Apocalypse Orphans

3

When Nick woke, it was still dark out as he thought about his past that haunts his dreams. All the pain he went through only to escape from one abuser to another.

He sighed, he knew he wouldn't get much sleep now, so after glancing around the dark room, making sure everyone who was supposed to be asleep was asleep, he managed to put enough weight on his leg to sneak out to the fenced in back yard and sat with his back against the wall of the house, looking up to the sparkling stars, thinking about his latest dream, whilst absentmindedly pulling his hidden switchblade out of his boot and repeatedly stabbed the ground.

He thought about the dream. It wasn't a dream as such, more of a nightmare. He got those a lot, especially after his mother died.

His nightmare was about his father. How he would beat him so badly he would fall unconscious for a day or two and how he would do other unspeakable things to him.

The fact that he still thought about his father that he hasn't seen since he was nine years old, scared the boy. He didn't want anything to do with the man so why was all his nightmares about him. Surely after four years he would of stopped having these nightmares?

"Can't sleep kid?" A voice sounded out, startling the 13 year old, who grunted in response, not bothering to see who it was as he continued to stab the blade into the ground.

"Either that or ya just like to star gaze." The man continued. "So which is it?"

"Both." Nick answered shortly. He didn't want to talk to anyone, especially the redneck.

"What the Earth ever do to ya anyway?" Daryl asked noticing the boy viciously stabbing the ground.

"Ye gonna snitch?" The boy asked almost angry but you could hear the fear behind it.

"Let me look at it." Daryl ordered, not giving him an answer.

Nick hesitated, if he did then he might not get the blade back, but if he didn't then his brother might find out and be mad at him and he didn't like it when they argued with eachother, so he handed him the knife.

Daryl inspected it and the craftsmanship while he rubbed his thumb over a red stain. "What's this stain?" He asked even though he already knew.

Nick could tell he knew so there was no point in lying, but he didn't like the answer "Blood."

"Who's?" Daryl questioned, somewhat warily of the kid but also demanding, he had already expressed that he would shoot him.

"Doesn't matter." Nico said. He didn't want to admit to a total stranger that he kept the knife his mother killed herself with. A knife that was permanently stained with her blood.

"Is it yours?" Daryl pressed. He needed to know, so he would know if the kid was a danger to himself or his group.

"No. It's been there for as long as I have had it." The boy snapped, hoping to end the topic of the knife.

"Easy kid. Just making sure ye ain't gonna kill us." Daryl drawled, handing the blade back to the kid, who took it cautiously, eyeing the older man, silently wondering why he gave the knife back.

Nick didn't say anything, but fiddled with his blade almost nervously, as he waited for the redneck to say something, but he didn't. Instead he just looked up at the stars.

"There a reason yer still out 'ere?" Nick asked. He meant to sound annoyed, but instead he came across as curious.

"Maybe I like to watch the stars too." Daryl grunted. This kid reminded him so much of himself and the kid wasn't making it a secret that he didn't trust anyone, or that he was guarded.

"Look kid-" Daryl started.

"It's Nick." Nick inturrupted.

"What happened to ya in the past. That's in the past. These people wanna help ye and Jacob. But trust has gotta go both ways. These people trust pretty easily, ye just gotta trust 'em back" Daryl continued, before getting up and going back inside.

"It'll get 'em killed. Trusting people I mean." Nick clarified when Daryl turned to look at him.

"Maybe." Daryl agreed and walked into the house leaving Nick to think.

He thought about the things Daryl said. Trust goes both ways. There was a little doubt in the boys mind that Daryl was going to tell Rick about his knife. But if he was going to tell Rick, then why not just take the knife now?

It made no sense to the boy.  Was he testing him to see if he could be trusted? Or did he just not care that he had a knife? It confused him.