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

S9Pt2 - The Evolution of Man

~~~~~ Over 1 Year Later ~~~~~

The sun was shining high in the afternoon, the wind rustling the leaves in the trees. My bare feet felt the cool grass, and here I found myself dancing with Judith. I wore a white summer dress that flowed with every movement I made, and Judith matched with me. We spun ourselves together around in circles, laughing and smiling, enjoying this wholesome moment.
The screen door creaked opened, and Lee and Georgia both ran out of the house. Daryl stood behind them, holding the door open, and admired me from the porch. Daryl then held the kids hands and helped them walk down the stairs, and once their feet touched the grass, they became so happy. I smiled at them, and they ran towards me. I then bent over and opened up my arms, and they ran into my embrace. I hugged them tight, and they both kissed my cheek at the same time, and that's when I knew this was a moment I'd always cherish.
We spent hours outside playing in the grass together. Daryl joined us, occasionally chasing after the kids and pretending he couldn't catch them. I remember dancing more with Judith, and Georgia joined us.
My beautiful girls.
I would run around with Lee, him giggling uncontrollably as he got chased. I swooped him up in my arms, swinging him back and forth, then tilted him upside down before pulling him back up. Every once in a while, the kids would gang up on Daryl, and he would lay on the ground so the kids could tackle him.
My sweet boys.
We all laid down in the grass that evening, watching the sun set. The kids were in between us, pointing up at the birds flying above in the sky. I then looked over at Daryl, and we instantly made eye contact. He smiled as he rested his hand behind his head, and I admired his looks, returning his smile.
This is what life is meant to be. This is it.

~~~~~~~~~~

My horse's hooves thudded across the pavements as I galloped through the city. The wind flew by at lighting speed, whipping my ponytail around in the air. I kicked my legs again and the horse ran faster.
"H'yah!" I called out, and kicked my legs again.
I saw a walker coming up, and held out my arm. My prosthetic had a longer straight blade on it, and sliced through the walker's head as I rode by. I ran through the streets of the city, and was headed towards the rendezvous point to meet the group. On my ride through the city, I subconsciously made myself stop outside of the largest building left in D.C.
The White House.
Crows cawed on top of the street lamp posts. Even more cawed on the ground as the picked the dead flesh off of, now dead, walkers. My horse paced anxiously in front of the building as I stared at it. Plants and moss crawled up the walls, nature slowly taking its stake back in the world.
"Come on." I then said and turned my horse around. "Let's go."
I walked slowly away at first, taking on more last look at what civilization used to be, before trotting off. It was quiet along the street besides the clomping of horse hooves. I then heard the faint hum of a motorcycle cycle engine in the distance, and I knew the group finally caught up to me. My time for scouting was done, and our mission was ready to begin.
"Up!" I called out, bringing the horse back into a gallop.
I ran through the empty streets, and in front of me I saw the group in the distance. Ezekiel and Carol were on their horses, Rick and Michonne on theirs, Daryl on his bike, and Maggie with Jadis, Saddiq, Aaron, Gabriel, Rosita, Enid, and Cyndie in a horse-drawn wagon from the Hilltop.
They were approaching the Museum of Natural History, only a few more blocks down the road, and I was catching up to them now. I pushed my horse on forwards, coming up behind Carol and Ezekiel who waved at me. I just nodded as I galloped past them, and started getting the attention of everyone else. I raced past them, leaving them behind, and saw a group of five walkers in front of where we needed to go. I slowed my horse down to a trot, and swung my leg behind me and jumped off the horse, now ten feet from the dead. I bent my knees and landed on my feet, then raised my head to look up at the walkers that groaned in hunger. I then stood up straight and swung my arm around as a warm-up before quickly slicing through the walkers and taking them all down in less than ten seconds.
By this time the group arrived and began dismounting and gathering around the steps. I whistled out to my horse, who pricked up his ears and came to the sounds of my voice. He neighed softly has he trotted over and stopped at my feet. I smiled and pet his face, before scratching his favorite spot under his ear.
"What did you see?" I heard Rick ask as he walked up behind me.
I grabbed the horse's reins and turned around to face him. "It's clear for miles." I said. "We got time."
"Alright." Rick said and then looked at the rest of the group. "Let's go."
I nodded and was about to turn around to tie my horse up, when Maggie walked past me, a little too closely and glaring at me. I watched her as she passed by, biting my tongue and just leaving her alone, then she turned her head and continued walking with the group.
I just muttered under my breath and tied the horse up, and that's when Daryl came up to me.
"Still not talking to each other?" Daryl asked me and rested his hand on my back.
"Oh we still talk." I said sarcastically. "It's just not always nice."
"What happened to you guys anyways?" Daryl then asked and I just scoffed at him.
"You know." I said and looked back at him, making him drop his hand. "I know that you know why."
I then sighed and walked away from Daryl with him slowly following behind me. Now my thoughts raced loudly all at once, and I felt myself shaking my head at myself, trying to quiet them. I've mentioned it before, but Maggie, Jesus, and Daryl have planned something together and I had a hunch it was about Negan. And ever since Maggie has heard that I went to visit Negan, to talk to him, and try to be civil with him since then, she's given me the cold shoulder. Even when her son, Hershel Jr., was born, she didn't speak to me. I had to find out she had her baby by visiting the Hilltop for another trade, where I saw her strolling the baby around in a stroller.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I was brought back when Rick and Michonne busted open the doors to the building. We all jogged inside, closing the doors behind us, and then proceeded to walk on through the the main lobby. It was quiet inside, every noise made an echo, and completely deserted. Paintings that were considered famous in the old world were crooked on the walls, or torn apart on the ground. Some statues were knocked over on the ground, and some even shattered into pieces. We gathered in the center of the floor and looked down all the different hallways.
"Y'all got your lists." Rick said quietly. "Circle back here when you're done. Be safe."
We all nodded and I then knelt down on my knee and opened my bag. I cleaned the blade on my prosthetic and switched it out for a short blade, better for close range. I then saw Daryl watching me, and he waved for me to follow him, but I just zipped up my bag and walked in the other direction.
Leaving them behind, I took time to myself to explore the museum in peace and quiet. I walked down this dark hallway, and I pulled out my flashlight to see better. All I saw was cobwebs that covered each and every corner there was, and every step I took brought up dust. I quietly turned a corner and walked down a hallway where I saw Gabriel kill a walker. I walked over to him as it slumped against the wall, ironically against a wall that exhibited the evolution of man. Gabriel just stood there and I did too, tilting my head at the sight.
"Intelligent design." Gabriel then said.
Another group passed in front of us, not noticing what we were seeing, but I nodded my head in agreement with Gabriel.
"Some would say it's the de-evolution of man." I said, shining my flashlight at the depictions of chimps to cavemen to modern day men, and now there was the dead walker at the front of our history.
"You wouldn't?" Gabriel then asked me.
"No." I said. "Evolution only rises. And here we are, rising above."
Gabriel then smiled to himself and looked at me. "I like that." He said kindly.
We then nodded and continued searching the museum together.