One way or another [Daryl Dixon]

[39] THE PRIEST AND THE INTRUDER.

"Quiet people have the loudest minds."
-Stephan King.

"Here, I'll take Theo." Tyreese said as he took the sleeping boy from my arms.

Quietly I thanked him and we both continued walking. All of us were trying our hardest to put as much distance between us and the terminators as possible. Although our plan had worked to some extent it didn't guarantee they were all dead. They could still be around watching our every move and waiting for their chance to seek revenge. They'd never succeed. But with everyone's energy levels so low right now, it wasn't worth taking the risk. So we kept walking.

Every step I took was a brutal reminder of the attack a few nights ago. Now that we were all back together my mind kept spiralling to the good and the bad. The claimers, the attack, the assault, the breakdown and then the good. Daryl. I wasn't sure what was going on between the two of us. Hell, I cared about him a lot. I'd put my life on the line if it meant he'd live to see another day. But I would do that for everyone standing here. It's what we did. But each time that I looked at his annoyingly beautiful face my heart rate spiked and my stomach churned. He was different and it scared the shit out of me.

Step by step, pain rippled through my body. I would never forget about the claimers as much as I wanted too, they left us all emotionally scarred. If the memories weren't enough the physical reminders were. Dried blood coated my arm from the blade of my own dagger, my face swollen and bloodied, the whole of my torso a deep purple colour as if I had been dipped in paint. And every step I took, each jolt of pain was a reminder. That wasn't even the worst of it because I knew physically I could take that pain, it was the emotional toll that was worst. More trauma and baggage we've all got to carry around it wouldn't be long until our bags were full. When the world went to shit, so did mankind.

But maybe not everything in this world is unsalvageable. Tara was now with us, the girl that was with the governor. I'D targeted her when I spoke to the governor and his soldiers because she looked so out of place and lost. When Hershel died I blamed myself because I made it worse, I angered him. But in the speech I gave it was enough to convince some people that they wanted to be better. Which made it feel like it wasn't all for nothing. Hershel would be proud of that much.

"Help!" A foreign voice filled with panic pulled me out of my own thoughts. "Help!" The voice kept repeating until the whole group was stood still.

Whoever it was, they weren't far away. That's for sure.

Before we could think anything through Carl took off running following the direction of the voice. As soon as that boy took off I was right behind him, hot on his heels. No need to think things through when it came to Carl. No one knew why that person was screaming. It could be the living or the dead. But for their sake I'm praying it's the dead because if anything happens to that boy, they won't be breathing for much longer. Let alone screaming.