Daryl's Angel: Saviour (Book Two)

Chapter 34: Unlucky

Daryl did his best to glean their names from listening, but all he got was D and Tina. D doesn't call the brunette by name, only "Honey." Daryl supposes that's better than nothing. It's a bit awkward, wandering through the woods with people who held him hostage, but there's stuff he needs to find out about.

"So you knew 'em?" he asks. "And you still thought I was one of 'em?"

"Where we were—we were there since the beginning," D explains. "We still didn't know everyone. Back when we first threw in with them, it was as good a place as any. Then things got harder, people got harder. Human nature kicked in and it became a truly unique kind of shitshow."

"People will trade anything for safety," Honey says. "For knowing that they're safe."

"Everything," D agrees. "So they got nothing left except just...existing."

"Hey, nobody's safe anymore," Daryl says. "Can't promise people that anyhow."

Whatever happened at Alexandria, he's sure it wasn't anything safe. He's been gone way too long, and he hopes that Hope isn't losing too much sleep over it.

"You could promise the people who want to hear it," D says.

Tina starts running, yanking everyone's attention to her. D hurries to follow, Honey in tow.

"Hey, Tina, hold up!" he calls.

She runs right up to a burned-out metal frame. Daryl wonders if it was a house, until he notices the melted glass coating everything. A greenhouse, then. Whatever it is, Tina knows it, and she seems to know the two human-shaped lumps coated in melted glass, too.

"Carla and Delly," Tina says. Honey's hand falls over her mouth. "It's them."

Tina moves into the house, past the metal shelves and blackened terracotta pots. Honey looks back at Daryl, lips pursed.

"Tina and I used to babysit them when they were kids," she admits. "Everyone said that they went out north when it all started. We didn't know."

Tina leaves the duffel bag on the ground and kneels to pluck yellow wildflowers from the earth, gathering them in a bundle. D stares, mouth agape.

"I did this," he whispers.

Honey shakes her head. "We did this."

Tina steps carefully between the glass-crusted bodies, kneeling between them as she sets the flowers down. Then, a growl sounds from one of them.

Tina lets out a scream and scrambles to her feet, but her ankle folds beneath her and she tumbles forward, hand plunging through the glass, blood spilling. The walkers emerge from their cocoons, and in seconds, they're upon her. Daryl hurries to load his bow, but it's too late. Tina wails as they tear the skin from her throat, her ear.

Daryl kills one and D stabs the other as Honey collapses next to her sister, their panicked sobs mingling together. Tina coughs, blood spilling from her lips as her eyes glaze over.

"I'm sorry, baby. I'm so sorry," Honey sobs. "We had to try. We had to. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Honey wails, clinging tightly to her sister's body as she goes limp. Daryl steps away, eyeing the greenhouse. There are shovels here. They can use those.

Listening to her cry, Daryl makes up his mind. Only one thing left to do.

----------

Daryl and D work to bury Tina while Honey sits at a distance, staring at nothing.

"Hey," Daryl says as D churns up the earth. "How many walkers you killed?" D frowns in confusion. "Just answer the question."

"A lot," he says. "A couple dozen at least."