crossfire » c.g.

three

It's early. Really early. I should be sleeping like everyone else but here I am, looking up at the sky through the cracks in the roof of the barn thinking about everything and anything.

Daryl is awake too. He's been up all night. I know this because I've woken up a few times during the early morning hours. I tend to do that a lot. Sleep has never been one of my strong points.

He's sitting in one spot, carefully watching the barn doors. He hasn't moved in a while.

I'm brought out of my thoughts when I hear shuffling. I look over to see Maggie getting up. She spots Daryl sitting on the floor and walks over to him, crashing down beside him. She's saying something to him but I can't quite make out what exactly as I'm too far away. Something about him sleeping and allowing himself to rest.

Daryl then hands something over to Maggie. It looks like a music box. At this point I'm sitting up. I take a sip of my water, which attracts the attention of Daryl and Maggie.

Maggie gives me a quick and small smile before getting up and walking over to a sleeping Sasha. Daryl looks at me for a few seconds before slipping off his jacket and placing it under his head as he lays down.

Maggie lightly puts her hand on Sasha's arm, causing her to wake up.

"Come on." she whispers as she stretches her legs. Sasha slowly gets up, grabbing her rifle along the way. The two walk over to the door and slip out through the gap.

Before I can process fully what I'm doing, I find myself halfway through the exit doors.

As I step out I hear a twig snap under my foot. I curse mentally as the two older girls whip around to face me. I smile sheepishly before noticing the surroundings. Due to the storm's power, all of the walkers were either killed or incapacitated, having been crushed by or impaled on trees.

"Shit." I mutter under my breath.

"Shit indeed." Maggie replies. "If you were planning on following us then you might as well just join us."

I nod my head at her offer and follow the two through the trees.

After a few minutes of walking we found our way to a small clearing. Maggie and Sasha sit down on a fallen tree, admiring the sunrise. I position myself at the bottom of it and start drawing on the ground with my finger. I don't know what exactly, it just looks like a bunch of squiggles.

When I finally get bored of drawing, I listen in to what Maggie and Sasha are talking about.

"Daryl fixed it." Maggie says as hold the music box in her hands. Most of the pink paint has scratched off, revealing the pale yellow underneath. There's a small oval mirror on the inside of the lid, and a small fairy in front of it. I smile as Maggie tries to play the music box.

We wait with anticipation, only to be greeted with a small rumble.

"You've got to be kidding me." Maggie breathes out and shakes her head as all three of us start laughing. She places the box down on the log between her and Sasha.

"Hey." we are interrupted by a male voice. We instantly draw our guns, pointing at his head.

"Hi. Uh- I - I didn't mean to interrupt." he says. His hands are up in the air and a smile lays on his face. He doesn't exactly look 'dangerous', but you can never be sure nowadays. He's slowly moving our way, cautiously.

"Good morning. My name's Aaron." he stops when he notices our faces. Our faces are scrunched up, not really knowing what to do.

"I know." he breathes out. "Stranger danger. But um- I'm a friend. I'd like to talk to the person in charge, Rick, right?"