my new archnemesis, the table, I reached over, rummaged through my pack, and grabbed a flannel shirt, shoving my arms through the wrinkled sleeves. I walked over to the R.V. door, wondering whether I should step out yet. I could crawl back under my enemy and use it as a shield from the sun and snooze, something I haven't gotten much of lately. I shook off the laziness and stepped out, the sun beating down on my face and taking me by surprise. I looked around the camp, watching people walk around, doing their part to keep the camp functioning.
"You're awake." I turned around and saw Dale with his rifle perched on top of the R.V. "Didn't want to wake you. Seemed too comfortable down there under that table."
"Don't mention that demon," I grumbled under my breath before raising my voice, "You should've, though. I could've started fishing or doing laundry or something." I smiled at him, my hand flying up to shield my eyes from the sun.
"Shane and I agreed to let you and Rick sleep in today. Especially you. How long were you on the road again?" Dale asked.
"Too long," I shrugged, unaware of how much time I spent on that road. When you're trying to survive and see the next day, you don't pay much attention to time. All you know is that the days blend, and you live to see another day. "Anything for me to do?"
"You'll have to ask the ladies or Shane." Dale answered, "I hear you know your way around a gun."
"Yeah," I smiled, not wanting to talk about how or who taught me to shoot and hunt, "Well, thanks for letting me sleep in. Hey, what time is it anyway?"
"Quarter till 9" He smiled down at me. Oh wow! Usually, I'm up with the sun. They weren't lying when they said they let me sleep in. I nodded at him and waved bye to him, making my way to the center of camp. I looked at Carol and saw as she was ironing some clothes. She looked up at me and smiled warmly, her eyes lighting up.
"Hey, June." She said, "I washed some of your clothes. Had Andrea get them from your pack if you don't mind." Surprised, I raised my eyes and smiled at the mousy woman, happy to finally have clean clothes. Ah, how it's the little things in life that you miss.
"Thanks, Carol!" I exclaimed, probably more excitedly than I should've, "You should have woken me up, and I could've washed them myself. I hate to be a bother to you."
"Nonsense," She smiled, "You needed the rest." I couldn't help but analyze her face, seeing the beginnings of a bruise forming just above her eyebrow. I frowned slightly, knowing that her husband probably slapped her around yesterday to deal with his frustrations and anger with the group, practically me, since I gave him some lip.
"Thank you," I told her once more before walking away and going over to Glenn. I watched as the quiet one, Jim, worked under the hood, removing parts from the Challenger. Morales stripped the car of its wheels, and Dale had come down from his post to siphon the remaining gas. I placed my hand on Glenn's shoulder and sighed, disappointed to see them strip such a fine car. There goes my joy ride. I heard gravel under someone's feet but didn't turn around, watching intently as the men worked on the car. Rick stood beside me, watching, his gaze darting over to Glenn and me occasionally.
"Look at them," Glenn said, disappointment clear in his voice, "Yeah, go on! Strip it clean," He shouted at the men.
"Generators need every drop of fuel they can get. Got no power without it." Dale explained as he walked on by. "Sorry, Glenn" He tapped Glenn on the shoulder before walking away, a canister full of gas in his hand.
"Thought I'd get to drive it at least a few more days," Glenn muttered to Rick and me. Yeah, me too, buddy. I smiled at him, wrapped my arm around him, or attempted to cause the height difference, and tried to bring light into this bleak situation.
"Maybe one day we can steal one!" I exclaimed, trying to sound optimistic. The truth is, if I were to find another one with at least a quarter tank, then it's mine. "Then we can both go for a joy ride" Glenn nodded at me and smiled slightly, liking the sound of my idea. I patted him on the shoulder and looked at Rick. "Would you like to join us on our joy ride?" He looked at me and smiled, his blue eyes darting to his feet. Hell, why not? The more, the merrier! It just adds one person to the list of people I'll terrify when I go all Fast and Furious!
"That sounds like it could be fun. No speed limits anymore." Rick laughed.
