fight || book 4 of 'she's a dixon'

chapter 8

we walked. for what seemed like forever. we stopped each night to set up a camp but that's about it.

"i think we've got a day's worth of water left. we're lucky it's cooled off a little bit, but-" rick said stopping at turning around to look at michonne and carl who were behind us.

"what are y'all doin'?" i asked slightly laughing. "winning a bet" carl answered. "in your dreams" michonne challenged. "i'm still on" carl said trying to reach over to push michonne off the side of the track.

instead he made himself almost fall off. "you spoke too soon wise guy" she said smiling. "this might go on a while, maybe we can speed this up?" rick suggested. "yeah you're right, we shouldn't be fooling around. we should probably- carl!" she yelled trying to scare carl. but she accidentally made herself fall.

"i win! pay up" carl said holding out his hand and smiling. michonne handed carl over a candy bar. "rae" he said splitting it in half. i shook my head no. "come on, you know you want it" he said holding it out further to me.
"share with michonne" i said. he sighed and then gave the other half to michonne. "thank you" she said smiling and taking a bite out of it.

we then started walking again. i walked infront along side of rick while michonne and carl were goofing around behind us. "i don't understand why you don't join them" rick said to me. i shrugged my shoulders.

"i guess it's just hard to remember i'm still a kid. i had to grow up way too fast" i admitted. "don't feel bad about that though. you're strong. i've seen it way too many times. and don't feel left out with them two either. you're carls bestfriend. you have been for a while. he loves you, and you love him. i can tell. i'm glad he has you. i'm glad i have you" rick said. i looked up at him and gave him a small smile.

we continued just walking. about mid-evening we made a camp in the middle of the forest. we decided to stay there a few days.

the next day still at our small camp, rick and i went to go check the snares. and we taught carl and michonne how to make them. right when rick got done explaining, i heard a man start yelling for help.

i got my bow ready and started to run towards the scene. carl ran right next to me. "carl! reagan!" rick yelled running after us with michonne. there was a single man being surrounded by a herd of walkers. i raised my bow to shoot but rick wrapped his arms around me and pulled me back behind the tree. michonne did the same to carl.

"we can't help him" rick said to us right as we heard the man scream out of pain. we watched as the man got knocked down by walkers. two walkers managed to see us and they started coming for us. "we've gotta go" michonne said quietly. we all then ran off following her.

we ran out to the rail road and started to run. but we had to stop because there was walkers on both directions of the road. rick and michonne killed the four walkers in our way and then we continued to run down the rail road track.

we ended up going off track onto a gravel road to try to get in the clearing. "hey look" carl said pointing out an abandoned car in the middle of the road.

we decided to camp there for the night. carl and i went inside the car to try to get some sleep. after a little bit, he feel asleep but i just couldn't. i opened and shut the car door as quietly as i could so i wouldn't wake up carl. i went over and sat next to rick who was sitting around the camp fire with michonne.

"reagan, you should try to get some sleep" rick said. "i tried. i ain't tired" i said. we all sat in silence just looking at the flames. that was until i heard what sounded like a gun click and something was pressed behind my head.

"claimed" a man said. then other men came out and pressed their guns against rick and michonne's head. "fellas, look like we got our selfs a good one" the guy behind me said.

"let 'em go" a familiar voice said. it was dad. "daddy" I said with tears welling up in my eyes.

he's alive.

"oh so daryl, this is your daughter" the man behind me said. "too bad she's already claimed" he said. "don't touch her" dad said sternly and walking towards them.

"hey hey, you know the rules" the man behind me said."let them go, they're good people" dad said. "now that there is a lie. and you know what happens when we lie. boys" the guy said. then two guys started beating up dad. "no" I whispered with my eyes wide open.

"so what's gonna happen is we are going to beat daryl to death, kill the woman with the sword, kill the boy, kill you slowly, then have fun with the girl" the guy said to rick. "don't touch her" rick said. "wow, you guys sure are protective over this one right here" the guy said facing me.

he was older. grown out grey hair with a small beard. pure evil shown in his eyes. he was truly planning on hurting me.

but i kept my cool. i'm not gonna let myself get hurt.

the guy started to lift up the bottom of my shirt. "stop. please, don't touch her" rick said sternly. the chubby man in their group drug carl out of the car and was on top of him. i shot my head over towards him. so did rick.

"what are you gonna do about it" the guy in front of me challenged. rick grabbed a gun and shot it to distract the group.

dad knocked the guys that were beating him up out, michonne turned around and killed the guy behind her, without hesitation i killed the guy that was on top of carl. lastly, rick killed the guy that was messing with me.

when they were all dead, i ran straight to my dad. i jumped into his arms and he hugged me. we were both crying at this point. "thank god" he whispered putting his hand on the back of my head.

"did they hurt you?" he whispered to me. "no. rick stopped them." i said back. "i love you" i then said wiping my tears. "i love you too" he said still hugging me. he sat me down and he held my hand.

"are you okay" rick said bending down so he was my height. i nodded my head. i then ran over to carl. he gave me a bear hug. "are you okay" he asked. "yeah, are you?" I asked. then we released the hug. he nodded and then put his hand on my cheek and i nodded. i then went back over to Rick.

"thank you" I said to him. he nodded then pulled me in for a hug. "i promised that as long as i am around, nothing will happen to you" he said planting a kiss on the top of my head. 

i didn't sleep that night.

michonne sat in the front seat keeping an eye over carl and i. in the back, carl was sitting up straight with his head rested up against the window. i layed down with my head on his lap. he played with my hair until he fell asleep.

i didn't want to sleep. i know i had my dad back, but i still didn't feel safe.

i'm old enough to understand what that man's intentions were. i hates the fact that there wasn't anything i could do about it.

if it weren't for rick taking a risk, he would be dead. michonne would be dead. carl would be dead. i would be dead.

and my innocence would've been taken away from me.

i wouldn't be dead, but i know i would want to be.

just the thought of it makes me sick. that moment is going to scar me for the rest of my life.