Dark Meat [Walking Dead]

Chapter Five

-- Just to clarify, Tessa is fourteen years old, but she looks like and elven or twelve year old. Sorry for the confusion. Also clubpkay: why did you fuck with my mind!? If you ever do that again, I will find you, and I will kill you XD --

It had been suggested by Lori that we hunker down in our vehicles until the morning, when we can figure out what's actually going on with the army. So by the time morning came, I hadn't slept a wink. Not only because of Daryl and Merle incessant snoring, but also out of severe paranoia. I don't understand how anybody could've slept last night, considering the army has all but turned on the civilian population and that there are probably Walkers roaming around the forests so close to this clearing.

Luckily, the night went on with barely a sound, aside from the occasionally gunshot, which could also barely be heard. I am the first to wake up, slipping silently out of the car to look over the cliff. From the angle at which the army barricade is positioned, I doubt the can see even the RV, which is both the largest vehicle and closest to the ridge cliff. There seems to be no sign of life and the barricade is barely standing, held together only by a single huge army truck and some unreliable barb wire. Apparently they didn't make it through the night after all. I'm not surprised.

I draw back from the edge and tiptoe into camp. The cars are arranged in a semi-circle position, acting almost as if they were the other protective half of the cliff, to stop Walkers getting to everyone at once. It's a stupid formation, in my opinion. Not that it matters since Shane was adamant it should work. I'm starting to doubt how mature he is regarding the possible apocalypse, even if everyone's just been through hell and aren't thinking straight.

There's a dowsed fire pit in the middle with a few logs around it, meaning Amy, Andrea and Dale have been up here for more than a night or two. Uncle Frank taught me how to make fires without matches a couple of years back when he would take me out hunting. I never killed anything though, it was all him. I mostly did frog catching or fishing, which is something I'm not particular brilliant at, but good enough.

My heart clenches pitifully and I drop myself onto one of the logs, burying my face into my hands as stray tears dribble down my face. As of yet, I haven't had time to grieve. I couldn't in Nortown because I was too afraid to make a peep and my thoughts were almost completely consumed by survival. I certainly wouldn't while sleeping in the same house as Merle, knowing he'd probably pick on me for it.

I miss my family so fucking much! There's nothing I can do about their deaths now, but at the time everything came down to me. Except I failed them. I failed them and now everybody is dead. All that bullshit about people being in a better place when they die... I always shrugged it off with a scowl. Yet, what the world is now, maybe everyone is in a better place, even if they're all in hell. Either way, not only is the grief killing me but also the guilt. My stupid conscience cries out to me, not only for my family but for all the others. All the people who are dead because of me.

"Hey, are you alright?" I hear a deep voice, which I instantly recognise as Dale's. Brushing the tears away with the back of my hand, I sniffle quietly and look up, a blank expression plastered on my face.

"Peachy." Is my sarcastic reply from behind clenched teeth. Concern shows in his brown eyes which are slightly hooded by his floppy fisherman's hat that looks worse for wear. I glare up at him from my spot on the log before hastily standing, brushing imaginary dirt from my jeans before taking a step away from him.

Dale frowns a little, saying, "Woah, calm down." He shows me his flat palms and waves them up and down slowly in small gestures, motioning for me settle myself. "I didn't mean anything by it. Just wanted to know if you were okay."

Eyeing him skeptically I dip my head and mumble an apology before resuming me seat on the log. I can feel the delicate golden rays tickling my face as the sun begins to rise. Dale sits next to me, but I almost instantly move at least two feet more away from him. He look a little hurt but says nothing of it.