"Holy fuck, Fisher? Not surprised, chur alive, yawl always looked able tuh kill, evun when yawl wuz shitfaced" when I heard that southern accent, it clicked.
"Merle Dixon," I said slowly, turning around seeing him sitting on the ground clutching his arm. That's when I noticed the lack of a hand. "The fuck you doing without a hand?"
"Sum cowboy lookin' asshole handcuffed may tuh uh roof an left may tuh die" I nod and turn, leaving him, heading off into the distance with no destination.
After a few minutes I hear something walking behind me, I raise my bow pulling the string back ready to fire "what the fuck Merle". Lowering my bow, I continued to walk, ignoring his presence. We walked silently for a while until we came across an old moving truck. Hoping it would start, I hopped in. Much to my surprise, the keys were already in the ignition. Merle hopped in, much to my dismay but it wasn't like I had much of a choice in the matter. We drive away from the overrun city. and towards the hills, away from civilisation. I stared at the long road while thinking about the past and my life before the undead.
"Glad ya didn't, what ya wanten?" it was only then that I noticed his younger brother standing behind him, I had never spoken to him but he never left Merle's side.
"Got any molly?" he smirked and looked around at his brother, whose face was blank.
"How bout weed, ease yurself back in"
"Don't fuck with me merle, I have been sober for 2 months in that shit hole, just gimme something" I snapped, the withdrawal was the worst when I was first arrested, but now all I craved was more.
"I got weed, take it or leave it. I'm not lettin' yu fuck yurself up after that long clean" I sigh and reluctantly agree. Giving him the cash.
"You're an asshole Merle, party at the warehouse tonight," I say walking away, "you're invited as well Daryl," I shout while leaving the alleyway, that damn alleyway.
I only vaguely remember the party that night, after a few pills and a bottle of vodka everything was fuzzy, I was dancing to shitty rave music and making out with random guys, the only thing I remember was the smirk on Merle's face when he saw me, fucked up beyond belief despite his attempts to prevent it.
"Why ya alone?" he speaks up snapping me out of my memories. I stayed silent continuing to drive down the long roads.
"I just am" I snapped after a few seconds "and you? What happened to Daryl?" I ask a little calmer.
"wuz with uh camp, up the hills. He's probly still with them, where we headed?" his voice steady, no emotion.
"Anywhere." I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was staring at the passing fields looking deep in thought.
"How have I nevr seen yur tattoos before?" he motions to the large tattoo going down the left side of my neck and arm, what he didn't know is that travelled my entire side down to my ankle.
"Fuck knows, I started getting them at 16. I know people" he nods and looks back out the window.
Over the next three weeks, it was just Merle and me, hopping from house to house as I had done before. He taught me to hunt and track and I made him a metal prosthetic for his handless arm, complete with a knife slot. It was Day 84 when we came upon a walker free, people free ranch. We decided to stay for a few days, during those days I had found an all-black mare alone in one of the fields next to the house. The day we left Merle took one of the trucks from the farm, and I took the horse, not wanting to leave it.
I mounted the horse, and he started the truck, travelling the road out of the ranch and down another abandoned highway once more. While hopping from town to town we gathered supplies, finding places to stay, and only staying there a few nights. Him and I got a little closer every day, never daring to speak of life before the apocalypse. Day 93 we found a farmhouse burned to the ground, near a small barn that seemed untouched. Merle parked the truck outside the barn, and I put the horse safely in one of the stables. We locked up the barn and settled down for the night. I had just laid down at the back of the barn when Merle pulled out a bottle of whisky and sat next to me. I just chuckled.
"I haven't been drunk since before the world went to shit, not been high either" I smiled at him as he drank from the bottle then passed it to me. I hesitated for a moment before giving in. we just sat, drinking in silence.
"Withdrawal during' an apocalypse, must've been fun, I can't remember a time yu weren't on something'' he blurts out, I looked at the bottle that was in his hands again to see he had drunk nearly half, which explains why he's brought up the past. Taking another drink of the now half-empty bottle I just shrugged, refusing to look at him hoping that he changes the topic of conversation. After a while I remember why I never drank with Merle, he was different when he was drunk like he was different when I told him no. Before the world got fucked, I would avoid him when he was drunk, He had hit me before, for stupid shit, like going to a different dealer or going to him high looking for more. Since then, he's only laid a hand on me a few times. I put down the now empty bottle when he speaks again.
"yur 19 right?" he asks, and I give him a confused look
"I was when this started, turned 20 a few weeks back." I had no clue why he was so interested. That was when he leaned in and pushed his lips on mine, him being too drunk to notice when I didn't kiss back, and me being too drunk to push him off.
"I hav been waitin' years fur this" he slurred, his hands trailing down my body, sobering me up quickly.
"Merle, stop, please" my pleads went unheard, fading into the darkness.
Being around Merle was worse than being alone, alone I was a nutcase like my mother but around Merle, I was someone I hated, even more. The girl I used to be, the girl that got everyone I loved killed, drunk or high, making mistakes every second of every day. It all started with Merle. I hadn't cared about anything but survival since my sister died, I had blocked all my emotions out. But seeing myself turn into the person I never hoped to be again, that made all emotions come back, all at once.
YOU ARE READING
Lost // TWD // A Daryl Dixon Story
FanficON HOLD Description: Cody Fisher, just 19 when the world ended, fighting for her life every second, but the longer your alone, the less you care, having nothing but the undead for company and no reason to continue fighting. That was until she found...
