~Day sixty-one~
Daisy's eyes gradually fluttered open, and she was greeted by the soft morning light that filtered through the walls of her tent. She let out a contented sigh as she snuggled deeper into her plaid sleeping bag, the warmth enveloping her like a comforting embrace.
Despite her long night's sleep, she still felt groggy, her body reluctant to leave the cocoon of her bed.
As she tried to rub the sleep from her eyes, her fingers brushed against a sticky residue on her cheek, and she realized with mild disgust that she had drooled in her sleep. She let out a small yawn, stretching her limbs as she prepared to start her day. However, the prospect of leaving her cozy haven made her hesitate.
After a moment's internal struggle, Daisy shook off her lethargy and sat up, her gaze darting around the tent as she realized that T and Glenn were back.
Daisy slipped her feet into her Taylors and she and crawled out of the tent, squinting as the bright sun assaulted her vision. The camp was already bustling with activity, the air alive with the chatter of voices. She paused to take in the scene, her eyes scanning the area for familiar faces.
Her gaze settled on Carol, who was engaged in a lively conversation with Rick. The Harrison siblings and Lori and Jacqui were busy doing laundry, and Glenn was standing off to the side with his arms crossed and his foot tapping the ground in annoyance while watching Dale, Jim, and Morales scrap his fancy ride.
Daisy couldn't spot T-dog or any of the other kids, but she figured they were either causing trouble or doing their chores. Without making a sound, she tiptoed her way across the camp, determined to greet Glenn and tell him about everything.
Lori's gaze bore into Daisy, but the little girl did her best to avoid eye contact. She knew all too well that Lori's friendly smile would soon turn into an invitation to lend a hand with the chores. And as much as Daisy wanted to help, she couldn't bear the woman's prying questions.
As Daisy tiptoed towards Glenn, she could feel the excitement building up inside her. She knew she had to be careful though. Glenn had a habit of getting jumpy if anyone sneaked up on him, but she had a trick up her sleeve. She extended her arm and reached out to tug gently on his pant leg.
Glenn turned towards her, his eyes widening with surprise, but his face quickly relaxed into a warm smile. He was grateful for the warning.
Glenn's attention was quickly diverted towards a group of men who were rummaging through his beloved, new dodge challenger. His eyes blazed with frustration as he gestured towards them in disbelief. "Look at them," he exclaimed, "they're like a pack of vultures!"
Daisy, who was always eager to impress Glenn, proudly piped up, "My uncle had a car just like this once, except it was purple. He even let me drive it!" Glenn turned to her, intrigued by her unexpected revelation.
The sound of Dale's coughing interrupted their conversation. He had overheard their exchange and was clearly taken aback. "You - what?" he asked incredulously as he continued siphoning fuel from the car.
Daisy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she realized she had spoken too loudly. "Uncle Axel," she murmured, staring down at her sneakers, "he's my mommy's uncle."
It was an unintended quirk that always embarrassed her - speaking loud when she got excited.
As she absentmindedly fiddled with the cartoonish strawberry sewn onto the pocket of her denim shorts, she began recounting the tale of the smashed car. "He crashed it into a tree and broke it," she declared, her voice tinged with disappointment. "It was a really, really cool car..."
The men couldn't help but stifle their laughter, their eyes flickering with amusement. Meanwhile, Dale grabbed his bucket of gasoline and began walking away. "Sorry son, but we need anything we can get."
Glenn's shoulders slumped as he let out a deep sigh, his eyes cast downwards in defeat.
Despite his disappointment, he nodded in understanding before shifting his focus to Daisy, a small smile gracing his features. "Forget the car," he said gently, "Your uncle seems pretty cool."
Daisy simply shrugged, a nonchalant expression on her face. "He's kinda weird. I cant see him anymore bec-," she began, but was interrupted by a chorus of screams echoing through the camp -causing her to unconsciously grip onto Glenn's pant leg as she frantically scanned the area for the source of the commotion.
Morales rose from his kneeling position, shooting a knowing look at Glenn. "It's probably nothing, but stay here with Jim just in case, Dais," Glenn instructed, pointing to the man beside him.
Jim beckoned Daisy over, and with a hesitant nod, she complied, dropping her hold on Glenn and ducking behind the car. As the other men grabbed their weapons and dashed off towards the disturbance, she stuck to Jim's side like glue.
"Good kid," Jim said, giving her a small pat on the head.
Truthfully, Daisy wouldn't have even known his, or quite frankly, most of the camp members' names if it weren't for Glenn. She wasn't much of a social butterfly, but Glenn was different. He had a way of making people feel seen and appreciated, a talent that Daisy admired.
"What's going on?" Daisy asked, peering up at Jim as he squinted over the hood of the car. "Looks like a walker got into camp and scared the other kiddos," he replied.
The word "walker" made Daisy shudder. It seemed like such a harmless name for the monsters that roamed the world now. In her opinion, "monsters" or "creatures" was a more fitting name. But even then, it was still better than what Glenn called them - "geeks."
"Daryl's back" He added, "Don't look too happy"
Pushing her way between Jim and the car, Daisy peered through the gap between the hood and the engine, her eyes scanning the group of people that had gathered. There was Rick, Glenn, T, and a few others, clustered around a motionless walker. Daryl was there too, poking at a deer carcass with one of his crossbow bolts.
Despite the gruesome scene, Daisy wasn't fazed. "The monsters look scary," she commented, "But they're all dumb and slow."
"Do they eat animals too?" Daisy asked upon noticing that a chunk of flesh was missing from the deer.
Jim nodded, "Looks like it."
Daisy wrinkled her nose, "That's gross. We can't eat it now, can we?" she muttered, casting a sidelong glance at Jim.
