Determined to Endure: The 4th Installment in my Daryl Dixon Love Story

Chapter 22: Running Tired

"Darlin', I'm gonna make a run up to Alexandria. But when I get back, you better have an answer for me. Got it?" Negan asks me, coming to say goodbye before he leaves again.

"I will" I say confidently, knowing I'm going to have to say yes or Daryl and I both might die. He groans a little as he leans down to kiss my forehead but then moves around to say goodbye to all the wives in the room.

Half an hour after he's gone, Sherry tells me to meet me in our room in 20 minutes. I do, and as soon as I close the door she's waltzing over to me, "you need to leave."

"What?!" I spit, confused at this sudden behavior change of hers.

She explains, "you can't stay as his wife. You'll lose everything."

"Daryl is everything to me, I can't leave him. Negan will kill him." I protest while shaking my head to her.

She grabs my arms, lowers her voice and says, "no, I'm going to get him out as well. You need to go though, before he does." She tries to explain.

"What? How? Why?" I spit, my mind racing with scenarios. Is she lying? Is this a trap? Can she really get Daryl out?

"I can get him a key but once they know he's gone, we'll be on lockdown. You need to go first, they won't be looking for you until after they notice Daryl's gone! But it needs to be soon. I can get you to the gates, as the shift changes you'll have a two minute window to get into the woods. Can you do that?" Her voice is fast as she explains, looking at the clock behind me.

I nod, assuring her I can. It's a far run for 2 minutes but I know I can make it, "come on" She goes to pull at my arm.

"I can't run in these!" I look down at the heels I'm wearing.

Sherry moves to the closet and throws me a shirt, jacket, jeans, socks and shoes, "hurry!" She urges as I change in front of her.

"Why are you doing this?" I ask her, "come with me."

She looks out the door and looks both ways before looking to me. I tie the laces as she responds, "I have to stay here, but you need to go. Dwight and I made our choices but Daryl was forced. You shouldn't be here."

I don't say anything back, and I stand to move with her. We get through the halls quickly, starting to casually walk and fake talk as we hear people come by. When we get to the front door, she looks at her watch, "okay, in 2 minutes they switch. When you open this door go to your right, run around 5 yards down the fence and there's a broken spot. Split through it and run to the woods. Once there, run north! You'll hit a community. They are called the hilltop. Got it?!"

I nod, assuring her I do, "and Daryl, you'll get him out too?" I need her to assure me now of that. I don't even know if she'd be able to send him to the hilltop to get me or if he'd go straight back to Alexandria but anything was better than having him here.

She hands me a pocket knife, "this is all I could get. I can get him a key and and a map but he has to go from there." She looks back at her watch, "get ready." She puts her hand on the handle.

I wrap her into a quick hug and whisper, "thank you!"

When I pull away we share one small smile and she opens the door. I slide out and begin my dart to the right. I hear the door close behind me and I keep my eyes open for the broken fence. I see it, and quickly get to and then through it. I put everything I have into my sprint, knowing if they see me then the whole place will go on lockdown and Daryl wouldn't get out. I run, even after I get into the woods. I know I'm running north but I know I need to stay covered by the trees. I run for miles, only stopping to walk when the cramps in my stomach get too much. I am able to ignore the dehydration for awhile, but as the sun begins to set I know I need to find somewhere to rest and something to eat or drink. I use the pocket knife to make a make shift snare Daryl taught me and set it up, covering it with leaves. I know the pocket knife isn't ideal for hand to hand with deadheads so I decide to go up. I came across three while running, and luckily for me they were all spread apart. I find a near by tree and climb up it. Once on a large branch, I use the knife to cut off the sleeves of the shirt and jacket Sherry gave me. I tie them together, then tying that around my waist and the tree for security. The sun has fallen and the night has settled in by the time I start to drift off. I wake up when the sun begins to rise and untie myself from the tree. I carefully climb down and tie my make-shift rope around my waist. I walk to the snare and feel saddened when I don't see anything in it. I collect what I can reuse and start my journey again. I know it's going to be a long day but I tell myself I have to be close. I keep moving north, and luckily, I hear the sound of running water somewhere near me. I slow my pace, trying to find it. When I finally see the trickling creak, I run to it. I fall to my knees and throw the water in my mouth. I take up as much as possible, knowing it's all I'll have for awhile. I soak the makeshift rope in the water and tie it back around my waist. I can use it to cool myself off as the day goes on. That night, I repeat the same process I did the night before. I make a snare, climb a tree and do my best to rest. When I come down in the morning, there is still nothing for me to eat. I pack up and get on the move. My body is starting to react to the lack of food and water and I can't run anymore. I just try to keep a solid walking pace. At the top of the afternoon, I actually see the white building that stands on top of the hilltop. I mutter out its name, "Barrington" with an eye roll and start to run, eager to get there. It's farther than it seemed and I make it to the outskirts of the town after the sun has already begun to set. I stumble forward towards it, exhausted, hungry and dehydrated. I'm covered in blood, sweat and tears but I can say that I made it, "hey! It's me! It's Sadie, from Alexandria. Please, please, open up." I call, or try to call through a horse voice. I continue to yell out the same thing as I get closer and finally, when I'm about 15 feet out, the guards see me. I yell out again, "it's Sadie! From Alexandria. Please open it."

As one man stays on top with his weapon ready to kill me, another shuffles down. The gate begins to open and when I am close enough, the young man recognizes me, "hey, it's another one from Alexandria!" He calls behind.

As I walk in, the gates begin to close. The setting sun making it hard to see whose coming down to greet me, "Maggie!" I mutter her name, and she jogs over to me to give me a hug, "you're okay?" I say and ask together.

"Yes, me and the baby" she assures, rubbing my back.

"Sadie, thank god!" Rick comes over and hugs me tightly.

When he lets me go, before I let someone else hug me I look to Rick and say, "Daryl. He was suppose to get out too, but I don't know when or if he did." Rick opens his mouth to respond but stops when he spots something over to the side and behind me. I turn to see what he's looking at and see the familiar figure of Daryl, "Daryl!" I exclaim, running over to him. I wrap my arms tightly around him and throw my legs around him. He wraps his arms around me too and I cry heavily into his shirt, "Daryl, thank god. Ohh, Daryl. I love you." I mutter through my cries and sobs. Daryl just holds me until I let go.

When I put my feet back on the ground I move my face to meet his eyes. I am about to lean in to kiss him but I can tell something's not right. As if he knows what I'm about to ask he says, "we needa talk." I nod, unsure what he wants to talk about right away but he brushes past me and I follow him into a trailer.