Daryl's POV
Tracking ain't complicated. Least it ain't supposed to be. Look for the prints, the broken branches, the places where the leaves got kicked up. And listen. The woods talk if you let 'em.
"Stay low," I tell Beth, adjusting the crossbow against my shoulder. "Watch the ground."
She nods, concentrating real hard like she's trying to ace some test that don't matter anymore.
And then—crash.
Next thing I know, she's flat on her back, tripped over God knows what, tangled in some roots like a deer caught in barbed wire.
"You alright?" I grunt, offering her a hand.
"I'm fine," she huffs, brushing herself off, cheeks redder than a damn tomato. "I meant to do that."
"Sure you did." I can't help the half-smirk creeping on my face. Girl's stubborn as hell, I'll give her that.
We keep moving, the trees thinning out until the earth opens up into this patch of land. Quiet. Too damn quiet.
Cemetery.
Gravestones scattered like forgotten memories, names worn down by time. Beyond that, a funeral home. Looks almost untouched, like the end of the world forgot to knock on its door.
Beth stands beside me, looking at the place like it's something holy. "Maybe... people are inside. Could be good people."
I glance at her, then at the house. Good people? Not likely. Not anymore.
"I don't think the good survive anymore," I say, and Jade's face flashes through my mind before I can stop it. Her laugh, the way she called me out on my shit without blinking. Feels like a punch to the ribs. Feels like she's standing in that cemetery right now, one stone away from being real gone.
Beth frowns at me, like she wants to argue but don't got the words.
"Come on," I sigh. She's limping worse now, that ankle still not right.
"Seriously, I'm fine," she protests, but I just shake my head.
"Quit whining." I crouch down. "Get on."
She hesitates like pride's got her stuck, but eventually she climbs onto my back. Light as anything. I carry her across the grass, up the porch steps, and set her down real gentle.
I check the door, hand hovering over the handle.
"Stay here," I tell her, pulling it open. "Give it a minute. It's gotta echo."
The air smells like dust and old wood. I slip inside, every nerve buzzing. Crossbow up, checking the corners.
Nothing.
Beth trails in behind me, wide-eyed. "It's... clean."
"Too clean." I scan the walls, the tidy counters. "Someone's been taking care of this place."
Room by room, we sweep through. Dining room's set like it's waiting for guests who ain't coming. Place settings lined up, napkins folded. Creepy as hell.
Showroom's next. One body in a casket, dressed to the nines. I stare for a second too long.
"Someone took the time to do that," Beth whispers, almost like she's in church.
I shrug. "Ran outta dolls to play dress-up with."
Beth shoots me a look. "Or maybe... maybe they were trying to make it nice. You know, give people a proper goodbye."
I grunt, not ready to argue. Not when she's looking at the corpse like it deserves more respect than most of the living get now.
We head down to the basement. Smells like bleach and rot. All the embalming stuff's still there. Jars, tubes, things I don't got names for.
YOU ARE READING
When The World Ends
Ação"What happens when the world ends?" He asks in my arms. "We build it back up again." Jade Jacklyn Joy is a 25 year old girl who had a rough upbring. She was the Grimes babysitter for 9 years before the apocalypse happened. Spending that much time w...
