in a dark meadow -- daryl dixon

ambushed

word count: 5479

Though Avery never wanted to leave that blanket, she bartered a days' rest before the two of them packed up and moved on.

The grass shone under a new day's light, the dew making everything brighter. The sun was shining but the air held a chill, forcing Avery to layer most of her clothing on her body, slowly peeling off items as the day stretched.

They hiked for miles, swatting at bugs in the dense wood and trying to keep themselves concealed when they traveled across open crop fields. A few cars had actually passed them on their route, but the two of them managed to stay undetected as the vehicles drove by. Once or twice a day, Daryl would withdraw the map from his pocket, looking at it briefly before stowing it away again. Avery occasionally glanced at the road signs with small town names she didn't recognize. They were somewhere between Greenville and Charlotte.

The area became more populated as they walked further into Charlotte territory, abandoned homes springing up on either side of them as they walked towards the city.

Late in the afternoon, the duo was walking the treeline along the main road. Avery preoccupied herself with the underbrush below her, gazing at the plants and stepping over fallen branches. Daryl walked some paces ahead of her, crossbow in his grasp, eyes trained on the road that stretched in front of them. They were close to Charlotte now - he could see the tall, commercial buildings of the city line.

Then he noticed something in the distance. His grip tightened on his weapon as they neared it, relaxing for a moment when he realized they were just emptied vehicles. He walked on, wanting to get a closer look.

Sandwiched between the metal guard rail were two parked cars in the middle of the road. There was enough space between them to allow a vehicle to pass through, but only if they moved slowly and cautiously. Beyond that point was a field full of abandoned vehicles, most with broken windows and smashed hoods. The hair raised on Daryl's arms. He didn't like this.

"Get down," He hissed and Avery immediately obliged, crouching down beside him. She followed his line of vision, eyes looking for an unseen enemy.

"What is it?" She whispered, and he didn't miss the pinch of panic in her tone.

"Dunno," His guess was an ambush spot, but he didn't want to freak her out in case he was wrong. His shoulders tensed as he searched for any indication that his hunch was correct, while Avery shifted uncomfortably beside him.

Before she could question his paranoia, there was a hum of an engine coming from the direction they'd been traveling down. Avery instinctively lowered herself further, though she was confident they couldn't be spotted through the dense foliage.

An SUV approached the two cars in the road, brake lights flaring as they slowed to a stop. Daryl watched the shadowed figures inside, as if trying to determine whether or not their vehicle could pass through.

Before they'd made their decision, three figures emerged from within the abandoned car lot, stalking up to the SUV. One held a bat and the other a crowbar, while the third had a handgun withdrawn. Avery froze beside him, watching in horror as the man with the bat and handgun threw open the driver and passenger doors.

A woman came tumbling out of the passenger side, legs kicking uselessly beneath her as one of the men dragged her out by her hair. She was middle-aged, maybe ten years older than Avery, with old, worn clothes that made Avery think they had nothing of value to offer these brutes. The man who was driving was also forced out of the car, roughly pushed to the asphalt before an onslaught of metal and boots began beating down on him. The man curled up, trying to shield himself from the blows.