Between Arrows and Hearts - Daryl Dixon

Making new friends

Cass thought back to the crazy old guy in her hometown, always standing in the town square, yelling about the end of the world. Lately, she'd been thinking about him a lot. 

Maybe, if she had listened, she could be back at home, with her family, facing all this together. But she hadn't. And now here she was here, trying to figure out if the berries in front of her were even safe to eat.

Her knees ached; she'd been crouching for at least ten minutes, staring at the little fruits, trying to remember random facts from nature documentaries or survival movies. Nothing. Frustrated, and not at all sure if eating these would just give her —and the whole camp— a serious case of food poisoning, she sighed and ran a hand over her face. She had promised the kids to bring back something other than canned food.

Deciding to take a chance, she started taking the berries, gathering them into the bucket Lori had given to her. She'd just filled it halfway when a creaking sound startled her. She filled the bucket halfway before a faint creak made her freeze. She turned sharply, her heart lurching.

A man with a crossbow was stepping out from behind a bush, the weapon aimed straight at her.

"Don't move." He ordered, his tone steady, unshaken.

The man watched her closely, sizing her up, and Cass quickly regretted her careless idea. She had no weapons, just a bucket of berries. And even if she screamed, the group wouldn't reach her before he could shoot. Slowly, she set the bucket down and raised her palms, trying to show she wasn't a threat.

Cass's breath hitched. The man stood his ground, watching her like a hawk sizing up prey. Rough-looking, probably in his thirties, with dirty clothes, dark blond hair, and piercing blue eyes. He carried a knife on his belt, and over his shoulder dangled a rope with a few squirrels and maybe a rabbit. He looked like he'd been out in the woods a long time.

"Don't shoot." She said softly, trying to keep her voice even.

He didn't answer right away, his sharp gaze still raking over her. Finally, he spoke, his words dripping with a thick southern drawl. "Ya're with the camp at the quarry." It wasn't a question. He said it like he already knew.

Cass nodded, deciding not to bother lying. "Yes." She replied with a nod. "Are you alone?"

He hesitated. "With my brother." He lowered the crossbow slightly but didn't relax entirely.

Cass glanced around. "Is he here?"

"'Ya see him?" He barked, looking at her like she was stupid.

His response was so deadpan Cass couldn't help but laugh. She knew that his brother wasn't literally here, she'd meant if he was close. But with the guy's intense look and all those dead animals slung over his shoulder, she half-wondered if his "brother" was something he was making up or at least just imagining. Clearly she didn't say that out loud: although the man had already lowered the crossbow, he didn't seem like the most stable person around.

"Ya think this's funny?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"No." She cleared her throat. "I wanted to say if he was close." She clarified, biting her lip to keep from smiling.

"No, he's a little far away."

Cass nodded, taking in the new information. She hesitated for a second before saying. "Do you know if these are safe to eat? You seem like the kind of person who'd know this."

"'Ya can eat 'em, but you'll be shittin' yerself for days."

The big laugh that came out of Cass surprised even herself. She hadn't expected the serious man in front of her to respond like that. "Do you know which ones I can eat without shitting myself?