In The End | Daryl Dixon

Chapter 57: Hello again, darlin'

I lay wide awake in our bed, my back turned to his. Every time I closed my eyes, Denise's lifeless body haunted me—her blood, the arrow, the way it all ended. I sighed, tossing the comforter aside. I dressed quickly, then leaned over Daryl, pressing a soft kiss to his head before grabbing my sword and slipping out of the room.

The sun was just beginning to rise as I made my way to the front gates. Rosita was already there, while Sasha remained on guard duty. I brushed past Rosita, opening the gates as she shot me a confused look.

"Where are you going?" she asked, brow furrowed.

"Out," I replied simply.

"Well, no shit. Any specifics?" She crossed her arms, clearly not satisfied with my answer.

"Nope."

She stepped into my path, blocking me.

"Move, Rosita," I said, my voice low.

"We need you here," she insisted, voice firm. "In case they do something. You do understand that, right?"

I looked at her, frustration bubbling up. "You weren't there," I said bitterly. "You didn't see her like that. You don't close your eyes and still see her... like that. I do." The words tasted like ash in my mouth. "Now do yourself a favor, and get the hell out of my way."

She hesitated, eyes narrowing as she studied me. Then, after a long beat, she stepped aside, letting me pass.

The walk felt long, but once I reached the train tracks, my stomach twisted. I slowly made my way to where Denise's body had lain, the blood still pooled on the tracks. I pulled the tiny keychain from my pocket, running my thumb over the plastic that read "Dennis."

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

The sound of an eerie whistle snapped me from my thoughts. I drew my sword, my senses on high alert, only to hear it again—this time from a different direction like I was being swarmed.

Turning around, I saw men peering from the trees—at least twelve of them, all with their guns aimed at me. The whistle came again, directly behind me. When I spun around, I was face-to-face with Dwight.

"Hello again, darlin'." He smirked as he aimed his gun at my head.

I tightened my grip on my sword.

"Ah-ah, I wouldn't do that if I were you. Why don't you just drop it?" He taunted.

I clenched my jaw, fighting with myself. But I knew the price of defiance. Slowly, I tossed the sword to the ground.

"Smart choice," Dwight grinned, signaling his men to pat me down.

They removed my gun and knife, then grabbed my wrists, binding them behind my back.

"You don't talk much, do you?" he asked, his voice mocking.

I didn't respond. Instead, I stared at him, my gaze icy, before spitting on his boots.

He looked down, chuckling darkly. "Take her."

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I sat against a tree, the rough edges of the gag biting into my mouth. Dwight slowly stalked over to me, settling on a flipped-over bucket in front of me.

"I gotta say, thanks for making this so easy for us," he said with a smirk. "Now, all we have to do is wait for them to come looking for you." His eyes darkened. "Let's just not forget who started all this."

"Dwight!" One of the men called out, his voice sharp.

Dwight glanced over his shoulder, then shot me a wink before striding over to the man.

"They've got eyes on two of them," I overheard the man say, and my heart sank at the words.

"Let's move. Stick to the plan!" Dwight barked, his tone commanding. He pointed to a man with blonde hair. "You stay with her."

The blonde-haired man nodded, giving me a quick glance. He didn't speak, but the way his eyes lingered made it clear he wasn't thrilled with the task. He moved a little closer, standing just a few feet away, but still giving me space—watching, waiting.

I could hear Dwight and the other man exchange a few more hushed words, their voices low and urgent. Then, the sound of footsteps faded as Dwight led the others away.

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When Dwight and his men came back, they didn't come back empty handed. I watched as they jerked Glenn and Michonne around, sitting them on the other side of me. The looks on their face, showed a mixture of relief and frustration. I sent them both an apologetic look, cause truth be told, if I hadn't have left we all probably wouldn't be in this mess right now.

As I was sitting there, through the trees, I could see a little bit of movement. I squinted, and I saw Daryl staring back at me. I looked between him and the other men, shaking my head no. I couldn't let him get caught, either.

He lifted his finger up to his mouth, and thats when I saw Dwight standing behind him. I tried to shout to warn him, but everything was coming out muffled. I watched as Dwight raised his gun, aiming it at Daryl. My eyes pleading for Daryl to turn around and realize the danger he was in, but it was too late. As soon as Daryl made one single move, Dwight pulled the trigger, shooting Daryl.

I flinched at the sound, the world going painfully still as I watched him fall. My heart lurched in my chest, like a weight pressing down on it. His body crumpled to the ground, and I couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The air felt thick, like it didn't belong in my lungs anymore.

A tear fell down my cheek before I let out a muffled scream against the gag, I began to thrash around finding my way to my feet. The blonde guy that was supposed to be watching me tried to snatch me, but I kicked him in the knee, hearing the loud crack of the bone, as he hollered in pain, falling to his knees.

Just as I was about to run toward him, toward Daryl, two men grabbed me with brutal force and slammed me back to the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of me, but the real blow came from the sound of my own screams, echoing in the air—raw, desperate, pleading for him. My body trembled violently as the tears flowed uncontrollably down my cheeks, each drop carrying a piece of me that was slipping away.

I couldn't stop screaming. "Daryl! " My voice muffled, but it didn't matter. He wasn't coming. He couldn't.

Through blurry eyes, I saw Dwight dragging Daryl's body toward one of the trucks. My heart broke with each step, each pull of his body across the dirt. They didn't care. He was just another pawn. My stomach twisted as I watched them load him into the back of the truck, like he was nothing more than an object. And then they drove off, taking him—and everything I had left—away.

I lay there, broken, my body cold against the earth, but it was my heart that was truly shattered. Every breath felt like an effort, each one heavier than the last. I did this . If I hadn't left this morning.

This is my fault.

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Another short chapter before all hell breaks loose.

little pig, little pig let me in