breakout✗d.d

Chapter 5 - Into the Woods

Time passed quicker than I had expected. Within the first few hours we had caught a few squirrels each, even saw a deer which Daryl decided we could track later. Now the sky was getting hazier and the air became cool and refreshing. A salmon pink and purple heaven forming above us with burning crumbs of silver and gold scattered around it creating an astonishing sunset among the darkness. It was still summer, coming into autumn soon yet over evenings were still cold and damp.

"We should find somewhere to hold up for the night." Daryl suggested. I could see the cloud of water vapour from his warm breath hitting the cool air as he spoke, twigs and stones crackling under our feet with every step.

"Alright, where you thinking? Like a... Just outside, build a fire or we could find like a cave or some kind of shelter." I chimed in. He was the best at things like this. I could do it perfectly well, I was able, he was just better than me.

"Yeah, we'll keep going out for another say, half an hour then if we don't find anywhere, we'll just set up a fire and sleep here for the night, take turns on watch." He explained. So we just kept hiking, mostly silent, through the thick 'haunted woods, worming with the undead. We heard a few low growls but the dark kept us hidden plus we kept quiet so nothing came after us. It was quite peaceful actually, calming almost. The group just seemed to cause so much stress. Like it was somehow my responsibility to keep them all safe, like I needed to run around, fighting off any threat. Like hell that was my job. No way. They can defend for themselves. When it all boils down, everyone has to be in it for themselves, maybe one or two other people but I do not want to be anybody's responsibility nor should anyone be mine. Out here, it was just Daryl and I. We took care of ourselves and each other. It felt like so much weight being taken off my shoulders, like stress that I didn't even realise I had until now, was just whisked away in a sigh of relief and recognition.

We were nearing our half an hour mark, it was almost pitch black now and freezing cold. I felt myself getting Goosebumps and shivers down my spine as my fingertips became slightly numb. It didn't bother me that much but it was still pretty unpleasant.

"Come on, we'll just camp for the night." Daryl insisted. It had probably been more than half an hour and we were near a nice spot. I dug out a small hole in the ground, found some tinder then light it with my lighter, creating small ember, radiating a small radius of heat. We got some logs we could perch on then a blanket we had brought in the bag and laid it on the floor over the mud.

"I'll take first watch," I said, sitting on a log, clearing the way for the blanket so he could lie down. He shook his head.

"No it's fine you get some rest, I'll wake you up in an hour and we can switch." He maintained sitting next to me.

"No, I said, I'll take first watch," I raised my eyebrows, trying to push him gently backwards off the log and onto the blanket but he resisted, laughing at my feeble attempt.

"Jesus, Layla you're such a toddler," He complained slipping onto the blanket. "Can't go to bed when you're asked, you have to have it your way," He teased emphasising the words 'you', 'your' and 'you're'. You see it all the time everywhere else. The man in the relationship is some kind of sweet saviour, always giving the girl what's 'best' for them, always giving up their own 'priorities' and luxuries for their girl. Ha. No. That's not how things worked around here. I'll do it my way thank you very much because I don't need anyone to give up anything for me. Independence is not a skill, but a life choice I have chosen to not let anyone protect me but me. And Daryl knows that, life isn't a story, nor a movie, so I'm not going to lie to myself and play along a script.