That Valley Girl || Daryl Dixon

[ 025 ] Better Angels

Glenn could tell I was scared. He told me to stay in the house and look after Beth, Patricia, Lori, and Carol. Lori and Carol were still looking for Carl. I sat on the couch, holding the gun Maggie had given me in my hands. Beth and Patricia watched everything go down from the window.

There was loud gunshots sounding out around the whole farm. Everyone else had taken a car and was driving around the perimeter, trying to take down as many walkers as they could. Rick and Shane were still nowhere to be found.

I looked down at my shaking hands, I was gripping the gun very firmly, as if it would run away if I let go. In all honesty, if something goes down at the house, I don't think I can protect the rest of the girls.

I looked up from my hands to the window. An orange hue was peeking through the blinds.

"The barn's on fire." Beth said, backing away from the window.  Patricia pushed the curtains back open and looked out.

I stood up, walking towards the window. From behind Patricia, I could see bright orange and yellow flames coming from the barn. What the hell?

"They're headed for it. Maybe Rick set it to draw 'em in." Patricia suggested.

A door slammed in the background. "I can't find him anywhere." I turned around to see Lori.

"So maybe he snuck outside?" Carol rationalized, following after Lori.

"What do I do?!" Lori suddenly shouted. 

"He was here. He must've run off, maybe looking for Rick or going after Randall himself--"

"Maybe he set the fire." Patricia spoke up. Lori's head turned towards the window, guns fired in the distance still.

"Oh my God." Lori rasped, walking towards the window. She stared at the barn wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open slightly.

"We're gonna find him." Carol insisted.

Carol and Lori went upstairs to search again. Patricia, Beth and I searched downstairs. 

We searched every room, every corner-- everywhere. But Carl was still no where to be found.

No traces of him, nothing. It was like he had just disappeared off the face of the earth. But he hadn't. He was probably somewhere out there in that herd of walkers.

Carol and Lori stepped outside while the rest of us continued to look. I double checked places I had already looked. I looked under tables, beds, blankets. I looked in every single closet in the house-- anywhere that someone could hide, yet I still couldn't find him.

"Beth, Patricia, Reagan, come on. We've gotta go-- now." Carol stepped inside the house now.

"I don't wanna go--" Beth looked at Patricia with tears in her eyes, she didn't want to leave her home.

"We have to, sweetie. Come on." Patricia pulled Beth along and we followed Carol outside. I still held the gun Maggie had given me tightly in my hands.

Patricia and Carol called for Hershel, but he wouldn't budge. He was still in the same spot, shooting as many walkers as he could. More got closer and closer but he kept firing rounds-- which only drew more in. He'd be overpowered soon.

"Hershel, it's time to go!"

"Come on! Now!"

Lori tried calling for Hershel a few more times before giving up. She followed us as we ran off the porch.

Carol ran frantically ahead of everyone. I froze in my tracks and just watched everyone run away from the house.

I looked back at Hershel, still taking down walkers. Too many I could count were getting closer and closer to him.