Truth in the Stones |The Walking Dead - Daryl Dixon|

Striking

I sat beside Carl on a rock by the lake. Rick, Glenn, Jeremy, T-Dog, and Daryl had all gone to try and get Merle back. I was told to go along, since I knew the area so well but Glenn volunteered for me as he knew the terrain as well as me. I smiled as Carl had another failed attempt of catching frogs.

"I'm not getting anything." He mumbled feeling defeated.

"Yeah, they're all willey, they sublime. They know somethin's up, somethin's going on."

Shane grabbed the bucket he was holding by the sides as he moved through his spot in the water.

"We're just gonna have to do this the ol' fashioned way, ain't that right Cheyenne?"

Carl grinned as he looked at me and I nodded in response, playing along.

"All right little man, look, you are the the key in all this, okay? All I'm gonna do is go after one of them all right? I'm gonna scare the rest of them off and they're all gonna scattered." Shane instructed. 

Carl nodded thoughtfully.

"You need to round up any bad boy you see, alright?" I said to Carl, grabbing his attention. "Those little fuckers move fast and they don't wait to be caught." 

Shane gave me a look for swearing but I shrugged. Sometimes, they would just slip and I would pay no mind if children were around.

"Alright." Carl exclaimed excitedly. 

"You with me? Give me a mean face. Argh!" Shane made a "mean" face and Carl copied his actions as I ruffled his hair.

"You ready?"

"Yeah!"

Shane stood still for a moment and started slowly putting the bucket in the water before splashing it rapidly and he went into the lake fully, wetting himself. He splashed the water and Carl began laughing, trying his best to catch a frog. Soon after a while, Shane began splashing me on purpose. I squealed as the water hit me and Carl laughed more as Shane continued to made a fool of himself.

Shane stopped splashing to give Carl some time to check his net. "What'd ya got? What'd ya got?"  

Carl looked disappointed. "Dirt."  

"Oh boy. Look's like we gotta start over." Shane sighed, pretending to be disappointed as well but I could see a faint smile on his face. 

We all laughed as Shane sat in the middle of us, shaking his hair like a wet dog. I could feel the sprinkles on my face and me and Carl giggled as we hid our faces. 

"Carl," Lori said, appearing from out of nowhere. "What'd I tell ya about leaving Dale's sight?"

"But Shane and Cheyenne said we could catch frogs."

"It's doesn't matter what Shane - or Cheyenne - say. It matters what I say, now go on, back to camp."

She nodded her head towards the camp. Carl hastily lifted himself off the rock and sulked his way back to camp. Lori began following him but I decided to say something.

"What's your problem?" I asked a bit rudely.

Lori had been acting stranger by the minute. She was treating Carl like if he was made of glass and he needed to be protected at all times. I understand that's her kid but she didn't have to be that protective. She turned around and faced me and Shane.

"I don't have one - at least that doesn't concern you." 

"Look, Cheyenne, why don't go on and see that Carl gets to the camp alright. I need to talk to Lori for a minute."

I opened my mouth to say something but Shane shot me a look telling me it was time to shut up. I looked back and forth between both of them before sighing and walking. I knew it probably had to do something with Rick coming "back to life" and the problem with Shane and Lori sleeping together - more than once I might add. I rolled my eyes at the soap-opera type drama that was still happening even in this world. 

----

"Everything good?" I asked sarcastically. 

"Shut up, Cheyenne." He muttered as he looked on to Lori and Carl's retracting figures.

"Had to do with the whole Rick situation, didn't it?"

He looked over at me before sighing irritably. "Look, why don't you just mind your own business - how's that?"

I scoffed at his actions, previous to others. "Typical Shane, always avoiding his problems."

Shane always seemed to sweep his problems under the rug and never look back at them until it turned into a big, ashy mess.

"How many times have I told you it's-"

"Uncle Shane. I get it."

I heard faint arguing from where the girls were doing laundry a few seconds later and Shane apparently heard it too, his head turning towards their direction. Ed was over there and it looked like he was causing trouble. After a few more bits of arguing, Ed struck Carol in the face and Shane immediately started running towards them as I trailed behind him.

When we got there, Shane grabbed Ed by his shirt and dragged a few feet away before shoving him to the ground and began beating him. I stood there, unknowing what to do. My reputation here wasn't very good and I wasn't close to anyone like everyone else. Shane continued to beat the shit out of Ed but after a couple more punches, I realized he wasn't going to stop. He was probably taking out all of his anger from the whole Lori and Rick situation out on Ed. I  ran up to his side and grabbed Shane's fist before he could hit Ed again.

"Shane, stop!" I yelled, afraid he would beat him to death. His anger faded as he looked at me but he still wrenched his hand out of my grip and stared back at Ed.

"You put your hands on your wife, your little girl, or anybody else at this camp I will not stop next time, do you hear me?" Shane hissed as he grabbed Ed by face.

"I'll beat you to death, Ed." He punched Ed once more for effect.

I could hear Carol crying from behind me and Shane kicked him once more. I saw Carol run to her aid to her "husband". I looked at Shane is surprisement at what he had just done as he stalked off back to the camp.

Shane had never done this before but I had feeling this wouldn't be the last time he'd do this.