in a dark meadow -- daryl dixon

helicopter boy

word count: 4340

"It's not all about strength," Shane reached over, his calloused hand sliding Avery's grip lower down the axe handle. She adjusted her hold and squeezed onto the tool tightly, the wooden handle biting into her delicate palms.

"Choke up your other hand by the head. Let gravity do the work." Shane kicked her foot lightly to widen her stance, approving her body positioning before turning his attention to the fresh log he placed on the tree stump in front of her. He traced his finger along a naturally formed crevice in the center of the wood. "See this crack along the top? Aim here."

Not feeling much confidence after her first attempt, Avery pulled the axe up over head, and using her dominant hand, tried her best to guide the axe head down into the log in one swipe. The dull blade buried itself about halfway through the log before stopping.

"It might not be all about strength, but I bet it helps." Avery mumbled as she wiggled the axe up and down, trying to pull it free again.

Shane chuckled, placing his hands on his hips. "Better than your first swing. You'll get the hang of it."

Avery had approached Shane for the wood chopping lesson. He seemed to be the leader of their camp, and there was a small part of her that wanted to prove to him that she was a valuable asset to their group. His appearance was gruff and intimidating - he had a muscular build, curly black hair and seemingly even darker eyes that conveyed authority. Only her heart softened when she saw him interacting so patiently with Lori's son, Carl, as if he was a father to him.

And though she sometimes felt an unease when speaking with him, she had to remind herself that this man had saved her life. If he hadn't found Avery tearing down the hospital wing in a mad panic, she would have received the same fate as her staff.

"Hello. Can anybody hear me?"

A static voice from Dale's radio cut through their chopping lesson. Avery abandoned the axe and joined the others, gathering around the RV. Dale quickly ascended the ladder to the top of his vehicle, reaching for the radio's microphone.

"This is T-dog. Can anybody hear me?"

"Hello?" Dale responded, tuning the radio dials in hopes of finding a better channel. "Reception's bad on this end."

"Is that them?" Lori asked, shielding her eyes from the sun. Several members of the group, including Glenn, T-dog, Jacqui, Andrea, Morales, and Merle, had left for Atlanta on a supply run. That was two days ago.

"We're trapped in the department store. Hundreds of geeks all over the place." Came T-dog's panicked voice. Avery's gaze slid over to Andrea's sister, Amy. She had been worried all afternoon for her sister's return. Amy held her hands together tightly. "We're surrounded."

"T-dog, repeat that last. Repeat."

Before Dale could get a response, the radio beeped twice before feeding into static, and then silence. Everyone stared at one another, T-dog's chilling message hanging heavy in the air. Avery hadn't expected their journey to go sideways. They made it seem like an easy 'get in, get out' run, but they had clearly underestimated the dangers of the city.

"He said the department store." Lori spoke up.

Dale agreed. "I heard it too."

"We do not go after them," Shane interceded the conversation, knowing exactly what Lori was implying. "We do not risk more of our people. We stay here."

"So we're just going to leave her there?" Amy stepped forward, not believing what she was hearing. "She volunteered to go. To help the rest of us."

Amy's voice was shaking and Avery could feel her own stomach flipping. She didn't know what the right solution was.