You woke up to the smell of smoke. You opened your eyes, slightly, revealing a blurry image. "Probably just another solider, from one of the outposts. Probably hates him, too." Your eyes closed again. "You know how to use one?" "Yeah. Never liked using them to hunt." Eyes growing heavier. "We pick up Patty and we're gone, okay? This is the last day we gotta live like this."
-
The next morning, you were awakened to someone shaking your leg. "Get up." One of your captures said. You looked to your left. Daryl was propped up against a tree, hands tied. You moved your hands; tied up, too. Damn. The man that knocked Daryl out was pointing a gun at him, "We're moving. Here's the deal. You two don't say shit and I don't kill you."
"We ain't who you think." Daryl mumbled, unfazed by the gun barrel in his face. The man, pulls the hammer back, "Say something else." He paused, "Go ahead." Daryl didn't say anything. The man points the gun in your direction, "You?" You remained silent, looking down
The man picked both, you and Daryl, up by the ropes that tied your hands. He walked you towards the two girls, "Follow them." All five of you walked down a way, in silence.
There was one girl that was carrying a rather large bag. She unzipped a pocket and grabbed out a bottle of water, "Here. Drinking the rest." She handed the bottle to the other girl. "We should save it." "We'll find some more. Drink. You're supposed to stay hydrated. It all works together." "Yeah, it does." The girl responded downing the liquid.
The girl carrying the bag stopped walking and held the bottle in front of you and Daryl. 'Have it." You didn't even acknowledge her, neither did Daryl. The man grabbed the bottle from her and looked at Daryl. "We don't need you falling down. Drink." Daryl looked back at the man, then at you. He gave in and took a sip of the water, then handing it off to you.
As you took a sip, the man said, "They find us, maybe we give you to them, they let us call it even. You see, we're reasonable people. Everybody's got their code. You feel you gotta kneel, that's fair enough. We don't. Let's go." He snatched the bottle from your hands.
The walk through the burnt forest was very annoying to say the least. You and Daryl weren't much of talkers, to begin with but, all these people did was talk. They talked about a truck that they drove in. The man talked as if he were holier than thou. Another annoying thing was that, the man constantly had to have his hand on your shoulder. It felt as if it was starting to get raw.
You tuned back into the conversation when you heard, "It was just the fire, just burning them all away."
You looked at Daryl, who was looking around the area, "You did all this?" One of the girls responded, "It was right at the start. Everything stopped—the TV, the radio. We were here. The forest was full of them. And the other ones in town, they were drawn to it. They just walked right into the flames. We got most of them. Thought we ended it for us, and she was in DC. We thought everyone was fighting them wherever they were."
The man chimed in, "Yeah, we thought that was what everybody was doing. Fighting it. That we'd all win together. We were stupid." The man, finally, took his hands off you and Daryl.
"Y'all don't think you're being stupid right now?" You said, without even thinking. The man pulled the gun from the back of his pants and pointed it at your face, "Are you saying I should kill you?" You stayed silent, unaffected by his threats. "I mean it, are you two gonna try and pull something on us? Are we just being thick here by not removing all doubt?" He paused, "Right now, by me not pulling this trigger, is that a mistake? I'm serious. I really wanna know. You made a choice to kill for someone else, to have them own you for a roof over your head and three squares, so maybe I'm not considering all aspects here. You tell me, am I being stupid?"
"No." You said. "Look, we got somewhere to be. We can make a deal. We can help you out." Daryl chimed in stepping between you and the gun. You let out a silent sigh. "You're one of them. You're hurt and you're alone and you'd say anything. We should've never trusted you people to begin with. Go on. Keep moving." The man said, now pointing the gun at you and Daryl, the rest of the way.
The man pushed Daryl through a clearing of bushes and trees. You came to a halt at a chain-link fence to a what looked like a fuel yard. "Son of a bitch." The man said. Your captures walked towards the fence, dropping the bag, with your bows, in the process. They stared at the dozen walkers surrounding the yard.
"Patty..." The man said, running his hands through his hair. "She could be..." The woman, said, but giving up with a sigh. "No, she's gone."
Daryl looked at you and looked down at his hands. He was trying to break free of the restraints. You decided to do the same. You broke free before him, as the younger girl seemed to be growing faint. Just as she fainted, Daryl swooped up the bag, and the two of you dashed off into the woods. "Hey! Stop! No!" The man called out, with a series of gunshots. The two of you kept running until you couldn't anymore. You crashed next to a fallen tree.
