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

Digging Graves

"Hey Jim, why don't you just hold on a second here?"

Jim had been digging for hours and he was starting to scare people. Everyone - including Shane - were around to see of Jim's intentions. I, for one, didn't really see anything wrong with what he was doing. The man was just digging but everyone was acting like he was plotting to blow up the capital - not like one still existed. Jim sighed and dug the shovel into the dirt, his face expression annoyed.

"What do you want?" 

"I was just a little concerned, that's all." Shane explained.

"Dale's said you've been out here for hours." Morales added.

"So?"

"So, why you digging?" Shane asked. 

"You headin' to China or something?" I joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

Jim glanced at me but didn't smile. "It doesn't matter. I'm not hurtin' anyone." He said before he began digging again.

"Yeah, except maybe yourself. It's a hundred degrees today. You can't keep this up." Dale argued.

"Sure I can; watch me." Jim muttered, digging with a bit more force.

Stubborn bastard, this one - not that I was any different. I looked to Dale with a worried look before Lori spoke up.

"Jim, they're not gonna say it so I will. You're scarin' people - you're scaring my son and Carol's daughter." 

"They got nothing to be scared of."

I sighed and looked to the ground, realizing this conversation was going to go nowhere.

"What the hell people? I'm just out here by myself. Why don't y'all just go and leave me the hell alone." Jim said before he began digging once more.

"We think that you need to take a break, okay? I want you to go get yourself some shade and some food. Maybe, in a little bit, I'll come out here and I'll even help you myself. Just tell me what it's about; just give me that shovel." Shane ordered, holding out his hand to receive the shovel.

"Or what?"

"There is no or what. I'm coming to you and I'm asking you - please." Shane pleaded in fear for Jim's safety.

"And if I don't, then what? Then you gonna beat my face in like Ed Peletier, aren't ya? Y'all seen his face huh? What's left of it! See that's what happens when someone crosses you."

I rolled my eyes. "You weren't there. Ed was out of control; he was hurting his wife." 

"That is their marriage - not his. He's not the judge and jury. Who voted you king, huh?"

"I'm not here to argue, alright? Just give me the shovel." Shane commanded, ignoring Jim's previous statement.

Jim moved the shovel out of Shane's reach as he protested. He pushed Shane away and began waving the shovel around as a way of defense but Shane got fed up and shoved Jim to the ground, handcuffing his hands behind his back.

"It's okay Jim. No one is going to hurt you."

"That's the biggest lie there is. I told that to my wife and my two boys. I told them that a hundred times; it didn't matter. They came out of nowhere, dozens of them. Just pulled them right out of my hands. The only real reason why I got away was because the dead were to busy eating my family." Jim muttered from his spot on the ground.

I walked away slowly back to the camp as he said that. I wasn't good with emotions and being around them wasn't the best idea.

----

The sound of my arrow could be heard as it hit the target on the tree once again.