"This man is speaking my language." I chuckled, wondering if this man was a secret speed junkie like I am. I glanced behind me to find Shane but came up short, not seeing the burly man around the camp. I kept looking around, seeing Amy and Andrea hanging clothes with Lori. Now that didn't seem very appealing to me... I was never the type of girl to just stay home and play house; It was never really my calling, and it bored me stiff.
"Have you eaten yet?" Glenn asked me, pulling me out of my thoughts of trying to find something to do.
"No. Not yet." I answered, suddenly aware of my growling stomach.
"You really should get something to eat." He said to me, his eyes staying firmly on my face. I guess he's still embarrassed about yesterday. Glenn gently grabbed the top of my arm, dragging me over to the low burning fire and instructing me to sit. I obliged and watched as he served me a bowl of beans and a slice of bread. I happily took the bowl and bread from him, taking a big bite out of the bread. The way I was eating would put Goku to shame as I started to shovel the food into my mouth. Glenn laughed from beside me, his eyes glued to me intently.
"What?" I asked with a mouth full of beans. He shook his head and shifted his weight from one leg to the other. And just like that, I was done with the beans in record time. My stomach still felt empty, but this was something, and something is better than nothing.
"You must have been hungry." He laughed, "That bowl was only in your hands for a few seconds before you practically swallowed it all." I blushed, slightly embarrassed by my caveman-like behavior, and wiped my mouth with my sleeve.
"Haven't eaten properly since I've been on the road," I explained. Glenn nodded at me and chuckled again, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He opened his mouth to say something but was immediately cut off by the sound of a vehicle approaching. I turned and saw Shane in a jeep with the doors removed.
"Water's here, y'all," He announced as he climbed out of the Jeep. "Just a reminder to boil before use." I looked at Glenn and smiled, telling him I'd be right back and approaching Shane. Shane looked at me, his eyes following my every movement. I finally reached him and smiled, my eyes darting to the canisters in the back.
"Should've woken me up to go with you," I told him, my eyes finally meeting his intimidating brown ones. He leaned against the Jeep, a smile playing on his lips, but his gaze briefly shot toward Rick and Lori. Shane is lucky that Rick's a man! Men are notoriously famous for being unobservant. But again, not my business, not my problem. Let Shane figure it out for himself; he's a big boy.
"You needed the sleep."
"I need to pull my weight around here." I said softly, "I would have gladly gone with you."
"I'll keep that in mind for next time." He muttered at me, his gaze falling to his boots. I nodded at him and walked towards the back of his Jeep, grabbing one of the canisters and carrying it to the fire alongside Amy and Andrea. I placed the water down and looked at the sisters, a smile across my lips. I opened my mouth to say something to them but immediately closed it, suddenly unsure of what to say to the two girls. Wow, now this is awkward.
"You fish?" Andrea asked me, tearing me out of my perpetual state of awkwardness.
"Yeah," I answered, still silently thankful to her for breaking the spell that enveloped us, "When were you guys planning –" A scream cut me off, making my heart suddenly stop before beating furiously again. Without much thought, I burst into a full sprint, my aim being the origin of the scream. I didn't stop to think; I just reacted. I heard Carl's voice screaming for his father and pushed myself further to get there quicker. I saw him and Sophia running through the woods, their faces filled with terror.
"Your mothers are behind me." I kneeled, giving them a good look over before standing up again, "Run!"
Following my own instruction. Before entering the small clearing up ahead, the unmistakable sounds of a roamer slurping away at something hit my ears, and soon enough, I saw it feasting on deer with bolts protruding from the deer's hindquarters. Shane, Rick, Morales, Dale, and Glenn entered the clearing shortly after me, eyeing the deer and the roamer. My hand automatically flew towards my hip, grasping for my absent knife. Swearing under my breath, I stepped to the feasting roamer and balled my fist.