As Daryl was getting out of the rope, you quickly retrieved the radio, "Sasha, Abraham, are you there?" Nothing. You breathed heavily, as you heard a walker coming up. Daryl got up and struggled with the bag for his crossbow. The walker kept getting closer and closer. But, you physically couldn't move. The crossbow was finally released. Daryl leaned back on his knee, positioned the arrow, and shot the walker between the eyes; falling to his back in the process.
He breathed heavily, "Thanks for the help." You let out an extremely tired, chuckle, "Yeah, don't mention it." After a moment, he rolled over and looked at the bag. A red cooler, labeled INSULIN, was sticking out. He looked at you. "Dammit." You mumbled.
-
Even though you were a doctor, you wouldn't risk your life, for this. But, against the better judgement of everything your body was telling you, you and Daryl decided to go back and take the insulin to the girl. Daryl and yourself had your bows, pointed. "Drop the gun! Drop it!" Daryl commanded, as the three came into view. T0e man stood up and pointed it for a second, before putting it down by his side. "Give it to me." You said, holding out your hand. He handed it to you and you put it in the back of your pants, next to the one that you already had.
"We came all this way. What you got for the duffel? You put us through too much shit just to give it back. Principle of the thing. What you got besides this gun?" Daryl said, bow still pointed. The brunette softly said, "Nothing."
"What was that thing you were craving?" You asked, your bow also pointed. "My grandfather taught me how— "The man started. "Don't care. It'll do." You said, putting it in your pocket. "Take it. It's all there." Daryl threw the bag in front of them. "Good luck. You're gonna need it." He continued, grabbing your hand, leading you away.
All of a sudden, there was an eerie sound of trees snapping. Daryl lightly shoved you behind a tree, as you watched a truck drive through the woods; breaks screeched. Three men get out.
"Let's end this." A man said. "It's ours. We earned what we took." The brunette responded. "You're gonna return what you took. You're gonna pay for the gas it took to come out and for all the time these men took out. It's over. You know the rules." "Your rules are batshit!" "We're not going back, Wade! We're done kneeling!" The man, that previously captured you, screamed. "Don't change the subject, asshole."
A whistle let itself be heard, as the truck engine revved, and drove closer. Daryl stood up, quickly and looked around. You looked where he did. There were men surrounding the back of these people.
Daryl took off, in the direction of the people. They were headed in the direction of their demise. You quickly followed Daryl, "Come on. Hey, that way. Come on. Go, go, go. Go." Daryl said, leading them away from these people. The younger girl barely able to stand, "Get up." Daryl said, helping her stand. You ran in front of the group, as Daryl took up the back.
You saw a wall made of branches and lead everyone there. Daryl dropped the girl off and stood, by a tree. You joined his side, patting one of the guns at your back. He nodded, giving you the go ahead for your idea. "Hey." You called the man. "Take it." You held the gun in front of him, barrel placed to the ground. He waited a second before taking it.
"Eyes open. You cover your quadrant. Go to alpha channel." You could hear Wade over their radios. The two girls were mumbling. You lightly snapped your fingers, telling them to be quiet. You kneeled in front of them, watching the backside of the group.
You hear screaming, must be one of their guys. "Wade, I'm bit." He repeats. "Take it off me." "Dammit." Wade replies. "Do it! Just take it off!" "I'll get your watch, afterward." You hear a blade slice something, you assume it's a body part. You make a disgusted face, but, maintain the backside security.
The man screams with agony. "Alright, that's it. Time to go home. Cam got a boo-boo." Wade said, over the radio. "Are you sure?" "Oh, yeah. He only wanted to take this so far. And he only wants ass that's willing, you know? Come on, Cam. Let's walk it off."
After they walked away, the man with you said, "We thought you were with them. We knock you over the head, tie you up, threaten to kill you... why the hell did you come back?" Daryl grunts, "Maybe, we're stupid, too."
-
All of you walked further away from your previous location. "So you knew 'em? Still you thought we were one of them?" Daryl asked. "We thought you were. Not her. They tend to not hire women. Where we were—we were there since the beginning. We still didn't know everyone. Back when we first threw in with them, it was as good as a place as any. Then things got harder, people got harder. Human nature kicked in and it became a truly unique kind of shitshow." The man explained. "People trade anything for safety, for knowing that they're safe." The brunette chimed in. "Everything. So they got nothing left except just...existing."
