Li'l Sparky // [Daryl Dixon]

Prolouge

Setting: Pre-Apocalypse

*Ryan's POV*

"Stop!" I screamed. "Please!" Rob was beating me to a pulp. How could I be so stupid? They always say, never fall for a frat boy. 

"Shut up!" Rob hissed. He pulled out a knife and stabbed me in my lower abdomen. I screamed in agony. I saw blood pooling from my body.

My blood was running down the dark alleyway. White dots started to pop in front of my eyes. Was this the end? Was this how I was going to die? At the hands of someone who loved me? Did he even love me? 

"Get away!" a rough, country voice yelled and pushed Rob off of me. My mysterious savior started punching Rob until he's knocked out. The man, who looked to be in his late forties, walked over to me.

"Just hang on, a'ight?" he said. "The paramedics are gonna be here soon. What's your name?" 

"R-Ryan Greene," I coughed out. 

"Merle Dixon," the man introduced himself. "You're gonna live, Ryan. I promise you that. Just stay with me. How old are you?"

"T-twenty."

The last thing I heard before I blacked out was the distant wail of sirens. 

---

I woke up a bright white hospital room. A nurse walked in and smiled.

"She's awake!" she announced. My father, Hershel, and my sisters, Maggie and Beth ran in.

"Oh, thank the Lord!" Maggie cried and hugged me gently. I noticed my dad is clutching his cross necklace. 

"How long have I been here?" I asked. 

"Three days," Beth answered. I looked down and noticed the large bandage over my abdomen. Something felt wrong, almost as if something was missing. 

A wave of sorrow crossed Maggie's face. 

"Ryan, there is something you should know," she said. "When Rob stabbed you, he got your uterus. The surgeons had to take it out. I'm so sorry." 

I laid down in defeat. My fantasy of raising a family of my own were just demolished. Thanks to Rob Middleton. 

---

A week later, I was released from the hospital. Rob was taken to court and I testified against him. Rob was found guilty of domestic abuse and attempted murder and was sentenced to jail for twenty years. 

I became less social and put up walls. I got nervous when I took the bus and I never drank. Rob always drank and it ended up with me bleeding. 

The only people I trusted were Dad, Maggie, Beth, and Merle.

Merle and I became close friends after my accident. We even made a pact: "The Dixon-Greene Compromise. Us against the world, or none at all." 

The pact stated that Merle and I would always be there for each other. 

I learned a lot about Merle. He was the kind that your parents would tell you to avoid. He drank, smoke, did drugs, basically screwed every hooker in town, and cursed like a sailor. 

Surprisingly, he never pressured me into anything. He understood my hatred for alcohol and how frightened I was of it. 

Today, we walked down main street together with the moon beaming over us.

"Whatya wanna do?" he asked me. 

"There's a street fair tonight. Wanna get some food?" I asked. Merle grinned and wrapped his arm around me.

"Whatever you want to do is good with me, kiddo," he said. "And if you see anything that you're uncomfortable with--"

"Merle," I stopped him. "I'm twenty years old, I'm not kid. I can handle myself." 

"Oh, really?" Merle scoffed and held out his hands so his palms were facing me. "Punch 'em." 

I threw a fist at his left palm. 

"Weak," Merle stated. "Try the other one." I punched his right palm. 

"Sloppy," Merle smirked.

"Well, it's not like I've gotten any professional training!" I crossed my arms.

"Well, you got some, now," Merle said. 

"Whattya mean?"

"I'm ex-military. I could give you some training."

I smiled happily, "Seriously?"

"Yeah!" Merle exclaimed. "I've basically got a training area back at my place."

"What are we waiting for, then?"

---

Merle took me back to his place and we went into his basement. The room was stocked with guns, bows, and equipment. In the center of it all is a punching bag. Merle walked to the wall and grabbed me some blue boxing gloves from a coat hanger. 

"Get to work," he instructed. I slipped the gloves on and walked to the bag. I started punching it with all my strength. 

After almost fifteen minutes of straight punching, the bag tore and the sand pellets slowly flowed out. 

"Sorry," I muttered.

"Are you kidding me?" Merle laughed. "That was the most badass thing I've ever seen!"

I turned my attention to the rack of bows. A certain one caught my eye. It seems to be collapsed. 

"What's this?" I asked.

"It's a collapsible bow," Merle explained. "Easy to hide and has great range. You can take it if you want."

I took the bow and it sprung to life with the flick of my wrist. 

"I think I'm in love," I marveled. 

"C'mon, I'll take you home," Merle offered. I clutched my bow and got on Merle's bike.

Just before we left, I saw a man with sandy hair and bright blue eyes come out of the woods. What intrigued me most was the fact that he was carrying a crossbow.

A/N: HELLO IT IS I! So, new story on the way! I've been thinking about this one for a while now!