Penance (Book One): Daryl Dixon x Sage Wilson

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Andrea and I have been on the run for what seemed like forever. We stopped consistently at gas stations and small super markets only to find nothing but packs of cigarettes and empty or knocked over shelves. We were running empty on food, only having a couple of cans of peaches and a jar of apple sauce. By the time I got real food in my stomach- if I ever did, I just know I would have grown a resentment to both of those fruits.

"Any ideas?" Andrea runs a hand through her knotty blonde hair, sighing as she looks up.

"Wish I knew. I just say we continue north, there the group was heading," I say.

"We already went to the highway, they were gone." She turns her back, looking out into the distance.

"I don't see anything from here but we eventually have to run into somebody or even another group. Maybe we can try to walkie them," I say with minuscule hope.

Andrea turns to me and nods. "Yeah, I guess we could do that. It's just been days, and I'm exhausted." She crouches down, her hans hanging between her legs.

I look down, and can't help but reimagine the whole fateful day playing in my head. Walker Sophia, blood, screaming, Carl trying to kill Shane, the fire... and I hated to admit it but a part of me wondered if Daryl was okay. He had to be, right? I saw him go to his motorcycle but that was it.

"What even happened anyways?" Andrea looks up at me, and I lean against a rusty and bloody fender of a car.

"I don't know. Maybe Otis attracted them to the farm, and the gunfire from the barn just lead them the whole way. We were basically a dinner bell on a map for them, adding the flames." I sigh. I try to leave out the Carl incident as I knew it would stir up a story I didn't want to delve into.

"I just can't fucking believe it," she sighs. "Everything was so perfect, falling in place.. I thought maybe after Amy things would start looking up for me." She looks up at me, biting her lip. "I guess I proved myself wrong." She stands up, her knees cracking.

"We should continue north, see what we run into and hope we can duck for shelter for the night before night crawls." I say promptly as I slide my bag off the hood onto my shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah.. good call."

We both turn around, crossing the Highway street and through the tree clearing that opened up to another road we could travel north on. My shoulders were aching from the nerves and stress, and my head was pounding from the stress as well. My eyes felt as if they had bricks tied to them. I just needed a bed, I needed somewhere to lay down and not worry about being eaten alive. But this is the new reality we all have to adjust to eventually, right?

"Did you see anyone get out?" I ask as I look over to Andrea. It seemed like a random question, but a part of me still lingered on worry.

"Yeah. Rick, Carl, Lori, Shane, Hershel and his girls went together. Jimmy died in the RV. T-Dog and Glenn travelled together I'm supposing with Dale, and Daryl took off on his motorcycle- I saw Carol hop on but that's all I know."

"Good," I felt my heart lift a huge weight from my chest. He was okay, which I knew he was.. but you never knew. I'm glad he had grabbed Carol- I'm not sure if she's even ready or in the right mindset to fight off walkers alone yet.

Suddenly, I hear an engine sound from behind us over the hill we just crossed. I look to Andrea, nodding towards the side brush. We both run into it, ducking down and trying to peek through the small clearings. Who would be driving on these roads? It was too risky with all of the noise a car caused.

The engine sound approaches closer, and it sounded as if it was a bigger vehicle. I look to the right, seeing what looked to be a military vehicle sputtering along the road in the middle as slow as they could go. On the top, stood a man peaking out of a window with a gun held up. There was a driver, and a passenger.

I look to Andrea, raising my eyebrow. As soon as I looked to her, I see her foot slip and a rock fall down the hill. And it wasn't a small rock, but noticeable and louder. I close my eyes as tight as I can, hoping they didn't hear the sound.

"Hey! What's that over there? Did you hear that?" The driver rolls down his window and asks. The guy on top of the military vehicle raises his gun, looking into his scope.

"Nah, I don't see anything," the sniper responds.

"Get your lazy ass down there and look you idiot!" The passenger driver says. I look to Andrea, our eyes both wide and unsure of where to go. If we ran, we exposed our cover and have a possibility of getting shot. If we stayed, we had a minimal chance of not being found but instead are sitting ducks.

I look to the car as I see the sniper crawl down from a latter, holding his gun up and panning the area. I shake my head to Andrea, indicating her to stay. She nods, as we both try to get closer. Then, I see the gun point straight to us. And there's no hiding when someone has a scope.

"Hey! Two girls!" The guy yells.

"Shit!" I whisper. "Run, Andrea!" We both stand up, running to the opposite direction. We here gunfire, and within moments I feel my body hit the ground with force with Andrea alongside me.

"Ah, shit!" I look down, seeing my ankle oozing with blood. The bullet went clean through, but the pain didn't register until now.

I look over to Andrea, who's holding her thigh as she groans in pain.

"Move one inch and I'll shoot your fucking head in!" The guy yells. I hear the leaves crunch, giving up the goose chase and slamming my body against the ground.

"Why the hell are you two pretty women out here stranded alone?" I look up to see a bald man with a raspy voice, painting a creepy smile. His left hand was decorated with a hook, supposing he lost a limb.

"Well, since you don't wanna answer me..." he looks back and nods to his other men, who have stretchers ready. "My name is Merle, and I would love to wish you a warm welcome to Woodbury."