The roamer saw me and growled. Before it could scramble to its feet, I flung my fist forward, feeling it connect with the decaying face and noticing the slight but familiar cracking of bones underneath my knuckles. The roamer fell back, and I quickly stomped on its head, feeling the skull shatter under my boot. I looked up, meeting the eyes of the men before me. They stayed looking at me, almost as if they had never seen anyone take down a roamer with nothing but their fist. I shrugged my shoulders and turned back to the deer, squatted, and examined the damage done to it by the roamer.
"It's the first one we've had up here," Dale muttered, eyeing the roamer. "They never come this far up the mountain."
If they're starting to come up the mountain, that can only mean one thing: "They're running out of food in the city," I said loud enough so everyone could hear me. "The same thing happened back at home. We started seeing more and more in the neighborhood. They were searching for food, just like this one here." The sound of branches snapping caught all our attention. Rick ran up and pushed me behind him, his crowbar tightly in his hand. I peered around him and watched as a man dressed in a pale green – but now looked brown – shirt came out with a crossbow. Well, that explains the bolts. He took one good look at the buck in front of us and walked forward.
"Son of a bitch." He shouted. "That's my deer!" He walked closer to the deer, anger set on his face. "Look at it. All gnawed on by this filthy, disease-bearing, motherless proxy bastard!" He shouted while kicking the dead roamer.
"Calm down, son. That isn't helping." Dale muttered. The man approached Dale, getting in his face. Out of all the people here in camp, he's been one of the aggressive ones, joining Ed in that category. This man made me put my guard up, bracing myself to either run or attack if he got more aggressive.
"What do you know about it, old man?" He shouted, taking a few steps back. So, this must be Daryl, the infamous brother of Merle. He looked at me, his eyes filled with anger and confusion, before directing his attention back to Dale. "Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to 'on golden pond." He turned to look at his deer, scoffing once more before squatting near it. "I've been tracking this deer for miles. Going to drag it back to camp" He pulled out his bolts, examining the damage the roamer did, "Cook us up some venison. You think we can cut up around this chewed-up part right here?"
"I wouldn't risk that," I muttered, understanding his frustration. It's a bitch tracking down an animal, and to lose it so suddenly? I'd be just as frustrated. He looked at me and nodded, anger still evident on his face that it was making me think that's just how his face was, constantly twisted up like that.
"That's a damn shame." He muttered, "I got some squirrel – about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." I nodded at him and smiled, muttering a quick thank you to him. He looked at me, his fierce eyes looking me up and down, still obviously questioning who I was. Introductions can be made later, but right now, I can use some squirrel meat! I turned on my heel and walked back to camp, hearing footsteps behind me. Daryl pushed forward, slightly pushing me out of the way. Rude much! I had half a mind to run in front of him and shove him back, but instead, I took a deep breath and decided to let it slide, figuring it was an accident. We approached the camp, and that's when Daryl started calling out for his brother.
"Merle! Get your ugly ass out here!" He shouted as he approached the R.V. He set his crossbow down by the nonexistent fire and searched for his brother.
"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane shouted out to him, placing his shotgun in his Jeep. Ooh, first mistake for Shane, I mentally noted, knowing what difficult conversation Shane wanted to have with the aggressive and thoroughly pissed-off Daryl. Daryl stopped dead in his tracks and looked back at Shane, still looking around the camp for his missing brother.
"About what?" Daryl asked, the squirrels swinging from his shoulder. Shane walked up to Daryl, his tone of voice hard and uneven.
"About Merle." Shane started, "There was a – there was a problem in Atlanta." The whole group gathered around, watching as the scene unfolded before them. Daryl looked down and slowly circled Shane. I see I'm not the only chismosa around these parts.
"He dead?" He asked, his voice coming out hard and, surprise-surprise, angry.
"We're not sure," Shane answered.
"He either is, or he ain't!" Daryl shouted, anger filling his voice once again. Rick stepped forward, his eyes never leaving Daryl's stalking figure.
"There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it," Rick said as he approached the stalking man. I didn't know if this was a smart or stupid move, but either way, shit is about to go down.
"Who are you?" Daryl asked harshly, his voice downright unwelcoming.
