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THROUGHOUT THE DAY, Winnie helped everyone out around camp. She helped finish washing the laundry, taught Sophia and Carl alongside Lori, and she gathered more firewood for Dale's supply. She was trying to prove to everyone that she could be a valued member of the camp. However, she was also working on distracting herself. The sun was setting and there was no sign of the group that went to Atlanta.
She made her way over to the RV and climbed the ladder onto the roof. Once she got on top, she crouched beside the radio and flipped through the channels slowly, getting a non-static one. She held the talkie in her hand. "Danny? You there?" She greeted while pressing down the button. After moments of radio silence, she hung the talkie back up with a sigh.
Since Danny and Winnie became two peas in a pod, only one pinky promise between them was broken. It didn't matter how big or small the deals were, it was always held. When Daniel had to leave for a trip or work, he pinky promised Winnie that he'd be back before she had to be home. When she was 18 and Daniel was 19, he broke his first promise.
His friends were throwing a huge party at their parents lake house. Daniel had promised that he would pick her up at 6:00 and the two would go to the party together. It hit 6:00 and Daniel wasn't there to pick Winnie up. Time went by and Daniel never showed. Winnie felt brushed off. Forgotten. She was angry. No, furious. She only broke down when Daryl came out to the yard and saw her sitting on the curb in a dress. Daryl had learned not to question his sister, but he didn't need to. Winnie ended up crying and explaining everything to Daryl. Although Daryl was and still is not a comforting guy, he wrapped his strong arms around his baby sister and just held her. The two stayed like that for a while until a car sped down the street and parked in front of the yard. It was Daniel. He got out of his car profusely apologizing and pleading for her to hear him out. As much as Winnie wanted to say it was okay and that she was glad he was okay, she couldn't. She didn't say a word and slapped him across the face before going into her house.
It took Winnie almost two days to forgive him. Daniel threw pebbles at her window to get her attention and tried to get Daryl to talk to Winnie for him. He even slept on their back porch. It wasn't until he tried to climb the pipe leading from the gutter that she went to talk to him. Keyword, TRIED. He ended up losing his grip and falling into the bushes. Winnie hadn't let him live it down. The ordeal brought the two closer, creating inside jokes they say even during the end of the world.
But now? Winnie wasn't mad, she was worried. Atlanta was completely overrun by the dead. A once flourishing city was now a beacon for zombies. It didn't matter how strong the group was; they would be no match for hundreds of brain-hungry monsters. She found things to do to keep her distracted from the harsh reality, but they ran out. Now all that was left was to keep watch, reminisce stupid memories, or make conversation and be questioned about life before it all went to hell. The answer was a no-brainer: keep watch. Winnie couldn't deal with having to explain her past if she didn't have to. So, Winnie sat down in the lawn chair and rested her rifle against the left armrest. She placed her hand on her thigh, gently rubbing her finger across the seams of the thigh holster that held her knife. Her eyes stayed focused on the horizon as she tried to keep the worst scenarios out of her mind.
