Marching With the Dead (Daryl Dixon FanFiction)

•Chapter 5•

•Chapter 5•

I was in shock. Daryl was right. Merle was here standing in front of us with that smirk of his.

"Oh, Merle. You can take them to your room if you'd like. Hopefully you aren't lying when you said that they were like us," Mary said as she winked at us. Merle lightly nodded his head and motioned for Daryl and I to follow him.

He led us to the metal doors of the building closest to us and through the hallways. "We have a lot to talk about," Merle whispered over his shoulder. My heart pace was starting to leap with fear.

"What did she mean that you were lying about us being like you?" I questioned afraid of the response. He turned around and stopped us in our tracks,"Just hush up. I'll tell ya later. Jus' follow me, now!"

I was scared to not listen to his directions so I traced his steps without a sound. Daryl was quiet as he stared ahead. It was too quiet. What was Merle hiding from us? This sanctuary didn't feel right and I wanted to know why.

"In here," Merle motioned to a metal, green door after he stopped at it. Daryl took the hooked handle and jerked it down. Inside was two queen beds with white, disheveled sheets and a nightstand in-between them.

Merle closed the door behind us and let out a heavy breath. "Merle, what's going on?" Daryl finally questioned. Daryl's brother gave him a death glare and then opened his mouth,"Im sure you had questions about coming here. Well, you were right. They just lure people in to here to kill 'em. They eat 'em afterwords. They're a bunch of cannibals."

Realization hit me like a bullet. My stomach felt queezy and I wanted to faint. These are sick people. They have no humanity left.

I threw my bag that was in my hands on one of the unmade beds and sat down roughly on it. I shoved my face in my hands in disappointment. I told Daryl what was coming for us, but his brother was more important to him.

"Why haven't you left yet?" Daryl shrugged at his brother. Merle stayed quiet and glared at him. "Because he wants to be just like them. He thinks it's his only way to survive. He's given up. He's too much of a pussy to go out there and survive," I said in a stern voice as I sat up. I stared at Merle waiting for his smart ass remark, but there was none.

I grabbed my bag abruptly and started for the door. I then felt something wrap around my wrist. I expected it to be Merle to change his mind and give me a back slap. I turned around to see Daryl's blue eyes pierce mine. He had a face of yearning almost asking me not to go even though that was what he was doing by grabbing my wrist.

A heavy breath came through my nostrils and let my hand fall from trying to grasp the door handle. Daryl let go of my wrist and took a step back. I placed my bag more gently on the bed I was on before and looked at Merle. He stared at me with angry eyes like he was growling at me with his glare.

"So what's your plan to get out of here?" I asked him as I crossed my arms. I shifted my weight to one foot and waited for his answer. Merle switched his eyes between Daryl and,"There is none."

"So you're just gonna turn into one of them! There's a lot of things I thought about you, bro, but sick wasn't one of 'em," Daryl shouted. I tried to gulp down the lump in my throat, but it stayed stationary.

"It's the only way left, lil' brother. I don't wanna go eatin' my shit and drinkin' my piss in a few months," Merle said trying to defend his position. I didn't feel like talking about the situation so I stayed mute.

"Well, fine then. You can stay here and eat each other's fingers while Grace and I get outta here," Daryl said as he grabbed my wrist once again. "I suggest you not do that," Merle piped up. We both shot our heads towards him in disgust.

Daryl let go of his hold on me and stepped closer to his brother. "And why not?" Merle's devil smile started to creep across his face,"Because they're gonna find out you're not one of them and kill ya."

"So, then we can be on your dinner plate?" I said angrily. "Why don't you shut the hell up! This ain't your fight!" Merle snapped at me. "It's my life!" I shouted pushing Daryl away from his brother. Merle's smirk started to form again. "What'ya gonna do about it, sugar?" he said getting closer to my face. I could feel his warm breath on my cheeks.

Something inside me snapped when I brought up my fist to make contact to his face. Right before my knuckles touched him, something pulled me back from making Merle hurt. Daryl's arms were wrapped around my stomach and forcing me back. He held me off the ground after he put his weapon down.

"Calm yourself," Daryl said in my ear. I was thrashing to get out of his grasp, but his arm was wrapped tight making me gasp for air. I finally gave up and stopped my fighting. Daryl let go of me hesitantly afraid I might try to punch his brother again.

I glared at Merle while his smirk stayed there. "You better be glad I caught you when I did. They were gonna put you in storage with all the others," Merle sighed.

"You got nothing to say about this?" I turned to Daryl. His shoulders were relaxed as he glanced at me. "He's my brother. I can't leave him here," He sighed.

"Well, fine. I'm leaving first thing in the morning. Ya'll can eat strangers all ya'll want, but I want out," I said grabbing my bag and throwing it on the neater bed that was untouched. I sat down on it and yearned for silence.

The brothers watched me do nothing and glanced at the ground every once in awhile. "You can help with paintin' signs," Merle sighed. "Oh, so I can lead people to their death," I glared at him.

He rolled his eyes and exited the room giving up on trying to convince me to commit to Terminus. Daryl stared at me as if he was disappointed for my opinion. "Don't give me that look. You know damn well this is wrong," I snarled. He shrugged his shoulders and left the room, I guess to find his brother.

Merle was a lunatic. Why would he just say it was okay to kill people for their bodies? That's another threat that they can put on their list that's coming out to get them.

•That Night•

The sight of Merle forced me to sleep somewhere else. I couldn't stand him already and the staying incident only piled on. Daryl is bearable. He doesn't make remarks like his brother, but can still be a jerk when he's in the mood.

Once I saw Merle's face, I grabbed my belongings and stormed out. Neither of them stopped me knowing I had enough. Why did I decide to say with them when Daryl asked? Was I high when I nodded my head? Did I need company and excepted anything that offered?

I'm still not sure of myself. I've made too many terrible decisions, but falling asleep in the roof wasn't one of them. The stars stretched across the navy blue sky. When I was a kid, I'd try to count them, but never got past thirty since I'd give up out of boredom.

There it goes, give up. It seems like the word won't stop lingering in my vocabulary. It's probably one of he most used two words I have. Too many people have given up. I've given up too much, but now I'm trying not to. It's hard to risk your life everyday for no reason. I don't want to become a coward and take the easy way out.

I want to try to make something good out of this, but will I ever get the chance? My mind was filled with important life decisions and now it's all gone. They were waisted for nothing. All these plans and dreams were thrown away by some unknown disease that spread like wildfire.

Yes, I was almost to graduate from college when the outbreak happened. I had so much to look forward to. I had a boyfriend I loved and who did the same for me.

What was the point of living anymore? Sometimes I wish God could take me on a trip and show me why it would be a bad thing if I killed myself right here. I needed convincing because I'm not doing a great job for myself. Why do I want to go out there and face the rotting corpses of what used to be people? Maybe after awhile I'll get used to seeing them, but will I last awhile?

The thought didn't leave my mind. I wanted it to end and I wanted it to end now.