𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒍𝒇 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 ➪ «𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑦𝑙 𝑑𝑖𝑥𝑜𝑛»

ch. XL - 《chasing shadows and bells》

oOo

Midday found Felix and the others making plans of search and rescue around a selection of melee weapons on top of a truck's hood. His body was still weary, aching and barely keeping his weight, but his eyes were focused, following Andrea to Shane to Rick as each person spoke.

Andrea complained about not having a gun, and the others justified that if anyone chanced to shoot unnecessarily it could draw the horde to them. Going by Diana's tale of Andrea's tendency to wave her gun in people's faces, he also thought it best to keep her unarmed. At least for the time being.

Daryl suggested they should follow the creek since it was Sophia's only point of reference. Sophia Sophia Sophia.

What about his sister? It made him mad that no one had said anything about her yet, as if she'd simply gone forgotten because she was older and less helpless.

"I don't wanna blow a hole in all this, but what about Alice?" Glenn asked, lowering the hooked machete he'd procured. He glanced at Diana beside Felix, forcing his eyes to follow.

Oh, she was in a baaaad mood. He'd noticed it that morning when he woke up and she was sitting at the edge of their bed, elbows on her knees, frowning at her joined hands. She'd forced herself to smile at him and speak normally, but her sentences had been clipped, and her voice strained and barely suppressing her annoyance.

She stood with her arms crossed, bow across her chest, eyes hard and unfocused staring straight ahead. He could tell she shared his sentiment – she was that easy to read – but he suspected she didn't know how to put it in words without sounding uncaring about Sophia. At least that was what was going through his head.

She blinked back to herself, inhaled deeply, and said, "We don't...know for sure where she went. I mean, her tracks just...vanished. For all I know, she's also found the creek, or she's hiding out with Sophia, or she's on her way back right now." She looked at Rick. Her words were measured, "But I know I'd feel better resuming where we stopped yesterday, someplace where I know she was at."

"Of course. I understand," Rick said, nodding, "we can spare the resources, divide into two groups, cover more ground, rendezvous back here."

"Spa-spare resources?" Diana repeated incredulously, arms dropping.

"What the fuck?" Felix said simultaneously, feeling his pulse rise. Sweat rolled down the back of his neck, a shiver against his feverish skin.

"Rick," Diana breathed in astonishment, lip curling incredulously, "are you insinuating my sister's any less important than Sophia? I get that the circumstances are different, but she is not a side assignment."

Rick blinked and shifted his weight, shame etching itself in his face at his unfortunate phrasing. "That's not what I meant."

There were uncomfortable looks being passed among some of the others as if they were guilty of the same sin. He knew they cared for his sister, he knew they enjoyed the way she made them laugh in spite of the world during her "manic episodes" or "queen-of-the-fucking-world phases" like she called them.

Shane put his hands on his hips. "It's her own fault she's lost out there, to begin with, no one asked he-"

"Oh my God, man, would you shut the fuck up?" Felix called out, fingers digging into his temples like he was on the verge of a headache. That fucker's voice was going to be engraved in his brain as the 'douchebag-iest' sound ever.

"What did you say, boy?" the 'offendee' stepped toward him with dark eyes and a scowl, puffing out his chest. Seriously? Oh, he wouldn't be doing that if his dad had been there.