Jim was surprised at Daisy's sudden burst of chatter. "I thought they said you don't ever talk?" he asked, looking down at her.
She shrugged, not quite sure herself. Maybe it was the way Jim's quiet demeanor matched her own. Daisy felt drawn to him, just like how Mason had taken a liking to Glenn faster than she was able to.
Suddenly, Daryl's voice boomed across the camp, "Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! Caught us some squirrel!"
Shane jogged to reach Daryl while T-dog watched from behind, pacing around the edge of the camp with a bundle of small, wooden fire logs in his hands.
Daisy flinched as Shane approached the hunter with a grave look on his face. She couldn't help but feel a knot form in her stomach as she anticipated what was to come. She was sure Shane was about to spill the beans to Daryl about his brother, which could only mean one thing - a full-blown, chaotic fight was imminent.
Yelling and fighting were never good signs in Daisy's world. It meant that either she or her brother had done something wrong and were about to face the consequences.
The mere thought of being caught in the middle of a heated argument made her skin crawl.
She desperately hoped that her assumptions were wrong, but deep down, she knew that if her big brother had been intentionally left behind, all hell would break loose. Mad would be an understatement.
Shane stepped in front of Daryl, effectively blocking his path and grabbing his attention. Jim shifted uncomfortably, crossing his arms and watching the scene unfold with a wary gaze.
Glenn, ever the protector, sensed the tension in the air and turned to Daisy. Crouching down to her level, he suggested gently, "Why don't you go play with the other kids in the RV, hm?"
Glenn didn't want Daisy caught in the middle of a bunch of bickering men. If things got physical, he didn't want her anywhere near the crossfire.
Daisy nodded eagerly, grateful for the chance to escape the situation and distance herself from the impending argument. She scurried off towards the RV.
Approaching the RV, Daisy winced at the sight of the crowd gathered at the entrance. She hesitated, genuinely considering turning back. As she realized the crowd inadvertently blocked her from entering, she gripped the denim hem of her shorts, steeling herself to push through.
"Ex-excuse me," she asked quietly, hoping to make her way through the throng. "Can I go in?"
"Aw, of course baby," Jacqui responded warmly, moving aside to let Daisy through. As she did, the woman momentarily put her hand on Daisy's back, guiding her through the tiny crowd.
But just as Daisy thought she was in the clear, she froze at the sound of a loud, angry voice. "SO YOU HANDCUFFED MY BROTHER TO A ROOF AND LEFT EM' THERE?"
Daryl's voice was like a punch to the gut, and Daisy felt her heart skip a beat. She was taken aback for a moment.
She knew she wasn't the target of Daryl's anger, but she couldn't help but get the nagging instinct to cower.
When her daddy would get angry, she would retreat into herself, making herself small and quiet to avoid making things worse for both her and her brother Mason. And Daryl's accent only made it worse - it reminded her of her daddy's rage.
Daisy took a deep breath, steadying herself. She reminded herself that she didn't want to be a scaredy-cat; she wanted to be brave like everyone else.
"Brave," she whispered to herself, taking another deep breath. As she did, the screaming outside faded into background noise when one of the women outside closed the RV door.
"Daisy?" Sophia questioned from the table at the back of the RV.
"Hmm?" Daisy murmured, her gaze shifting towards the head of the RV where the Morales children were giggling and playing a driving game.
"She asked twice if you want to color with us. Do you?" Carl spoke up, eager to include Daisy in their activity.
Daisy nodded. "Sorry," she mumbled, taking a seat at the table, "I got lost in thought."
Sophia handed Daisy a coloring book, ripping out a page of a beautiful mermaid and offering it to her. "Sophia says you guys are best friends now," Carl piped up, grinning at the girls.
Daisy smiled, feeling a warm sensation spread through her chest. "best, best friends" she agreed, picking up a blue colored pencil.
"I want to be your best friend too!" Carl exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We could be a trio, like Ash, Misty, and Brock!"
Daisy gasped, surprised by the reference. She nodded vigorously.
Sophia looked puzzled. "Who?"
"They're from Pokémon!" Daisy replied, feeling a sense of excitement bubble up within her.
Carl's eyes widened in excitement. "You know Pokémon?!" he exclaimed, his grin growing wider by the second.
Daisy beamed back at him, the memory of the yelling men outside fading away as she felt a newfound connection with her new friends. "I like it even more than Teen Titans!" she admitted.
Sophia clapped her hands together in excitement, a soft giggle escaping her lips. "Let's all be best friends, then!" she suggested. "We can all have a survival pact!"
Daisy and Carl looked at each other quizzically, unsure of what exactly that meant.
"What does that mean?" Carl asked, voicing the confusion that Daisy shared.
Daisy was usually good with words, but she didn't quite understand that one.
Sophia explained patiently, "Like a promise we can all keep to survive together - so we don't end up like Mr. Dixon."
"Okay, yeah!" Carl said eagerly, nodding his head in agreement. Daisy followed suit, her heart racing with anticipation.
Sophia grabbed a piece of paper and a brown pencil, carefully jotting down the first rule. "One," she began, "Stay together."
Carl grabbed a red pencil and added, "Two. Protect each other."
The trio continued on, with Sophia taking the lead, carefully writing down each rule.
"Three! Trust!" Carl added, his voice ringing out with conviction. "Four. Don't lie," Sophia continued, her pencil strokes precise and steady.
Finally, Carl and Sophia said in unison, "Five. Survive." Sophia underlined the last rule in pink, and the group sat back, feeling a sense of relief and security.
Daisy still didn't fully understand the implications of this survival pact, but seeing the rules written down on paper made her feel a little more at ease.
She thought of Glenn, T, Amy, and all the others - people she never thought she'd be able to trust so completely. And now, with this pact, she had a feeling that they would all be there for each other, no matter what.
EDITED