Complicated ✔

Ch. 80 - Someone Needs Help

KATHRYN'S POV

I guess at some point, after the small excitment from the noise earlier in our watch, I used Daryl's shoulder as a pillow. One minute, I was staring at the small fire he'd lit because I was complaining it was getting chilly, and then the next he was shaking me awake slightly and the sun was starting to rise. "I'm going to go out and get the group some squirrel," he whispered to me as I sat up fully on my own, "finish out our watch and then I'll see you as we start moving on." "Yeah okay sure," I mumbled as I looked up at him sleepily.

He chuckled at my tiredness while I simply flipped him the bird before tightening the ponytail my hair was still in. As he walked off, crossbow in hand, I straightened up slightly and rubbed sleep out of my eyes as I looked around the forest that surrounded me. I inhaled deeply, smelling the familiar early morning, earthy smell. I wasn't on my own for too long before Dad walked over and sat down next to me where Daryl had sat that night. "You get any sleep while on watch with Daryl," he asked, obviously knowing Daryl would've let me sleep if I was tired enough.

"I dozed," I nodded as I leaned against his shoulder, "we heard a noise at one point." "I know," he said as I looked up at him from my spot against his shoulder, "Daryl told me before he headed out to get some squirrel. He's going to look and see if he can't spot any tracks, figure out what it was." "He said he figured it was a deer or something," I said confused as I sat up straight again to face him fully. "He's just double checking," Dad said quickly trying to defend Daryl, "he just didn't want to worry you." "I'm not some little kid Dad," I groaned out, "I want to be kept in the loop with this stuff. I want to help."

RICK'S POV

I knew she wanted to help, I'd honestly be more surprised if she didn't. When we finally packed up camp and began making our way through the woods, she was walking right behind me holding her little sister while Carl walked beside her. He kept glancing over at his sisters, smiling at Judy when she'd look at him before lifting his smiling eyes to his older sister. The smile on Kathryn's face though when Judith looked up at her next, I was happy she still had a reason to smile. The sound of a twig snapping next to us hand everyone on alert as we all lifted our guns.

DARYL'S POV

I looked up ahead of me, squirrels on my shoulder, to see the entire group aiming guns at me. Well, it's good to know everyone's on their toes. "We surrender," I said, holding up my crossbow and string of squirrels as everyone lowered their guns. I glanced to Kat where she stood behind Rick and Carl with little Ass-Kicker in her arms. Looking back to Rick, he began walking on with the others following behind. I walked up to join them, walking next to him as I explained what I found.

"No tracks," I muttered as I glanced at him, "no nothing. It's like they were a ghost." "So what you and Kathryn heard last night," he asked looking to me. "Heard something," I nodded, "but I more or less felt it. If someone was watching us, there would have been something." Rick looked at me for a moment before nodding slightly. He stopped and turned to face the rest of the group, urging them to keep up. In that time, Kat walked up and took his place next to me with her little sister still in her arms.

"Did you find anything," she asked, looking up at me. "No," I said shaking my head, "and that's what bothers me the most." "You felt it too," she asked, "I didn't know what I was feeling at first but after you left this morning, I realized that I had this feeling last night of being watched." "Yeah," I said, "I felt it." I glanced over at her as her little sister began to fuss in her arms. "I'm going to hand her off to Tyreese," she said, "he seems to like holding her. I'll catch back up."

KATHRYN'S POV

It didn't take long to hand off my little sister who seemed ready for a nap already and the day only just began. Once she was in the little carrier that he carried on his back, I made my way back up to walk beside Daryl once more as Carl and Dad joined up beside us. It had probably been a couple hours since we started walking this morning, but there was no telling where we were currently going. That is until we heard one noise that had Carl begging Dad. "Help," a voice shouted out in the distance, three times, before Dad agreed and we all made our way towards the person who seemed to be in trouble.

Holy shit! 98k reads on this and I'm already 80 chapters in. Now I have a question for y'all. Can we get this up to 100k reads by Friday? It's my birthday Friday and that'd truly be the best birthday present ever and I'd love to see 100k reads on this story.
- Kenz