𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 : ̗̀➛ 𝙙.𝙙

𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙨

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"Good morning, Delilah!" Carol chirped at me as I carried the basket of eggs inside. Dale nodded a hello to me with a smile and I greeted them back. Having new faces to look at was so refreshing, having alive faces to look at.
I dropped the basket of eggs onto the kitchen counter before turning to leave the kitchen, trying to rush out before my sister began her complaining to me, but I wasn't fast enough.
"You're not going to help?" Kay snorted.
"I want to go smoke a cigarette."
"These people have been here for three days now and you haven't helped cook a single day, we need the help now more than ever."
"I'm not even a good cook."
"It's okay, Kay. We got it." Maggie cut in, giving me a smile as if to say i'm sorry your sister hates you.
I stepped out onto the front porch as I lit up my cigarette, glancing around before pulling out my little shot bottle from my belt loop, downing it.
"A little early, dont ya think?" Hershels voice made me jump.
"Jesus."
"Language, and I told you about that drinking and smoking. I won't watch you kill yourself. Your dad would never forgive me, and neither would your sister."
"As if either of them give two shits about me."
"Well.. your brothers did... I do and if I catch you drinking or smoking again ill make you sit out here and pull weeds from sun up to sun down. Now, I need you to go let Ricks group know breakfast is almost ready."
"How long are they gonna be here?"
"Until Carol finds her girl and the boy heals up, but thats nothing for you to worry about, go let them know."
I threw the cigarette onto the dirt and stomped on it.
"Hey guys! Uh breakfast is ready.." a collective thank you was mumbled as a few of them headed towards the house. I turned to walk away when I felt a strong hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Shane.
"Hey...Delilah?"
"Yeah, Shane right?"
"Yeah uh.." he looked around, I had noticed that he always seemed alert and stressed, "I was wondering if y'all know how to shoot guns."
"Oh I do, I know Hershel and Otis do, but I don't know about anyone else, Hershel doesn't like guns."
"Well I wanted to talk to him about possibly setting up a target practice for y'all, I think it's important to carry weapons nowadays, and I would need some help teaching everyone, even majority of our people couldn't tell you how to turn the safety on and off."
"This aint a conversation for me, its Hershels farm, I think you and Rick should have that talk with him, I aint got no jurisdiction, but if he says yeah i'll help ya out."
He patted my shoulder as if we were on a football team together before heading toward the house. I looked over to see Daryl sat against the tree, staring at us until our eyes met and he quickly broke the gaze.
"Hey Delilah!" Carl called out as he walked down the porch stairs, Rick guiding him.
"Look whos out of bed!" I smiled widely, giving him a high five as he made his way to me.
"Yeah, Hershel said i'm healing like a soilder!"
Rick and I looked at each other, sharing a chuckle.
"I'd say. You'll be running this place by tomorrow!"

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"I miss whiskey. You'd be surprised how many alcoholics wiped out the stores when everything went to shit." I scrubbed the plates in the sink.
"Language." Kay grumbled.
I ignored her, turning to the rest of the girls.
"What about y'all?"
"I miss my washer and dryer," Carol answered.
"Coffee," Maggie added.
It fell silent for a second before a smile forced its way on my face.
"I miss sex."
They all broke into giggling, I looked over at my sister, expecting a disgusted look but even I could tell she was fighting back a smile as she dried the dishes.
"Lori don't gotta worry about that one," Beths soft voice cut in.
"Oh god Beth I forgot you were in here," I laughed. Maggie laughed too, guiding her sister out of the kitchen as I washed the last of the dishes.
"Why don't that blonde girl with the mean mug ever help yall?" Kay asked Lori, nodding to Andrea, who stood outside stood outside.
"Oh, Andrea? She thinks shes got something to prove, that shes too tough for women's work."
I couldn't help but laugh.
"I would wrestle a bear if I really had to but that dont mean I trust the men to wash my clothes and cook my meals." I shook my head. Lori let out a snort.
I wiped my hands on the cloth on the countertop before turning to head upstairs to read my bible as Lori grabbed my arm gently. She looked around, like she was scared to be caught, before lowering her voice.
"Hey, I hate to ask you because you have already done so much for me and Carl.. for all of us.. But Beth was telling me you make runs into town every once and awhile?"
I nodded. She dug a piece of paper from her back pocket, handing it to me quickly.
"Next time you go could you just.. grab a few of those things for me."
I unfolded the paper and scanned the list before shock filled my body. I looked up at her with wide eyes, opening my mouth to say something before realizing my sister, Carol and Patricia were still in earshot. I nodded quietly.

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"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.
Matthew 24:36

I stared down at the creased pocket sized picture in my hand. A tear slipped down my cheek as I looked at it. I shook. I didn't know why I still needed to hold onto the picture, all it did was break my heart, but it was like an addiction to it, I hated it but I couldn't let it go.
Staring back at me was me, younger though, my sister stood on one side of me and Eddie stood on the other side, his arms thrown around my shoulders with a toothy grin. Jake was next to him, good big goofy grin. My sister had the same stern look on her face that she had always had since the day she was born. I remembered that picture. It was my seventieth birthday. Kay had to have been about twenty two, I remembered that she had left college to come down and see us, right before Daddy's liver started failing.
Grandma Jane was the one behind the camera. I remembered that was the end of the day, right as everyone was cleaning up. My daddy had beat me something fierce that night because we didn't have any leftover cake, even though grandma was the one that bought it for us.
Maggie had been at that party, Eddie always had a crush on her. She had always said he was too old for even though he was only two years older than her, I think she thought Eddie was too immature for her, which he was.
Knock knock.
I quickly wiped the tears from my cheeks as my bed room door flung open. Shane stood in the doorway.
"You ever heard of waiting for a damn response," I snapped.
"Yeah.. my bad. I can come back."
"No. What is it?" I tucked the picture back between the pages of my bible, annoyed at the intrusion.
"I talked to Hershel. He said that we can target practice. He said he doesn't want Beth or Jimmy takin any part because they're too young."
"I agree."
"But Rick and I are gonna need your help, especially with Carl."
"Carl? Hes just a kid."
"Thats excatly why he needs to learn."
"So why do you need me to help him, why not you or his dad? He seems to listen to the both of yall."
Shane tucked his thumbs through his belt loops and smirked.
"Well uh, I think the boys got a little bit of a little boy crush on ya. I thought you could hold his attention better than Rick or I,"  He chuckled.
I let out half a laugh and nodded, "Ill help y'all."

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