What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

22 • Cherokee rose

"What do ya thinkin'?" Daryl questioned. Alexa shrugged as she fiddled with the nock of her arrow. She didn't know why Dixon kept asking what she thought. It was rather annoying if Alexa was being honest. It was also annoying that she couldn't figure out the man, no matter how hard she tried. One second he was yelling his head off, the next he was laughing and making jokes, and the next second he was speaking gently to Carol or herself. It was difficult to predict what emotion he might express next.

"I think you're down to your last arrow." The girl responded, glancing over at the man's crossbow, which indeed had only one arrow left. Daryl looked at his arrow supply, scoffing when he realized the girl was right. The man glanced over at Alexa, who was scanning the woods with her eyes. He could tell she was focused on finding Sophia, it was plainly obvious.

The duo kept walking, both scanning over the trees for any sign of the missing girl. Occasionally calling out the girl's name. They were a long way from Hershel's farm, probably a few miles. And without having to keep an eye on the group, the two were covering more ground. It was most likely around the middle of the afternoon that they stumbled upon a clearing, a two-story farmhouse perched in the middle.

"Should we knock?" Alexa asked sarcastically, eyeing the house. Daryl didn't respond, instead, he began trotting over to the farmhouse, the girl that accompanied him jogging behind. The man didn't hesitate to pull his crossbow off his back and aim it at the door before kicking it in. Or trying too.

Alexa gave the man a look that said, 'bitch, really?'. Seeing the look Daryl tried to kick the door again, to no avail. The girl hooked her bow over her shoulder and pulled out her knife before simply turning the doorknob and pushing open the door.

"We can't all be winners," Alexa smirked, cautiously stepping inside the farmhouse. The floorboards creaked under the girl as she crept further inside, she went to the left as Daryl went right. Both trying to make as little noise as possible.

The girl snuck into the first room, a small living room, her knife at the ready just in case. Finding no signs of Sophia, she moved on, into a small kitchen. Everything went quiet as she entered, her attention being drawn to a trashcan in the corner of the room. Alexa looked around quickly before making her way to the open trashcan. Her eye caught on a can of sardines, discarded to the top.

Her hand instinctively reached for the can, pulling it out and letting the remaining contents drip to the floor.
"Fresh..." She whispered to herself, again not even realizing what she said.
"What is?" The sudden gruff voice of Daryl asked, making the girl whip around, dropping the sardine can to the ground with a dull clank.

"Put the knife down." He grumbled, looking at the (already prepared to kill) knife in the girl's hand. "What's fresh?"
Alexa rolled her eyes, kicking the can she dropped toward the man, before moving on. Her eyes now being drawn by a slightly ajar door.

Cautiously she walked over, slowly opening the door. Sighing when she realized it was only a pantry, but her eyes fixed on the blanket and pillow at the bottom. It looked like Sophia could have been there, after all, no adult could fit in the small space. Possibly Sophia passed by here, ate some food, rested, and moved on.

"Whatcha find?"
Alexa whipped around, punching the man in the face instinctively. Daryl staggered back, bumping into the table in the middle of the room.
"What is it with you in sneaking up on me?" Alexa asked, irritation evident in her tone.
"What is it with you punchin' me?" Daryl shot back.

Alexa scoffed as she walked out of the kitchen, figuring the answer was obvious. She walked outside, calling for Sophia, her voice echoed in the empty space. Alexa walked around the building, still calling out for the missing girl, but getting no answer.

The girl sighed as she stopped calling Sophia's name. She knew if the little girl could hear her she would be calling back. Alexa slowly made her way back around the house, hoping Daryl might have found something she did not. Only to find the man crouched over a patch of overgrown flowers.

She was confused as she watched the man looking intently at them. Why would a guy like Daryl Dixon want a bunch of weeds? Alexa wondered as she watched the man pluck the flowers out of the ground and stuff them in his pocket.

"Studying flora and fungi now?" The girl asked as she approached Daryl.
"It's a Cherokee rose." He grunted. Alexa shrugged, her emerald eyes scanning the tree line one last time.
"Ready?"

Daryl nodded, standing up he threw his crossbow over his shoulder as he started following behind the girl.

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As the last of the brush cleared Alexa and Daryl stepped back into Hershel's fields, walking across together before they went their separate ways. Alexa headed for the main house and Daryl for the camp the group had set up while they were gone.

Alexa ascended the porch steps, dipping inside and going straight to Carl's room. The girl knocked on the slightly open door, hearing a soft "Come in", she walked inside. Lori was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room as she watched over Carl and Chase, who were playing a game of speed on the bed.

"Hey." Alexa smiled playfully.
"Hi."
"Hey."
The boys smiled back.
"How ya feelin', kid?" The girl quizzed, stepping up to the side of Carl's bed.
"Fine," Carl replied, though it was evident he wasn't paying much attention.

"Good." Alexa nodded, glancing up at Lori, who only smiled. Alexa looked back at the boys, observing their game. "Chase, last game, ok."
"What?" The girl's brother asked stunned. "Why?"
"Because Carl needs his rest," Alexa responded, looking between Lori and Carl. "And we're gonna go hunt squirrels."

Chase's face brightened up as he continued to focus on the game. Alexa smiled as she ruffled the boy's hair, trying not to look up as she knew what look Lori was giving her.

But she still smiled, she knew her little brother's favorite thing to do was squirrel hunting. Plus it worked as a good bribe. Not to mention, Alexa knew the group was running low on food, so it would be a good idea to go out on a hunt.