Daryl's Girl

Chapter 151

Daryl pov

I sat on my own in the same spot. Beth made me care. She taught me how to forget the past and gave me the slightest hope that the others were still alive. It's like anyone I ever care about always disappears. Merle, Lily and now Beth.

I sat facing the floor and didn't look up when I heard people or walkers coming towards me from the tracks. They stopped in front of me so I knew that it had to be a human.

"Well, look here." A man spoke.

I looked up slightly and saw more men crowding around me. The man standing in front reached down to take my crossbow. I punched him round the mouth and stood up with my crossbow to hand.

The other men raised their weapons as the man lay on the floor holding his nose. "Damn it, hold up." He yelled to the rest of the men.

"I'm claiming the vest. I like them wings." Someone spoke from behind.

"Hold up." The man in front snapped.

He reached for his nose and looked at the blood on his hand and started laughing. I didn't understand what he found so funny. I followed his head with my bow as he stood up and faced me.

"A bow man?" He questioned whilst laughing. "I respect that. See, a man with a rifle, he could've been some kind of photographer or soccer coach back in the day. A bow man's a bow man, through and through. What you got there? I'll be donkey licked if that don't fire at at least three hundred feet per second."

I kept my bow aimed at his head and didn't reply. I didn't know these men but there's no way I'm going down without a fight.

"I've been looking for a weapon like that. Of course I'd want one with a little more ammo and minus the oblongata stains." The man continued and the others chuckled at his commemt.

"You get yourself in some trouble partner?" Another one of the men asked from behind. I didn't move I kept my crossbow pointed.

The man in front must have known that I wasn't going to reply. "You pull that trigger, these boys are gonna drop you several times over. That what you want? Come on fella, suicides stupid. Why hurt yourself when you can hurt other people? Name's Joe."

Alhough I didn't want to, I lowered my crossbow. "Daryl."

I looked around and the other men as they to lowered their weapons and Joe nodded his head with a smirk on his face. In some ways these men are like who I used to be. Not a care in the world.

With no reason I found myself following after them. People are my best defence against walkers but when they give me a reason I'll leave. They walked of the tracks a little ways into the woods and they started to place their bags on the ground.

They all lay their belongings on the floor and started to secure some wire around some trees with some cans hanging from it. I sat myself down by the tree and watched as the other men eyed me.

As the other men slept I sharpened my arrows. I sat awake not wanting to close my eyes. Just before the sun started to appear I grabbed my crossbow and arrows and went to hunt. I went alone as I didn't want anyone else judging the way I do things.

I stood still and aimed my crossbow at a rabbit that had wandered into the open. I steadied my aim and shot at the rabbit as another arrow skimmed past my head.

I spun round to see Len standing behind me lowering his bow. "What the hell you doing?" I snapped.

"Catching me some breakfast." He smirked.

"Well it's mine." I started to walk over to the animal.

"My arrows the one that hit it first. The cotton tail belongs to me." He called from behind,

I crouched down and took my arrow out then Lens. "I've been out her since before the sun came up."

"You see the rules of the hunt. Don't mean jack out here. Now that rabbit you're holding, is claimed boy." He stopped as I tossed his arrow into the bushes and stood up. "Claimed whether you like it or not. So if I was you, I'd hand it over. Now. Before you get to wishing you ain't never got out of bed this morning."

I slowly approached him as he spoke. "It ain't yours." I spat.

"No. I bet there's a bitch, got you all messed up. Am I right?" He snarled. I looked at him and walked passed. "She got you walking around here like a dead man. You just lost yourself a piece of tail. Must have been a good one. Tell me something. Was it one of the little'uns?" He continued.

I stopped walking and held onto my knife. What was it any of his business of who I was with before. Lily, Beth. What was it anything to do with him.

"They don't last to long out here." He sniggered. I pulled my knife from my belt and turned on him to be stopped by Joe.

"Easy fellas, easy." Joe stood in front whilst Len laughed. "Lets put our weapons down. See if we can't figure out whats really the problem here, huh?" He stood between us and turned to Len. "You claim it?"

"Hell yeah." Len pulled his bow onto his back.

"Well there you go. That critter belongs to Len." Joe looked back at me.

I stood where I was. There was no way I'd be giving up my hunt over a stupid word. "Let's have it." Len stuck out his hand.

"Looks like you may be wanting an explanation. See going it alone, that ain't an opion now a days. Still it is survival of the fittest. That's a paradox right there. So I laid out some rules of the road to keep things from going Darwin every couple hours. Keep our merry band together and stress free. All you gotta do is claim. That's how you mark your territory, your prey, your bed at night. One word. Claimed." Joe explained.

I looked at them both. That was the most stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life. "I ain't claiming nothing."

Len snarled at me and started edging forward. "We gonna teach him, right?" Len looked at Joe. Joe didn't make any sort of reply. "Your rules say we gotta teach him."

"Now it wouldn't be fair to punish you for violating a rule you never even knew existed." Joe told the both of us.

Len shook his head and started pacing. "Their ain't no rules no more."

"Oh here are. You know that. That's why I didn't kill you for the crossbow. Joe went and grabbed the rabbit I was still holding onto. I tried to pull away but he wouldn't let me. "Easy there partner." He showed no signs of taking it from me.

He edged over to the tree but I still wouldn't let go so he swung his axe and cut the cotton tail in half and tossed the head to Len. "Claimed. That's all you gotta say. The ass end is still an end." Joe nodded and followed after Len who had already stormed of.

I waited a moment before going after them. When the time's right I'll make my move and leave. When I do, the first thing I do is search for Lily and Beth.