My civilisation (D.D)

Twenty three: No hesitation.

//Daryl's POV//

As the sun was beginning to lower in the baby blue sky which was turning peachy I began to trudge back to the others having been unsuccessful in finding anything.

There was not one damn edible thing in that forest.

As I was shuffling back scraping my boots against the gravel of the road I was now walking on I couldn't help but feel like an asshole.

I had been pushing Ophelia away and being a prick.

I don't know why I've been such a pain in the ass but I need to get my shit together before it's too late.

I'm not stupid. I know Ophelia is suffering, she's angry all the damn time, she don't speak, she always hums that song and I know that although she's one of the most independent badasses I know that deep down she has a good heart and needs a shoulder to lean on. That shoulder should have been me.

She needs someone to snap her out of this phase, distract her, talk to her.

What she don't need is a load of people asking her if she's ok. People just don't understand that.

The questions are a constant reminder.

Hell I should know.

As I saw the group come into sight I broke out into a jog to catch up with them which wasn't hard since they weren't walking fast.

As I came into their view they looked at me with hopeful eyes but shaking my head the glimmer of hope they held was gone as quickly as it came.

Looking around I noticed Ophelia wasn't here. What?

Squinting my eyes in search for her figure Carl must have read my mind as he sighed.

"She went that way." The boy said pointing towards the right side of the road and over towards a bundle of trees.

"She always leaves around this time of the day. I followed her once to make sure she's ok, she isn't. You should talk to her...Yunno like she's been trying to talk to you."

"Why don' yer?"

Shrugging the boy playfully bounced Judith in his arms as he turned to face me once more.

"Because she misses you. You understand her more than anybody here. Your both as stubborn and closed of as each other."

Nodding my head I began to walk over towards the group of trees that didn't move an inch due to there being little to no wind and looked for any tracks.

Unfortunately I couldn't see a single footprint yet.

Damn she was good at covering up her tracks.

But not good enough.

Because there I saw my Ophelia crouched down facing the trunk of a tree pulling out her hunting knife from the bark.

As I approached her she very slowly turned around as she shoved her knife into her holster and looked softly at me as most of her wavy hair hung on one side of her face.