Daryl's Angel (10th Anniversary Edition)

Chapter 4: Campfire Tales

Dale does have books and, although they're not my choice of genre, I take what I can get. I kill time in the Dixon tent until the light runs out, then I zip up the windows and emerge from my hovel, ready to help prepare supper.

With so many mouths to feed, things are sectioned off into smaller groups of survivors, all handling their own rations. Dale spots me first and gives me a job the second I ask, and that's how I end up gathering firewood with Carl and the preteen girl, who I learn is named Sophia.

Carl seems in good spirits as he loads his arms with smaller sticks, while Sophia is quieter, shyer. There's a firewood pile set aside for larger logs and, once I've made a run or two back to various fire pits, I help the kids gather more tinder.

"Hey," Carl says. I look up at him and he smiles. "Your name is Hope, right?"

I nod. "That's right, and you're Carl?"

"Yup!" He adjusts his bundle of branches, eyebrows furrowing a little with concentration. "Sophia and I are wondering...where are you from? Your accent is different."

I could give him the easy answer, but instead, I smirk and tuck another branch under my arm. "Where do you think I'm from?"

"Michigan," he says without a moment of hesitation.

"Close," I urge. It's not the first time I've heard that comparison. "But not quite."

Sophia peeks around the nearest tree. "Minnesota, then," she says. She raises her voice a bit, lifting her chin as she starts to smile. "Up north."

"You're almost right," I say.

"What? No way, it has to be one of those two," Carl insists. Sophia nods, adamant.

I can't help but laugh. "I'm from Canada."

Their mouths drop open, then Carl nods slowly. "Ohh...yeah, that makes sense."

"Isn't it cold up there?" Sophia asks.

"It can be. Colder than here."

I still remember my first Georgia winter and how warm it felt in comparison to the harsh prairie winters in my home country. I didn't wear anything more than a light coat through most of the year and still recall how devastated I was to have my first Christmas without snow.

"You're really far from home," Carl says. "Is your family okay?"

A lump forms in my throat and my hand freezes above another stick. I take a deep breath, then shrug as I try to smile at the children. "I don't know. I haven't spoken to any of them in a long time."

"My dad came back. Maybe your family can come back too," Carl says, his voice soft yet hopeful as he stares up at me with those big, blue eyes.

I want to ruffle his hair, pinch his cute freckled cheeks, and protect him from everything the world has become, but instead, I straighten up and give my bundle a shake. "I hope so," I reply. "Think we have enough wood?"

Carl nods, lifting his bundle like it's a trophy. "I've got tons!" Sophia copies him.

We return to the fire pits just as the sun dips below the horizon, bathing the world in dusk. Sophia joins her parents at a separate fire and, before I can wonder where to go, Carl urges me to join him at the fire with his parents and a few others, thankfully mostly people I've already been introduced to: Rick, Lori, Shane, Carl, Dale, Glenn, Andrea, T-Dog. Andrea introduces me to Amy, her little sister, and I greet her politely as I take a seat between Glenn and Carl.

As the sun gets lower and the sky gets darker, we share a small meal of canned beans and dried meat. It's a weird combination, but I'm just glad that I'm being fed. It's like I can pretend this is just a fun camping trip, at least for a little while.