What Lies Ahead • the walking dead ¹

25 • Just a scratch

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

She groaned as her eyes readjusted to the light. Her head throbbed as she tried to remember where she was. Everything that happened was blurry. Alexa felt disoriented as she slowly sat up, her senses returning to her body. Her head was buzzing as she felt around her forehead with her fingertips. Pulling away her hand she discovered her fingers were painted in crimson blood.

The girl groaned, looking around she spotted Daryl a few feet away. The water around him was stained with blood, and he looked in worse shape than Alexa felt. Her hands ran over her face once more before she pushed herself out of the water.

The girl grunted, falling onto her knees as she tried to stand. Her vision was still fuzzy and full of blinding white lights. Alexa managed to somewhat regain her balance, trudging through the water before her foot kicked something sharp.

She tumbled, falling back into the water, her hands searching for whatever she had kicked. Alexa felt something cold, pulling it up, it was revealed to be Daryl's crossbow. She grunted throwing the object over her shoulder as she pushed herself out of the water again.

Her clothes were soaked, making it difficult to move toward Daryl. Though Alexa reckoned she looked more dead than alive at this point as she stood over Daryl. Her features were illuminated by the light, making it hard to see her face as she looked down at the man.

Daryl groaned as he looked up at Alexa. He couldn't make out the girl's features, so he didn't know if she was real or just an angel.
"Com' on, redneck. Let's get out of this pit." She said. Nope, definitely no angel.

Alexa pulled the man up with all her strength, letting him put his weight on her as she began to move toward the sand bar.
"Your head." Daryl pointed out, groaning as he trudged through the water.
"Trying not t' think about it," Alexa grunted.

The duo reached the sand, Daryl falling to his knees and Alexa shakily standing beside him. She spotted the arrow stuck in his side, wincing at how painful it looked while trying to push through her own pain.

"Your shirt." She panted, falling to her knees beside Daryl and gesturing to the arrow in his side.
"No," Daryl responded simply, half whining.
"Yes, do you want to bleed to death?" Alexa inquired. Daryl shook his head no. "Good. Now be a fucking man and take your flannel off so I can bind your wound before you bleed to death."

Daryl huffed, grunting as he removed his soaked shirt and threw it at the girl. Alexa sighed, pulled her knife from its sheath, and begins cutting the sleeves off his shirt.
"You owe me a new shirt, girl," Daryl grunted as he watched the girl cut open his clothes.

Alexa glared at the man, handing him her knife which he took with a confused expression as he watched her tie the sleeves together.
"Put it in your mouth," she instructed.
"What?"
"Put it in your damn mouth."

Daryl groaned, reluctantly stuffing the knife handle into his mouth as he watched Alexa's bloody hands feel around the arrow. Alexa looked up, nodding to signal she was ready. Daryl nodded back, bracing himself for the pain that was bound to happen.

Alexa didn't hesitate, she yanked at the top of the arrow pulling it out swiftly and discarding it on the sand beside her. Ignoring Daryl's muffled yells, she stuffed the main part of his shirt against the wound. Trying the sleeves around his waist tightly.

The man grunted, spitting the girl's knife out onto the sand.
"You next?" He questioned, pointing to the gash on Alexa's forehead. The girl's hand shot up to her head instinctively, her finger gliding over the bloody wound on her head.
"Let's get out of here first." She panted, looking up at the cliff they just fell down.

Daryl looked at her skeptically, his hand moving to her forehead, his fingertips just barely brushing against the gash in her head before she winced, slapping his hand away.
"Just a scratch." She assured an unconfirmed Daryl.

Snatching her knife from the ground and stood up, almost falling again but managing to keep her balance. Daryl caught up with her as she started toward the ridge, both almost walking like flesh eaters as they approached the bottom of the hill.

Alexa started, pulling herself up on the sturdiest branch she could find as she found her footing. Daryl was right behind her as she started using rocks and roots to hoist herself upward. The girl struggled to find her footing on the steep slope. Of course, it didn't help that the dirt was so loose that every step up was two steps back.

Her head was throbbing, like a drum being banged inside her skull, and her eyes were heavy. She felt almost disconnected like her mind wasn't her own. Like she was watching herself from outside herself. The thought made her head buzz even worse and suddenly something had hold of her ankle, dragging her body back down the ravine.

She flew through the air, not even having time to process what was happening before she landed back in the creek. Her vision went black as she drifted unconscious.

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Alexa stood in front of her old farmhouse, the blueberry fields full of life and color as she watched her younger siblings running around the fields. Alexa couldn't help but smile as she watched her sisters and brother stuff their mouths with the growing berries. She remembered this day clearly as the children came running toward her.

Their faces flushed in rosy hues and all their hair stood up in the back. The three of them ran over to sit on a checkered picnic blanket. Martha dug into a basket, pulling out sandwiches and bottles of water, neatly handing them out to her two younger siblings. Alexa ventured over, sitting in between Martha and Tristan, Tristan moving over to sit on her lap.

"Are you hungry, Alexa?" Martha asked, her tone proper and poised like always. She flashed a glittering smile, smoothing out her plaid skirt and polo. Alexa smiled back, gratefully accepting as she started to braid Tristan's hair into its usual one-shoulder braid.

Martha handed the girl her food and drink, but suddenly Tristan tilted her head to look at something above Alexa's shoulder.
"What's wrong, smalls?" Alexa asked, noticing her sister's odd behavior.

"The sun's goin' down, Lexa," Tristan said calmly, the fading summer sun reflecting in her golden blonde hair. "You should get back."
Alexa's face contorted in confusion at her sister's words. Get back to what, she thought, eying the girl curiously as she finished up her braid.

"Tristan is right, Alexa," Martha said sweetly, closing the picnic basket. "You should get going. Unless you want to stay here, with us." She added in a dark undertone.
"What?" Alexa finally asked confused, eying her three siblings.

"You have to get back before-" Chase spoke up but cut himself off.
"Before what?" Alexa quizzed, her confusion rising as well as the pain in her forehead.
"Just go!" Tristan snapped, jumping off her sister's lap.

"It is probably for the best if Alexandra leaves," Martha spoke again, checking her watch. "She's had a long day."
"Leave? And go where?" Alexa quizzed as she stood quickly, her balance being thrown off as she tried to find her footing.

"Back to our friends," Chase said simply, standing beside his sister.
"Our friends?" Alexa echoed.
"Let her go insid', Chase," Tristan said, standing beside Alexa and taking her hand. Martha stood too, trailing behind Alexa and Chase as Tristan lead them to the farmhouse.

"I'll see you soon, Lexa." Tristan smiled, hugging her sister around the waist before moving to open the door.
"Bye." Martha smiled, standing by the doorway next to Tristan. Alexa looked around at her family confused.

Why did they want her to go? Where did they want her to go? What was happening? What are they talking about? Alexa thought as her eyes landed on Chase. He gave her a reassuring smile, taking her hand as he lead her through the doorway and into the farmhouse.

"Wake up..." He whispered.