𝐇𝐀𝐙𝐀𝐑𝐃 │ 𝐃𝐀𝐑𝐘𝐋 𝐃𝐈𝐗𝐎𝐍 ¹ [✔]

[28]: crucifixion

We were all gathered outside the church, by a tree. Rick and Shane were talking together. I was sitting on the grass next to Lori and Carl.

Lori kept her eyes away from me. I tried to talk to her about Carl practising using his weapon with me. She gave me one look and turned back to her son.

As the two men walked over to all of us, Shane rubbed the back of his head. Lori and I stood up from the grass. We waited expectantly for their orders.

"Y'all gonna follow the creek bed back, okay?" Shane announced. "Daryl, you're in charge. Me and Rick we're just gonna hang back, search this area another hour or so just to be thorough."

"You're splitting us up," Daryl stated. "You sure?"

"Yeah, we'll catch up to you."

Three people who momentarily seemed to detest me would be walking beside me. I saw the group splitting up as an opportunity.

"I'll keep looking too," I spoke up. Shane and Rick looked at me surprised. "I'll come with you."

I heard a scoff behind me. I already knew who it was before I turned to look at them. I gave him a deadly glare. I didn't seem to do much since Daryl still kept the smirk on his face that said, "are you kidding?"

"You sure?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, gotta make myself useful someday."

He nodded in reply, which meant I could go. I felt like a teenager that had to ask they're parents for information to go to a party. But I was just trying to grow up.

"I want to stay too," a little voice said. "I'm her friend," Carl insisted.

There was an awkward silence before Lori spoke up. "Just be careful, okay?"

"I will," Carl replied without missing a beat.

Whilst Rick walked over to Lori, I took a step towards Shane so I could join him. A hand gripped my shoulder, pulling me backwards, almost making me fall. The hand encompassed the whole top of my shoulder. I yelped as the person kept dragging me backwards till we were behind the tree near the group.

"You ain' goin'," the voice ordered. I turned and was met with Daryl's angry face.

"Again with the 'you can't tell me what to do' argument," I sighed, leaning on one foot.

He took a moment to look at my face, for some reason or other.

"You ain' no use to them," he sneered. "Ya' can hardly take down one walker, ya' can't track, hell you'll probably fall asleep ten minutes in."

"Way to put me down, Daryl."

I honestly didn't know why he was talking to me. We just had a conversation about how I attempted to kiss him in the CDC. That surely makes things awkward between us. He obviously didn't get the hint that I wanted to be away from three people that hated me at the moment.

"Good! Ya' don't need to go out and prove yourself to anyone Marley."

"Actually it's more of a, 'I really need to get my shit together' situation," I corrected, crossing my arms over my chest. "So let me. For God's sake Daryl, Carl is going too."

"I'm not completely incompetent, at least, not anymore."

Something in his eyes. I saw something. I had never seen it before. It looked be something of realisation, or shock. Like he was just dumped in a new situation. A cat in a new home. I had beaten him in this argument.

I took that as my cue to walk away. I stepped out from behind the tree. A few people were staring. Daryl and I must not have kept it that quiet.

Rick tried to offer his python to his wife. She refused. Daryl quickly stepped out from the shade of the tree as well, offering her a gun. She took it carefully.