𝙇𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝘽𝙤𝙙𝙮 : ̗̀➛ 𝙙.𝙙

𝙚𝙭𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨

: ̗̀➛
   "Where the hell were you?" My sister came running down the front porch stairs, Maggie followed behind her. I felt everyone's eyes on me as I stumbled up. The morning sun casted long shadows on the ground.
"I'm ok. I'm okay."
Kay brushed my long, tangled hair behind my ear.
"Oh my god, Del. Lets get you inside."

: ̗̀➛

"You look like shit." Daryl sat a glass of water on my nightstand. I let out a short laugh.
"Feel like shit. Hows Hershel?"
He just stared at me, as if he felt guilty.
I sat up, my heart thumping.
"They're not back? God I thought.. I thought they would be back before me... We have to go get them."
"No. Rick knows what he's doing. All you need to do is lay there... Where'd you go?"
I stared at my feet. Dirt lined my pale skin.
"I killed my dad, Daryl."
He stared down at me.
"And I dont mean the way you killed Eddie. Back at the beginning, after Eddie had gotten bit, we took him to the barn. He was one of the first ones. Even before Sophia. I went back home.. With Kay and Daddy and Jake. Daddy beat Kay that night. I shot his knee... I just wanted him to stop. I didn't... Walkers surrounded the house. Jake took off in the woods. I saved Kay but my dad... He screamed for me. He reached out for me. I looked for Jake for weeks... All I had was Kay and the corpse of Eddie... I went back last night and stomped my dads corpse to death... and it felt fucking good... Am I wrong for that?" I didn't realize I was crying until hot tears hit my shirt.
     "Am I?" my voice broke.
      "Daddy!" I heard Beth scream. I quickly wiped my tears, shooting up from the bed.
    Everyone embraced each other, I grabbed Hershel tight. My body shook from relief.
     "What happened?" He gently grabbed my face. I smiled weakly at him.
      "Who's that?" Shane's booming voice made us all break apart. I looked in the back seat of the truck. A boy sat there, gagged and blindfolded.
     "About that.." Glenn muttered.

: ̗̀➛

      "He tried to kill yall, and you brought him back?" Shane yelled.
      "Shane, we didn't know what to do." Rick replied calmly.
      "You leave him, thats what."
      "Jesus, hes just a kid." Dale stated.
     "Dale-"
      "Shane, don't." Lori snapped, and he shut up.
      "So what's your idea, Rick? We keep him locked in the chicken coop?" Andrea questioned.
      "I say we go out there and put a bullet between his eyes." Shane butt back in.
     "Jesus Christ." I scoffed, "We're not murderers."
     "Delilahs right, we aren't evil." Dale replied.
      "So yall want to sleep next to him? Yall feel safe?" Shane laughed in disbelief.
     "We will post a guard by the coop at all times until we figure out what to do," Rick stated.
     "When that, Rick?" Shane shook his head.
     "How about we all just relax. We've had a long  last few days, we will talk about it tomorrow."

: ̗̀➛

     "What do you think?" Kay asked, sitting on the end of my bed. She looked so old now. All her worry showed on her face, she looked like mama. I guess we all did, but her especially. Mamas long copper hair, dark brown eyes, pale skin, thick eyebrows, full lips, freckles scattering her nose. She looked just like her. She gave me a glimpse of myself in a few years. We used to get told we looked like twins when we were younger but now you could see the heart break in my eyes and the worry in hers.
      "Kay, I can't talk about anything involving death anymore."
      She stared out at the fields, the sunset made her eyes look so bright.
      "I miss them. Daddy, Jake, Eddie."
     I looked over at her, confused by her vulnerability.
"I miss them so bad, Del. Everyday... And now they're dead."
I just stared down at my feet, not knowing how to comfort her. The had been dead, a long time ago, but I knew Kay didn't understand that.
"I left daddy. That night. I could've saved him... But it was between you and him, and there was no question."
       I felt her eyes burning into me.
"I know."

: ̗̀➛

"Rick wants us in the living room to talk this afternoon. Dales trying to talk them out of killing the boy." Maggie stood in my doorway. I gave her a nod.
It was a crisp morning. My eyes burned and were swollen from all my crying. I walked Daryl's tent, giving Dale a pity smile on the way.
"Mornin'," Daryl grunted, quickly pulling his shirt on. I looked down his tan body.
"Rick wants us to meet in the living room at noon," I said shortly.
"Wait, I gotta uh.. talk to you."
"Yeah?"
"Yesterday you asked if you were wrong for.. doing what you did.. you aren't ... and don't ever think you are."
I gave him a forced smile, "Thank you, Daryl."

: ̗̀➛

"You are just willing to throw all your morals out the window?" Dale snapped.
"For our safety, yes." Rick nodded.
"You once said we dont kill the living." Dale pleaded.
"That was before the living tried to kill us."
Dale threw his arms up, a desperate look across his face.
"So that's it? We just kill him like excutioners?"
Everyone fell silent. I looked at my feet, I felt guilty. Who was I to decide on if someone lives or dies? I couldn't carry that with me, everything was already too heavy.
"You're right," Dale passed by Daryl, "This group is broken."

: ̗̀➛

I pet Nellys head as she munched the hay from my hand.
"Come to see the horses?" I questioned as Dale slowly walked up.
"You know this isn't right."
"Dale, it is not my place to make a decision on our safety or someone elses life. I can't carry that with me."
"You have morals."
"Dale-"
"You do. You can live with yourself knowing you let this happen?"
"I've lived with a-lot more on my mind."
"At least try to talk to Rick."
"Rick? He wont give a damn what I say."
"You helped save Carl. Please, Delilah. If you have any fight, give it. You know this isn't okay."
I sighed, wiping my hands off on my jeans.
"I'll try, Dale."
       "You can't just give up."
       "Dale, just-"
       "You can't! You are a smart young woman-"
       "I just lost my entire family, damnit! My brothers, my dad! I am holding onto so much already and for you to ask me to do this is so-"
       "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"
       "Dale just... just let me figure this out, okay? I'll talk to Rick when I'm ready to talk about it."