Broken Wings (Daryl dixon x Reader)

Chapt 7: The Woods

"Everybody takes a weapon." Rick said as he opened the arsenal of weapons on one of the hoods of the cars.

"These aren't the kind of weapons we need, What about the guns?" Andrea asked as Lori went up grabbing a machete. I grabbed a machete too.

"We've been over that, Daryl, Rick, Austin, and I are carrying. We can't have people popping off rounds every time a tree rustles" Shane said as he leaned against the RV.

"It's not the trees I'm worried about" Andrea said

"Say somebody fires at the wrong moment, a herd happens to be passing by. See then its game over for all of us. So you need to get over it." Shane was right, I hated to admit it but Andrea did need to get over it. I didn't agree with Dale taking her gun, but ti wasn't just to protect her from harming herself but to protect her from firing and potentially attracting the dead.

"The idea is to take the creek up about five miles, turn around come back down the other side. Chances are she'll be by the creek. It's her only landmark." Daryl said explaining the plan to everyone.

"Stay quiet, stay sharp. Keep space between you, but always within sight of each other" Rick said turning to speak with Dale, who was staying back along with T-dog, to keep watch over our things and to keep working on the RV. T-dog on the other hand was still recovering from his injury and needed to stay back for that reason.

I began looking through my pack making sure I had some canned food and water, I also had a doll I had found when I was searching through the cars. Something to give Sophia when she returned. I made sure that I had some crackers in there too, despite Sophia not eating for a whole day, she may be too scared to eat anything more then some crackers.

I went and stood by Daryl waiting for the others to finish assemblign their packs. I then watched as Andrea went to DAle, asking for her gun back which resulted in an argument. I did sort of understand her argument, it was her gun, and it was given to her by her father, however I did feel like she was being a little dramatic. Only people who actually knew how to shoot should have a gun. Everyone else who didn't know, could learn soon, but it had to be in a safe place.

Finally, Andrea ended up saying "I'm not your little girl, I'm not your wife, And I'm sure as hell not your problem." Dale looked hurt as she walked away.

I walked over to Dale, as the other started into the wood, "She'll come around" Then I turned and walked into the woods with Austin by my side.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We walked for a while, before Daryl found that her tracks led to a campsite, with a tent. Carol looked at the tent with hopsefullness.

"She could be in there." Rick whispered perhaps thinking the same things Carol was. That her daughter found the tent and stayed the night.

"Could be a whole bunch of things in there.." Daryl said creeping up to the tent.He peeked in because the opening to the tent was halfway open, holding his knife out to his side for safety. He then went around to the side trying peak into the little windows, before turning to Rick and shrugging.

Rick motioned to Carol, who came closer, "Call out softly, If she's in there, yours is the first voice she should hear."

"Sophia, sweetie, are you in there? Sophia it's mommy. Sophia, we're all here baby, it's mommy" She called out desparetly hoping Sophia would come out of the tent. We waited for a minute before Daryl entered the tent, exiting after a minute with a shotgun in his hand. Putting his crossbow over his back

"It ain't her" Which gave bother relief and more anxiety to Carol. Her daughter wasn't dead but where was she?

"What's in there?" I asked curiously.

"Some guy, did what Jenner said opted out, ain't that what he called it?"

Suddenly we heard church bells, Rick pointed in the direction of the sound as well all began running towards the sound. After running for a second we stopped, unsure which way they were coming from.

"What direction?" Shane asked Rick.

"I think it's that way, I'm pretty sure," He answered point in front of us.

"Damn, it's hard to tell out here." Shane commented.

"Damn, right" Austin agreed standing next to him.

"If we hear them, then maybe Sophia did too." Carol said hopefully.

"Someone's ringing those bells, Maybe calling others" Glenn started, "Or signaling they found her?" Andrea finished for him

"She could be ringing them herself." Rick said leading us in the direction of the bells.

We hurried through the woods finally reaching an old white church, which had an cemetery behind it, but no steeple.

"That can't be it. Got no steeple, no bells." Shane said observing that fact, but rick went towards the church anyway. We started to run through the cemetery, desperately wanting this to be Sophia.

We reached the steps to the church, which had two, red, double doors. Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Austin opened the doors, and entering the building, three of the dead were sitting in separate pews. I wondered silently how they died and how they ended up back in this place.

The four men went around the pews each killing one of the walker, while Austin checked the backrooms. Seeing there was no Sophia in the building. Daryl went up to the large crucifix by the altar and said "Jo, J.C., you taking requests?"

"I'm telling you it's the wrong church, it's got no steeple, Rick." Shane said and immediately after Church bells rang out right above us. We all ran out and around the building where Glenn found that the bells were actually a timer and turned the thing off.

"I'm gonna go back in for bit.." Carol said disappointed and rightly so.

A few of us followed her into the church, I sat on one of the back pews, watching her as she prayed. I wondered if it would be an unanswered prayer or if Sophia would come around a corner any second.

I sighed and went out to the cemetery looking at the gravestones. I always enjoyed visiting cemeteries even though it full of dead people, I was always felt less alone. I believed in ghosts, honestly I could believe in anything now, there are dead men walking.

"Whatcha doing?" Austin asked from beside me

"Thinking."

"About what?"

"Before, I love cemeteries always have, find them comforting."

"Weird, always found them creepy."

"Yea guess it is a little bit weird.." I walked over to another headstone, it belonged to a child, at least they weren't lost in the woods...

"Y/N, has Dale talked to you about anything?"

"Like what?"

"Just uh, stuff about me?"

"No he hasn't" I turned looking at Austin now who looked as if a weight was lifted off his shoulders. "Why do you ask?"

"Just, crazy old man, I know he makes up stuff about people, tries to cause issues, guess he is bored. I mean you have seen how he is controlling Andrea."

"I guess, but he isn't crazy, just maybe paranoid, which is understandable because of how the world is now.." I started to walk past Austin to where the group was holding up but Austin stopped me.

"Just let me know if he says anything to you, okay? He doesn't care for you like me." I nodded my head and walked on. Meeting up with the group, wondering why Austin was thinking that about Dale.

Could he be right?