Penance (Book One): Daryl Dixon x Sage Wilson

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     "How much farther?!" I call out to Daryl as my chest burns with acid traveling up from my already empty stomach which has been slowly eating itself. Every breath burned my throat and my chest felt as if it was caving in. We had to have been running for at least half a mile now, shouting for Sophia.

     "We've already taken out North and South, so we need to go East. Her foot prints were pointing towards there." Daryl breathes as he readjusts his bag.

     "You think she's travelled the city?" I asked. Sophia in the city scared the shit out of me; especially with the shape it was currently in. Shambles, flames, and hungry groans.

     "It won't just be us looking for the girl, Rick and them will too. But since the walkers are clearing out the city it's our best bet to see if she holed herself up somewhere in a store." Daryl slows down his running and starts to walk, shoving hair out of his face. I match his pace and wipe my hands on my pants, feeling the traction instead of clamped fists and sweat.

     "Manage to find anything back there that's useful?" I point to his bag and he slightly nods, swinging it over his shoulder and unzipping it. He rummages through it with his dirty hands, and pulls out a couple of boxes.

     "Ammo? Great," I say hopefully. "I'm clean empty, so..." I pat on my gun and he continues to rummage.

     "Also got this." He pulls out a small first aid kit with the basics- gauze, peroxide, bandaids, surgical scissors, tape, wrap, etc.

     "Any alcohol by chance?" I ask a little too hopeful, but I honestly felt as if I could down a whole bottle of spirit of vodka right about now.

     He almost let's out a chuckle, but zips his bag back up and shakes his head. "Nah; and you're not a drinker, there's no way." He looks me up and down, analyzing me.

     "Is it because I'm barely five foot? That's a little discriminatory ain't it? I can handle my alcohol." I cross my arms, heading straight towards the buildings that were appearing in the distance. "Hey- where is this?"

     "Believe we are right inside of Senoia," he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small torn map, unfolding it. His fingers wave over the state of Georgia, then lands on a city. "Right here."

     "Oh wow, I guess we got pretty far from Atlanta then."

     "The farther the better, Wilson."