Daryl's Girl

Chapter 22

No one hesitated in taking a step back away from the barn doors as the chains continued to rattle. The growls and moans from the dead filling the air.

By the sound of it, there were enough of them in there to easily charge through our camp and overpower us, and by looking around, I wasn't the only one to come to that conclusion. Almost everyone had the same expression. All it would take was for one of those chains to come loose and they'd be out. They were already trying to get out. But as much as I feared for the group's safety, I couldn't shake the thought of Hershal having to see his family die...again. It was painful enough the first time round, but having to watch it happen all over again, I knew it was something I'd never be able to live with if it was my dad or someone I knew.

"What now?" Tdog eventually asked once everything calmed down.

At first no one said anything, not that it would matter. Shane wanted to get it over and done with, but Rick wanted to talk to Hershal and talk it out. With both men as stubborn as they are, it didn't matter what anyone said, we'd just keep going round and round in circles arguing before we've considered what exactly it was we were going to do.

"I'm gonna go talk to Hershal. See if we can't figure something out." Rick finally replied, just as I thought, and turned to face Shane. A rather unfriendly expression on his face. "That's what's happening."

"This is crazy, Rick." Shane spat back, but Rick ignored him, making his way up to the house.

Nothing else was said and wanting to put as much distance from ourselves and the barn as we could, the rest of us did the same and followed Rick back up the path and over to the camp. Everyone except Shane, but I knew as much. An egotistical man such as himself was going to stop at nothing to get what he wanted. Even if that meant people got hurt in the process. In a sick sort of way, it reminded me of Tyler and a sudden wave of anger ran through me thinking back to what had happened between us. He and Shane might as well have been the same person.

I shook my head and turned my attention away from everyone, making my way over to Daryl's tent. Everyone else veering off to do their own thing. My guess was to try and forget about everything that was going on and I can't say I blame them. I wanted to do the same.

That was when I felt something touch the back of my arm and flinched, turning round to find Daryl standing behind me. I hadn't heard him coming and until now, despite wanting to help Hershal, hadn't considered how he'd react, whilst also not realizing just how on edge living next to the barn was making me. No matter how hard I tried to justify it.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. His tone a mix of frustration and disappointment.

It took me a second to work out what he was talking about, but I should've known. "I wanted to." I replied, turning away from him. "I overheard Glenn talking to Dale about it yesterday and, at first, I wanted to tell everybody, but they talked me out of it. Then, when I spoke to Hershal, he told me about his wife and stepson..." I sighed, trying to stay as calm as I possibly could because, knowing Daryl, it was difficult to know what he's thinking or how he was going to react. "Look, he asked me to keep quiet about it and I did. I figured as long as nobody knew about it, it didn't need to become a problem. We'd just keep doing what we're doing. Nothing would change."

I looked back at Daryl, waiting for a response, but he wasn't giving me anything. His expression unreadable and deep down I knew a part of him agreed with Shane after what happened. So him knowing that I knew and that I didn't agree or hadn't told him in the first place had to have hurt. The last thing I wanted to do was betray him. Lose his trust. I didn't want that from anyone, especially him.

"Alright." He finally said, but I could hear it in his voice that everything was far from it.

I didn't say anything else as I heard someone calling my name from outside. Instead, I took his hand in mine and gave it a squeeze, forcing the best smile I could master onto my face before heading out. I wanted it to somehow say that I knew why he was mad. That I should've told him sooner. But on the bright side, I didn't have any more secrets, nor would I keep anything like this from him again. I'd learnt my lesson.