"Hey, there ain't anywhere safe anymore. Can't promise people that anyhow." Daryl said, "You can promise the people who wanna hear it." The blonde girl takes off, running. "Hey, Tina, hold up." The man calls out; he follows her, as does the other woman. Daryl and yourself trail behind.
You see Tina standing in front of a burnt down structure. "Carla and Delly. That's them." She says. Daryl pulls you off to the side, as they have their private 'family' moment. "We need to get home." He said. "You think?" You say, sarcastically.
Screaming comes from the structure. It's Tina. The two walkers broke free of their melted encasing. Daryl runs into the framework and stabs one in the head, just as you did to the second one. She's gone. A melody of 'I'm so sorrys' and crying comes to your ears.
After the crying settled, you grabbed Sher by the shoulders and led her away from the body. She remained motionless, watching, as the men dug holes for the dead.
"Hey. How many walkers have you killed?" Daryl asked the man. You stood up, with wide eyed. Daryl put his hand up as an okay. "Just answer the question." He continued. "A lot. A couple dozen at least." The man said. "How many people have you killed?" "None." "Why?" The man continued digging, "Why haven't I killed anybody? Because if I did, there'd be no going back. There'd be no going back to how things were."
Daryl looked at you for a second approval. You half-cracked a smile. He passed. "We're from a place where people are still like they were...more or less, better or worse." The man looked at Sher, then to Daryl, and back at the hole, and started to dig, again.
-
"We can walk it from here. Till we meet up with our friends." Daryl said, as you finally got back to his bike. He threw the brush off and propped the bike back up. "They got a car. You can ride with them." Daryl continued. "How many friends you say there were?" The man asked. "He didn't. There's two of 'em." You said, before Daryl could. "Where are they?" "We're gonna find out."
"How do you know they even got away? That they didn't get taken?" The man said, flailing his arms, about. "We don't." Daryl says, as you and him push the bike along. From behind you, you could hear the hammer of a gun click. "Oh, damn it." Daryl whispers, dropping the bike as gently as possible. He spins his body around but, it too late to aim his crossbow. "I'm sorry." The man says, pointing the gun at the two of you. "Give her the bows and the gun." He continues.
You look at Daryl, who is not giving in, "You gonna go back? You gonna be safe?" "Shut up." "Ain't nowhere safe no more." "Give her the weapons." "You gonna kneel?" The man shot off a bullet between your heads. Daryl and you both jumped, slightly. You, both, complied and gave the girl your bows and the gun.
The man handed Sher the gun, as he walked towards Daryl's bike, picking it up and mounting it. He started the engine, as Sher got on the back. "Patch yourself up." She said, as she threw bandages at Daryl's feet. "We're sorry." "You're gonna be." You said, looking at her. They sped off, with your bows and bike.
Daryl picked up the bandages, as you took the wooden figurine out from your pocket. You squeezed it in your hand and watched as they drove off. "Come on." Daryl encouraged you to follow him. You did so, and came to the place that you first, found the burnt walker.
Daryl hovered over the corpse and saw something covered in the dirt. He kneeled over it and brushed the dirt away. A tank of some sort labelled 'PATTRICK FUEL COMPANY' revealed itself. Daryl looked up at you and then thought to himself.
He looked at you and then across the dirt path. He gets up and walks towards, of what looks like a pile of branches and such. He begins removing them. You watch his every move. A blue truck emerges. "Holy shit." You say, looking at the truck. Daryl moves a branch from the license plate, PATTY002. "Hello, Patty." Daryl chuckles. "There's someone looking out for us after all." You laugh.
You walk to the cab of the truck and check for walkers. There's one in the driver's seat. You take a breath in, before opening the door. As you open it, the walker's arms are grabbing at you. He slings over the side and you stab him in the back of the neck, sending blood flying.
You pull the walker out, making sure to not tear any of its rotting skin off. "Get in." You say, hopping in the truck and sliding to the passenger seat.
-
You had finally found Abraham and Sasha, after about an hour or so of looking. Now, everything is sort of back to normal, except the fact the you four are squished into a three-person cab.
"Rick, you copy?" Daryl called over the radio. Still just static. "Anybody?" Nothing. Wait... a gargled voice came over the radio. "Say it again?" Static for moment, again. "Help." A man's voice was sounded, clear as day, then static once more.
~~~~
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