Lady in Red

Chapter 4- Unwanted Advances

My back hurts.

My eyes blink open to see the tent wall that did nothing to hide the bright morning sunlight. Pulling my arms out from the borrowed sleeping bag to stretch, i immediately huddle back inside as the cool morning air touched my arms.

Fuck it's cold.

I look over to the other sleeping bag and see it's empty, Daryl nowhere to be seen. After a few minutes, I slowly pull myself out and sit on top of the makeshift bed. Goosebumps raised on my arms as I wrap them around myself to try and keep some semblance of warmth.

I slept pretty good for the most part. I didn't wake up to find any unwanted hands so brownie points to him I guess. It did scare the shit out of me though when he retired later than me and I woke up to see this giant ass shadow stepping into the tent. He was not too happy when I threw whatever I could grab at him. Which happened to be my shoe.

My stomach cramping had me urging myself to leave the confines of the tent. It's even colder out here. I rub my arms with an expression of displeasure. I'm so not a morning person. I stand frozen in front of the tent, looking around with squinted eyes.

Daryl was over by the ruin wall, pulling off one of the squirrels, looking like the cold wasn't bothering him a bit. Envy is a nasty thing.

To be fair, he also had a coat on. I noticed he had his fire going and immediately huddled next to it, absorbing as much as I could. It was a low fire, just enough to cook whatever he was making. "Where's your coat?" It takes me a moment to answer. I tend to go nonverbal in the morning, my brain still waking up.

"In my bag that Dick took." Yes I called him a dick. I'm grumpy. Daryl scoffs and plops down in his usual spot. Despite my wound and strict instruction from Hershel to not stretch it in any way. I pull my knees up to my chest with a wince and hug them, placing my forehead on top.

I debate on go finding Rick and requesting the retrieval of my coat, but I just don't have the energy to move. Warmer heat brushes my body and I glance up. I notice that the flames had grown higher, hotter. I glance at him over the flames, but he keeps his focus on the squirrel he was now gutting.

I know it's probably so he can cook it faster, but in my delusional mind I'm thinking it's so I'll warm up.

After Daryl ate, in front of me, he went off into the woods, leaving me all on my lonesome. Seeing as I had nothing better to do, I decided it was time to ask one of the Greene family members of if I could use their shower. At this point I was ready to hose myself down.

Entering the main camp, I immediately spotted Maggie talking with Glenn, the guy seems to be uncomfortable with the conversation they're having. I don't think it would be a good idea to interrupt them.

Moving towards the house, I hope that Hershel is inside somewhere.

The door squeaks as it closes behind me and I wander the house in search for him. The house seems quiet, eerie almost. As I pass through the living room, I stop at the mantle of the fireplace, looking over the countless pictures on it. My brain unconsciously memorizes the faces in each photo.

A skill I picked up when I was little so I could print them on paper. It didn't matter how little my exposure was to a person, I was able to take a picture with my mind and draw them perfectly. I think it was a coping mechanism that I used to deal with everything I've went through.