In The End: A Daryl Dixon x OC Story

Leave This World Behind

The sun had risen a lot faster than I had expected, especially since I'd been awake all night. After what happened, knowing that Jim could turn any minute, I don't know how anyone could sleep. But from the snoring that echoed through the quarry, I assumed someone was getting some sleep in. Good for them at least.

Since I hadn't slept, I had managed to get all of my things together, making sure I hadn't left anything behind. Any food, weapons, first aid, or anything of sentimental value, went straight into my bag before I packed up my tent. Shane had to help me. I had never been big on camping, and so I'd never learned how to put a tent up, much less take it all back down.

With my tent under my arm, I watched Daryl drive Merle's motorcycle up onto the back on the old pickup we had. And as I stared back out at the quarry, I wondered what would happen to it. If anyone else would come and stay here? If the man that Rick was leaving the note for would actually come and find it? If we'd even find a living person at the CDC, much less a cure? Our numbers were going to go down even more now that the Morales family was leaving. Would we even make it out there?

I had seen what it was like that day in Atlanta, and it had to be worse now, the more time that passed, the more people had to have turned. Was there anywhere safe that we could go? Or would we spend the rest of our lives running from walkers?

Shane droned on about the cb radios and what channel we should all be on in case anything happened. He then went on to say that if we were in trouble and didn't have a cb we should honk the horn once, which spelled disaster to me, but I wasn't the one designated for giving orders. When he finished his little speech, Morales spoke up, saying that he and his family were heading to Birmingham and that they wouldn't be with us. So, once again, our numbers had been cut, right along with our weapons. Rick handed Morales a pistol and half a box of ammo which didn't seem to sit with Daryl quite right.

"Come on, your with me," Daryl said, slapping me on the shoulder, "but I'm drivin'."

"Okay," I shrugged, hopping in the passenger seat of the pickup truck with Daryl.

I shoved my bags into the floorboard, my eyes stinging with exhaustion. Normally, it wouldn't take you long to get where we were going, but with all the cars and walkers in the streets, there was no telling when we'd get there. I hoped that Daryl wasn't upset at how I nearly shot him through the ear to make a witty comeback last night.

At first, the drive was quiet, and it wasn't really an awkward silence. Just serenely quiet, and it was nice. But before long, Daryl cleared his throat and spoke up, "You handled yourself pretty well last night."

"Was that a compliment from the Daryl Dixon?" I asked, feigning shock.

"Maybe it was," he laughed. Somehow after everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, he laughed, "Don't be goin' 'round telling people about that though."

"I wouldn't dream of it," I smiled, "but why be so nice all of a sudden. Trying to butter me up for something?"

"I wouldn't say that," he said, digging in his pocket, "I just don't want you sitting there crying like a baby when I give you this."

He held out his hand, and let something slip between his fingers. Dangling before me was a golden necklace. But it wasn't just any golden necklace. It was a heart shaped locket with a K engraved in flowery lettering on the front, blood dried into the crevices of the metal. My heart felt like it had stopped. Kathleen's locket.

"How did you-"

"We found her, in Atlanta. Well, we didn't know it was her til we looked at that necklace," he sighed, "First I thought I might be able to trade it for something if I found anyone else willing to."