For the first time since he could remember, Daryl had a smile on his face when he woke up. he watched as a line of dust swirled across a sunbeam that bled through the window above. He turned and saw Beth asleep across the floor. All at once he knew he would do anything to keep her safe.
Daryl stood and moved to the duffel bag filled with cans. Beside it were the empties they'd eaten the night before. He pulled a full one out: chicken soup. He put it back, knowing it was Beth's favorite.
Something caught his eye out the window. He turned to look. A massive horde was ambling into town, just a few blocks from the tower.
"Shit," he said quietly to himself.
"What is it?" Beth asked as she woke up.
"Whole lot of 'em," he said. She sat up, alarmed and ran to the window beside him.
"Do we stay?" she asked.
"I don't know. If they stop we could get trapped here for good."
"Maybe they'll just pass through."
"Maybe," he said, looking out over the trees surrounding the town to try to see how big the horde was. It was impossible to tell from here. They only kept coming.
"Can they climb stairs?" she asked.
"I think they could manage," he told her.
"We should run," she said.
"You sure?"
"No, but I know what would happen if a bunch of them wander in here and trap us. There's only one way out. Besides, if we run out of water and they're still down there, we'll be dead for sure."
He watched as they made their way down the streets toward the clock tower. More and more continued to come through the trees. For all he knew it wasn't only one horde but many, for all he knew they could go on for days. If they ran ahead and turned so most of they didn't see where they went, they could still lose them. But if any walkers entered the tower they'd be trapped just like she said.
If they made any noise, it could bring the rest of them and there would be no getting down, ever.
"Let's go," he said, taking up the duffel bag. She stayed close as they hurried down the stairs, nearly falling as they ran.
They exploded from the doors, Daryl out ahead, trying the car doors as he went but all were locked.
A hand jetted out beneath one of the cars, grabbing him by the ankle. Daryl tumbled on the pavement— the bag flying out in front of him. Beth took her knife but the walker's head was beneath the car, she couldn't get to it. Daryl pulled his leg free, taking the walker's arm with it.
Three more walkers that had already been in town came out in front of them, Daryl shot one in the head with an arrow and stood. They poured from every doorway. Daryl reached for the bag but the remaining walkers lunged at him.
"Forget it!" Beth yelled, taking his hand. They ran.
#
By the afternoon they had lost most of what Daryl had seen coming at them from the woods but what was still following them was enough to keep them running.
They rested and ate, drank and ran. When the sun finally set, they were back in the woods again and the group of walkers behind them seemed to somehow grow and gain distance even as the pair barreled through the woods.