"Rick Grimes." Daryl looked at him and scoffed, his new prey being Rick.
"Rick Grimes." He mocked. I pressed my lips together and looked behind me, trying to suppress my laughter, "You got something you want to tell me?"
"Your brother was a danger to us all, so I handcuffed him to a roof and hooked him up to a piece of metal. He's still there." I watched as Daryl stepped back, turning away from Rick and wiping his eyes – goes to prove that tough guys can cry too.
"Hold on. Let me process this." Daryl spat, "You're saying you handcuffed my brother to a roof, and you left him there?!"
"Yeah," Rick answered, looking down at his feet. In a fit of anger, Daryl threw the squirrels at Rick, who quickly ducked. Daryl lunged at Rick before Shane came and tackled the fuck out of Daryl. I watched, thoroughly enjoying what was playing out before me, and refrained from laughing out loud. What did they expect? They left his brother on a roof! I continued to watch with a smile but quickly felt it falter when Daryl brandished his knife. I understand wanting to kick some ass but to try and stab someone?! That's just uncalled for!
"Watch the knife," I called out, warning the men. Daryl swung at Rick with his knife, leaving him open from behind. Without thinking, I ran forward and jumped on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck and squeezing as hard as possible. He made a choking noise, but I kept squeezing, feeling my bicep press hard against his esophagus. He dropped to his knees, and eventually, my feet hit the ground. My grip remained tight around his neck despite his clawing at my skin.
"You best let me go!" He shouted at me. I shook my head and panted, feeling my muscles starting to strain from the amount of pressure I was putting on him.
"I don't think I should," I answered. He struggled against me, causing me to wrap my legs around his torso to give me extra leverage and help me tighten my grip, limiting his movement.
"This choke hold's illegal." He muttered, making me stifle a giggle in the process. Out of everything, this is the one thing he's concerned about? My chokehold being illegal? I shook my head, but my grip remained.
"Go cry me a river, Oscar the Grouch," I panted, "The longer you struggle, the longer I'll hold on. I can keep this up all day." So that was a lie, but I'd be damned if he figured that out! Rick and Shane approached me, eyeing me carefully before squatting down to his level.
"I'd like to have a calm discussion on this topic." Rick started. Daryl started panting as if trying to hold back his sobs. "Do you think we can manage that?" Daryl stayed silent, still suppressing his sobs. "Do you think we can manage that?" Rick asked again. I felt Daryl nod in my arms, and I unwound my body from him, rubbing my arms and just knowing I would be sore tomorrow. I patted his back, hoping this gesture would signify no bad blood on my end.
"Damn, girl," Daryl muttered, his hand flying to his neck. A smirk played on my lips as we made eye contact, but he looked at me as if I were the devil incarnate. Rick kneeled closer to Daryl and attempted to make eye contact.
"What I did was not on a whim." Rick explained, "Your brother does not work and play well with others." I rubbed my arms, thinking internally about how sore they'd be in the morning. I put way too much force behind my hold.
"It's not Rick's fault." T-Dog spoke up, looking down at Daryl, "I had the key. I dropped it."
"You couldn't pick it up?" Daryl spat at him, still trying to catch his breath.
"Well, I dropped it in a drain," T-Dog explained, earning himself a scoff from Daryl. I'll admit, it's stupid how all this happened, but hey, it happened, and there's nothing we can do to change it. The best we can do is go and get Merle. Daryl grunted, finally rising to his feet, his breathing still ragged.
"If that's supposed to make me feel better, it don't," Daryl said, throwing dirt at T-Dog. T-Dog shifted his weight from one leg to the other, never breaking eye contact. It was obvious that he felt terrible about everything that happened.
"Well, maybe this will." T-Dog said, "I chained the door to the roof—so the geeks couldn't get to him—with a padlock." I looked at the man and prepared myself for another lunge. Oh, my poor arms.
"It's got to mean something," I said, hoping that it was enough to calm him from potentially lunging again. Daryl turned towards me, his eyes filling with tears. I couldn't help but feel for him. I didn't know exactly what he was going through, but I did know what it was like to lose family members. But he has some hope. Merle is most likely still alive. All we need to do is cut him free and bring him back.
