Born 2 Be Wild-A Merle Dixon love story

Chapter 66

Andrew yelled causing me to adjust my direction a bit. I saw what made him yell when it was almost too late. I threw my arms out and grabbed a nearby tree. My shoulders took all my weight as my feet flew out from under me, my legs dangling over the side of the ridge. I glanced down past my legs to try to estimate the distance to the ground. It has to be ten feet at least, so dropping down is not an option. I pulled myself back up on the higher ground and peered over the edge, Andrew was lying at the bottom, I have to find a way down.

After a few minutes of walking I found a steep dirt path leading down. A lot of careful steps and a couple slides later I made it to Andrew. His body was limp and he wasn't breathing. I checked the clip in my pistol, I have two shots left. I used one on Andrew, making sure he wouldn't come back as a monster. Living like this has already turned me into one.

I have no shovel to bury him with so I picked him up and started walking. I finally found a tree that I could lay him in. Not the best option, but he won't be walker food up here. I put his small body over my shoulder and climbed, regardless of how my tired body protested. When I got down from the tree I stumbled on into the woods, barely aware of where I was going. Everyone that I have ever cared about is gone. Every single one of them.

Walking straight through the woods I made it to a road. About a mile down it I nearly passed a building covered in kudzu. It blended right in with the tall grass and trees behind it. I used my knife to cut away the door, it looks like it hasn't been opened in a long time. Liquor was wall to wall inside. I forced my tired legs to carry me through the building to check for walkers. There was one in the break room. It looked like it had been here since the start of the apocalypse. I shoved my knife through it's fragile skull and dragged it out the front door before pushing a heavy shelf in front of the glass door to block it. I got a metal waste basket and lit a fire in it to see by.

As tired as I was I knew that I would never fall asleep. Not without help anyway. I walked the aisles picking out the most expensive bottles that I'd never been able to afford before. I broke the seal on a random bottle and turned it up. The whiskey burned my throat and warmed me up like no heater ever could. The more I drank the more I wanted to cry and scream, so I did. No one is depending on me anymore. I can just give up here and no one will ever know. No one will know that Jessica Norton-Dixon fell apart in an abandoned liquor store. I sat up on my knees taking long swigs from the bottle as I let all the hurt flow through me. The anger, the bitterness poured out of my soul. Sobs racked my body as I reeled forward slamming my fists into the cement floor.

I got got up and grabbed a shelf, shoving it to the ground. The breaking glass was music to my ears. I did the same to a few more shelves before I started throwing bottles against the wall. It sounded like a war was going on and in a way it was. I pushed everything off of the counter. After nearly everything was destroyed I dropped to my knees on the liquor and glass covered floor. I picked up one of the bottles that hadn't shattered and twisted the cap, breaking the seal. I took a few gulps before throwing it down on the floor. I pulled my pistol out of my back pocket. I have one shot left, why not use it on myself?

Hot tears began to flow down my face again as I held the barrel to my temple. I can't do this anymore. I can't go on without Merle, without Daryl, without my son. I don't want to have to kill another walker or run from them again. I don't want to live in fear anymore. Taking a nice long nap sounds so much better. Maybe I can join Merle wherever the hell he ended up.

I had my thumb on the hammer, about to pull it back when I heard what sounded like someone clearing their throat. My head snapped up towards the sound out of instinct to see Merle. He was blurry and the room was moving a bit but it was him.

"Merle?" I asked.

"The one and only, sugar." He answered.

"But... but you're dead." I stammered.

"I noticed." Merle said with a laugh. He squatted down on the floor in front of me.

"I wish you were still here with me." I said as I looked into his eyes and removed the gun from my temple.

"I'm right here." He replied.

I tried to touch his face, I felt nothing but the thin air.

"I miss you so much. I don't want to do this anymore." I said as I picked my gun back up.

"You need to put the gun down, darlin'. You have to keep moving for just a little while longer."

"I can't."

"Yes you can. I know you can. Do it for me." He told me.

"I would do anything for you. I love you." I replied.

"I love you too." He said before he disappeared, leaving me all alone again.