Survivor - TWD (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 33 - Conquer

"I could possibly be fading,

Or have something more to gain"

Into Dust

By Mazzy Star

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Glenn...

Glenn watches from the shadows as Nicholas clambers over the walls and disappears into the forest, his movements frantic, almost panicked. A pit settles in Glenn's stomach. He doesn't trust this guy—not after everything Nicholas has already done, getting so many people killed. And after lying to Deanna about Aiden and Noah's deaths, blaming Glenn for what happened, he knows exactly what kind of man Nicholas really is.

Glenn's instincts scream at him to keep his distance, but he can't let Nicholas slip away, not again. He slips into the woods after him, keeping low and quiet. The cool breeze of the late afternoon rustles through the trees, carrying with it an eerie silence that raises the hairs on the back of his neck. 

Nicholas is a coward, which makes him dangerous.

Glenn follows cautiously, his footsteps light but purposeful, eyes darting from tree to tree, always scanning the area around him. The tunnel of trees stretches ahead and Glenn notices a thin trail of blood staining the ground, leading deeper into the woods. It's fresh. A pause catches in his chest—did Nicholas get hurt, or is there something worse ahead?

His grip tightens on the knife at his belt, the only weapon he brought. He edges forward, the tension in his shoulders building. His heart races as he spots the source of the blood: a walker lying in a crumpled heap. Its back is torn open, the raw flesh glistening under the faint light of the moon.

Glenn approaches the corpse slowly, every sense heightened, his breath held as if the air itself could give him away. The sound of the forest feels too loud—a twig snaps underfoot.

Then, a gunshot cracks through the stillness.

Pain explodes in Glenn's shoulder, hot and searing. His body reacts before his mind can process, and he's falling, tumbling down a short hill. His vision blurs, the trees spinning above him as the ground comes rushing up. The impact steals the breath from his lungs, and he rolls through the dirt, clutching his bleeding shoulder, gritting his teeth against the sharp sting that spreads like wildfire through his body.

Nicholas stands behind a tree, his gun still raised, smoke curling from the barrel. He watches Glenn fall, his chest rising and falling in shallow, rapid breaths. Nicholas lowers the gun slowly, a cold exhale slipping from his lips. He moves forward, his boots crunching over the leaves and twigs beneath him as he approaches the edge of the slope, looking down to where Glenn should be lying.

But Glenn is gone.

Nicholas's breath hitches. His eyes scan the short trail of blood that leads away into the undergrowth, disappearing into the darkness. Panic flickers across his face as he steps closer, unsure of where Glenn has gone, the realization sinking in: Glenn is still out there, wounded but not down. Not yet.

Nicholas bolts through the woods, his breath coming in ragged gasps, one hand gripping his gun tightly. He can't let Glenn survive. Glenn knows too much, and that knowledge could destroy him. His heart pounds louder than the crunch of his hurried footsteps, his paranoia building as he weaves between the trees.