DARYL
Give the nut another slight twist and now I'm happy with its position. Finally.
Pack the tools up and grab a do-rag from where I've tucked it in my back pocket. Wipe my grimy hands.
It's now prepped and ready. Will be gettin a damn good workout this time around. Three days at least.
She's a real Frankenstein creation....that's for sure! Cobbled together from bits of Yamahas, Triumphs and other makes. Took me nearly two weeks to bring it to this point.
But I gotta say, it looks pretty fuckin awesome now....and rides even better.
It's still only four AM and we ain't due to leave until six. I flick off the garage light and return to the house, floppin my butt down on the porch.
Workin on the bike hasn't helped with my sleepin at all, worse luck. Still only get a couple of hours if I'm lucky. And they aren't good ones at all.
Whenever I wake, realise I'm still alone? Well....that's it for another night.
And it's been one hundred and sixty-eight of them since I saw her last. A hundred and eighty-two since I woke up with her in my arms.
Yeah. I'm keeping track of time now too 🙁
Not a single word was said to me and Carol when we returned. As soon as they saw we were on our own....they knew.
No words. But I did get my nose broken. Gave back as good as I got until Rick and Big Red pulled the two of us apart. Afore we killed each other.
Our number had grown from the additional folk we'd released from Terminus. Plus a preacher we rescued on the road shortly after.
They're part of the group....not part of our family.
But we've had our losses as well 😔
Bob got bit and died.
Sasha is now goin through what I did. Except for her? Bob is never comin back. Neither is Ty, who we lost two weeks later.
That sure was a bad one. The man saved my life in more ways than one. Really wish I'd been there at the time....to return the favour.
Abraham convinced everyone to 'up stakes' and make our way to Washington. I had myself a real hard time over that. Makin the decision to go along as well.
Leave Georgia and give up my search for Nate.
I told myself....promised myself....as well as her. Protect my family and get them settled somewhere safe. Then go back home and find my woman.
Make her mine again....make her love me again.
And in another week that's exactly what I'm gonna do. Because now I know. Just how important it is to keep MY promises.
There wasn't a day when we got ready to hit the road? That I didn't wanna just turn my ass around and head back to Georgia.
Every....single....day.
The only thing that stopped me? Was knowing, beyond doubt. That the moment I took my first step....my family would simply turn their asses around too. Wouldn't ever let me go it alone.
Took us a few months makin it as far as Virginia. Made some detours along the way. The first few weeks drivin slow, but the rest was all on foot though. And the last week was the worst of them all.
No food, hardly any water. We battled through a real Indian Summer heatwave and it was tough goin. Not just talkin physically here either.
Yet we kept it together....had to. Needed to look out for each other cos we were all dealing with our own traumas and demons. No one was immune.
YOU ARE READING
Home Is Your Heartbeat ('Home Is' Book Two - Daryl Dixon)
FanfictionSemi-mature. Completed. Book Two picks up immediately from the last chapter of Home is You. Nate is an Aussie girl who was stranded in Georgia during the outbreak. She and fellow traveler Leo joined a group of survivors in Atlanta. Nate got her fi...
