Call me England Dixon

Chapter 24: Heartaches

"You still worrying about it?" Andrea asks me and my mother as we stop for the third time since we've heard it.

I sigh still remembering the gunshot sound we heard a while ago.

"It was a gunshot." My mother states.

"We all heard it," Daryl states bored of us. I look at him worried for my family planted on my face.

"Why one? Why just one gunshot?" I ask him. He shrugs.

"Maybe they took down a walker?" He suggests. I scoff at his ignorant claim. My mother shakes her head.

"Please, don't patronize us. You know Rick wouldn't risk a gunshot to put down one walker. Or Shane. They'd do it quietly." My mother rambles out, looking back at the distance.

"Shouldn't they have caught up with us by now?" Carol's small voice speaks out. I sigh once again feeling exhausted.

"There's nothing we can do about it anyways." Daryl states. I shake my head in disagreement.

"Yeah, there is. I'm going back." I say as I start walking back the direction we came from. I hear leaves crunch from behind me.
Daryl grabs my arm, stopping me from moving any further.

"Like hell ya are!" He yells in my face.

"Daryl! They could be in trouble!" I yell back not caring if walkers hear us.

"Look, we can't run around these woods, chasing echoes." He says a bit quieter. Letting go of my arm in the process.

"So what do we do?" My mother asks, worried as I am.

"Same as we've been. Beat the bush for Sophia, work our way back to the highway."

"I'm sure they'll hook up with us back at the RV," Andrea states, giving us a small smile. Mum nods her head, walking once more. I sigh again, looking out in the distance. Debating whether I should just go back or keep going with the group.

"I'm sorry for what you're going through. I know how you feel." I hear Andrea say to Carol from a distance.

"I suppose you do. Thank you... The thought of her out here by herself... It's the 'not knowing' part that's killing me." Carol cries out, making me look at the ground. "I just keep hoping and praying she doesn't wind up like Amy-"

Everyone looks at her. Shocked by her words as I am. Carol's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh, god. That's the worst thing I've ever said." She grabs Andrea's hands apologizing. Andrea shakes her head.

"We're all hoping and praying with you, for what it's worth." She says.

"I'll tell ya what it's worth," Daryl says, walking up to them. "Not a damn thing... It's a waste of time. All this hoping and praying. 'Cause, we're gonna locate that Lil girl and she's gonna be just fine." He looks at the two of them before looking at me. "Am I the only one Zen around here? Good Lord." He mumbles, walking away. With everyone following his tail.

I smile a little at his annoyance.

I look back at the distance where we came from, still wanting to go back.

"Hey." Glenn's voice breaks my train of thought. "You coming?" He asks, arching an eyebrow. I clear my throat, nodding.

"Yeah," I respond as I start walking with him. Still unaware of the danger that may be occurring with my father and brother.

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"We'll lose the light before too long. I think we should call it." Daryl says out of breath.

"Well, maybe if we didn't take a break every five minutes. We would've gotten further." I say rubbing my forehead. Sweat dripped down my face, grossing me out.