breakout✗d.d

Chapter 2 - Early Morning

It had to have been a few weeks since we first came to the camp. It was early hours, the sky still dim with the air crisp and fresh with the night's atmosphere still lingering in every breath we took. Merle was outside, doing something to his motorbike, a Triumph Bonville, Layla and I could ride it too but it was Merle's and we rarely had a need for it. Layla was asleep beside me, her deep brown hair falling out of the messy bun she had put it in last night as she fidgeted around in her slumber. I lay wide awake. I didn't want to wake her up but if I got up, she would wake up as she is a very light sleeper. So I just rested my eyes, lying on my back and she lay on her side, facing away from me. She seemed so peaceful sleeping, her shoulders subtly moving up and down, synchronised with her slow, shallow breaths. I was drifting into a dream when Merle came bounding in.

"Hey little brother, you come help me with something?" He spoke loud, awakening me fully then Layla. She too rolled onto her back, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Morning," She mumbled, turning over to face me then closing her eyes again. I got up, stretching my arms, then slipped on my boots and followed Merle outside.

Layla POV

"We should go." I spoke loudly and bluntly as I approached Merle and Daryl who were huddled over the Triumph. "What d'you mean 'go'?" Daryl replied sharply, not turning around. "On a hunt." I smiled sitting down on the gravel next to him. "You went a few days ago," Merle pointed out, which was true. "No I mean a proper one, a long one." I suggested. "Like over a few days, in the woods."

"What am I gonna do? Drive my bike up a tree and squish it?" Merle ranted. When Daryl and I went on hunts we just used our crossbows. I was pretty bad at using it but before the outbreak I had seen him use it so got my own and thought: what the hell, might as well have a try. We had only been a few times for a couple hours each time, always came back with something but it never seemed enough.

"We'll find summit," Daryl shrugged as he stood up and got on the bike. He started it up, so I guess whatever was wrong with it, he had managed to fix it. "There you go," He nodded to Merle then strode back to our tent as I followed. "So, few days. We'll try find anything worth grabbing and obviously catch somewhat or the other." I continued, strapping my machete to my belt. "Yeah, we'll head off later today. Get some gear, food, bit of water or whatever else." Daryl added as he fiddled with his crossbow, sitting on the floor on the tent. "Alright, what do we do till then?" I pondered, knowing that I got bored super easily.

"Dunno, could shoot a few, get the stuff ready waiting for everyone else to roll their ass's outta bed." Daryl shrugged as he inspected an arrow, wiping it over with a red rag he always kept with him.

"Shoot a few?" I said. Daryl nodded, gesturing to the arrow he was holding. "What about knives?" I grinned and saw the glint in his eyes as he flashed them up to meet mine.