S u r v i v o r s [ Daryl Dixon ]

Chapter 14

The next day, Glenn told everyone about the barn at breakfast. Everyone started to panic, but I stood a bit to the side, knowing there was no good solution in this situation. It was a special place where we could really live, but the rules of Hershel limited us. On the other hand, this was his special place and we should accept his beliefs. No matter how stupid they were.

Rick decided to talk to Hershel and I saw how Shane was against him. He would gladly take over this place without looking at the others. But something was holding him back, and I was sure it was the way Lori would look at him after that. I saw an angry Daryl heading towards the stables.

"Another idiot" I said to myself, then walked over to him. I entered the stable just as he was opening the stall and harnessing the horse.

"You can't" I said firmly walking towards him. Daryl didn't even look my way. He swung the crossbow over his shoulder, wincing hard.

"I'm fine."

"I see" I grabbed the horse's harness and yanked it on my way so Daryl would look at me. "Hershel said you need to heal."

"Yeah, I don't care."

"Then you're out of luck because I am. Rick's going out later to follow the trail."

"Yeah well, I ain't gonna sit around and do nothing."

"So you're gonna go out there and get yourself hurt even worse?"

"I don't plan on it."

"Stop it" I stood between him and the horse. Daryl glared at me, but he didn't seem angry at me, which I expected. He looked at me warmly.

"We don't know if we find her..." I started hesitantly. "It's been so many days and I... I don't"

"Don't what?"

"Can't lose you too." I said finally. "I don't want to lose any of you anymore" I corrected myself seeing him want to say something. "So let it go. At least for today."

He was silent, looked at me as if he was seeing me for the first time, and finally took a step back.

"Today. I'll leave tomorrow morning. And if you're so worried about me, you can come with me."

I laughed softly.

"Have I a permission?"

"Yeah, whatever" he waved his hand and started to leave. I took the harness off the horse and locked it in the stall. Only then I saw that Daryl was waiting for me at the door. I looked at him with a silent question.

"I was supposed to accompany you to this madhouse" he said huskily. "So come on, princess"

...

A few hours ago, we were all sitting on the porch waiting for Rick and Hershel to come back from the woods. However, I had a feeling something terrible was about to happen. My heart pounded and I clenched my fists, then unclenched them. I couldn't relax. And then I saw Shane walking in the distance with our bag full of guns. Daryl walked over to him, and I followed closely behind him. He started handing out guns, avoided my gaze, said we had to keep our safety. Then he started leading us to the barn and I knew what he wanted to do.

"Shane, shit, Shane!" I matched him. "Let's wait for Rick. Maybe Hershel will understand."

"And apparently I'm the lunatic here" he pushed me away making me almost lose my balance.

"Lizz" Glenn grabbed my hand. "What happened?"

"He's fuckin' crazy"

Then we saw Rick come back from Hershel, but they weren't alone. Rick led the tethered Walker, who tried to free himself.

I looked at Daryl, who was unnerved himself. "Fuckin' madhouse" he said before we started running towards the others.

"Shane, just let us do this and then we can talk." said Rick with difficulty because he had to support Walker.

"What you want to talk about, Rick? These things ain't sick. They're not people. They're dead. Ain't gonna feel nothing for them 'cause all they do, they kill! These things right here, they're the things that killed Amy. They killed Otis. They're gonna kill all of us."

"Shane, shut up!" Rick was furious.

Shane, on the other hand, cocked the gun.

"Hey, Hershel man, let me ask you something. Could a living breathing person, could they walk away from this?" shot three times. I felt Carol grab my hand. I looked at a terrified Glenn.

"That's three rounds in the chest." continued Shane. "Could someone who's alive, could they just take that?! Why is it still coming?" another two shots. "That's its heart, its lungs. Why is it still coming?" three more shots.

"Shane, enough." Rick shouted.

"Yeah, you're right, man." Shane said walking over to Walker. "That's enough."

He shot Walker right in the head. He looked straight at us.

"Enough risking our lives for a little girl who's gone! Enough living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us. Enough. Rick, it ain't like it was before! Now if y'all want to live, if you want to survive, you got to fight for it! I'm talking about fighting right here, right now."

Shane started walking towards the barn. Rick looked at Hershel.

"Take the snare pole. Listen to me, man, please."

However, Hershel was still kneeling on the ground. Rick looked at me.

"Liz please"

I was already running to Shane, grabbing his arm when he was about to open the gate.

"Shane, stop it, it's dangerous, that's enough."

"We have to end this" he said firmly, then yanked the plank that was blocking the lock, causing me to fall. I felt pain on the inside of my arm as I hit a protruding rock.

"Lizz!" Glenn was right next to me helping me up. Daryl stood on the other side and helped either. At that moment, zombies started coming out of the barn. I reached for my gun and took aim. We all started shooting because even though I didn't want to, I wasn't going to risk it. We couldn't just shut them down. There were too many. There was only one way out.

The whole thing took a minute or so. That's when I leaned against Glenn feeling a sharp pain in my arm. I stared at the carpet of bodies, Hershel still kneeling, Maggie's sister, Beth, ran forward calling for her mother. She was crying.

But then the door opened a little more. There was another Walker there. I didn't have the strength to pick up the weapon anymore, I felt my shirt sticking to the bloody wound.

And then I felt pain not only in my side, but all over my body.

"No, no, no..." I started to mutter to myself as I watched Sophie come out of the barn.

She was a Walker.

I heard Carol scream. I saw Daryl hold her because she wanted to run to her. And I... I just couldn't move. I felt tears on my cheeks. I was shaking. Glenn grabbed me, forcing me to look away, but even though my eyes were closed, I could still see her. I heard her growl, and then there was a shot. I fell to my knees, Glenn with me. Then, there was complete silence.