Carter's P.O.V
Although I tried to tell 'em about Fort Benning Shane cut me off, making Rick say we're going to Fort Benning, Daryl giving me a sad yet small smile. We ran out of fuel for the truck so now I and Daryl are up front with our bikes, leading everyone through our 125-mile road trip. Yay.
As we continue driving I look over at Daryl, seeing him glancing at me before looking back at the road. I smirk and look forward as well, only to slow down, seeing the road almost completely blocked.
" You see a way through?" Dale yells from the R.V. We both look around, seeing a way. We turn back, giving Dale a nod before driving our way through, real slow too. It doesn't last long as the R.V sputters to a stop, making me and Daryl stop and get off our bikes, walking over to an annoyed Dale.
" I said it. Didn't I say it? A thousand times. Dead in the water. We're stuck in the middle of nowhere with no hope of-Okay that was dumb," he cuts himself off as Daryl pulls a few things out of a random car, making me do the same to another.
" This is a graveyard," Lori states, making me stop slightly to look at her. I shrug before continuing to dig in the car. " You are okay with this Carter?" she exclaims.
" It's a fucking car! Done worse," I mutter, throwing a bag out on the road. Everyone begins scavenging, almost ignoring Lori's words. As the kids past on, not bothering to look 'cause of Carol, I pop the door open behind them. I move past the dead body, swatting away the flies to grab a cooler, opening only to slam it down. I go into a coughing fit at the stench in it before grabbing a small blue backpack, closing the door. I dig through it, seeing there's clothes for Carl and Sophia.
" Here." I hand the bag to Carol, making her give a confused glance before I walk off as she digs through it. After finding a bag of canned food I pop open another trunk, making me jump and fall to the ground in shock. I slowly get back up, looking inside again in disgust and anger. Inside was a tied up walker with tape on its mouth.
" What's wrong?" I jump slightly before remembering it's Daryl. He looks in the trunk, disgusted slightly as well before stabbing it with a knife. " You find anything'?" he asks.
" Food, clothes for the kids...some tied up walker," I murmured the last part, making him roll his eyes as I walk past him, going for another car until I get pushed to the ground. " What the f-" A hand covers my mouth as I hear the redneck whisper, " Under the car. Now!" I stare up at him as he sprints off until I smell the stench of a walker, a very strong one too. I look over at Lori and Carol, who are panicking as I wave them to move. They crawl under a car as I run over to the kids. I pull Carl down under a car with me as Sophia gets down under one beside us, her grip tightening on her doll.
After a few moments, the stench grows stronger as they stumble past us. Sophia starts to panic. I put my finger over my lips, making her quiet down as I put my other hand over Carl's mouth, making him lean into me, his hands gripping on my flannel. As they all past I wait a bit, still holding Carl just to make sure he doesn't leave my side. I look over to see Sophia trying to crawl out. I try to wave her off until another one shows up, making her shriek and crawl in the other direction.
" Sophia!" I crawl out from under the car, following after her. I hop over the barrier, following her and the walkers following her. I trip and fall on my way down before getting up and sprinting after her in a different direction.
As soon as I catch up to her I grab her, pulling her into a hug. She sobs into my chest slightly I pull her away, arm's length with my hands on her shoulder. " Listen to everything I say. I need you to climb up this tree right here. Count to 60 and if I'm not back by then go back to the road, back the way you came. Keep the sun on your left shoulder and you'll be alright. Okay, take this," I quickly hand her my knife and dog tags," It'll keep you and your dolly safe with a good luck charm. Go go go." I pick her, putting her on a branch, waving her to climb higher. " Hey! Over here!" I yell, making the two walkers notice me as I walk backward. I point at Sophia, patting my left shoulder before running off.
I get to the small ledge and stop, underneath it being a stream. I pull a dead branch off the tree, getting myself ready as one gets close to me. I stab it in the head. I try to pull it out, only for it be stuck. I drop it quickly, only for the second walker to push me in the stream, my full body underwater as it tries to take a bite out of me. I quickly feel around, trying to grasp something, feeling my hand wrap around a rock. I swing my arm quickly at the walker until it limps on top of me. Pushing him off before sitting up, gasping for air. I shake my head, getting rid of some of the water as my hair sticks to me.
Daryl's P.O.V
I start to panic more, since neither Sophia or Carter have come back as Rick and Lori try to calm Carol down. She left her bow and arrows here which makes it even worse. A branch soon snaps, making me raise my crossbow until I see a soaked Carter walk up to us, hopping over the barrier, sitting down on top of it.
