Hopeless

Chapter 10

I cringe as Rick, Dale, and Jim attempt to kill the struggling corpse. It snarls at them, continuing to move. Andrea and Amy stare at the half eaten deer, obviously disgusted. Finally Dale stops the walker by cutting it's head off with an ax. Everyone stares at it, shocked.

"That's the first one we've had up here. They never come this far up the mountain." Dale says, breaking the heavy silence.

"Well they're running out of food in the city, that's why." Jim says in a know it all manor. The sudden sound of a branch snapping behind me makes me jump. I grab onto Shane's arm, my body becoming tense. I relax when I see Daryl emerge from the trees. He's obviously upset by the sight of the deer.

"Son of a bitch. That's my deer! Look at it. All gnawed on by this... filthy, disease-bearing, motherless poxy b*st*rd!" He screams angrily. I flinch as he kicks the walker's body. I've never seen Daryl like this. I scoot closer to Shane, just wanting to be close to him.

"Calm down son. That's not helping." Dale says, trying to ease the situation.

"What do you know about it, old man? Why don't you take that stupid hat and go back to where you came from? I've been tracking this deer for miles. Gonna drag it back to camp, cook us up some venison. What do you think? Do you think we can cut around this chewed up part right here?"

"I wouldn't risk it." Shane says, irritating Daryl even more.

"That's a damn shame. I got some squirrel... about a dozen or so. That'll have to do." Suddenly the head of the walker start twitching and snapping it's jaws. The sound of its teeth clinking together sends chills up my spine. I shiver. Shane rubs my arm.

"Oh God" Amy mumbles from beside me.

"Come on people, what the hell? It's gotta be the head! Don't ya'll know nothin'?!" Daryl yells as he loads an arrow into his crossbow. I hide my head in the crook of Shane's neck, knowing what was coming next. Shane wraps his arms tightly around me. I hear the arrow fly quickly through the air. The sound the arrow makes as it penetrates the skull makes me sick to my stomach. I pull away from Shane and run into the trees. I hear him close behind me, but I keep running until I can't anymore. I stop abruptly, leaning against a tree. He grabs my hair and rubs my back as I throw up behind the tree. I stand up, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

"You okay baby?" He asks me, his brown eyes watching me intently. He runs his hands through my hair, flattening it down. I nod.

"I think I just need to sit down." I say quietly holding back the vomit in my throat. He puts an arm around my waist.

"Come on, let's get you back to camp." He kisses the side of my head as we walk back to camp. As soon as we get back I hear Daryl screaming for Meryl.

"Merle! Merle! Get your ugly ass out here! I got us some squirrel! Let's stew 'em up."

"Daryl, just slow up a bit. I need to talk to you." Shane helps me sit on a log, then catches up with Daryl.

"About what?" He says impatiently.

"About Meryl. There was a...there was a problem in Atlanta." Shane says carefully.

"He dead?" Daryl asks quietly. My stomach turns again as I think about Meryl stuck on that roof, baking in the sun.

"We're not sure..."

"He either is or he ain't!" Daryl screams getting in Shane's face. Rick steps up in front of him.

"There's no easy way to say this..so I'll just say it."

"And who the hell are you?"

"Rick Grimes."