RIDE OR DIE | DARYL DIXON

something else worth living for

"GO. NOW." Willow told them all after a clap of thunder. 

Aaron crouched down beside Jesus, holding his knife with a shaky hand. He positioned the tip of it against Jesus' temple, taking one more long look at him before pushing it in. 

One of the women came over and took the mask from Willow, observing it for a moment.

"Go!" Willow said again. "I'll cover you."

She heard the shuffling of their footsteps behind them as they each squeezed through the gate, but she kept her gaze ahead on the silhouettes that began to emerge from the fog. It was nearly impossible to tell which ones were walkers and which were the living. Nearly impossible. Her gaze traveled down to the hands of one of the 'walkers', and she saw the outline of a knife in its grasp. They came at her with a limp leg, playing the part perfectly, and she would've been fooled if she hadn't noticed the weapon. 

She lunged forward, sweeping her leg, knocking them down before wrapping both hands around the handle of her sword and driving it down into their chest. Ripping it out, she spun back around and slashed at the next, aiming for the head this time. Black blood oozed out of the clean slice, and the body dropped to the ground with a thud almost as loud as the thunder.

"Come on! Let's go!" Daryl yelled once everyone got through.

Willow backpedaled to the gate, and as she did, lightning struck and she could see another silhouette running at her with their arms above their head, holding a large hunting knife tightly in their hands. Before she could even get close enough to the gate to get through, they were already in her face. She ducked as they slammed their arms down with their knife, only slicing through air instead of her flesh. Twisting back around, she rammed her sword through their back, just as they did to Jesus. She pushed it further and further in until their back was pressing against the top of the handle. Only then did she grab their neck and push them off as she pulled on her sword. The masked person fell to the ground, soaking up whatever blood had managed to spill out of them.

"Come on." Daryl said from the other side of the gate. He stuck his hand through it for her to take, helping her push her way through. 

Once on the other side, they both pushed the gate back closed and jammed the metal lock into place. As they stepped away, walkers pushed against it, the metal rattling but not budging. Willow was tempted to stay there and pick them off through the gate, but Daryl already began to drag her away to catch up with the rest of their group.

"The hell happened?" He asked as he dragged her along by her arm.

She panted, her feet moving far quicker than she could handle. "Exactly what you saw. They fucking acted dead and killed him."

He glanced over at her, taking notice of the hostility in her tone. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing." She sighed, jerking her arm out of his hand. 

"Nah." He grumbled. "If you got somethin' to say, then say it."

She ran her tongue along her top teeth, keeping it from saying what she really wanted to say. 

"Say it." He demanded again, grabbing her shoulder and turning her.

She stumbled over her feet, and grabbed his hand to stabilize her, quickly dropping it after she got her balance back. "Don't push me, Daryl. I'm not in the fucking mood."

"I don't give a shit." He retorted. 

"Yeah, I can tell." She muttered.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Her hand was aching from how tightly she had been holding onto her sword, so she jammed it back into its sheath. She kept her mouth shut and she bit her tongue, but he kept pressing her.