"Hell with all of y'all!" Daryl shouted, "Just tell me where he is so's I can go get him."
"Rick will show you," I told the teary-eyed man. I flashed an apologetic look at Rick, feeling terrible for automatically volunteering him. Glenn or T-Dog can easily show us where Merle is! This is one of those moments where you regret opening your mouth in the first place. "And I'll go with you. If there's any hope for your brother, I'll help you. So you can count me in." I turned towards Lori, looking at her and mentally apologizing for putting her husband at risk. She nodded my way, seemingly accepting my silent apology.
"You will show him, right?" Lori asked her husband, diverting her gaze to him. Rick looked at her, slowly nodding his head.
"I'll go back." Rick finally said. I sighed and started walking forward, clasping him on his shoulder and muttering a quick apology to him. I should've kept my mouth shut! I didn't mean to make him leave his family on a dangerous mission – he just got them back.
I walked toward the R.V., determined to retrieve my only weapon. Plus, it's best to go without a gun since the noise will only draw more toward us, but I won't reject having a gun if one is offered to me. It's best to have one in case I get surrounded, but other than that, it won't be touched. I hitched my pack onto my shoulders and grabbed my water bottle, thankful I had boiled the water last night. I stepped out of the R.V. and leaned against it, enjoying the few moments before going into the unknown. Yeah, everyone in the camp knew what Atlanta was like, but I was still in the dark. I need to see for myself that it's gone. I watched as Shane chased Rick, who was now dressed in his uniform, I guess trying to figure out his reasoning for returning to Atlanta. I started walking towards them, watching as Rick took a step back.
"So, you and Daryl?" I heard Lori ask.
"And me," I announced as I stepped closer to Rick. I looked at Rick, and it was as if we had a telepathic moment because we diverted our attention to Glenn. Glenn sighed in disbelief and scrunched his face, obviously not wanting to return to Atlanta.
"Oh, c'mon." He breathed. I mean, I get it. This could be a suicide run if things go horribly, horribly wrong.
"You know the way – You've been there before; in and out, no problem. You said so yourself." Rick said. Glenn took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair, stressed out about the proposition.
"I'd feel a lot better with you along," I said, frowning at him. If he agrees, maybe I can get Rick to stay here with his family. He shouldn't have to leave them right after finding them again. Glenn sighed in defeat and nodded, his cheeks flushing a light tint of pink.
"That's just great." Shane spoke, "Now you're going to risk four lives?"
"Five," T-Dog announced. Daryl looked back at him and scoffed, obviously not happy with the addition of T.
"My day just gets better and better, don't it?" He spat, looking at his bolts. I placed my hands on my hips and glared at the man who sat, sharpening the points of his bolts. Jesus, can he at least be the tiniest grateful? We're putting our asses on the line to save his brother, who also is not the greatest person, from what I hear. I mean, yeah, it's their fault that he's up there in the first place, but they could wipe their hands of it and be done like most people would probably do.
"You see anyone else here stepping up to save your brother's ass?" I asked him. He looked at me, his eyes flaring with anger, but he stayed seated and fiddled with his bolt. "Be grateful that people are at least offering to help you."
"There's five," Dale concluded with a final head count.
"It's not just five. You're putting every single one of us at risk. Just know that, Rick. You saw that walker. It was here; it was in camp," Shane emphasized, "They're moving out of the cities. They come back; we need every able body we got. We need 'em here. We need 'em here to protect the camp."
I sighed heavily, tired of hearing those two go back and forth, and walked over to Daryl, sitting next to him and extending my hand. I didn't expect him to do anything or hand me anything, but to my surprise, he handed me a bolt. He didn't do it silently either, he scoffed as he handed it to me, but still, I see this as a win for me. I offered him a small smile and played with the head of the bolt, realizing that it was a bit dull. Reaching for my knife, I started to sharpen the bolt, occasionally eyeing the two bickering officers and waiting for them to hurry up. We're losing daylight! If we're gonna do this, we need to leave now while we have day to spare. If Atlanta really is overrun, being out there at night is dangerous – well, more dangerous.
