The Walking Dead One-Shots

In The Woods Somewhere (Daryl x Reader)

When you'd been out here alone in these woods, learning how to survive day to day as long as you had it was easy to lose track of time. It could have been weeks, months maybe since you lost your camp, you couldn't remember anymore. One day you were safe, in a secure camp with people you could trust and the next a horde ran it into the ground, destroying everything you had. Your group was scattered who knows where during the attack, left to fend for themselves and you found yourself alone once again. Somehow you always ended up back here.

After the attack, you ran until you found a quiet, secluded area with enough coverage to set up a hidden makeshift camp. It was enough to survive but not for long. The natural resources in the area were running low and there was only so far you could travel before it became dangerous. That was how you found yourself here, walking along the side of a long-since-abandoned highway hoping there would be any kind of house or gas station that would give you the resources you needed.

You didn't dare walk on the road, keeping to the side instead with your head down and your hood up. You knew there was a slim chance of running into anyone out here anymore but you didn't want to risk drawing attention to yourself. It was an unfortunate truth that most of the people left now would do anything to survive and you couldn't waste your time on another person that was just going to steal your resources and leave you for dead.

Something caught your attention, a noise in the distance that you couldn't quite place at first. It wasn't until the sound grew closer that you realised it was the low rumble of a car approaching on the highway. You had seconds to react before the car turned the corner onto the stretch of road you were walking along. You slipped into the treeline, hiding behind the closest cover you could find until the car hopefully passed by. Your plan seemed to prove unsuccessful, the car slowed until it rolled to a complete stop where you had just disappeared from the view of the road.

There was low talk muffled by the car doors but you could make out the voices of two men before one of the doors opened and someone stepped out onto the road. You slowly moved your hand under your jacket and pulled your gun from the holster on your hip, sliding off the safety. You tried to control your breathing, staying as still as possible in the hopes that they would simply leave if they thought you had already slipped away or were just some random walker.

"We're not here to hurt you." The man called out, he had a deep southern accent and his voice was calm and steady as he spoke, almost gentle. It was clear this wasn't his first time talking down a situation like this. "We're here to help. My friend and I are from a community a few miles back, we have houses, solar power, runnin' water, and farms. It's safe. We just wanna help more people."

You stayed silent, you weren't stupid enough to trust a single word he was saying based solely on the promise of an impossible-sounding community. Even when you had encountered communities that were this advanced before there was always a price, a price you weren't willing to pay. Not again.

"I understand you don't wanna trust us, trust is a rare resource now. I didn't wanna trust it either when we were the ones with nothin' that were invited in, but it worked out. Our community is safe I can promise you that much and there isn't no price to pay. All we ask is that you can help provide to keep the town runnin'"

"What makes you think I'll go anywhere with you? I have no idea who you are. No proof of your community." You said finally breaking your silence when you realised he wasn't going anywhere without an answer. Even considering trusting this mand was a stupid idea and you knew it, but at the rate you were going with rations if you didn't find more supplies you'd starve on your own, and you weren't that stupid.

"My name's Rick, the man in the car is Daryl. You don't gotta trust us, trust is earned and I respect that we ain't done anything to earn that yet but let us ask you a few questions and maybe you can come back and join our community. We got women and children back home, my own children too if you'd be more comfortable talkin' with them."