One wrong judgement call.
That's all it took for Sabrina to be hidden in a thicket of trees, blood coating her face as she held her machine in her hand and Judith strapped to her back in a sling.
The group was all separated, dispersed so they had a better chance of fighting off a group of rowdy thieves.
"Relax, please." A man spoke up, "I don't want to hurt you or your baby." He said, walking along the treeline
Sabrina pressed her lips together, hoping Judith stay quiet. She stayed perched on a branch of a tree, waiting for the man to appear beneath her. Sabrina jumped, landing on top of the man, using her knife to slice his jugular. She left his body as she crept back into the woods, pressing her figure against a tree when she heard rustling
"Sabrina?" Carl whispered quietly, "Sabrina?" He whined, walking through the woods
Sabrina hit her head sarcastically repeatedly against the side of a tree in frustration. She sighed as she stepped back, shuffling her feet to avoid stepping on any tree branches. Sabrina walked to a clearing, exhaling deeply as she saw Carl, standing face to face with a large man. She knew she couldn't take on the man with Judith strapped to her back, afraid she would fall back and crush the baby.
The man turned, watching Sabrina as she stalked behind Carl protectively, like a mother bear and her cub, "Dead, but pretty." The man spoke up, looking at Sabrina, cocking his head to the side
Sabrina circled the area quietly, tilting her head to the side to mimic his movements. Times like this made Sabrina afraid she was reaching a deep end that she wouldn't be able to resurface from. As she danced in a circle with the man, both of them waiting for the other to make a move. Walker blood, dirt and other unknown materials were masking her delicate woman like facial features.
Sabrina kept her grip tight on the red handle of her machete, her breathing slowing down as she prepared herself, "Carl, when I move, you move." Sabrina whispered as she inched her way to his backside, "Now." She warned, pushing him in the opposite direction of where she was moving.
Sabrina lunged at the man, using her speed to her advantage
The man swung his steel mallet at Sabrina, a loud shout escaping his lips, a swoosh coming from the heavy material
"I-I don't have a weapon, Sabrina!" Carl shouted
Sabrina was overstimulated. Carl was shouting, attempting to get the man's attention away, while Judith cried. She knew the mallet was heavy, which would bought her a few moments to throw her machete on the ground in front of Carl, afraid he would need it more than her. Sabrina truly had no idea what was lurking within the woods at that moment.
The man picked up the heavy mallet again, swing at Sabrina. This time, he caught her just in time. The head of the mallet hit Sabrina in the abdomen, knocking the wind directly out of her lungs
A loud wheeze escaped Sabrina's lips as she stumbled backwards, careful not to fall backward and land on Judith. Sabrina dug her foot into the ground for stability as she lunged forward.
It was like a game of cat and mouse.
Every so often Sabrina would get a good momentum good. The ability to get in a few good shots, hitting the man in the face until her knuckles were battered.
Then came her turn.
Whether it was the wooden part of the mallet of the head, every singular hit that Sabrina endured felt like it was killing her from the inside out.
Sabrina forced herself to stand up, staring at the man as she heard a loud bird call
"You hear that?" Sabrina laughed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, "There's a man in the woods." She hissed, spitting up blood on the ground before she returned the bird call
The man looked at Sabrina, astonished on how she was still standing after receiving so many blows. Before he could fully process what was going on, a bullet pierced through the back of his skull, coming out of his eye
"Dead but pretty." Sabrina whispered, watching as the man fell to his knees before landing on his stomach. She walked over, stepping on his back before she yanked the arrow from his skull
Daryl jogged over, following Carls trail to Sabrina
"Thank you." Sabrina said, noting Daryl had her machete, "Trade ya." She said, handing him the arrow
Daryl took Judith from the sling, handing her over to Carl to quiet down her cries, "Fuck, Sanchez." He said, his shirt covered in blood with a few speckles splattered on his face. Due to his primary weapon of choice being quiet, he was able to take out a lot more of the threat from a safe distance
"I need to sit down." Sabrina said, "Sleep. I need to sleep."
"No, no, let's get you somewhere. Come on." Daryl said, picking up Sabrina bridal style before he carried her through the woods, "Carl, your dad is in the cabin. Take Judith." He said
Sabrina laid in Daryl's arms, staring at the starry night sky
Daryl carried Sabrina to a small creek, kneeling down, "Fuckin' filthy." He mumbled, grabbing a bandana from his pocket and dipping it in the water. He knelt down, keeping Sabrina propped up against his legs as he wiped off her face, "There she is."
Sabrina looked up at Daryl, scanning his eyes quietly
"Careful, cold water comin'." Daryl mumbled, dipping Sabrina's head into the creek, getting the blood out
Sabrina closed her eyes, exhaling deeply as a small smile appeared on her lips
"What the hell are you smilin' about?" Daryl asked
"Remember when we met at the CDC and you carried me outside?" Sabrina asked, opening her eyes
"Yeah." Daryl said, softly
"Did you think we'd ever be here? Years later?" Sabrina asked, locking eyes with Daryl
Daryl shook his head, "No."
"Me neither." Sabrina said, looking down at his lips, "My turn." She said, sitting up slowly. She used the bandana to clean the blood from Daryl's fingertips
"Jesus, woman." Daryl said, looking at her battered and bruised knuckles
Sabrina laughed softly as she rinsed the bandana in the water before she reached up, wiping off his face
Daryl inhaled softly as he leaned in slowly, his lips grazing Sabrina's. Before he could apply actual pressure to the kiss, he heard rustling in the woods. Daryl grabbed his crossbow, pointing it in the direction of the noise, firing a bolt
"You don't even know what that was!" Sabrina argued, standing up, afraid it was a member of their group
"It was a walker. Someone from the group would've announced themselves." Daryl said
Sabrina looked unsure
"Go check, woman." Daryl argued
Sabrina walked over, sighing when she saw the walker, "Whatever." She said, grabbing the arrow from his eye. She exhaled deeply as she walked back over to Daryl, rubbing her sore stomach, "Let's get back. I need to lay down."
"C'mon." Daryl said, picking up Sabrina again
"I can walk." Sabrina laughed quietly
"Nobody said you couldn't." Daryl said, carrying Sabrina to the cabin, careful not to hit her on trees or bushes. Standing a few feet from the house, he placed Sabrina on the ground, "I'm gonna patrol the area." He said, "Go inside." He said quietly
Sabrina nodded, "Be careful, okay?"
"Always am." Daryl said, "Go on, wanna make sure you get inside safe."
"It's like five feet." Sabrina laughed
"You're so accident prone. Each step could mean one broken toe, with your luck." Daryl said
Sabrina rolled her eyes, smiling as she walked to the front door. She glanced over her shoulder at Daryl before she stepped inside the cabin
