The Fear (The Walking Dead / Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 34 - Nothing Of Consequence

Third Person – Rescue

"They have patrols. We're better off on foot." The woman was saying as they got out of the vehicle.

"How far? Night's coming." Rick stated.

"It's a mile, maybe two." She answered.

Rick and Daryl went to the back of the car to grab the weapons and bags as Oscar looked out for any walkers. The small group of four then began to move on foot through the woods. Rick and Daryl stayed up the back, letting the woman take the lead as she knew where she was going, but also to keep an eye on her.

"You know, what you did for me," Rick started as they walked, "for my baby, while I was... working things out – thank-you."

"It's what we do." Daryl shrugged. He held his crossbow sturdy in both his hands in a prepared position to aim and shoot if anything jumped out at them, but sticking out the top of his backpack was the handle of the machete.

They continued on for a few more paces before something caught Daryl's attention. "Rick. Down." They crouched down immediately as a small group of walkers came out of the trees in front of them.

"Get in formation. No gunfire." Rick instructed.

He moved first, driving his long, heavy knife into the top of the first walker's head. (Rick actually uses a machete, but because I've sort of made Kat's signature weapon a machete I changed it. This by no means takes anything away from Rick; his closest thing to a signature is his gun, but mostly he just uses whatever he can, even his teeth at times... It's not like I'm stealing Daryl's crossbow, Tyrese's hammer or Michonne's katana).

Daryl shot the next with an arrow as Oscar went for another with his crowbar. The woman didn't do much, both because of her wound and to see what exactly these people were capable of.

"There's too many of them." Rick said as the group began to back up, more walkers coming. There was another group that appeared behind them, a bigger one and Rick decided it was better to outrun them. "This way." He said, taking the lead and continuing on the way they were heading, dodging walkers.

Daryl followed next, now holding his hunting knife at the ready, not having reloaded his crossbow yet. Rick darted off to the side, into the cover of the trees to loose the walkers.

"Through there. Come on." He was saying in a hushed voice to prevent the dead from hearing. They were running until they came across a small cottage in the woods. "Come on." Rick said again. "Get the door." He said to no one in particular once they were all inside.

It seemed empty, abandoned, but there was a sickening smell.

"Keep it down." He hushed the others.

"The smell, it's loud." Daryl stated.

"What the hell is that?" Oscar asked.

"It's got to be a fox or what's left of one." Daryl answered, finding the saw, but a further inspection proved him wrong. It was a dog, a pet with a collar. "I guess Lassie went home."

A bang on the front door drew their attention to it; some of the walkers having seen them enter, others being attracted by the stench. With a few outside it would only draw more to them. But the door would hold for the time being. Rick found a new concern. A lump under the blanket on the bed inside the cabin. It was large enough to be a person, but whether they were alive or dead was another matter.

He grabbed Daryl's attention before edging forward with his torch, slowing reaching out to the blanket. He ripped it back and a man jumped up. He wore an old flannelette shirt and a torn beanie, a rifle was clutched in his hands that he immediately brought up and pointed at Rick as a warning.