Wildfire || A Modern Bethyl AU.

Bonfire || Chapter 1

Bonfire || Chapter 1

The sun was just going down and coating everything in a rich golden light. Warm air swirled with smoke and ash, as the fire grew into a nice blaze. The Greene family gathered their chairs and sticks for various fire goods.

Otis, a pudgy elderly man was softly strumming on his guitar.

"Daddy, no one wants to hear.." Beth said playing with the hem of her shirt. Her father smiled.

"Just one, Bethy?" he asked reaching for her hand. She looked to her sister and her sister's husband, Glenn, for help. Maggie just nodded in encouragement. Beth sighed and thought of a song. She got up and whispered in Otis' ear. He smiles and startes up with melody.

'You can see it from the river. To the top of white pine ridge, burning like a summer sun. A bunch of rednecks getting half lit. There's mud-covered trucks and suvs cranking out hank and ac/dc.'

Beth sang dancing around the fire. She grabbed her sister's hand pulling her up from Glenn's lap. Maggie also singing the chorus with Beth.

'At the bonfire, out in the sticks Country backwoods, homegrown hicks. Bonfire, dance a little jig, Hold up your cup and take another swig. Won't sleep til dawn, party right down to the wire. At the bonfire.'

They're dancing around the outside of the fire pit and laughing with each other.

'Everybody sees the headlights when old Sheriff John pulled up We all got a little nervous-'

The sounds of motorcycles cut them off. Beth looks to the noise and The Gang rolls right by. One biker catches her eye. His aviators reflect in the sun's last light, his arms are bare only adorned in a leather vest, his hair has a reddish tint to it in the light, but its a dark brown. They park a few yards away.

"Oh hey they're here." Glenn says waving them over. Beth looks over at him.

"They?" she asks. And the bikes fall silent. She again turns her attention to The Gang. The one she was looking at stripped his vest to put on a black shirt and then replaces his vest on his shoulders.

"Yeah, They're friends of mine. Knew each other for awhile." Glenn says, getting up and walking to a man with shaggy black hair and salt and peppered bread. They grab eachother's forearms and say "Hey Brother." He did this with others. He hugs the women that rode behind the men. They come over to the fire.

"This is Rick, his boy Carl, his girlfriend Michonne." Glenn says pointing to each person. Three more people joined.

"This is Daryl, Shane, Andrea, Carol is over there and that old man is Dale." He says smiling. He then turns to his friends,

"Guys, This is Hershel and his family. Maggie, my wife. Beth, his youngest daughter." He says and Beth's cheeks flush. She doesn't know why. Maybe it was meeting new people or maybe both Carl and Daryl are staring at her.

Carl was about 16. Only three years younger than Beth. Daryl on the other hand was older, he looked about thirty or so.

"Thanks for letting us stay here for a while." Rick says shaking Hershel's hand.

"Anything for friends, son. How about you guys get settled around the fire." Hershel says motioning for rick to take a seat around the fire. The rest follow suit.

Beth goes to sit in front of Maggie. Her eyes wander back to Daryl. He stands, leaned up against a tree with his arms across his chest.

Otis began to play a slow rift to no song in particular. Some one was softly patting their leg. Beth quickly made a decision of a song in her head.

Without saying anything, she began.

'They hung a sign up in our town: "if you live it up, you won't live it down". So, she left Monte Rio, son. Just like a bullet leaves a gun.'

She smiles as she continues.

'With charcoal eyes and Monroe hips She went and took that California trip. Well, the moon was gold, her Hair like wind She said don't look back just. Come on Jim.

Oh you got to Hold on, Hold on You got to hold on Take my hand, I'm standing right here You gotta hold on.'

As she sang the next verse her father and Maggie quietly sang with her.

'Well, he gave her a dime-store watch and a ring made from a spoon. Everyone is looking for someone to blame. If you share my bed, you share my name,'

Her eyes quickly settled on Daryl and passed by.

'Oh the moon was gold, her Hair like wind She said don't look back just. Come on Jim.' Oh you got to Hold on, hold on You got to hold on Take my hand, I'm standing right here, you got to hold on.

Oh you go to Hold on, hold on You got to hold on Take my hand, I'm standing right here You got to hold on

Oh, there's nothing left to keep you here, But when you're falling behind in this big blue world.

Oh, you've got to hold on, hold on Babe, you gotta hold on. Take my hand, I'm standing right here You gotta hold on.'

The group claps as she ends the song and she smiles and looks down.

As the sky grew dark, the fire died down. Only embers and little flames peeked out. Otis and his wife had long gone, as well as Maggie. Glenn stayed to help the Gang set up tents for them to sleep in. Beth still sat with Michonne, Andrea, and her father at the fire, burning her s'mores stick to nothing. The two women chattered to themselves, but Beth listened in. She was never the nosey type, but these new people intrigued her. She hears footsteps fall behind her.

"Can I sit?" Carl asks. Beth nods and he sits down next to her on the ground. He throws a wave at Michonne and she smiles back.

"Beautiful place you got here. land for miles." He says smiling.

"Thanks. it's been in the family for years." Beth says poking the fire, making it crack and hiss.

"Anything fun to do around here?" He asks and she laughs a little.

"Yeah. Well there's the old swimming hole. I can show you tomorrow, if ya want." She says looking at him sideways.

"Yeah that'd be cool." He says as he leans back against the log. The silence they created was comfortable and peaceful. At some point Rick had come to say good night to Hershel. Rick looks toward Carl and Beth and just nods. Michonne gets up and takes Rick's hand and they walk into the makeshift campground.

Andrea soon leaves as Shane calls her name from one of the tents. Beth couldn't decide if Shane was a gentle man like Rick. He seemed conflicted sometimes.

"Night Bethy, don't be out here all night." Hershe says kissing her head.

"I wont be. Goodnight, Daddy." She says squeezing her dad's hand on her shoulder.

The comfortable silence fell again. The embers crackand pop as it tries to stay alive. Beth pulls her knees up and hugs them. At some point Carl had started humming, and she rested her head on her knees. She stares at the fire, her eye lids slowly closing, her dreams crawling into her mind.