Marching With the Dead (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

•Chapter 3•

•Chapter 3•

•Grace's POV•

I somewhat regretted leaving Daryl and Merle. The loneliness was getting to my head when I started to talk to myself. Not that I hadn't debated with my brain before, but now I was pointing things out that were obvious.

I was looking for sanctuary if it was still out there. My mind was trained to look for tall buildings or faces that weren't rotting off their skulls. Was there still something out there to look for and was worth finding?

I wanted family. I wanted someone who cared if I walked the earth alive and I had the same feeling for them. I wanted a place where I could forget about the corpses outside my window wanting to tear me apart. I wanted a place where I can breath easy and not have the thought of death wavering through my mind.

Who knows, maybe there is no one left except for me and my thoughts. Maybe, Daryl and Merle died after I left which is unlikely. There might only be rapists and lunatics left. I'm sure there can't be any 'good' people anymore. They are either dead and roaming around another time or either above or below me.

I knew when Daryl pointed that crossbow at my head that this world doesn't look the same, but it shows it before through a different set of eyes. When I looked into Daryl's eyes they were a warm blue. It was in-between the ocean and a navy blue. His eyes didn't match himself. He deserved a dark brown that was almost black. He was too cold to have the gentleness of the color of his eyes, even though I had only knew him for two days.

I could tell who he was by his stature and the way he carried himself. Daryl was quiet, but when he had something to say it was always negative. He was just like his brother, but didn't make rude remarks.

These kind of thoughts filled my head while I wandered aimlessly. I was walking in circles with no sense of direction. I was just hoping that someone might wander into it and take me out to wherever they were stationed.

•Daryl's POV•

It's been about two weeks since Grace decided to take leave. Merle and I would have our battles as usual. We hadn't come across any groups and that was what we were searching for.

"Darylina, why don't you stop daydreaming and see what we got here," I heard Merle snap. I got back to reality and then a horrid smell hit my nose. My eyes widened when I realized that there was a herd of walkers ahead of us.

"Fight 'em or run?" Merle smirked preparing himself to do either by taking out his knife. "What do you think?" I said a little annoyed. We took our steps away from the death in unison. I held my crossbow in my right hand just in case there was a surprise attack.

I then caught a glimpse of a figure, but it didn't belong to a walker. Grace's worried face became more recognizable. Once we caught up with her she began to run beside us through the trees.

"I thought you didn't like us anymore?" I huffed as we made sharp turns to loose the threat. "Well, it looks like I had no choice since you dumbasses decided to throw this shit on me," she shouted.

Our belongings flopped around from our thrashing. I then started to slow down with the others. Grace rested her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath while Merle and I looked around for any stragglers.

"I think we lost 'em," I confirmed still out of breath. "They may be slow, but they don't get tired," Grace's voice sounded distant. I looked to where she last was and saw she was gone. I glanced up and there she was climbing up an old oak tree.

"What are you doing?" I asked hoping that wasn't where she was going to stay. "Since climbing is about one of the very few things biters can't do, I suggest you start learnin'," she smirked after she got to her desired branch. She was about fifteen feet off the ground, but still visible.

I looked back at Merle who was also staring up at her. He glanced at me as if he didn't want to do it. I decided that there was no better choice. I grabbed the hilt of my knife and stuck it in the bark of the tree.

"So you're just gunna follow her like it's nothin'?" Merle shouted at me. I ignored him and continued to try to catch up with Grace. I reached a branch that was directly across from where she was so I decided to settle down there. I made my set up like hers by putting my bags on the smaller branches on the side of me.

"The walkers are getting closer, Merle. You bettah get outta dodge," I shouted down at him. He rolled his eyes at me and started to climb the tree next to us.

"Walkers?" Grace questioned. I couldn't see her with my back against the trunk, but I could tell that there was some laughter in her voice. "That's what Merle calls 'em. It's short and sweet," I explained.

"Unlike them," I could see the smirk on her face when she said it.

I started to hear moaning from the herd. They couldn't smell us from up here and we lost them minutes ago so they forgot what they were looking after.

About a crowd of thirty moaned as they passed us. Their stench rose to our noses. I cringed at the worsening smell. I rested my head against the bark of the tree and listened to the moans of the dead wishing they weren't there.
---

Hours passed that we sat in the tree. There was still plenty enough daylight to move, but no one volunteered to climb down. My eyelids sagged as I waited for someone to speak up.

"Grace? Grace, you there?" I called out softly. There was no answer and my heart fell. I swung my leg back over the branch and stuck my knife in the trunk. I looked over to where Grace lay to see her eyes closed and her chest slowly rising and falling. Her lips were slightly parted and her dark, brown hair was disheveled.

I sighed deeply and swung my leg over her branch. I sat across from her closer to the weaker end of the branch. Her hand lay on her lap. I gently grabbed it and shook it lightly. "Grace, wake up," I said. Her eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name. She barely stirred as she turned her head to me.

"Daryl, what's wrong?" she asked in a groggy voice. "Nothin'. Just makin' sure you're still alive," I answered letting go of her hand,"You wanna leave?"

She then shot up and looked at me with a worried face. "How long have we been up here?" she said sounding out of breath. "A few hours," I answered.

Grace began to relax and closed her eyes again. "Where's Merle?" she questioned with her eyes still closed. "I'm imagining that he's still in that tree," I answered with a deep sigh,"Lemme go check."

I swung my leg back over the branch and climbed down. "Merle?" I called out once I got to the bottom. There was no answer. "Merle! Get your ass down here," I shouted before starting to climb his tree.

I couldn't see him anywhere. "Merle!" I shouted, but there was no answer. The bastard left.

•Grace's POV•

"So he just got up and left and you didn't even see him?" I badgered Daryl as we walked through the trees. "Well, I guess since you came back, he didn't wanna be here," he answered.

I could tell the absence of his brother was killing him. He kicked up the leaves as we walked and sometimes lagged behind so he could at every step.

"He'll turn up," I reassured. Daryl rolled his eyes and stopped kicking up the leaves. I stayed quiet as we walked to nowhere.

I stared at the ground after about an hour of walking. "Hold up," I heard Daryl say breaking the silence. I glanced at him to see he was looking through the trees ahead of us.

"What?" I questioned a little frightened of what he found. He then started to jog to whatever he discovered. I followed him by walking.

We came through an opening in the tree line to some railroad tracks. Daryl was staring at a sign with red paint plastered on it.

"Terminus. Those who arrive, survive," he repeated the text out loud,"You think he's over there?"

I stuck my hands in my pocket and studied the sign. There was a map at the bottom with a bunch of lines that indicated railroad tracks. They all led to a star in the middle showing Terminus.

"Maybe, but are you sure you want to risk it? What if it's not what it seems? What if it's too good to be true? What then, huh?" I said shrugging my shoulders.

"I'm willin' to take the chance," he nodded before heading up the tracks. Daryl was going to do anything to get his brother back. Anything.