Solitary: The Walking Dead

Chapter Forty-two.

I don't know what the hell to think.

Iris opens her eyes, looking around the room, the sun is starting to rise, and Carol is still asleep in the bed next to her. Iris gets out of the bed, strapping on her weapons before looking around for Daryl, she steps out onto the roof to find him building a fire "mornin" she says behind him watching as he piles things up, Daryl turns and glances back at her "mornin" he replies turning back to his work.

"Is Carol awake?" he asks "no, i left her to sleep some more... why don't you go get some sleep" Iris says "nah. I gotta finish this" he says "what're you doing?" Iris asks walking over to him, the man lights the fire before turning to Iris. Daryl nods and Iris follows him to a room, she looks at the door as a walker starts hitting against it, "let me help'' she says, understanding that the man didn't want to leave her like this.

Iris lifts her knife while Daryl slowly opens the door, she drives her knife into the walkers head and together they wrap her body with a sheet before they carry it to the roof together, carefully they place the body on the fire stepping back and watching, Iris reaches her hand and gently holds onto Daryl's hand, seeking comfort as her mind fills with the idea that that could be her, it could be her mother, her sister. Without a second thought Daryl gently grips onto her hand. Carol joins them as they watch the fire, "thank you" she says from next to them.

........

"That car was headed downtown. I say we get up in one of the tall ones, get ourselves a view, see what we see." Daryl says as they get ready to leave, "We can stay close to the buildings and keep quiet, but sooner or later, we're gonna be drawing 'em." Carol says, walking out of the room.

Iris follows as they exit the building and start walking through the street, Iris looks around at all the military machinery, they press their bodies against the wall of a building as Daryl carefully peers around the corner. "Alright. We can get up there. There's a bridge" Daryl says, taking off his bag and grabbing out a notepad, "you got your lighter on you?" Daryl asks Iris, she reaches into her back pocket, pulling out her lighter and handing it to him. Daryl holds the flame to the paper, waiting for it to catch light before throwing it into the street in the opposite direction that they are going.

They watch as the walkers follow the flames, Iris picks up Daryl's bag, slinging it over her shoulder, and follows Daryl towards the building with Carol close behind her. They run through the parking lot, Daryl holds out his hand and Iris hands him his bag, they go through a door and find themselves in the bridge, Iris looks down at the walkers on the ground, stuck in their sleeping bags.

She takes out one of her knives and starts killing the walkers, "some days i don't know what the hell to think'' daryl says, standing up and walking over to Carol at the door with Iris, Daryl pulls at the door, opening it as much as the chains will allow. Carol takes off her backpack and gun, throwing it through the gap before climbing through, Iris climbs through after her, standing up she holds the door open while Daryl throws his bag and Crossbow, "good thing we skipped breakfast" he says squeezing through the gap.

Iris closes the door while Daryl picks up his stuff again, she looks into the rooms as they walk through the corridors, Daryl lets out a whistle and the red head walks over to him, following him into a room with Carol and looking around "how did we get here?" Carol asks looking out the window with Daryl, Iris moves and sits on one of the big leather chairs, kicking her legs up onto the arm of the chair, "mmm. We just did" Daryl says.

"You still haven't asked me what happened" Carol says, Iris looks down at her hands in her lap, picking at the skin around her nails "After I met up with Tyreese, the girls." "Yeah, I know what happened. They ain't here." Daryl says "It was worse than that." Carol says "The reason I said we get to start over... is because we gotta. The way it was..." Daryl says "Yeah." Carol replies.

Daryl presses himself up against the glass trying to see out of it better "You see something?" Carol asks, Iris sits up straight, looking at the pair before standing up "I don't know. Hand me that rifle." Daryl says, the man uses the scope of the gun to get a closer look at the thing, "Right there." He says handing it to Carol, Iris moves closer to them, looking through the scope to see a van with a white cross, "It's been there a while." she says handing the gun back to Daryl.

"Definitely one of 'em." Carol says, "It's definitely some kind of lead." he says, "we should fill up" Carol says grabbing out the water canter, "Alright" Daryl grumbles before moving away from the window, Iris watches as he starts looking at the artwork on the wall.

"What?" Carol asks, "I bet this cost some rich prick a lot of money... looks like a dog sat in some paint and wiped his ass all over the place" Daryl explains, tracing the painting with his hand, "really? I kinda like it" Carol says, Daryl and Iris turn their heads to the woman "stop" Daryl says looking back at the painting "i'm serious. You don't know me" Carol says, turning away from the two, Iris can't help but laugh slightly at the woman. "Yeah you keep tellin yourself that'' Daryl says "Carol, you gotta admit this is a piece of shit" Iris says looking at the painting.