In The End | Daryl Dixon

Chapter 34: Separated

I watched as Carl and Rick broke at the sight of an empty car seat with blood stains inside. Judith didn't make it. An innocent soul, who couldn't defend herself, gone.

"We've got to go." Rick sobbed as he held Carl, who was also sobbing.

We couldn't stay here, everything was destroyed, our home now in ruins. We needed to find our people. I needed to find Daryl.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆

"Carl, slow down." Rick limped behind Carl.

Carl continued to walk ahead of us, completely ignoring Rick.

"Carl, stop!" Rick yelled, "We need to stay together. We got to find a place with food, supplies." Rick placed his hand on Carls shoulder, "Hey, we're gonna be..." 

Carl turned and looked at his father with the most hatful stare I've ever seen from him, causing Rick to recoil his hand from his shoulder, leaving Carl to continue on his way.

Further up the road was a barbecue shack that we decided to stop at. 

"Wait outside, okay?" Rick told Carl as he opened the door. "Keep watch." 

Carl glared at Rick, "You keep watch. You can barely stand."

"Excuse me?" Rick tilted his head.

"We've done this before. I'm gonna help you two clear it." Carl argued with his father, "You should just let me and Jordyn do it." 

 I shoved past them both, flinging the door open. I gripped tightly onto my gun as I pushed forward into the entry way into the restaurant. I steadily made my way into the kitchen, from first glances there wasn't much to salvage from. 

"Kitchen's clear." I said softly.

I followed them into the dining area, and behind a bunch of stacked up stools in front of a bar was just one walker. Looked to be the owner based on the photos on the wall. On the shelf behind the bar were bottles of hot sauce. 

"That might be all that's left." Rick commented. 

"I can get it from here." Carl said, lifting his gun up to aim at the walker.

"No, it's weak. I'll draw it out." Rick picked up an ax that was laying on the table near the bar. "Stay back." 

I looked down at the table where the hatchet was and saw a note. It read, "Please do what I couldn't. -Joe Jr." I gently lowered the note back onto the table, just in take to see Rick pull down the stools, letting the walker loose. Rick hit the walker over the head with the ax, but his swing wasn't hard enough as the walker kept coming, trying to reach for Rick. Before I could react, a gun shot came from beside me, the walker falling to the ground with the ax still stuck in its skull. 

 "I said not to." Rick said breathlessly. 

"You couldn't do it with the ax." Carl yelled in frustration. 

"I had it. Every bullet counts. What if you needed that one later?" He stared holes into his son.

I placed my hand awkwardly on Carl's shoulder, "Let's see what we can find, yeah?" 

Carl stormed off into the kitchen without a second glance back. I gave Rick a sympathetic look before I followed behind Carl. 

The kitchen wasn't empty after all. Carl found some jar of pickles, cucumbers, and I found several bags of pork rinds. Of course the pork rinds would be left in the apocalypse, horrible excuse of a chip. 

Rick came out behind the bar with several bottles of water, shoving it into a bag he had found in the back before we decided to leave. 

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☀︎ ⋆⁺₊⋆