My Redneck (Sequel to That Redneck/ Daryl Dixon Fanfic)

Chapter 1- Blood Sweat & Tears

Glossy, crimson blood oozed out of her shoulder rapidly, soaking me in a thick coat of blood- her blood.

The dead that chased after us wildly continued to gain on us, growling and snarling in anticipation of filling their bellies with our flesh.

We stumbled around in the darkness, the moonlight guiding us throughout the tangle of trees and shrubs as we made our way home.

My lungs gasped for air, my legs burned like fire and my arms felt like noodles, but I couldn't stop.

Not here, not now.

I looked down into her fear filled eyes and she wrapped her arms tighter around me as I tried to carry her to safety.

Her weak, frail body coughed and sputtered blood, spitting some of the red substance onto my sweat coated face.

I ignored the nagging feeling to wipe the fowl substance off and kept pushing my legs to move faster so we could cheat the death that awaited us from behind.

"A few more minutes." I gasped, as she clung tighter to my arms, making me more uncomfortable then I already was.

I pleaded for my body to give me mercy and push harder to reach the prison, after all it was only a few more minutes.

Her blood seemed to be every where, all I could smell was the sickening scent of blood and I even started to taste the metallic flavor that blood so often accompanied.

The moans from behind increased in both size and volume, giving me new shivers of terror.

I had no plan of action at this point, just to get her back alive, and hopefully me as well.

I could see it now, the dim lights of the prison, my home. Only a minute or so until safety, if I could last that long.

Then I felt it.

The cold, grubby hand of a walker latched onto my arm making me loose my balance and topple over.

I collided with the ground harshly, loosing my grip on her and sending her flying through the air.

I desperately tried to crawl away from her sputtering body, to lure the walkers to me rather than her.

But they were on us like bee's to honey.

Several walkers fell to their knees beside me and quickly they started to chew on my pasty skin.

The worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life burned throughout my body and I screamed from complete agony as the flesh was torn from my bones.

All over me cold, dead hands grabbed my body and took bountiful bites out of my skin.

If her blood wasn't all over me before, mine definitely coated each inch of myself now.

A new chorus of screams escaped my lungs as a walker used its hands to try to pry my chest open to reach my organs, digging it's filthy hands deep into my chest.

The pain engulfed me like an inferno, burning me from the inside and out yet all I could do was scream and sob.

"Mariah!" A voice screamed, echoing in my mind.

More screams rocked my body as my mind went completely blank, embracing the over whelming pain that engulfed me.

"MARIAH!" It screamed again, this time closer and louder.

It felt like billions of needles stabbing me at once, all filled with corrosive acid and making me scream and cry from pain.

"WAKE UP DAMMIT!" It screamed again.

Then almost as quickly as the mangily dead appeared, they were gone and were replaced with darkness.

"MARIAH!" He screamed shaking me madly.

I gasped and my eyes shot open too see Daryl towering over me.

His soft blue eyes had dark circles underneath them from being sleep deprived, probably because of me. His face was heavy with concern and as soon as he stopped trying to shake me awake I immediately started to sob.

Daryl sighed and gently pulled me onto his lap, his muscular arms wrapped around me protectively as I cried into his chest.

He rested his chin on the top of my head and he brushed stray strands of my hair out of my wet eyes.

"Shhh." He hushed as he gently rocked me back and fourth.

"I'm here now, and I ain't gonna let anythin' hurt you." He whispered softly into my ear.

"Calm down, it's only a dream." He whispered.

"It's not!" I managed to cry, "I felt it! The pain, the exhaustion, the blood... It was all there.." I cried.

"It don't matter, I'm still here.." He whispered softer this time. "And I ain't ever leavin'."

After minutes of me crying into his chest, my sobs finally died away leaving me sniffling and wiping my puffy eyes.

"Same nightmare?" He asked gently as I broke away from his grasp.

I nodded slowly as Daryl laid back down in the bed. I sighed and joined him, resting my head on his chest with his arms securely wrapped around me.

"Wanna talk 'bout it?" Daryl asked bluntly.

"Not particularly." I sighed.

I assumed that he had taken that as an invitation to fall back into his blissful slumber, because moments later his soft snores echoed in my ears.

It was only a dream.

I thought to myself over and over. But I knew better then that.

It's been only a few days since the accident, but every night since then the same dream replays in my mind.

Its as if my own mind is terrorizing me for not doing something, for not trying harder.

I tried so hard to forget it, to forget everything.

The way the walker had latched onto my arm, it's cold, harsh grip clawing into my flesh easily.

The feeling of pure fear, running from my death and trying to escape walking corpses that would devour me if I even stumbled for a mere second.

The scent of her blood drifting into my nose as I prevented myself and her from becoming meaningless corpse chow.

But a person's memory is a cruel place, it keeps your deepest secrets hidden deep inside and theres nothing you can do to forget,

Ever.