Lost // TWD // A Daryl Dixon Story

1.7

The sun was rising while we rode down the highway, weaving through cars. Making our way to where Daryl had hoped the group would be. Then we see them, my doubt being washed away by their faces. Hershel, Carl, and Rick. Standing next to a truck. Beth was the first to respond, hopping off and running to her father before I had even stopped. Engulfing him in a tight hug.

"I don't know how tuh thank ya," he says to me and I just smile, dismounting and walking over to him, handing him his gun back. "Keep it."

Rick and Daryl greet each other before reunions are cut short by another engine. Maggie and Glen pull up in the blood-covered SUV. The last people to turn up are Lori and T-dog. Everyone but Daryl and I with tears in their eyes. Watching everyone's emotional reunions from afar when he walks towards me.

"That damn horse, huh" he jokes, instantly lightening my spirits.

"Of course, needed a quick getaway, I'm still not meant to shoot remember" I smile reminding him of my wrist. We both walk over to his bike, leading shadow behind. Holding her while everyone discusses what to do next.

"Where's Shane?" Lori speaks up. Everyone looks around to see if they can spot him before Glen 

speaks up.

"Andrea?" his voice thick with concern.

"I lost her after she saved me" Carol spoke up,

"We saw her go down," T-dog said

"Patricia?" Hershel now

"They got her daddy, I wuz holdin' onto her" Beth cries into Hershel's shoulder. After a few seconds of silence, she collects herself. "Jimmy?" she asks hopefully her expression dropping when Rick shook his head.

"He wuz in the RV when it wuz overrun" A sympathetic look across his face as Beth breaks down into her father's shoulder once more.

"We got a friend" I speak up referring to the single walker slowly heading towards us. Daryl lifts his bow before I stop him, handing him Shadows reins to hold. "I got it" I swiftly load my bow and pull the string back ignoring the pain pulsing threw my wrist. I release and the arrow flies, right into the walker's eye. "fuck" I mumble under my breath as I retrieve the arow. Taking Shadow off Daryl and giving him a weak smile. Trying to ignore the pain in my wrist.

"Easts our best bet, avoid the main roads" Daryl speaks before everyone nods and piles into cars. Hershel, Glen, Maggie and Beth is the SUV. Lori, Rick, Carl, Carol and T-dog in the truck. They slowly drive off, Daryl about to follow when he sees me struggle to get back on shadow due to my now excruciating wrist. He gives me a leg up and I thank him.

"Yuh can't be using yur bow or chur wrist until it's healed." ignoring the concerned look on his face. I ride off, him quickly catching up. Riding to our knew unknown destination side by side.

We didn't get very far.

We were driving down a country road when one of the cars run out of fuel. Rick decided that we should camp by the road and scavenge for gas in the morning. Everyone's starting to doubt him, but he assures us all that we managed to find each other despite how slim the odds were. He doesn't want anyone getting split up and risk getting stranded without a vehicle.

"We're already stranded. Walkers are everywhere" Glen speaks up. He's right, the herd that we just escaped is heading this way, getting bigger and bigger every step.

Rick tries to reason, explaining that we just need to find a place to build a new life. Such a place must be out there, just finding it will be the difficulty. Nobody is convinced, losing more faith in Rick every second. Daryl speaks up, explaining that when they found Randell, a teen boy they had kept prisoner after saving his life when his group tried to kill Rick, Hershel, and Glen. That he had turned, but he wasn't bitten. Shane had killed him, snapped his neck.