A Redneck's Wicked Game (A Daryl Dixon Story)

Closure And A New Beginning

Chapter 28-Closure And A New Beginning

Rowan's POV

Most of the leaves have fallen from the trees and the weather has turned colder. From my calculations it's probably just about mid-November. It won't be long until we hit the freezing mark regularly at night and by late December we should see our first dusting of snow in the mountains. We don't see huge snow accumulations here in Georgia but a dusting to a couple of inches several times from late December to the end of February is normal. I have seen years that we've gotten five or six inches at a time but it's pretty rare. The cold is honestly the worst thing about the winters up here; the cold wind just bites through you, chilling you to the bone quickly. I expect these Southern Georgians will down-right hate it this winter. The only upside is the fact that the walkers seem to move slower in the cold weather.

As the weather has turned colder I've become antsier. Winters in the mountains have always been emotional for me. It used to be filled of memories of hunting with my Dad and after his death it became filled with memories of extreme hunger and cold. I would hunt but my mother would barely give me enough food to survive. She was selfish and cruel, keeping most of it for herself. I was a kid and it took me awhile to realize that I had to hunt for myself if I was going to survive. I spent most of my childhood living on squirrels and chipmunks, sometimes eating them raw because it was too wet in the woods to make a fire to cook it. Everyone thinks that the world has become harsh since the dead started walking; for me it's not much different than when I was a kid. If I can survive that I can survive anything and I don't need anyone to do so.

I stand in the meadow in front of the mill, my breath easily seen in the chilly early morning air. I look out towards the tree-line, my mind racing. I pull the zipper on my jacket higher towards my neck as I contemplate things. I hoist my bow on my shoulder as I start walking down the driveway. As I walk, I hear quiet footsteps behind me and I turn to see Michonne following me. I sigh as I stop and address her, "What's up Michonne?" She looks around and then back to me, "Where are you going Rowan?" I shrug, "Out, I need some space this morning." She gives me a long look, "Does Daryl know you're heading out alone?" I roll my eyes, "He ain't my keeper Michonne, I'll be back in a few hours." She nods, "I get that but he'll go off the deep end if he finds you missing." I nod, "I know but I need to git outta here, I've had enough right now. Just tell him I'm out and I'll be back." She shakes her head, "That's one conversation I don't want to have with a pissed off redneck. You need to give me something better to tell him Rowan." I look around as I decide what I should do, finally mumbling, "Just tell Daryl that I'm burying my past once and for all." She nods, "Be safe Rowan, but don't be surprised if Daryl shows up looking for you." I shrug, "I know, it won't surprise me none." I walk away from Michonne and head down the driveway.

Daryl's POV

The last a couple of hours I've been meeting with Abraham and Rick talking about what needs to be done before the winter sets in. We've discussed runs, projects that need to be finished and what we should do about Sam and his group on Eagle Mountain. We wrap up our meeting and I walk into the main room of the mill. I look around for Rowan but don't see her. I put on my jacket, grab my crossbow and start walking to the door when I heard Michonne's voice, "She isn't here." I turn to her, "Whatcha mean?" She gestures outside, "She left early this morning while you were in your meeting." I glare at her, "Where the hell did she go?" She shrugs, "I'm not sure, she said she needed space away from all of us." I close my eyes and take a deep breath, doing my best to remain calm before asking, "Did she say anything else?" She nods, "She wanted me to tell you that she went to bury her past once and for all." I stare at Michonne as I try to keep my emotions under control but mutter, "God damn pain in the ass woman." Michonne smirks at me, "You can say that again." I grunt at her, "Tell Rick I'm going after her and I'll be back in a few hours." She nods, "You know where she's gone?" I nod, "Yeah I gotta pretty good idea." She walks past me, "You know Rowan can take care of herself, right?" I sigh, "I know but I still ain't standing here waiting fer her to git back." Michonne shakes her head as she tells me, "You really care about her don't you?" I just give her a glare and shrug before walking out the mill door.