"It seems to me what you need most here... are more guns," Rick said. My head snapped up, and I looked at the man. That's exactly what we need! We need more guns! Shane, Dale, and Andrea are the only people I've seen carrying around here, and I don't even know if Andrea can shoot!
"Right," Glenn spoke up, "The guns."
"What guns?" I asked, still sharpening the bolt Daryl handed me. Rick turned to me and squinted before answering.
"Six shotguns, two high-powered rifles, over a dozen handguns. I cleaned out the cage back at the station before I left." Rick explained, my jaw nearly dropping to the ground. We definitely need those guns! That's a game-changer! "I dropped the bag in Atlanta when I got swarmed."
"So, it's just sitting there waiting to be picked up," I smiled. Rick nodded at me, his attention still on me. I stood up, handed the bolt back to Daryl, and approached Rick; my interest was definitely piqued. "Ammo?" Rick nodded his head and smiled briefly.
"700 rounds, assorted." He answered. I smiled at him and looked up at Shane, still taking in everything Rick had just said. Even he couldn't deny that this was absolutely necessary. Only a few people are carrying, meaning more people would die if an attack occurred. The guns are needed.
"C'mon, dude," I whispered to Shane, "Even you can't deny that we need to get those guns." He looked conflicted, almost pained with all the thoughts going through his head, but ultimately, he sent a curt nod my way. I probably would've missed it if I weren't staring at him.
"You went through hell to find us," Lori spoke up from where she stood, her gaze firmly on her husband. "You just got here, and you're going to turn around and leave?"
"Dad, I don't want you to go." Carl agreed with his mom. I wanted to roll my eyes at her – just a while ago, she agreed that Rick should show the way. Maybe I missed some sort of sarcasm or something, but I couldn't help but feel slightly annoyed. But I get it, and she does have a point, also. He did just come back into their lives.
"Glenn is coming with us; he knows where Merle is and where you dropped the guns." I started, trying to get him to stay back. He didn't need to do this, not when we had Glenn. "You don't have to come with us. You can stay here and help Shane protect the camp." Rick turned to me, confused, before he shook his head, his mouth opening before Lori interrupted him.
"To hell with the guns." She spat, "Shane is right! Merle Dixon? He's not worth your lives, even with guns thrown in." Daryl scoffed from his spot and spat on the ground, his usual scowl becoming even more profound. Damn, the more they talk about Merle, the more I'm seriously starting to wonder if he was worth all this trouble. Rick spoke to everyone, but I decided to pay no attention; I needed to hear from Daryl himself if his brother was worth it.
"Is he worth it?" I whispered to Daryl once I reached him, "Is your brother worth all this trouble?" Daryl stared at me briefly, his cold blue eyes boring holes into me. He thinned his lips in a tight line before speaking,
"Yeah," That was all I needed to hear from the man to finalize my decision.
"No matter what happens." I said, pledging my loyalty to this mission, "You and I are gonna get your brother."
"What makes you think I need your help?" He asked me, his eyes piercing into me. I almost laughed at him but kept it to myself. I don't need to agitate him further.
"You'll die if you go alone," I answered him, "I sorta know how you feel, and I would fight tooth and nail to get my sister if it were her up there." He looked at me, his scowl dropping, "Plus, I don't wanna have your death on my conscious." After more studying, he extended his hand, expecting me to shake it. I grabbed his calloused hand and shook it, feeling like I just won another brownie point. It won't be long until I'm in his good graces.
I turned around and saw the group disbanding, each heading off their own way. I leaned down and slung my backpack across my shoulder before making my way toward the box truck the group used yesterday. I opened the cargo compartment, throwing my pack in before sitting and making myself comfortable. I slightly kicked my feet out in front of me as I watched the group setting out for Atlanta came with their things. Shane came and tossed in a bag before looking at me, his brown eyes meeting mine. He smiled at me, but it looked forced, and he rubbed the back of his head, his bottom lip catching between his teeth.
