Daryl's Girl

Chapter 112

It was different to how I remembered it to be. It looked a lot smaller, but apart from the smashed windows and the broken down door the rest of it was how I pictured it to be. My house was still standing.

Taking a deep breath, I walked up to my front door and stopped. Up until now, I was so sure that I wanted to come back here, so sure that I wanted to see my house, but this wasn't my house. Not anymore. My belongings may or may not still be inside, but my home was back at the prison and with my family.

I stood there a little while longer before I thought the least I could do, as I was here, was take one last look inside. I hesitantly took my knife from my belt and used the handle to knock on the door frame a couple of times before I waited. From what I could here, everything was quiet inside so I stepped in.

It all looked the same, apart from all of my things scattered and broken on the floor. My lounge was wrecked. My old TV was smashed, but in the same place on the wall, and my sofas hadn't been moved. Then I suddenly remebered the one item I was so crushed about not being able to come back for.

I almost sprinted up to my bedroom as I thought about the item being taken. It had to be there. Who would want something so worthless to them?

Once there, I dropped to my knees and the box that I stored under my bed was still there. I quickly pulled it out and opened it to find the photo album still inside. It was then I let out the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding.

As I held it close to my chest, I could feel the tears beginning to build in my eyes. I'd forgotten all about it until now. I was so crushed when I realised that I couldn't come back home to get it. It was all I had left of my family and after that day, it meant more to me than anything.

Once I'd managed to bring myself back from my thoughts, I moved to sit on my bed. I then opened the front cover. The first was a picture of me and my mum and dad when I was younger. It meant so much to me because, after my mum died, my dad thought he threw all memories of her away. I was able to keep just this one, and when I felt down growing up, I'd always turn to it to keep me going. 

Then I remembered the photo Hershal had let me keep of their wedding day. It was in my bag. I reached for my it, but then remembered I'd left it with Rick to put all the supplies into. I'd have to dig it out back at the car. Instead, I reached down and grabbed the amulet that was around my neck. My mum had the same one on in the photo.

It felt like the amulet had somehow become part of me. Ever since Daryl hung it around my neck, back in the early days of the winter, I hadn't taken it off. It made me feel like a part of my mum was with me where ever I went. It's as if she's watching over me every step of the way.

I turned back to the album and the rest of the pages were filled with my university pictures and pictures of old school friends and my family. The whole thing just reminded me of how the world's changed. Most of the peoole in the photos were dead and there was nothing anyone could do to bring them back.

I could feel the tears beginning to burn in my eyes, so I closed the album and placed it down on my bed. As I did, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror opposite me. I looked horrible. My hair was greasy and out of place, my face was bruised and dirty and I was skinner than before, but apart from the dirt and blood that covered me, my figure looked to be alright.

Hoping I could get cleaned up a little, I walked into my bathroom and turned on the shower. There was no water. Of course there wasn't. Why would there be? There's been no clean water for months now, so, in my defeat, I walked back into my bedroom and I opened my wardrobe. My clothes were still there. It surprised me that no one had taken them for loot.