Daryl's Precious Gem (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

2: The Apocalypse

A year went by slower than I could ever imagine! I rummaged and scavenged through more stores than I could count. I even ran into some groups that wanted to take me under their wing but I refused because I was still in search of my family. I survived herds of zombies and even had to go to the extent of hiding under dead zombie bodies to blend in. Trust me it didn't smell lovely at all!

The year changed me physically. Physically I had slimmed down in my stomach. My arms and legs had shrunk but were toned with a bit of muscle. My bones protruded along my collarbone and my jaw. If I had been this fit before the apocalypse I probably would have been a model. My hair was Dutch braided back. Some of my hair could not be braided as it had been matted with flesh eater blood. My body was covered in scratches, scars and bruises from pushing my body to its limit. My finger nails were practically black from all the dirt and blood that stuck to them. I had stared at my reflection for ten minutes outside a food market one day and did not recognize the woman that stared back at me. I had changed. The old me would have cried but the new and improved me smirked at herself in the reflection. My bluish-grey eyes with green speckles no longer held the sparkle they once did but maybe once I found my family I'd have it back.

A couple groups had hunted me down thinking I was a threat and wanted to cease my weapons. Who wouldn't? I was a wildcard and a force to be reckoned with. No one had been able to successfully take me down.

For the night I decided to rummage through a convenience store along the highway. I collected a few water bottles and some cans of meat and fish. I even scored myself a Caramilk bar! I grinned from ear to ear. I stuffed all my findings into my bag and secured the store for the night. I locked myself in the managers office with a blockade against the door and laid down in the corner just to be safe. The office had a small window that was big enough for me to slip through if I had to.

The next morning I woke up from a six hour nap which is more than I usually get a week. I ate up on some canned fish and collected more supplies before I hit the road. I still carried most of the items I had taken in the beginning but did bestow the Ruger Pistol along with some of the ammunition to a couple that had saved my life. A small smile stretched onto my face at the memory.

A few flesh seekers broke me out of my thoughts and drove me off into the bush. After hiking through the woods for what seemed to be half a day I finally heard a few birds chirping. In a clearing I stood still as I soaked up the sunshine. It unlocked an old memory of my mother and I having a picnic in our backyard. My mother was an absolutely gorgeous woman! I was lucky to have inherited most of her beauty; her sun kissed skin, her full lips, her curvy figure and her brilliant smile! I smiled at the fond memory of her.

In the distance I could hear a squirrel chirping away so I took it as an advantage. I pulled an arrow out of my quiver and arched it quietly as I snuck up on the squirrel. From the corner of my eye I caught sight of the squirrel perched up on a tree branch about fifteen feet away from me and ten feet up the tree. I slowly pulled back at arms length and focused in on the squirrels eye. Just as I let out a shaky breath zoning in on the rodent an arrow hit the squirrel directly in the eye! I dropped to my knees immediately and ducked behind a bush. I scanned around the tree until a muscular man with chin-long-brown-hair came into view. His chiseled jaw was covered with a stubbly beard. He wore beaten pants and a leather vest with angel wings stitched on the back. His blue eyes squinted as he held a crossbow and scanned the area cautiously.

I studied him as he pulled the arrow out of the squirrel and wiped the arrow off on his black tattered pants before arching it again. He slid the squirrel into a leather satchel that hung across his shoulder. Let me tell ya, it appeared to be full of squirrels!

After taking one last scan of the area he walked back in the direction he came from. If he had that many squirrels he couldn't be alone! He had to be a part of a group. Would my family be there? Curious as hell, I followed him.

I stalked him from a distance. It was enough for me to see him but not close enough for him to hear or see me. By nightfall he made a camp with a small fire and cooked up one of the squirrels. His camp was surrounded by a string perimeter with empty cans dangling from it. I assumed it was an alarm system to inform him of unwanted visitors.

I continued to study him from behind a bush and kept watch for flesh seekers. This man was different compared to the men I had encountered since the outbreak. I knew I couldn't fight him fairly if it came to a close-encounter fight. This man was undeniably shredded with muscle's and dare I say attractive. He was about the five-foot-ten and looked very well built which was a surprise considering every man I had seen were practically skin and bone. This man was indeed different. He had a bad-boy-edge to him which reminded me of my boyfriend. If he was still alive. Guilt consumed me as I practically stripped this stranger with my eyes.

Peeling my eyes away from the man I laid against a trunk of a tree and watched the moon rise into the starry sky. I wasn't sure how long I stared at the sky and contemplated life. I thought of how simple it used to be and wondered what it would be like in the years to come. How many would live to see the end of this apocalypse? If there ever would be an end..