What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

24 • Chupacabra

Alexa sat on the top of Carol's Cherokee waiting for the group to, well... group up. Sharpening her throwing knives when finally, Rick and the group came over. They hovered over the map that was already set up as Rick started to explain the search grids.

However, Alexa's attention was drawn to the arrival of Daryl Dixon. He strode up to the car, pulling a worn red-brown flannel over a grey tank top. But it wasn't his clothes that caught the girl's attention, it was the scars he was trying to hide. Her emerald eyes scanned over one on his shoulder, her eyes only getting pulled away when the two made eye contact.

She looked away, focusing her attention on whatever Shane was saying instead while sticking her knives back into her boots.
"Nothing about what Daryl and Alexa found screams, Sophia to me."
"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay- high." Daryl cut in, holding his hand just above his waist to signal how tall the person could have been.

"It's a good lead," Andrea assured as she looked over the map.
"Maybe we'll pick up her trail again," Rick suggested, looking over at the trackers.
"No maybe about it," Daryl said, scratching his nose as his eyes finally tore away from Alexa.

"Gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here." He said, pointing to the place on the map. "Right here, take a bird's-eye view of the whole grid. If she's up there we'll spot her." Daryl concluded, nodding to Alexa, who was tightening her boots.

"Good idea," T-dog commented. "Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there too."
"Chupacabra?" Rick and Alexa questioned in sync.
"You never heard this?" Dale asked, setting down a bag of guns on the car hood. "Our first night in camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra."

Dale explained while passing out guns. Alexa glanced at Daryl who looked confident in the myth. Meanwhile, she was trying to hide the laugh that was about to escape her lips.
"You believe in a blood-sucking dog?" She quizzed, raising an eyebrow.

The group glanced at the girl as she spoke her first sentence of the morning.
"You believe in dead people walkin' aroun'?" Daryl asked back, tossing his crossbow over his shoulder and being to walk towards the stables. Alexa shrugged, jumping off the top of the car and landing on her feet next to Shane on the ground.

The two exchanged an ominous look before Alexa moved in the direction of Daryl. Catching up to the man quickly they walked together to the stables. He throw open the doors and instantly walked over to a saddle rack on the other side of the barn.

"What?" He asked, noticing Alexa's glaring eyes. The girl shrugged before moving over to a nearby horse, petting its head as Daryl trudged over with a saddle. "I hate that look on your face." He mumbled.
"I hate your face in general," Alexa smirked, hearing the man's comment.

"You ain't gonna hate my face when it saves your ass." Daryl retorted. It was evident both adults were trying to get under the skin of the other. Though it wasn't apparent why.
"Yeah, you might as well kiss my ass while you're at it," Alexa replied.

Daryl rolled his eyes before quickly saddling the horse the girl was petting and hopping on. He offered her a hand to get on behind him but she shook her head no.
"Better on my feet." She mumbled, looking up at the horse.
"Ya sure," Daryl grumbled, looking down at the girl.

Alexa looked up, meeting the man's gaze as he looked back at her. The two had a moment where they just looked at each other, not trying to figure the other out or give signals with their eyes. Just looking at each other, admiring one another.
"I'll keep up." She shrugged.

And keep up she did, in fact, Alexa somehow managed to get in front of Daryl as he rode up to the ridge. They kept within earshot, Daryl just being able to catch a glimpse of the girl's back t-shirt as she walked a few yards ahead. He had managed to spear a few squirrels as they continue to hike. Though they didn't really need any more after the haul Alexa and Chase brought back last night.

While Daryl kept an eye on Alexa she didn't keep an eye on him. So suddenly hearing the man call out Sophia's name was a little bit of a shock. Alexa turned around, she didn't see any sign of Daryl, only his horse, which sat abandoned by a tree. The girl looked down into the small ravine near the ridge, where she heard Daryl's voice coming from, only to see Daryl holding something in his hand.

"Daryl." The girl called as she ran through the trees and over to his horse, watching as he climbed back up the slope that lead to his horse.
"What did you find?" She quizzed, offering the man a hand up.
"Her doll," Daryl answered, accepting the girl's hand.

"Any tracks?" The girl quizzed, lifting an eyebrow curiously.
"Nah," Daryl said, clutching his crossbow strap. "I'ma ride around, take a look, see if I can spot anything." Alexa nodded in agreement as Daryl motioned to his horse.
"Want that ride now?"
"Nope." She said flatly. Daryl huffed, hoisting himself onto his steed before they continued moving.

Alexa stuck next to the horse this time, keeping her eyes sharp as she looked around, but even her observant eye could see what happened next. It was all so sudden, and it was over in a flash.

Daryl's horse started whining, which got Alexa's attention. Watching as the horse started to buck, sending Daryl flying into the air and smashing right into a stunned Alexa. The two stumbled backward and into the ravine, hitting ever rock as they went down. And finally skidding to a stop in the creek below.

Alexa's head was dizzy and popping with fuzzy white lights.