ISLA GAVE UP WITH TRYING to convince Daryl, and Lydia, to let them help get rid of the horde. Instead, she focused on killing the skins in the horde. She caught a glimpse of her father - not her father - Beta in the middle, looking around angrily. It made her stomach churn and she could feel her hidden knife in her hand shake until she looked away.
She crept up behind a Whisperer, stabbing them in the back. They screamed and attracted some walkers. Beta turned around to see walkers eating the dead skin, noticing a familiar person disappearing. Isla was glad she had a mask on, even if she hated it.
More yells of skins echoed around the place, like a domino effect.
Isla watched her father get more frustrated from afar, spinning around madly every time a skin died. She was crazy enough to admit it if it wasn't for the hundreds of walkers next to her. But once she saw Beta run over to Negan, blades in hand, she had to act fast.
She took her machete out, making her way through the horde as fast as she could. She saw Beta throw a walker onto Negan, but he quickly killed it, although he wasn't fast enough to stop Beta from tackling him on the ground.
"For Alpha." Beta whispered, lifting up his blades. Walkers started to realise what was going on, despite how stupid they were, and started to limp closer.
Isla made it first, seeing Daryl suddenly slice Beta to stun him work, making her run faster. As Beta stood up and directed himself at Daryl, Isla moved past the final walker and came into view. Before Beta could attack either Isla or Daryl, she plunged her machete into his chest and another knife in his neck. His eyes widened, realising his own daughter had basically killed him.
She let out a yell as she did so, watching Beta stumble backwards and into the group of walkers. Isla collapsed to her knees out of exhaustion, reaching her hand up and pulling her mask off, throwing it into the group of walkers beside her father. As Daryl helped Negan, she put her hand to her stomach to catch her breath, but something sharp made her move her hand.
She looked down to see a stab wound, and in front of her was one of her father's knives covered in fresh blood. Whilst she was distracted by the pain, she didn't realise that something was coming up behind her, hungry for her own flesh.
Suddenly, a walker behind her basically collapsed onto her, making her yell out frightfully.
Isla had left her weapons in her father's flesh, and there was nothing but her arms to keep the walker off her. She was too tired. Too exhausted to help herself. After everything she had been through, why didn't she feel better after just killing her father? And why couldn't she catch a fucking break?
She felt another excruciating pain in her stomach and on her leg, which was worse than a stab wound. It felt like teeth digging into her, trying to bite her insides. The thought made her sick, so sick that she kicked the walker off her. Once the walker fell off her, she rolled herself up and kicked the head of the walker again, stomping on it until the rotten flesh became a single lump.
"ISLA!" Daryl yelled, rushing over to her whilst Isla covered her stomach and trying to keep her wounded leg out of view. He put her arm around his neck and pulled her up as quick as he could, ignoring how her groans broke him. She forced her hand onto the wound, trying to hide it, but Daryl and Negan noticed.
Instead of listening to what Daryl was asking her, which sounded fuzzy to her, she watched her father get torn down by walkers. His mask fell off and his eyes were bleeding. Negan panted as he pulled his mask off, "Holy shit, did you see who that guy was?"
Isla whimpered as she moved in the slightest, "Half Moon. What a dick." She breathed out, trying to get the attention off her as she pulled off her mask and dropped it. The three of them rushed to the woods, Daryl was nearly dragging Isla as it pained her too much to walk.
Daryl tried to move her hand to look at the wound, but she wouldn't move. She couldn't. The feeling was horrible, but the sight would make her pass out then and there. "Lemme see. Isla."
She shook her head, tears pricking her eyes. "No, no, no-" Her voice broke, beginning to feel her legs drop beneath her from the shock. "I can't- no-" Isla heard Negan hold his breath, the realisation hitting him, but Daryl didn't want to admit it himself.
They walked to a safer place in the woods before Daryl helped Isla sit down against a tree. Her head rested against the bark, her hand going limp against her wound. Daryl carefully moved her hand, which was covered in crimson blood like her shirt. There were were some holes in her shirt, making his hands shake as he lifted it up a bit.
"No... Shit, no." Daryl muttered, running his other hand over his face. "No- I can't lose a kid."
A bite mark.
Maybe things would've been different if it was her arm or leg. But no. Just as things had ended, she had to pay the price too.
