Fighting Walkers - With Him (The Walking Dead, Series three - Beth and Daryl) ✔️

Chapter nine: Fine Lines.

Chapter nine: Fine Lines.

There was a fine line between people who just shot at you and people who you once knew. I was looking at the same boy I hung out with at high school. "Oh my god, Daniel!" I rushed to hug him.

"Bethy! It's really you!" He hugged me back tightly, lifting me off the ground.

"I can't believe it." I laughed as we let go.

Daryl cleared his throat from behind me as did the other two guys Daniel was with. "Oh, right. This is Daryl, the person I have been surviving with for a few months. Daryl, this is my old high school friend, Daniel." I smiled. Daniel took out his hand to shake but Daryl just grunted, making Daniel pull away.

"And these two are Harry and Henry. They are twins. I have been surviving with them from the start." He said, making me shake their hands and introducing myself.

"Where's Joey?" I asked, feeling like I was not going to get the answer I was hoping for. Joey was my first boyfriend and Daniel's best friend.

"He- uh." He scratched the back of his neck. "He didn't make it."

My smile dropped and so did my heart. "I'm sorry." I said, trying to fight back the tears.

He nodded. "We should get going. We have a camp set up nearby."

I looked back at Daryl who nodded. "Okay, but we need to move." We both followed Daniel and his group to their camp which was located around a bunch of trees. A rope was around four trees that were in a circle with a few metal cans hanging around it and a few tents were placed in the middle with a small fire.

We all climbed over the rope as Daryl stayed outside of it. "I'm taking a leak." Nobody replied as he went off deep into the forest. I shrugged it off and took a seat near the fire as did Daniel. We had a lot of catching up to do. The other two went off looking for dinner as Daniel and I talked.

"So, how did you meet that Daryl guy?" He asked while starting the fire.

"We met his group back at home and we got separated from them a few months ago," I explained, "we lived in a prison for a while until it got overrun and destroyed by a group of people."

Daniel looked shocked. "Wow, you have been through a lot."

I nodded. "Yeah, we have."

"How about Maggie?" He asked.

I sighed. "We got separated at the prison and I don't know if she's alive."

"I'm sorry." He said, looking sad.

"Me too," I whispered, "so, what about you? Why were you shooting at us?"

He cleared his throat. "I didn't know it was you and we needed food. We haven't eaten in two days straight."

"There's no need to shoot at people who are trying to survive just like you." I added with a faint smile, hoping he would understand that it was wrong.

"I know and I'm sorry." He said.

I nodded. "How did you lose Joey?"

"We lost Joey to the dead back when this whole thing started," he said sadly, "it was awful. I could have saved him but I let go, my-my hands slipped."

I touched his hand softly. "It's okay, Daniel."

He wiped a tear away. "I shouldn't have let go."

Daryl soon returned as I slipped my hand away. "Beth, come here."

I nodded and turned to Daniel. "I'll be right back."

I got myself up from my spot and I stepped over the rope and followed Daryl away from the camp site. "I don't trust these people. They almost killed us."

"But they didn't," I said, "I know him."

"Have you almost forgotten that we almost died back there because of your little friends?" He snapped. "You might have known him in the previous world but this world belongs to the dead now and there is no way for sure that these people are any nicer than we are."

I stepped away from him. "You don't know Daniel like I do. He's sweet and always looking out for his friends and I'm one of those people."

"You were." Daryl rolled his eyes.

I couldn't believe he was being like this, I knew Daniel and that was good enough for me. "And I still am." I snapped and I tried to get back to the campsite.

Daryl grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Beth, please. If they were willing to kill for supplies then who knows what they can do."

I snatched my arm back. "Don't say that, you don't know that!"

"And neither do you." He said in a softer tone. I stared at him with sorrow in my eyes as he stared back at me. "Who you do trust more? A guy you knew at high school or a guy who has saved your life many times and who you know would protect you in this world, Beth." He raised his eyebrows at me.

Was Daryl right, was he really right about this? Yes, Beth. He was smarter than you.

"Alright," I whispered, "I'll go tell him that we will go different ways."

He nodded. "Make it quick, I'll be waiting here."

I quickly headed back to the camp where Daniel still sat, sharpening his knife. "Hey," I stepped back into the camp ground, "Daryl and I will be taking off, we are on a mission to find my sister." I lied. It was the only way to not hurt him.

"Please, don't leave. You're the only thing good that has come out of this mess." He stood up next to me and took my hand.

"I can't. Daryl wants to leave and I have to go with him." I told Daniel who looked sad.

"Why do you have to? He's not in control of you." He let go with madness in his tone.

"I know but we have been through a lot together," I whispered, "I can't just leave him now."

"Then let him stay. Just for one night, it's getting dark now." He said, trying to convince me.

He had a point and I didn't like being on the road at night with walkers around. I nodded. "Okay, we'll stay but just for one night."