Our Extinction Event {Daryl Dixon}

Unknown Person

It was Glenn's idea to take a group to town. It was the first time he had someone other than Parker to keep an eye on. Although the two used to be a great team, Parker didn't feel comfortable with the number of people who were there, especially since Merle was accompanying them. Daryl was out hunting and wouldn't be back for a while so Parker decided to stay with Carl and Lori. It wasn't often that she gave up the opportunity to go to the city, but recently Merle had been driving her crazy. He's not exactly the best person to be around. Countless times, Parker had criticized him for being racist or sexist, but this only seemed to add fuel to Merle's fire, and each of Parker's outbursts was immediately followed by a comment that made her skin crawl. So no, she wouldn't go with them that day.  Before leaving, Parker took Glenn aside. 

"If something goes wrong, get out of there, okay?"

"Worried about me?" Glenn asked with a mocking tone in his voice. Parker rolled her eyes.

"Yes. You're my best friend. Just don't get eaten."

"I'll try not to," Glenn said with a small chuckle. Parker smiled, accepting his answer.

"Bring something good back." With their parting words exchanged, Glenn led his team into the city. Parker stayed behind with Carl, sitting down to play cards with him to pass the time. With everything that was happening, the little things in life constituted the greatest joy. Finding something as small as a box of tampons meant that all the women at camp felt a little more comfortable, and an extra razor or two meant that the men could feel like they weren't living in the middle of nowhere. 

They had abandoned all luxuries. Hot water, internet, electricity; everything had been abandoned in favor of survival. Parker couldn't remember the last time she had felt clean, and it was only when they found shampoo that she felt considerably closer to what life used to be like. Of course, bathing in the quarry was never going to be the best because the water was freezing and took a little getting used to. Still, they persisted. When she shouted that she had won the game, a voice suddenly cracked over the radio.

"Hello? Hello, can anybody hear my voice?" Amy, one of the girls at the camp, dropped the firewood she was holding and picked up the radio. 

"Hey? Hello?"

"Can you hear my voice?" The man asked again.

"Yes, I can hear you," Amy answered, waiting a second for a response before talking again. "You're coming through. Over." Dale walked up behind her, his eyes wide as he listened. The static sound got worse.

"If anybody reads, please respond." Parker stood behind Amy, Dale next to her. She shared a look with Amy while nervously clenching and unclenching her fists.

"He can't hear us."

"Transmitting on the emergency channel." The man said. "I'm approaching Atlanta on Highway 85. If anyone hears, respond."

"We're on the outskirts of the city," Amy stated, fiddling with the radio as it went static. "Damnit. Hello? Hello?"

"He can't hear us," Parker repeated. "We can't warn him."

"Try to raise him again," Dale suggested, looking at Shane. "Come on, son. You know best how to work this thing." Everyone who was nearby was now surrounding Amy. Shane slammed the ax into a stump and took the radio from Amy. 

"Hello? Hello, is the person who called still on the air? This is Officer Shane Walsh broadcasting to an unknown party, please respond." When all he received was static, Shane put the radio away. "He's gone."

"There are others," Lori told him after he had given up. "It's not just us."

"Well, we knew there would be, didn't we? That's why we left the CB on."

"Lots of good it's been doing. It's helped." Lori said. "And Parker and I have been saying for a week that we ought to put up signs on 85 and warn people away from the city."

"Folks got no idea what they're getting into." Amy shook her head.

"She's right." Parker nodded. "You wouldn't want to go in there. It's a death trap for unsuspecting people."

"Well, we don't have enough time." Shane was getting mad, he felt the need to protect people at the camp and they always seemed to do the exact opposite of what he said.

"I think we need to make time." Lori countered, the two getting in each other's faces.

"Yeah, that, uh.... and that's a luxury we can't afford," Shane explained to her as if she wasn't living in the same world he was.

"Are you kidding?" Parker asked. "We have nothing but time."

"We're surviving, dad to day." Shane told the group. "No matter how much time we have, we can't risk sending anyone away."

"And who the hell do you propose we send?" Dale asked, feeling the need to get involved.

"We'll go," Lori responded, gesturing towards her and Parker. "Give us a car."

"No one goes anywhere alone and you already know that." Shane quickly shot the idea down. Parker raised her eyebrow, gesturing towards her and Lori.

"Last time I checked, we were two people, not one. We wouldn't be alone. Get your facts straight."

"It's not going to happen."

"Yes, sir." Lori rolled her eyes at how controlling they were. She quickly walked off not wanting to get into an argument in front of her son, Parker gritted her teeth.

"Okay. But I think we should warn people somehow. You haven't been there. You haven't seen it. I have, with my own two eyes." With that, Parker headed to her tent, and when she got inside and sat down, the opening opened again and Carl climbed in. When Parker saw him, all traces of her anger at Shane were replaced with concern for her nephew, because after everything that had happened, she was more worried about him than anyone else. "How are you?" Parker asked.

"I'm fine." Carl huffed. "Shane told me to stay with you."

"I bet he did," Parker muttered, pulling Carl onto the makeshift bed with her. "And what do you suggest we do to pass the time?"

"I don't know.... we could look at your photo albums."

"You've seen them hundreds of times," Parker laughed, reaching for the photo albums anyway. "But I guess we can look at them again."

"I don't want to forget Dad's face," Carl said, sounding upset. "It's been a long time."

"I know." Parker sighed sadly, wrapping an arm around Carl's shoulders before kissing the top of his head. "I've forgotten the sound of his voice. Can you believe it? My annoying older brother whose voice I had to hear every second of every day until I moved, and I can't remember it." Carl laughed slightly.

"I miss him."

"Me too," Parker responded.

"He would want us to keep going." Carl looked at his aunt. "He wouldn't want us to give up."

"When did you start getting so wise?" Parker asked. "You are growing, soon you will be taller than me."

"I don't think so," Carl said, laughing. "I'm short."

"Yeah. But I'm a little shorter than your mom and it's a proven fact that children grow taller than their moms." Parker informed him. "So, if you keep growing, you'll be the one who lifts me up and not the other way around."

"I couldn't lift you." Carl had a mischievous smile on his face. "You're too heavy." Parker gasped dramatically.

"Oh, you did not just say that. Get ready for revenge." She started tickling Carl, who laughed and squirmed as he tried to get away from her.

"Aunt Parker, stop!"

"Not until you apologize.".

"I'm sorry!" Carl yelled, laughing. "Please." Parker let go of her nephew.

"The next time you call me heavy, I'll throw you in the lake."