Daryl's Girl

Chapter 49

Once I was comfortable with the distance between Shane and myself, I left Randall and began making my way back to the farm.

I wasn't exactly as quiet as I wanted to be following him out here, going from tree to tree, so I figured putting that gap between us was my safest option. He was less likely to hear or turn around and see me, that is, if he hadn't already. Surely, if he had, he would've done something by now...unless, this was also part of his plan...

It was all building up to something, but what?

I had to think of what I was going to say and how I was going to say it, but who'd believe me? Shane, Randall and I all go missing to have only me and Shane return. To me, that's too much of a coincidence. Everyone knowing which side Shane and I stand on the whole Randall situation. It's my word against his.

Suddenly, the sound of leaves rusting ahead of me through the trees filled my ears and I froze. A minefield of different thoughts rushing through my head. Had Shane turned back? Was he coming for me? Was it a walker? A rival group? Then, I heard a familiar voice.

"Looks like it's busted pretty bad." They said.

"It's fine man." He wasn't alone. "Don't worry about me."

I slowly stepped out into the open to see Shane staring straight back at me. To my relief, Rick standing next to him.

"Lily? What are you doing out here?" Rick asked. "Randall got out. Have you seen him?"

I knew what ever I said either Shane would deny everything or Rick wouldn't believe me, but I had to try. "I was-"

"We don't have time for this." Shane interrupted. "That asshole could be bringing his group back right now. I tracked him this way." 

Before either Rick or I could say anything, Shane stormed off ahead, heading in the opposite direction to where I'd just come from, away from Randall's body. Rick just followed on behind leaving me to bring up the rear. I couldn't leave Rick alone with him and, somehow, I had to find a way of outing the truth without Shane talking over or getting in the way of that.

It started to get dark after a while and I could hear the sound of crickets croaking. Shane putting himself between Rick and I to keep me away from him. It felt like a scene from a horror movie, only it wasn't. This was real and, what made it worse, we had the killer walking along side us. A murderer who would do anything to get his way.

"He snatched your gun?" Rick questioned after a little while longer.

"Yeah. My favourite piece to." Shane replied. I hadn't even noticed it was missing. One from the gun bag taking it's place. "He'll have wish he killed me when I find his sorry ass." The weird thing was, I was sure he had it before and after what happened with Randall. He definitely walked away with it, so what had he done with it? Hidden it somewhere? Making out that Randall had taken it to make his story more believable?

It wasn't true.

"Look, we should be going-"

"I know where I'm going." Shane snapped, once again cutting me off and tried to usher Rick away. 

Rick then looked over at me and I shook my head. I was sick of this asshole and I think he was too. The look on his face telling me he was slowly starting to become more suspicious about the whole thing. Shane was pushing his luck and, thankfully, Rick was beginning to see it.

It wasn't long before we entered a clearing and I could just about see the farm house, very dimly lit up over the field. Out here, no one could hear us, let alone see us.

"You say he hit you with a rock?" Rick asked.

Shane nodded and let Rick walk past him. "That's what I said."