" Where is she? Where's my daughter!" Carol yells, trying to grab at her. She looks up at her in confusion.
" She's not back?"
" I'm gonna kill you!" Carol makes it past Lori, slapping Carter who barely moves her head as Lori holds her back, Rick questions her. " What do mean ' she's not back'?"
" ....Shit," she mutters before grabbing her bow and arrows from me, running back into the forest. Me, Rick, Glenn and Shane follow her. She stops in front of a tree before looking around on the ground.
" What are you doing?"
" She looking for tracks," I answer for her as she nods in agreement.
" Told her to keep the sun on her left shoulder, made the walkers follow me to some stream until I killed them both, knocking me in the river as I left in the tree right here." She points up at the tree, " Left here with my tags and knife too just in case." She pulls her soaked hair in annoyance, looking at Glenn. I look over and see why she is annoyed.
Carter's P.O.V
" Hey, short round, why don't you step off to one side? You're mucking up the trail." Glenn moves away, making me less frustrated until Shane speaks.
" Assuming she knows her left from her right-"
" She understood me just fine asswipe," I snap back, making Daryl smirk as Glenn holds in a laugh. " Prints right here, the only problem is you three too blind to notice."
" How can we be sure you can track?" Shane questions, only for Daryl to back me up.
" They're here, clear as broad daylight. Did like she said and headed back. We spread out, couldn't 've gotten far."
I slowly lead them off on the tracks, Daryl right beside me. " She listened to me up until here. Moved off in a different 'rection like she got spooked."
" Maybe a walker?"
" No other footprints Glenn. Don't know."
" It's better if Glenn, Shane and I get back up to the highway. People will start panicking. Daryl and Carter will keep following the tracks. Let 'em know what's happening but keep everyone calm." Everyone nods in agreement as the three leave, making me continue to follow the trail as Daryl follows.
After what felt like hours which was only minutes passed until the tracks became faint, really faint. As leaves rustle we both duck, our bows ready, only to find one walker. I roll my eyes before shooting an arrow, as does Daryl with a bolt, both hitting an eye socket. We look at each other before walking towards the body. I pull out my arrow and his bolt, wiping the blood off before handing him his as I stick mine back in the quiver.
I look at its teeth, seeing flesh as he looks over me. I stand, staring at the body for a minute 'fore I ask, " We checkin'?" He nods. I grab the knife from his belt as he pulls off the walker's shirt, showing his torso. I dig the knife in as Daryl grabs a pair of gloves from his pocket. After fully cutting open the torso I pull the knife out, moving away so Daryl can grab the stomach.
He moves his hands around, feeling for it until he grabs it, dropping on the ground as I hand him his knife, allowing him to cut it open and look inside, only to pull out part of a skull. " Woodchuck," we say in unison. We glance at each before I stand up, wiping the dirt off my jeans before throwing my bow over my shoulder.
" Least we know." I nod in agreement as I look, seein' the sun beginning to go down.
" She's gonna kill me," I mutter as I follow our tracks back to the highway.
" Maybe....what'd you mean you done worse than scavenge cars?" I look at him in confusion before remembering what he's talking about.
" Um, the soldier I was with got shot. Ran outta ammo and had to look for ammo on him," he nods understanding as I talk about somethin' else. " You really think she'll kill me?"
" Maybe, hope not." My face contorts in confusion before he continues, " Need someone to annoy the shit out of."
I put my hand on my chest, sighing dramatically. " I feel so loved." He chuckles, giving a smile as we walk back in comfortable silence.
As soon as we walk back, Carol glares at me as I hop over the barrier, sitting back down on it. " You didn't find her?" she growls.
" Trail went cold. Find her tomorrow. We go out in dark we get lost before we even find her."
" Is-Is that blood?" her breathing starts to quicken as I look down, seeing blood on me and Daryl.
" Not ours," he answers, " Walkers, no sign of it being near Sophia."
" How can you know that?" Andrea interrupts. I stare before grabbing the knife from Daryl's belt, still covered in blood and guts.
" Here's your answer," I mutter as she looks like she and Carol will throw up. I give the knife back as Carol grows angry.
" How could you just leave out there, to begin with? How could just leave! She's just a child. She's just a child!" she yells the last sentence, making me grow frustrated at her as I try to explain.
" It was my only choice. It was that or she panics and gets eaten or bit." She sobs lightly before looking at me, anger in her eyes as staring at her with a stone cold face.
" If my daughter is dead I'll kill you," she threatens before walking off to the R.V, Lori following her. I look over at Rick, seeing him stare before walking off, looking for a car to sleep in.