Haunted | Daryl Dixon

39. Prehaps 'We' Can Work

Rotting carcasses lay in dozens upon dozens of piles near the gated entrance of Alexandria, their foul stench staining the air.

Evelyn stood up on the guard tower, rifle in hand as she glanced at the people down below that were hauling the walkers into the backs of and driving them to the outside world to be dumped.

It had been merely five hours since the once safe, gated community had been overrun by walkers, but not a single person living there wanted to waste a moment in rebuilding their home. Whether it be to keep the place moving or to keep their minds from wandering to the loss they all experienced not long ago was up for debate.

While not too many lives had been taken by the grimy hands of the dead that night, it was still more than enough to sting.

The entire Anderson family had been taken out in one fell swoop as well as Deanna and a couple others that Evelyn wished she had gotten to know better.

Even though it hadn't seemed like Deanna was in charge for a while, after Rick had stepped up, it still felt as though Alexandria had lost its leader. She had, after all, been the one to mostly start this place up. Without her, it wouldn't be anywhere near where it is today- if it would even still be around.

Without Evelyn's group, though, it would not still be standing, that much was for sure. Even if Deanna was still around.

Carl had also been through a hell of a night. Apparently, Ron had shot him in the eye right before he had met his own demise, thankfully the young boy was alright, though. The last Evelyn had seen of him, he was laying, unconscious, in one of the medical beds, recovering.

The woman had been quick to offer herself up to keep watch, not wanting to make anyone else do it nor did she want to be standing around doing nothing. Especially while Daryl worked almost around the clock to help try and clear the walkers from the streets.

At the thought of the man- as if her mind ever truly strayed too far from him- Evelyn found her eyes wandering to where she knew him to be working.

Daryl was just standing up down by a truck, dusting his hands off on his jeans, his back to her. Though, as if he could feel her stare, he turned around. Lifting a hand to block out the sun as he squinted up at her, and unlike what she had been doing for months when he caught her staring at him, she didn't look away.

Evelyn and Daryl stayed like that for a moment, as the corners of their mouths both twitched upwards in sync.

Their eyes were torn away from one anothers gazes, though, when Glenn came up beside Dixon and nudged him, his own eyes swimming in amusement.

Daryl's face immediately dropped to a scowl as he turned to look at the man, who looked as though he were biting back at laughter and said something that Evelyn couldn't hear, but she could assume it had to do with getting back to work and to stop staring.

Her assumptions were proven right when Daryl gave the man a slight shove, emitting laughter from Rhee while they both did in fact get back to work and Evelyn was left, averting her gaze back to over the wall and biting back a laugh of her own.

Five hours had passed since Daryl and Evelyn were reunited in the middle of the chaos of the fight against the walkers. Five hours had passed since Evelyn had leaned forward and kissed the man she had once loved with all her heart.

For one agonizingly long moment, Daryl had stood there, frozen like a statue with her lips pressed against his. As if he were unable to recognize- unable to comprehend- that Evelyn Wright was kissing him.

When he still hadn't moved, Evelyn had begun pulling back slightly, her breath catching as a look of both horror and complete despair had overcome her features.