Faded Scars (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 44

The sun blazed down on me as I made my way through the woods, limping and shoving my knife into the skulls of lone walkers. Finally, exhausted and starving I crashed to the ground, lying on my back. "This is worthless." I said chuckling. My laughter soon turned to sobs as I laid there my eyes begging me to close them. I slowly got back to my feet and kept limping on.

My hair clung to my face and my jeans stuck to the blood seeping from my wound. Suddenly, a building up ahead caught my attention. It was a cabin, not in the best shape, but suitable for me to stay in. With my knife in hand, I opened the door carefully and made my way through it with caution. I checked that all the room were clear and went back to lock the front door. I went to one of the bathrooms and noticed a small medicine cabinet, inside was gauz,some pill bottles, and some alcohol pads. I grabbed all that I could carry and went to a living room area. I sorted through the pill bottles until I found one that would help with the wound.

I pulled my bloody jeans off carefully and got a closer look at the wound. "This is gonna sting like hell." I said as I ripped on of the alcohol pads open and held it in my hands. I bit into my lip as the alcohol seeped into my skin, burning away at the wound, cleansing it. I wrapped the gauze around the wound and then took one of the pills from the bottle. Searching more around the cabin, I found some clothes and traded my sleeveless shirt for a short sleeves, black t-shirt and my bloody pair of jeans for another clean pair. I decided that it would be best for me to stop and rest for the rest of the day, and to get off of my leg.

I took extra precautions and then laid on the couch, finally giving in to sleep.

Third person:

Daryl and Beth were running away from walkers that followed after them as they ran through the woods. Walkers came after Beth and she tried to shoot, but she had no ammo. Daryl shot the walker in the head and then smacked another across the head with the crossbow. He ushered Beth to go as he grabbed his arrow and followed after her. They ran across a field, trying to keep a steady pace. However, they soon fell exhausted to the ground.

After finding a clear place, Beth and Daryl sat around a fire they made as crickets chirp around them. "We should do something." She said and looked up at Daryl, who didn't say anything. "We should do something." She repeated again, a little louder. Daryl slowly looked over at the girl, who just loss her father an hour ago. "We aren't the only survivors. We can't be. Rick, Michonne, they could be out here. Maggie and Glenn could have made it out of A block. Scarlett and the others. They could've." Daryl looks at the fire when she mentions Scarlett's name, still not saying a word. "You're a tracker. You can track. Come on." Beth says as she stands and looks down at Daryl, who continues to watch the fire. "The sun will be up soon. If we head out now, we can—." She stops when Daryl still does nothing.

"Fine. If you won't track, I will." She says and pulls a knife from the ground, then storms off. Daryl still sits there, thinking of the people they lost and thinking of Scarlett. Finally, he looks up at the way that Beth went and gets up. He puts out the fire and grabs his crossbow, before following after her.

They walk along until Daryl stops and brushes leaves away, showing footprint hidden under them. "Could be Luke's. Or Molly's." Beth comments from over Daryl's shoulder. "Whoever they are, it means they're alive." Daryl lightly shakes his head. "No. This means they were alive four or five hours ago." He said, looking back down at the prints. "They're alive." Beth snaps at him, before walking away. Daryl follows after her as they follow a dirt trail.

Daryl spotted a spot with a couple grapes. "They picked up the pace right here. Got out in a hurry. Things went bad." He said as she turned away. "Wouldn't kill you to have a little faith." Beth commented. "Yeah, faith. Faith ain't done shit for us." He said as Beth looked around. "Sure as hell didn't do nothing for your father." Beth snapped towards Daryl after he spoke. She then turned back around and began to pull grapes off while Daryl watched her. "They'll be hungry when we find them." She explains. Daryl pulls out the black bandana and gentle taps Beth on the arm with it. She takes it and begins to place grapes within it. Daryl sighs and continues on while Beth still picks at the vine.

They soon come across two walkers lying on the ground and Daryl walks over to a plant. "What?" Beth asks when he touches the plant and then looks down at it. "That ain't walker blood." Daryl says and adjusts his crossbow. "The trail keeps going. They fought them off." She says as she steps over the bodies. "No. Got walker tracks all up and down here." Daryl says, looking around. "At least a dozen of them." He says and a twig snaps. Beth unsheathes her knife, but a walker comes up behind her and grabs her. Daryl aims his crossbow, but can't get a clean shot at the walker. Giving up on the crossbow, he runs over and grabs the walker pulling it to the ground as Beth grabs her knife. Daryl rolls over on his back, holding the walker above him as Beth sinks her knife into its skull. Daryl gets up panting and give Beth a small nod, then grabs his crossbow. "Come on." He says as he walks past Beth.

Soon they come to some train tracks and Daryl raises his crossbow. Walkers ahead of them snack on something dead on the ground. Daryl shoots two of the walkers and stabs the other in the head with an arrow. He looks down at the torn bodies and sees that nothing is left. Beth sees a small, black shoe and as Daryl walks away, he hears her cries and looks back. He motions with his head for her to come and continues on. Beth's cries continue as she looks at the torn people lying in front of her.

Scarlett's view:

I'm jolted awake by a nightmare and slowly stand up. I hear moaning and scratching at the door, and so I look for another way out. I remember that the back room has a back door and I make my way out, it's getting dark, but I know the woods. I limp along, being wary of my leg on small hills and roots.

I messed up my steps and fell down a small hill. I cried out in pain as my leg hit the ground. Tears ran down my cheeks as my sobs filled the air. "I need you, Leona. Where are you?" I cried and dug my hands into my wild hair. I heard growling and yanked my pistol from my belt. Four walkers wandered out my way as I slowly stood up. "I. Really. Fucking. Hate. Walkers." I hissed and fired precisely into the skulls of each of the walkers.

Third person:
Scarlett sat on her knees, her black hair sticking to her face, the bodies of walkers surrounded her on all sides and she clutched the gun tightly in her hand. Rustling came from the brush near her and her hand that held the gun shot up to face Maggie.

Maggie held her pistol towards Scarlett and slowly lowered it. A small smile grew on her face as she walked over to Scarlett, stepping over the bodies littered on the ground, and crouched down next to her.

They stay in silence for a while until Maggie wrapped her arms around Scarlett and Scarlett did the same. Tears ran down Maggie's face as the two women sat there in the dull light of the moon.