"It was going to- to happen sooner or l-later." Isla breathed out, her voice going shaky. They were silent, unsure of what to say in order to make the situation better. Isla didn't know how to feel either. If she was still in Alpha's camp she would be told it was a blessing and that she would be part of the horde. But there was nothing special about it. Nothing. She was scared. Terrified for the first time in ages.
"I can't- I can't be one of them..." Isla's voice broke, her voice turning to a whisper as she clutched Daryl's hand. "Daryl, please-"
"We're gonna get you some help- back at camp." Daryl told her, going to lift her up again. In the distance, Negan was killing some stray walkers that started to come closer to them. The rest of the horde had been moved, but they didn't know who. "Isla-"
"I won't make it." Isla told him through blurry eyes, her bottom lip shaking.
"You will, I promise." Daryl encouraged, putting his hand on her pale cheek, "Alright?" She tiredly nodded and put her arm around his neck again, "C'mon, three, two, one-" He counted and pulled her onto her feet as Isla forced her lips together to stifle her groan. "Negan!"
Negan rushed over, putting her other arm over his shoulders. The bite on her leg stung with every step, and the one on her stomach felt like her stomach was going to fall out.
Thousands of thoughts ran through her mind. How could she let this happen? What is Lydia going to think? What will happen to her after? Will anyone even care? Her eyelids felt like they were going to drop, and her leg nearly gave out. Daryl stopped for a moment until he made the choice to pick her up in his arms, and she stayed with him until they made it back to camp.
Neither of them knew if she was alive. The people in the camp looked confused until it dawned on them. The sun was rising, but Isla wasn't getting any better. Her skin was deathly pale and was almost limp. She could see people through her eyelids, watching their hands go up to their mouths to cover their gasps. Many people hated the view of a kid dying, but Isla didn't expect them to feel sorry for her.
"I'll go find Lydia." Negan told Isla after she was rested against a tree. He placed his hand on her shoulder briefly before standing up and disappearing from her short view.
Daryl stayed with Isla, clutching her hand. Her head was resting on his shoulder silently until she spoke up, "Thank you."
He felt confused, "For what?"
"For everything. You saved me...from them, even when I didn't know t-that I needed s-saving." She heard Daryl sniff a few times. Was he crying? She couldn't tell. "I'm gonna be...okay, Daryl. I promise." She muttered weakly.
"I should've been faster, could've saved y-"
"Don't, please." She begged him, using her little strength to squeeze his hand, making him look down at her face, "Don't blame yourself. Never...blame yourself. Tell me you w-won't."
Daryl wiped his eyes before nodding, "I won't, kid. I won't."
"Look after Lydia. Don't let her do anything stupid." Isla also stated, before chuckling to herself, "I might just write down a list." Daryl chuckled too, but quietly,
"I'll keep everythin' in mind, don't you worry."
They went silent for a few more minutes until she saw someone approaching worriedly in the corner of her eye. Lydia. Daryl began to stand up, but Isla pulled his hand back.
"Be safe, Daryl Dixon. I know that you'll beat this world."
She blinked away the tears as they pulled each other into one last hug, squeezing tightly. They eventually let go, and she watched Daryl stand up and walk towards Lydia, who stood there heartbroken. She made eye contact with him, despite her flooded eyes, and once he left she ran over to Isla.
"Isla- N-Negan told me what happened..." Lydia panted out, kneeling next to her. She brushed Isla's sweaty hair off her face before resting her hand on her shoulder. "Oh god-"
"Everything is gonna be fine, Lyd." Isla muttered sickly, "I'll watch over you guys." Lydia pressed their foreheads together as her tears freely ran down her face. She hugged Isla's shoulders for as long as she could, but they knew it was her time to go soon. "I'll see my d-dad again." She whispered as Lydia pulled back, "And Henry."
Lydia smiled sadly, wiping her own cheek before turning her head at the sound of leaves crunching. Daryl had come back, holding some water. Lydia looked back at Isla, beginning to stand up, "I love you, Issy."
"Love you too, Lyd."
Daryl came beside her again whilst she shut her eyes for a moment, taking in a breath before relaxing her whole body. She looked up at Daryl slowly. "I think I'm ready now." Isla told him as he sat down and she rested the back of her neck on his chest. She could hear his pounding heart, nearly feel it wanting to explode out of his chest.
