Penance (Book One): Daryl Dixon x Sage Wilson

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I bend over the soil, hacking away at the top soil and trying to get into the moist parts. Hershel had wanted us to start a few crops before winter slams us hard, but in all honesty a part of me worried about growing any sort of crop. If we, all living things, we're all infected.. wouldn't that mean plants would be too? Dr. Jenner wouldn't just lie then kill himself 24 hours later.

I wipe away at my eyebrows, lifting up my tank top to allow air to ruminate throughout my crevices. I look over to the field and see Daryl hacking away at dead walkers and throwing them in a life fire alongside with Rick. I sigh, knowing that since our conversation the other night he hasn't really talked to me since. A part of me thinks he might just refuse the fact he actually has a nice bone in his body somewhere.

"Hey, everything okay?" I look up at Beth, who's looking at me then to Daryl. Her boyfriend Jimmy hacks away beside her, chewing on what I presumed to be tobacco.

"Yeah, yeah. All good, just Dixon being Dixon." I purse my lips and nod; what was there to be surprised about?

"He just denies his feelings, all boys do it." Beth laughs as she looks over to Jimmy.

"There's no feelings, I can promise you that much. I don't want to, and never will... love again." I shake my head knowing a large portion of me never wanted to be associated in a romantic bond ever again. To avoid the messy tears and heart wrenching moments.

"Why do you say that? I mean.. I said the same thing with Rick, but.." Lori looks over to Rick and smiles, running a hand through her long brown hair and adjusting her blue flannel. "He came back. Hope gets you love."

"Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not. But one thing people don't understand about me? I'm not suited for it. I'm not capable of it, and I never will be. I'm selfish and I take care of myself first in any scenario, and that will never change." I tilt my chin up, trying to avoid the awkward conversation.

"If you're selfish, then why do you do what you do?" Beth smirks at me.

"What do you mean by that?" I stand back, almost offended at the fact someone I barely knew thought they knew me.

"It's obvious, Sage. Open your eyes and live a little.. tomorrow isn't garunteed." Beth holds Jimmy's hand, giving me a sweet smile. I frown as I look on her wrists, seeing fresh bandages still there. According to Lori, she had tried to kill herself by using a broken mirror right after I was shot with an arrow. It broke me to see someone so young attempt something so fatal. I've been there, but I felt as if I wasn't worth the hurt.

Suddenly, a gunshot sounds off that vibrates the wind. We all immediately stand up, looking for the source.

"What the hell was that?" Jimmy asks.

"Carl!" Lori runs off, grabbing Carl from the porch.

I look over to Daryl, who is now alone at the fire and looking at me to confirm a source. I shake my head, walking towards the left to where I thought it originated from.

"There's walkers in the barn!" Shane screams, waving a pistol around. Several more shots are fired, going into a walkers chest. I look to see that the walkers are not free roamers, but instead being contained by some sort of stick leash by Hershel, Otis, and Rick.

Daryl runs by me, his voice immediately sounding. "What the hell is goin' on?!" He walks toward Shane, examining the pair of walkers.

Everyone was now surrounding Rick, Otis, and Hershel.

"You better have a good explanation for this," I say with my hands up. "You cannot be serious right now." I look to Rick who's eyes widen as he tilts his head. That was code for something- code for it wasn't his idea. Rick wasn't dumb enough.

"They have a chance," Hershel pleads. "They're still partially alive!" Hershel pulls back the walker who is reaching towards Shane, snapping its jaws and clawing at the air. I look at Rick who nods to me.

I slowly walk towards Hershel, my hands up in a surrender. "Hershel, look at me.." I feel Daryl join behind me. "If these things were even partially alive, they don't have a soul anymore. Their brain is rewired, they're designed to kill us. Eat us, take us away from our loved ones." Hershel looks at me, his white eyebrows tilted downwards.

"You're telling me we've been sleeping with these freaks all along?!" Glenn exclaims with his hands on his head. He turns to Maggie, his expression dropping. "You knew?"

"Oh, my god..." Carol covers her mouth with the doll, and Lori and Carl are side by side standing far back.

"We can talk this through," Rick tries to reason, but instead-

"Fuck this, man!" Shane cocks the gun, and shoots both of the walkers in the head. They immediately drop dead, Hershel trying to hang onto the walker for life.

"What the fuck, Shane?!" I exclaim. I walk towards him, shoving his chest. "This isn't our fucking property!" I jam a finger into his face, and his towering figure leans over me in a manly rage.

"This isn't fucking normal, Sage." He grits his teeth, closing the distance.

"Take one more fucking step you're dead, Shane." I smirk. He steps back, looking around at the panicking people.

"You are not allowed here any longer," Hershel says flatly.

"Yeah, but before we go-" Shane storms off, heading towards the barn. "Let's see what we got in here, huh?!" He raises his arms above his head, Rick trying to stop him.

I run to Shane, grabbing his arm and trying to pull him back. He turns around, his hand smacking into my face and sending me to the ground. I feel my stitches pull, and I couldn't find the strength to get back up.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" I hear Daryl yell as he approaches, but within seconds, the barn doors revealed hundreds of walkers slowly pouring out. I scoot myself back on the dirt, feeling Daryl slowly trying to drag me back.

"Fire!!!" Rick yells.