"You ain't seriously going?" He asked me lowly. I nodded and grabbed my hunting knife, showing it to him, hoping to clarify some sort of point.
"I'm not some defenseless broad if that's what you think." I muttered, "I can protect myself." I've proved that by surviving this long by myself.
"Would do you good to have a gun of your own." He finally said, seemingly accepting that nothing would talk me out of this. "You sure this just ain't a ploy to look at the city yourself?" I smiled at him and ran a hand through my red hair, my fingers catching in a few knots.
"Am I that easy to read?" I laughed. Shane shook his head at me, chuckling. Rick and T-Dog walked up to us, T disappearing in the back of the truck with a lock cutter. I smiled lightly at Rick and extended my hand, silently asking for his gun. It was hard not to pay attention to it with the way the sun reflected off it. He unholstered his gun and handed it to me, our hands brushing ever so slightly. I felt a bit of heat rise to my cheeks at the slight touch and mentally scolded myself. What's with me!? It's not like I've never been touched by a man before. I'm blaming it on the forced celibacy this new world is making me undergo. I held the heavy python and admired the cool steel before opening the chamber. There were only two bullets in it. At least, it was enough to take himself out if he was in a for-sure-death situation. "You got more rounds, or this is it?"
"That's it." He answered, his blue eyes staring me down intensely. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and handed him back the gun.
"That's a nice Python," I smiled at him, "Better take care of it, or else you'll find it missing." Rick chuckled and gripped his gun a little tighter, feeling the weight. Shane grabbed his gun bag and ruffled through it, producing more rounds for the gun and eyeing the two of us.
"I hate that y'all are doing this. I think that it's foolish and reckless." Shane started, "But if you're going to go, you're taking bullets."
"If the city is overrun, then I'm not sure firing a shot in the city is a smart idea," I said, watching as Shane handed the bullets to Rick, "You know, since sound attracts them."
"It isn't," Rick agreed, "But just in case." I nodded at him and jumped down, feeling my ankles moan as shock waves shot up them. I faltered a little, losing my balance. Quickly, I reached out and used Rick to steady myself, feeling flustered as his hand found my lower back. I cleared my throat and straightened out, hoping my face wasn't reminiscent of Glenn's.
"I'm going to round up Daryl, and we can leave after," I announced. The men looked at me as I walked away, my eyes darting around the camp for the dirty man. He had been hunting for three days; I didn't expect him to be the cleanest person in camp, but would it kill him to at least have a whore's bath before we headed out? I don't want my cause of death to be because of his smell.
I found him over by the water. His eyes were fixated on the clear blue abyss. I slowly approached him and cleared my throat, deciding against touching the man. He turned to me, his scowl not making its famous appearance. "Didn't get a chance to introduce myself." I started, "I'm June. I stumbled upon the camp yesterday, and Shane let me stay." Daryl grunted my way, slinging his crossbow on his back. "Sorry about the chokehold, by the way."
"Illegal ass chokehold." He muttered, "Daryl." I smiled at him and took another step forward, admiring his face. He wasn't the most handsome man on the planet, but he wasn't the ugliest -- he simply wasn't my type of man. He had a strong jaw that was home to a growing beard. His round eyes protected blue spheres, and he had a slight (barely noticeable) bend to his nose. Maybe he'd be more handsome without all this dirt and anger, but either way, he's someone I could see myself sleeping with if the opportunity arose. Woah, calm down there, pervertida!
"We're about to get going." It seemed to be all I could choke out, embarrassed by myself for the millionth time today. Instead of him mentally preparing, like I would've done, I heard him behind me. I looked at Shane and nodded at him once before jumping in the back of the van and finding myself near the front, able to see the road between Atlanta and us. Daryl jumped in and closed the metal shutter before the engine roared. I felt the van go forward and braced myself for the ride ahead.
