𝖣𝖺𝗋𝗄𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝖪𝖾𝖾𝗉𝗌 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖬𝖾 | ᴅᴀʀʏʟ ᴅɪxᴏɴ ³

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ᴛᴡᴇɴᴛʏ

«Under the Stars»

CAROL had returned and Chloe couldn't help but notice the visible signs of ageing since their last encounter; time had taken its toll on all of them, a reminder that life was forcing them to grow old.

"So, how was it out there?" Daryl inquired, walking alongside his friend and Chloe back to Oceanside.

"Work until you feel like your back's gonna break, then you work some more," Carol replied with a smile. "And at the end of the night, you fall down and sleep like the dead on a deck under the stars."

"'Under the stars' got me," Chloe confessed, smiling.

"You would love it," Carol said softly, her smile gentle. "It always did remind me of you and Alli."

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Daryl asked, attempting to shift Chloe's focus away from thoughts of Alli. While the idea of her family brought a sense of peace, it also stirred sorrow that cast a shadow over her heart.

"We sailed down south to this dock where Oceanside's been picking up letters from Maggie," she explained. "Wasn't anything there. Hasn't been for a while."

"It's been a while since we last heard from you," Chloe remarked. Maggie had left, and now Carol seemed to follow that pattern, being obsessed with finding Alpha, but at least she came back.

"I told you, fishing's hard," Carol apologized with a smile, prompting a shared glance between Daryl and Chloe.

"That's not what Chloe meant," Daryl clarified. "You were looking for her, weren't ya?"

"No," Carol replied, causing him to hum. "Honestly, no. Tried to forget everything that happened. It was good. And if we're lucky, we'll never have to think about those skin freaks ever again."

Chloe and Daryl exchanged a glance.

"What?" Carol asked them.

"We found one of their masks today," Daryl explained.

"Okay."

"Michonne just took a group out looking for signs of 'em."

"You two wanna go?" Carol inquired.

"No," both Chloe and Daryl responded simultaneously.

"I'm only," Carol spoke quietly. "I'm only here until the next boat heads out."

"Alright."

Chloe and Daryl, accompanied by Carol, embarked on a journey to the woods of Oceanside – a place they've always run to when seeking solace away from others.

"Never been through here before," Carol remarked as the trio walked side by side, each armed with a bow, Dog close behind.

"Yeah, we just cleared it out to get around the river border," Daryl explained.

Chloe, once hesitant about hunting, surprised Carol by confidently pulling out her arrows and taking aim at a deer. However, her shot only grazed the creature, causing it to bolt with a trail of blood in its wake.

"I had that one," Daryl smirked, sharing a playful look with Carol who was still surprised at Chloe's change of heart. "You were supposed to call it," he teased, making Carol laugh at their banter. "Don't wanna play with you anymore if you cheat every time."

"I'm not cheating," Chloe rolled her eyes, ready to pursue the injured deer. But growls emerged, and Walkers encircled the wounded animal.

"Watch their hands," Daryl reminded them, all three preparing their bows. As more Walkers joined in, Carol and Chloe readied their knives, ready to rescue the deer.