Ruin Me So You Can Save Yourself (Daryl Dixon X Male OC)

24. Horses Aren't Quite Like Bikes

Daryl Dixon

In the morning I grabbed myself a new shirt, more like borrowed a plaid button up, it had sleeves that bugged me a little but I didnt want to be rude and fuck up Dale's shirt so I left them be. It's only until Carol washes my old shirt. I throw it on over the undershirt I was wearing and close the buttons as I walk over to a car where most of the group was gathered to organize the search.

"Alright, we got a lot of ground to cover. Everyone's getting new search grids today. If she made it as far as the farmhouse Daryl found, she might have gone farther east than we've been so far." Rick starts as he points out stuff on the map that was laid out on the hood of the car.

"I'd like to help. I know the area pretty well and stuff." Jimmy, a young guy that lived on a farm with Hershel, sixteen, seventeen at most, walked over.

"Hershel's okay with this?" Rick asks, turning his attention to the boy.

"Yeah, yeah. He said I should ask you." Jimmy says, nodding.

"All right then. Thanks." Rick nods.

"Nothing about what Daryl found screams Sophia to me. Anyone could have been holed up in that farmhouse." Shane spoke up as he was sitting on the passenger seat of the car with the door open and his feet on the ground.

"Anybody includes her right?" Andrea said, staring at the bald man. There was enough negative shit already no one needed more.

"Whoever slept in that cupboard was no bigger than yay-high." I cut in, waving my hand around his waist to show the height.

"It's a good lead." Andrea said.

"Maybe we pick up her trail again." Rick nodded.

"No maybe 'bout it. I'm gonna borrow a horse, head up to this ridge right here, take blind's-eye view of whole grid." I cut in again pointing out places on the map. "If she's up there, I'll spot her."

"Good idea." T-Dog said. "Maybe you'll see your chupacabra up there, too."

"Chupacabra? Really?" Sam asked, chuckling lightly as he stared at me.

"You never heard this?" Dale asked as he put a duffle bag full of guns on the hood of the car. "First night at camp, Daryl tells us that the whole thing reminds him of a time when he went squirrel hunting and he saw a chupacabra." Dale said as he pulled out some shotguns and pistols laying them out on the hood of the car. Jimmy let out a small laugh at which I scowl.

"What ya braying at, jackass?" I asked with a dare in my tone. Try being smart with me boy I'll hand your ass to ya.

"So you believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Jimmy asked, still grinning at me like an idiot.

"Do you believe dead people walking around?" I snarked back.

"You sure you didn't have heat stroke or something?" Sam asks, smiling.

I know exactly what he means by something, he's asking if I was high. I was, I had some mushrooms that day but it has nothing to do with that. That chupacabra was as real as me, him or anyone here is. I saw it. Flesh and blood.

"I was fine. Piss off." I hiss slinging my crossbow on my back.

Jimmy attempted to grab a rifle from the hoof of the car at which Sam quickly snatched it out of his hands.

"Whoa! Hey, ever fired one before?" He asks, raising his eyebrows at the boy.

"Have you?" Jimmy asks, giving Sam once over.

"I was in the army." Sam answers with annoyance lacing his words. If that boy would look a little closer he would notice that Sam has dog tags hnaging off his neck, their outline prominent and obvious from under his shirt. He reloads the gun, catching the bullet that fell out of the breechblock and setting it back on the hood of the car calmly.