Lucy (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 36

Chapter 36

I walked up the same path, but this time was so different. Sure, it hurt finding my father like that, but this was a whole new kind of pain. I struggled to catch my breath, my heart in my throat. Gray was the one person I couldn't stand to lose, he's everything to me and just the thought of him as a Walker... the picture that was painted in my head sent a shiver down my spine.

My feet wouldn't take me any further when I walked up to the same broken front door, Rick right on my heels. He opened his mouth to speak as we heard a crash come from the second floor, and in the same split second Rick was through the door running up the stairs. I quickly followed right behind, as we got closer I heard the sobs of my brother.

Sure enough, there he was. He stood over our fathers corpse as tears rushed down his cheeks. The broken remains of an alarm clock was scattered across the peach colored carpet.

"Oh, Gray," I whimpered as I rushed to him pulling him into my arms. He melted into me, his legs no longer able to support him making us both fall to the ground. The sound of his cries sent a knife through my heart, this is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I knew seeing dad like this would be too much for him, but just like me, he needed to know. He had to see it for himself.

"Its okay, Gray, we're okay. I'm here," I cooed in his ear. Up until this point I had never seen him break down like this. I had no idea how else to console my brother, so I just continued to hold him.

All our lives he was the stronger one out of us, in every way. I've never seen him cry like this, sure, I've seen him shed a few single tears but never anything like this. At some point Rick stepped out, giving us some much needed space. It seemed like hours passed before he started to calm down, I wanted to say something to help but I knew nothing would help the pain he was feeling.

"Do you... Do you know if mom's gone too?" Gray whimpered, he sounded like a little broken little kid.

"No, we didn't see her." I told him. For a split second I thought about lying, tell him that she's dead too. I knew the minute I told him this he would have hope, and hope was dangerous in this new world. I was certain that if father didn't make it out... There was absolutely no way she could have.

Grayson didn't speak, he pulled himself from my arms as he rose to his feet. His eyes traveled to father's dead body for a split second as he practically ran from the room.

My eyes fell on his dead infected body, I wanted to do badly to hate him but I couldn't. After everything I still felt love for him, it was small but it was there. It made feel me sick.

I stood to my feet barely able to utter the any words, there was so much left to say to him, I always wanted to somehow be able to tell him how his abuse made me feel, to have the chance to scream back at him, hurt him like he hurt me.

"Goodbye... Dad," was all I could say as I rushed out of the room, a single tears falling and it would be the last one I spent on this man.