I heard T-Dog clear his throat behind me, causing me to turn his way. He looked at me timidly, a question on his mind. He finally opened his mouth but closed it immediately.
"What's up?" I finally asked, my interest piqued. He fiddled with his hands and looked down at them.
"Back at the camp." He started, his eyes still glued to his hands, "The way you took down Dixon."
"Yeah?" I asked him, "What of it?"
"How'd you do that?" He asked me, his eyes finally looking up at me. I smiled at him and let out a small chuckle, my eyes darting over to Daryl, who was now subconsciously rubbing his neck.
"I wanted to ask you that, too," Rick piped in from the front seat. "You're what? 5'3"?"
"Actually, I'm 5'4"." I corrected him. Every half inch counts and the half basically bumps my height to 5'4", "I'm just not some boring museum curator, you know," I smirked as Rick looked back at me and gave me a dazzling smile.
"Museum curator?" He asked, "In King's County?" I nodded my head at him and wrapped my arms across my chest, feeling my heart picking up pace. Geez, what in the hell is wrong with me? "The history museum?"
"Yup," I answered, a smile playing on my lips. Uh-oh, I think my pride is beaming because Rick flashed me another smile, but his eyes looked like he was questioning why I was in such a boring field. It was only dull to him.
"You never answered the question, though," Glenn interjected. "Dixon is at least 5'11" and 180. How'd you take him down?" Daryl grunted from where he sat and propped his head between his knees.
"I was training in MMA." I answered, "Been doing it for about two years now? Something like that."
"Then you should've known that chokehold— "Daryl started.
"Was illegal." I cut him off, "Believe it or not, I've been against people bigger than you outside the gym. I don't think illegal moves count out in the real world." He looked at me and scoffed, his oh-so-great mood rubbing off on everyone. "Next time you go out on a hunt, I'm coming." He looked at me and shook his head. A hunt would do me some good. Plus, I have a feeling that annoying this man will become my new favorite pass time.
"I don't think you can handle it." He scoffed. "Have you ever been hunting before, little girl?"
"I have, for your information, and I'm pretty damn good at it." I answered him with an attitude of my own, "I know my way around a gun, probably better than you, and I can also track." He rolled his eyes and looked the other way as if there was anything to look at in the back of this truck. "Hey, you know that by calling me a little girl, you're acknowledging that you got your ass handed to you by a 'little girl?'" I said, putting air quotes around the term little girl.
Everyone but Daryl laughed, but other than that, the ride became silent. The tension in the air was palpable as we neared Atlanta. It's always a risk coming to largely populated areas; we don't know what we'll encounter. Glenn came to a stop and turned off the engine. Rick got out and looked around, getting a feel of the area.
I stood up and got my knife, walking towards the back and opening the shutter. I grabbed my pack and jumped down, scouting the area. The men followed suit, and Glenn led us over the gate, holding it apart for me to squeeze through. I smiled at him in a way of appreciation and wormed my way through, keeping my eyes peeled for any roamers. After all the men were on the other side of the fence, we took off in a light jog, making our way deeper into the city. Glenn led us through alleys, and I absorbed every aspect of the city. I was greeted with roamers everywhere and charred bits of buildings.
Finally reaching a door, Glenn held it open as we ran through it. I looked around and noticed it was a receiving area, boxes littered the floor, and two lone roamers were on the ground—gutted and reeking of decay. Rick ran forward, his hand flying forward and pushing the door, his gun raising as he scoped the area. He took off in a jog, all of us rushing behind him. A clothing store, that's what this was! It was right in the heart of the city. We ran up some stairs, and T-Dog sprinted forward, bolt cutters in hand. I pressed up against the wall of the small staircase we were on and heard the chain snapping as T-Dog cut through it. We all ran forward and looked around wildly. I stopped dead in my tracks as I saw blood everywhere. My hand flew up to my mouth as I finally registered what was on the ground – a hand. Daryl pushed me aside, wails escaping his mouth as he shouted 'No' repeatedly.
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June 5, 2023
Jesus, why did I think these long ass chapters were a good idea? Lol