"I know," Conrad said, holding his hands out in front of him. "I'm sorry for what I did. But you don't have to hurt us." His wife hung barely conscious by his arm.
"Not her, just you," Daryl said.
"Kill me, you kill us both. She's not well, she needs care."
"Care? Like what you did back there? You left that girl to get eaten alive."
Conrad winced. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't know what else to do."
Beth watched as the dead crowded the road and descended the hill, only minutes away now. "Daryl," she said. He turned to her and saw the horde moving down.
"We're taking your supplies," Daryl said as he lowered the crossbow and turned to Conrad's car. "Come on," he said as he passed Beth. She stood watching the husband who carried his wife, he seemed pathetic where once he had been a menace.
She moved to Daryl who now sat behind the wheel, waiting for her. "We can't take it all," she said.
"He left us to die!" Daryl reminded her. "Get in."
"No."
The horde groaned as it made its way closer and closer to the hardware store. He turned back and saw them approaching, their eyes reflecting white against the moon. Daryl grabbed his crossbow from the passenger seat and stood, pushing past Beth.
He raised it again.
"Don't!" Beth screamed.
Daryl fired. The arrow cut the air and plunged itself between Conrad's eyes. He collapsed to his knees dead, his unconscious wife falling with him.
Daryl slung the crossbow behind his back and moved to the woman. He lifted her in his arms and brought her to the car. he laid her in the back seat and turned to Beth. "Get in."
#
The car drifted along the dark night, the only sound was that of the tires humming on the road. Beth watched as the moon was taken over by dark clouds. Tears rolled along her dirty cheeks, leaving clean streaks on her face as they fell. Maybe she was wrong, she thought, maybe he was just like all the others. Maybe there was no one good left.
The car pulled to the side of the empty road, rolling atop the grass. She turned to Daryl as he put the gear into park and jumped out. She remained seated, watching as he walked across the street. She wasn't sure what he was doing or why. Then, she watched as he covered his eyes with his hands and wept.
Beth opened her door and moved around the car. "Stay back," he said, not turning around.
"You're not like them," she said.
"Yeah? What am I then?"
"He tried to kill us," she began, "...he killed that girl. He would have killed more people."
Daryl turned back to face her. "I'm not what you think," he said. "I'm not anything."
"Yes you are. You are to me."
He only looked at her, his eyes shinning from fallen tears. For a moment she thought he believed her.
The sound of a car door opening behind them broke the silence. Conrad's wife stepped out, she looked confused and frightened. She looked around, searching for her husband. She turned her eyes up to Beth, to Daryl.
"What did you do?" she asked.
