Lucy (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The first night being out in the tent with Andrea was a worse as I expected, I knew I should have let Rick talk to Hershel to let me say a few more days. The rock hard dirt made it hard to sleep along with Andrea's horrid snoring, no wonder no one was sharing a tent with her in the first place. The sun was finally rising but the light shining through our tent didn't bother her in the least as she continued to impersonate a chainsaw.

Getting up and down was so much easier before I tried to sleep in the dirt, now as I tried to crawl out of the tent the pain was so much worse. Maybe Dale would let me sleep in the R.V for a night or two. Speaking of the devil there he was on top of it already keeping watch with the sun barely up in the sky. 

"Hiya Dale, can I come up?" I called when I got closer to him, slightly worried about how I would make it up the ladder. 

"Sure, can you make it up the ladder?" He questioned jokingly as I started to go up the ladder only to stop half way as my breathing started to increase. Breathing was still was one of the things I struggled with the most during the healing process. Dale saw my struggle and offered me a hand up which I gladly took. "I was just joking," he chuckled as he offered me his lawn chair as he continued to keep watch. 

"What are you doing up so early?" I wondered aloud messing with  the dead skin around my thumb. The sound of a zipper broke the silence as Daryl left his tent to continue his search for Sophia without even looking in our direction as we watched him walk away. 

"Who really even sleeps anymore but I could ask you the same thing," Dale commented breaking his eyes away from Daryl.

"I share a tent with a chainsaw" I mumbled annoyingly, the lack of sleep already affecting my mood for the day. Maybe I could try to get a nap in sometime today after I help Lori out with laundry and find out why she won't even look in my direction.

"You could ask to share a tent with Daryl, he's the only other one that doesn't share a tent." I couldn't hide the surprise on my face at his words making Dale chuckle.

"Sure, I'll do that as soon as he gets back," I scoffed but as the words left my mouth an idea came to mind. Daryl could be my key to prove myself, to prove to anyone and everyone that I belong here, I could help him find Sophia. I knew he would never let me go if I asked so maybe I could follow him one of these times.

Maybe today could be that day, I saw what direction he went in. I could catch up with him if I left now. I pushed myself up from the chair and offered Dale and innocent smile as I made my decent down the ladder. If he knew of my plans he would attempt to stop me and I couldn't risk that.

I creeped my way over to Daryl's tent when his bike was. I knew he had a spare handgun of some sort in there that I could borrow. Soon I would have to join one of the classes to learn how to aim this thing if it was ever going to be any use to me.

I started walking in the same direction that I saw Daryl go and attempted to track him but it was a hell of a lot harder than it looks. I can't even tell if its a footprint or just a patch of dirt leading me in a random direction. If I hadn't seen what direction he went in I would never be able to find him, even now I could get lost out there while trying to catch up with him but I didn't let that thought get to me. Making my way through the trees I attempted to go in the direction of the stream with it being Sophia's only landmark it was the one place where we will have the most luck finding her. 

But even I had my own doubts about this whole situation, Sophia was only a little girl lost in the woods filled with Walkers. She didn't know how to protect herself against them all on her own, that would be the first thing to do if, once, we find her. Teach her how to defend herself was going to be a must incase she ever got separated again. How could we even find her in woods this big? She could have left the water the first chance she got and now we are dogs chasing our tails at this point. No matter the case I hope we can find her safe and sound.