My Redneck (Sequel to That Redneck/ Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

Chapter 40- Shallow Grave

It was too dark to see anything. The moonlight did nothing, and the dying embers of a small fire were squeezing the last bit of light out of them.

I didn't even bother blinking, or closing my eyes. When I stared off into the distance, I could almost forget about Daryl, and my Prison family.

Then suddenly she stirred beside me, slowly unraveling herself from my grasp, and climbing to her feet unevenly. "Baby, where you going?" I asked, lifting my head from the leaf covered ground.

She didn't answer. She took a few steps silently, before turning around to face me. "Victoria?" I asked, wondering if she had to pee or something.

Her blonde hair was a giant knotted mess, and her skin was dirty from everything that had happened. But she stood with an alien like form, and when a low growl erupted from her throat, my heart sank.

"Oh god, no." I cried, erupting into a mess of sobs.

Victoria stumbled towards me, and I put my arms out to stop her. "Please." I begged, the words falling out of my mouth as she fell onto me.

Her eyes were that same foggy, grey as the others. No hint of her blue eyes were even visible through the lifeless pupils she now possessed.

I wasn't going to fight her. Not my baby. Her teeth snapped anxiously as she inched her face closer to mine.

"Hold on!" Warren shouted, as Victorias corpse progressed. I could already see the greying of her skin, the streams of blood that stained her cheeks from under her eyes.

Her body was lifted off me instantly, he wrestled with her for a moment before I heard Warren carelessly throw her to the ground. He rested his foot on her chest and I winced, crying out for my dead little girl. "Victoria." I whispered, as Warren aimed the revolver at her skull.

"No, wait!" I cried scurrying on all fours towards them.

Warren turned and looked at me sideways, pity and condolences held in his gaze as he blindly pulled the trigger and ended Victorias endless struggling.

I stared at her still body, before I slowly crawled towards her and held her in my arms. Blood stained her hair and my hands as I wept and clutched her corpse.

"You have to let her go." He mumbled, resting his hand on my wrist.

I shrugged him off, sending a glare in his direction. "You put her down, I wasn't ready." I snapped.

He shook his head slowly, turning around and tending to the fire. "You never would have been ready."

I ignored him, his silent gestures and the way he sent pity filled glances. I didn't want his pity, I wanted Victoria. I wanted Daryl, and Taylor, and Rick and Judith. I didn't want this man, who popped up seemingly out of know where. I wanted my damn family.

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Both my eyes burned viciously, but for different reasons. My left eye burned from infection most likely, it throbbed and ached and burned as if a match was set to my eye. My right eye was raw and itchy from rubbing away my endless tears.

Her body was so still, so silent it was almost peaceful, like she was in a deep sleep.

I glanced back over at Warren, the hole he'd dug this morning was sitting, waiting, preparing for Victorias tiny corpse to make itself at home.

I knew she had to go soon, I had to bury her eventually. Slowly, I raised myself to my feet, and carried her towards her grave, her head fell limply, same with her arms and legs.

I felt his eyes on me as I shuffled across the forest floor. He was leaned against a tree, shovel thrown to the ground next to him.

I reached the edge of her grave soundlessly, peering into the dark shallow hole.

I lowered her into the grave slowly, and with a sickening thunk released her to the cold earth. She was so peaceful, her eyes shut and body in a small cocoon on the ground.

Warren moved closer to her grave, the shovel hanging loosely from his hands. "Are you ready?" He asked, preparing to throw the first of many scoops of dirt.

"I will never be ready," I sighed, staring at her calm face.

Warren dug the shovel into the dirt pile and threw the first scoop onto her small body.

Scoop after scoop, she began to be hidden from my sight until after what seemed like an eternity, she was completely buried, a cross made of sticks and twine looming over the fresh grave.

He said nothing to me as I simply stared at the dark soil. The urge to cry was present, but no tears fell.

Warren silently began to pack up our supplies from behind until I finally broke my gaze and wandered away from her shallow grave.

Branches pricked and poked at my bare skin arms, and bugs nibbled and feasted on my dirty skin.

I could hear Warren directly behind me, shuffling along silently as we reached a crumbling road.

Tree branches, weeds, and leaves skidded across the road. The asphalt itself was a crumbling grey mess.

"Where are we going?" Warren asked silently from behind me.

I shrugged, and started walking in the centre of the road, Warren shuffled along behind me silently.

"I'm sorry about your daughter." He regretted.

"She wasn't my daughter." I snapped, sending a hateful glare towards him. "I was supposed to keep her safe. She was an orphan."

Warren diverted his gaze to the ground, probably feeling guilty about putting her down. For killing Victoria.

"I need to find my family." I mumbled, rubbing my arms and feeling my stomach churn at the thought of Daryl.

Was he safe? Was he still alive? Was he looking for me? Why wasn't I looking for him?

"Do you know where they are?" He asked.

"No." I sighed.

"I was headed to a place, before I met up with Brian and his group." He added. "Terminus."

"What's Terminus?"

"Not sure, but everything went down at that Prison, and well I separated from them. But now, now I'm ready to go. I need out of this. Now more than ever." He said, the last part coming out rather shaky.

"Why?" I asked.

"I can't do this anymore. The death. The fear. I need to go somewhere safe. Get away from this shit."

I looked at him long and hard, the pain he felt was eminent, and he possessed exhaustion like no other.

"Terminus..." I let the word linger on my lips before finally deciding. "Lets go."