A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S8Pt1 - It Begins Here

It's been almost a week since the last fight with Negan. Because of that day, we started an official war with the Saviors. We spent the next few days between the Hilltop and the Kingdom, forging weapons and scavenging supplies. It's been quiet from the Saviors, but so has it from us. Here we were, watching and waiting, but just about to launch our biggest attack yet. Soon, we were going to put an end to this.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was standing on top of an overpass over the highway with Carol, and we were waiting for something. It was big, loud, and deadly. I checked my watch and wrote down the time in my notebook.
"10:28." I said out loud. "Almost here."
Another minute passed and we both looked out in the distance, and not only saw but heard what we were looking for. The snarls and moans of the dead filled the air as they made their way down the empty highway. I smiled to myself and Carol nodded.
"Okay down." She said.
I nodded and we ducked down, not to be seen by the dead. I checked my watch again, and it was only 10:29. Time was passing so slow, and I couldn't wait to get today started.
Just telling from the noise, the herd must've been right under us now. We sat quietly, waiting for them to pass and I checked my watch to keep track of time. I was noticing how quickly they move to plan our attack with them. With the way things were moving, everything would be ready for tomorrow's attack, right on time.

~~~~~~~~~~

It was the next morning. The sun was out and we were camped out on a new overpass above the highway. I checked my watch again for the time.
"7:48."  I thought.
Just then, Daryl drove by on his motorcycle and nodded at me. I nodded back, and so did Carol who was next to me. Morgan was with us and sat on the road next to the van. Daryl parked his bike and walked over to stand by me. I looked down at my watch when he came over, and got ready.
"7:50." I thought. "Here we go." I said out loud.
We all looked forwards and waited for the surprise.
I started counting down when Morgan finally stood up. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." I finished.
Nothing showed up. It wasn't right, the time was wrong. "Did we fuck it up?" I thought.
"Shit." I said out loud, and lowered the watch.
Carol looked around at us, and so did Daryl until he looked forwards again. He tapped my arm and pointed forwards.
"Ah, there." He said.
We looked forwards to see the beginning of a herd turn the bend of the highway. Their moans started to fill the air, and hundreds of them were appearing.
"Well okay. Close enough." I shrugged and turned around, walking to Daryl's bike.
"Alright, let's go." Daryl said.
He got on his bike first and I sat behind him. Carol and Morgan began to jog back and create some distance from the van. We got about a couple hundred feet before Daryl stopped the bike. We got off and Carol and Morgan met us. Daryl then handed me a remote and looked at me.
"You ready for this?" He asked.
"Hell yeah." I said.
I took the remote and we all looked at the van. I counted in my head, and in three seconds the van blew up. It was up in flames, and the explosion was loud. The walkers got louder and started making their way towards the van.
"Time to move." Daryl said.
We all agreed and began moving to our next checkpoint.

~~~~~~~~~~

We were getting closer to the Saviors compound, and the herd was finally moving on time. We stopped in a small abandoned town where we rigged up a trip line the day before. Morgan made sure everything was wired up correctly still, and met us on the bridge above the main road.
"How close are we?" Carol asked.
"Close." Daryl said.
I looked down at my clock, and then looked up at the sky. It was after noon and the sun was bright out. I nodded and looked at Daryl.
"Yeah, real close now." I said.
I then saw a random walker walk out a building and start wandering down the street. It was headed straight for the trap.
"Shit. Can that thing set it off?" I asked, and was ready to go kill it.
"I got it." Morgan said.
He swiftly ran down the stairs towards the road, and whistled at the walker. He lead it away from the trap and then silently killed it with his staff. We then heard engines revving in the distance. Morgan looked down the road and instantly turned around, running behind a dumpster for cover.
The convoy of cars triggered the wire, and one after another they blew up. Flames roared into the sky and a cloud of smoke was becoming visible. I just hoped Rick was seeing this as his signal to start.
We all gathered at our vehicles and Daryl started his bike, ready to leave.
"It's started." Carol said, and I couldn't tell if she was regretting her choices right about now.
"Yeah. It's always gonna be this way." Daryl said.
We then heard the moans again, and the herd was now approaching the explosion of cars.
"Pleasure doing business with you." I said to Morgan.
He just nodded and looked at me. "Beat 'em."
"We will." I said.
Carol then hugged Daryl to say goodbye. "Be careful." She said.
"Shit, this is gonna be fun." Daryl said.
I silently got on the back of his bike with him and watched the herd getting closer.
"No it isn't." Carol said and looked at the herd.
"It's better than letting things be though, right?" Daryl said.
She then looked back at him and nodded. "Yeah. It is."
We then nodded at each other to say our goodbye and Carol left to get in the car. Morgan drove them away, and Daryl and I stayed behind.
Daryl took a gulp of water out of his canteen and gave the rest to me. I sighed and gave it back, and Daryl looked me in the eyes.
"No turning back now." He said.
I nodded and checked my pistol that was fully loaded. I looked up at Daryl and gave him a slight smile.
"It's you and me baby. Till the end." I said.
He smirked and nodded back at me. "You and me."
"Plus, you're right." I said and looked at the herd. "This shit's gonna be fun."
That's when we heard the car horn go off. That was our signal.
Daryl started the bike instantly and drove off, the herd now only a few feet behind us and following quickly. As we rode further down the road, I shot at barrels we placed along the way that exploded into flames. The plan was coming together quickly, and the herd was quicker.
We were close to the outskirts of the Sanctuary, and I continued lighting it up. There was flames, smoke, and walkers, all coming for Negan.
In just a minute, we reached the Sanctuary where all of us were shooting at the compound. There was gunfire in the air and we drove into chaos.
"Hey!" I called out to Maggie over the gunfire.
"Yeah!" She called back.
"Get everyone out of here. It's coming." I ordered.
She nodded and started calling her people back.
Daryl rode on through and I called everyone back.
"Come on! Clear out. Let's go!" I called, and everyone rushed back.
They got in what cars were available and began driving off. I looked around and saw Rick at the front lines with Gabriel.
"Rick!" I yelled. "Let's go!"
He didn't hear me. Neither did Gabriel.
"Rick!" I called out again.
Daryl was busy ushering other people out and drove away before I got their attention. At that point too, the herd started to close in on the compound.
"Shit." I muttered. "Shit!"
We drove off with the rest of the group and I just silently hoped Rick would make it out of there.

~~~~~~~~~~

The group dispersed back to their normal places after the battle, and our group at Alexandria met up in a field of grass. Daryl turned off his bike and we got up and stretched, and I noticed Rick was there. I instantly walked over to him and Daryl came with me.
It looked like Rick was counting by the minutes and anxiously checking his watch. Daryl walked to his side and I walked to the other.
"We can wait some more." Daryl suggested.
"We can't." Rick said. "He stopped to get me." He then said.
I looked over and listened to him.
"How's that?" I asked.
"Negan." Rick sighed. "He was on the ground. I was trying to kill him, and Gabriel stopped to get me."
I was silent and heard Rick take a deep breath.
"We gotta start out." Rick then said.
"You all right?" Daryl asked him.
Rick nodded his head and huffed under his breath. "This isn't about me. Let's go." He then smirked and walked back towards the group.
Daryl patted his shoulder as Rick walked away. "Yeah."
I whistled at the group and got their attention. "Alright!" I called out.
Car engines started turned on and began driving in separate ways. Rick drove a car off and Daryl and I followed. We were starting the next part of the plan and we're going to be taking out Negan's outposts.
One by one, we were ending this. Now.