She felt her eyes begin to close and her body lose it's touch. It only took for a few seconds for her to feel free again, and her body was finally at peace.
Daryl's knife pierced Isla's pale temple before gently pulling it out.
She was gone.
The camp felt empty despite the many fighters around, who were resting. After everyone got their strength back they knew it was time to return home. Lydia didn't want to leave Isla's side, she squeezed her friend's lifeless hand, perked on top a horse, and hoped for her to squeezed back.
Once they got back to Alexandria there were many people in their gates. People from the Kingdom and Hilltop now stayed there. Oceanside's people went back to their camp a while ago. Lydia felt dull, but tried to contain her spirits as she listened to Father Gabriel's words at the funeral for the ones who died. She stared at Isla's body, which was now covered in a white sheet, get covered in dirt.
She felt a hand place on her shoulder and when she looked to the side she recognised it as Daryl. But Lydia knew that Isla wouldn't want her to be upset. So she tried not to be. Even though she missed her snarky comments, her outbursts that kept her on her toes, and her laugh that was quite rare, she never stopped thinking about her.
They just hoped she was in a better place now.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━
ISLA FELT HERSELF opening her eyes again, only to find herself in her old bed that she used to sleep in before the apocalypse. She spun her head and checked her surroundings, realising she was in her old bedroom. The girl smiled, tears pricking her eyes at her old safe space.
She removed her silk covers from her body, noticing how she was in simple clothes, and stood up. Her bedroom window was open, and she could hear familiar guitar strings play a gentle tune. Isla's curiosity of course got the best of her, so she carefully opened her bedroom door to reveal the inside of her old home.
Another smile.
She rushed downstairs, feeling the smooth curves of the railing, admiring the picture frames - most contained a fall mam with a beard and a little dark haired girl. Isla went outside to the patio and saw the man she hadn't seen in a long time.
Her hand shot up to her mouth, but felt something weird on her face.
A mask? A Whisperer mask?
The man turned his head to the side after he stopped rocking on his chair. The guitar stopped singing its tune.
Her father. He real father. Not the bad man who killed for fun and went crazy. The sweet country singer whom Isla aspired to be like.
"Issy?" Her dad asked surprised, nodding her over and gesturing his hand to her. Isla took a step closer, taking her father's hand, "What are you doing here?" His voice was so soft, which felt strange to hear again, but so lovely at the same time.
"I- I don't know..." Isla replied as she was now stood right next to him. "Where are we?"
Her father lightly chuckled as he rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "We're home, sweetheart. Back home."
"Home?" Isla repeated, looking in the distance. Large cornfields, sun blaring down, not a single cloud, a forest at the side. "Why are we back home?"
"We're in a better place, don't you worry about that." He told her, adjusting himself in his chair to look at his daughter. "Can you take the mask off please?"
Isla lifted her hands up to her face, feeling the ugly skin mask she had on. "But-"
"Take the mask off."
"Why...Why should I?"
He gave her a sad smile, "So I can see what my killer's eyes look like."
She did. She removed the slimy mask, looking down before dropping it. Isla slowly raised her head, regretfully looking at her dad. He didn't look angry or mad, he smiled, making her confused.
He brought his hand up to her face, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "I understand why you had to, sweetie. You did the right thing. And...I'm so sorry for everything I put you through, I wish I was properly there." Isla smiled through her teary eyes, "Besides, what kind of name is Beta and Delta?"
Isla let out an airy chuckle in unison with her dad. Her dad then pulled up a chair beside him, and Isla sat down. He took his guitar from off his lap, placing it in Isla's hands.
The pair stayed like that, enjoying each other's company, but also catching up with each other with the years the had spent apart.
Isla was finally home. Even though she died thinking she wasn't accepted, in the end she truly was.
•••
REST IN PEACE,
ISLA.
BELOVED DAUGHTER AND
FRIEND.
•••
Thank you so much for reading this story! I'm so sad to be ending Isla's story here, but I think it's for the best <3
i nearly cried writing this oml
i really appreciate all the support and love I have received from this story, I love every single reader! I know you guys may be sad about Isla's outcome, but it was set in stone for a while if you noticed the foreshadowingggg
I really love the feedback, and if you wish to check out my other The Walking Dead fics then you're more than welcome to.
thank you so much!!
-Breya