Something To Savor

Nightmares Pt.1

It was hot.

Feeling a sweat wash over him, he tried to ignore the sticky feeling of his shirt sticking to his chest as he rolled over in his bed, but he couldn't. It had become too much to bare even for himself.

Uncomfortable, Daryl opened his eyes in the pitch black darkness of his room and sat himself up against the bed frame. Bringing a wary hand up to his face, he wiped the sheen of sweat that had built up over the amount of time he had been tossing and turning. With a heavy sigh his hand dropped to the front of his t-shirt and lightly grasped the front of his damp collar and aired himself for a brief moment before looking around the room.

Why was it so damn hot?

Confused, he'd looked over to the side of the bed, but it had been so dark he couldn't see anything.

"Connie.." he called out of habit before reaching a hand towards the lamp and turning the small knob to emit a dim light before returning his gaze back to the side of the bed.

Wanting to know how Connie felt, he reached over towards her side of the bed and had been surprised when his hand had touch nothing but the mattress. He wasn't concerned until the feeling of something warm and damp was felt against the palm of his hand. Withdrawing his hand from her side, he brought his palm up to his face only to feel his heart jump.

Blood. It had coated his fingertips. Glistening in the dim light cascading from the lamp his guard was up. Flinging the covers off himself he got to his feet. Glancing towards the door he'd seen it'd been cracked open.

In stealth, he reached for the side of the bed where he kept his carving knife tucked just underneath the bed side and retrieved the blade. Careful to not make any noise, Daryl slowly made his way towards the door. Ready, he held his knife up as he slowly proceeded to open it careful enough to not make a single creak through the entire house.

Poking his head out through the dark stairwell, he continued cautiously, crouching as he toed up the stairs. His mind was running with a thousand of possibilities and emotions pacing through his head. Like where was Connie and was she okay? And why had it been so hot inside the Grimes home?

Making his way up the stairs, darkness still dwelled in every corner. His eyes adjusted enough to see the silhouettes of objects as he made his way to the top, scanning his surroundings for any suspect or suspicions to come his way. So far he was in the clear, but it didn't change the way his gut wrenched at the humid stillness in the air.

In the midst of the silence, he continued his careful strides. Toeing down the hall and glancing towards dark spaces where his eye could deceive him. Almost immediately Daryl froze. Feeling himself freeze at the sound of the wooden floor creaking just a few yards away from him. A figure appeared.

Feeling sweat drip down the side of his face, he held his breath at the sight of the figure that was limping in the hallway. From afar he managed to examined parts of the silhouette. It was female. Following her approach were low moans.

His heart dropped when he'd realized they'd been breached. Immediately the thought of finding Connie got a whole lot harder knowing that everyone in the Grimes house were in trouble. Somehow a walker had managed to make their way inside and the only way that could've happened was if someone got past the gates and through their front door..

Instincts kicking in, he backed up to the nearest window that was cascading moonlight onto the walls of the hallway. If he was going to take out the biter he at least needed to see his aim to take his shot.

Dragging itself on it's two feet, Daryl watched the woman approach. Coming into the moonlight, he rose his knife ready to defend himself only to freeze when he'd seen their face..

His heart stopped.

Stomach knotting, everything inside him went numb when he'd seen those tight curls lightly bouncing with each limp. Those big brown eyes that'd been colored a deep green with shades of red to emphasize the difference. There was blood on her shirt. She'd been attacked somehow and he hadn't even notice.

How couldn't he have noticed? He had been sleeping right beside her..

His eyes stung. Feeling his face begin to crumble when his hand dropped back to his side, he lightly shook his head.

"No.. no"

He watched her near him, growling as she'd been turned into one of them.

Breaking slowly, he backed up, turning away from the window behind him as she slowly followed. His chest welled with ounces and ounces of regret that weighed his breathing.

"Connie.."he rasped, feeling a lump make its way to his throat causing his voice to break as he took another step back this time hitting a dead end against another wall.

He couldn't hold himself together when a sob escaped past his trembling lips as the knife he'd once held fell from his grasp and onto the floor with a loud clang. She'd had blood on her face, dripping down her chin. Knowing deep inside that she'd already gotten a victim and seeing that she'd walked out of Rj's room had only made that sick feeling inside himself grow..

"No" he shook his head. He couldn't believe it. He wouldn't. He didn't want to, but here she was. Snarling in front of him and ready to take him to.

Choking on a sob as she neared, he was defenseless. He couldn't do it. He didn't have to strength to put her down. She had been sleeping right beside him only to have been attacked somehow without his knowing. Heavy feelings of regret and sorrow clouded his mind. If he couldn't protect her then he didn't deserve living without her.

Inches away from her grasp another sob escaped. Feeling her decaying hands clawing at his shoulders. This was it.

"DARYL!"

A familiar voice had echoed through the hallway. Ringing in his ears he hadn't payed the voice much attention when he'd been face to face with his once before, Connie.

Her eyes had a distant lost look to them. Her body had a mind of its own and so did her hands that clawed at his shirt before the point of a knife had been rushed through the back of her skull. Closing his eyes, he whined. Not able to watch her fall to the ground with a loud thud, he dropped his head, chin touching his chest as his shoulders shook.

"Daryl!" The woman called again her frantic hands grabbing his shoulders and trying to keep him standing when he felt like crumbling to the ground.

She wouldn't let him.

"Connie's gone" he sobbed, opening his eyes enough to half see his best friend standing in front of him blocking his view of the deceased woman laying lifeless on the floor before him. There was light now and people invading the upstairs with guns and knives. His eyes didn't fall from Carol's when she'd held his eyes on hers with a look of deep sympathy.

"Don't" She shook her head,"Don't look down" but he didn't listen when she'd watched him give another glance towards the woman he'd loved laying on the floor. Dead beneath their feet. Gone in the blink of an eye.

"She's gone-" He cried. Chin dropping to his chest once more as he shook with tears his feet began to give out beneath him"she's gone"

"Daryl-" Carol choked keeping her own tears at bay for his own sake. Watching him break in a way he'd never broke before was the hardest thing she'd ever witnessed. His body weighed against her hold as his back began to slide against the wall behind himself while she tried to keep him on his feet" Daryl- its gonna be okay-"

"No- No!" He cried before letting himself get buried into her shoulder as her arms were wrapped around him in a tight embrace,"I l-loved her"

•

•

~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~•~

Don't hate me! I know I left you at a cliff hanger, but good news is i have part 2! You'll just have to wait and see what happened next!

At least the title gives it away that it's just a nightmare, so don't hate me too much! But I'll be nice and release part 2 ASAP once you let me know how this chapter went?

Much love from me to you, lovely people, stay safe and happy! Remember. Kindness is free!

Sincerely, Disney Girl🧟‍♀️