Remember Me (Daryl Dixon)

Chapter Seventy-Three: Gone Again

I let out a breath as the sun continued beating down on us all.
My throat longed for water and my body longed for a bed to lay in. I was sick of sleeping in the woods. I was just sick of everything at this point.
Nobody had food or water in days. We were all just ticking bombs. I felt as if I could pass out from heat exhaustion at any second. Shit, I probably looked like I could.
I stared ahead at the others and watched as Daryl said something to Rick. They exchanged words before Daryl began approaching the tree line. I wanted to follow him, but I restrained myself from doing so. I knew he didn't want me around him. My eyes drifted to Carol as she began following him. I watched them disappear in the woods.

Rosita shot me a quick look and I knew what it meant. She wanted me to follow him and so did I. Even if I never let him know I was there, I still wanted to see what he was doing.
"I'm gonna go see if I can find anything," I muttered as I broke away from the group. Rick tried to stop me but Rosita cut him off pretty quickly. I was pretty surprised that he didn't realize that I was following Daryl and Carol.

I clutched my knife close to me and began going in the direction they had gone. I didn't have a valid excuse for following them. If I was caught I didn't know what I would say. I guess, "sorry I pulled a knife on you and stopped talking for three weeks. Why are you out here?"

I cursed to myself when I realized what a shitty apology that was. There was really no way to apologize for what I had done. I had every intention to kill Daryl when I pulled that knife. I never wanted to feel that way again. I didn't want to hurt him anymore.
I slowed my pace when I saw them standing in the distance. I was close enough to hear them but not close enough to be seen. I wanted to remain in the shadows. I would be far too embarrassed if they caught me sneaking around.
"Anything?" Carol asked as they both observed the ground around them. I peeked from behind my tree to get a closer look at them.
"No. It's too dry," Daryl replied in a stern voice. "There ain't nothing here."

"Maybe we should start back," Carol suggested. Don't do that. Don't get me caught right now.
"You go," Daryl replied dismissively.

"I think she saved my life," Carol said, changing the subject completely.

I already knew she was talking about Beth. Just thinking of her caused my heart to break all over again. I wanted to stop listening to the conversation, but there was no way out now.
They would hear me if I tried to run away.

"She saved your life, too, right?"

I tried to hold back the memories of her as I peeped from behind the tree. I saw Carol walk towards Daryl and hand him something. I couldn't really make out what it was.
"It was hers," Carol said as she looked down at it. I watched Daryl slowly take it from her hands. He stared down at it and ran his fingers across it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. You would think it was my sister that he was in love with.

"We're not dead."

You're right, we aren't. But we all wish we could be.

"That's what you said," Carol spoke as Daryl looked over at her. "You're not dead."

I pressed myself against the tree and stopped peeping at them. I wanted to find a way out of this. They would hear me no matter what direction I went. I would be caught either way.
"I know you," I heard Carol say as Daryl remained silent. "We're different. I can't let myself...but you...I know you."

I gripped the bark of the tree when she parted her lips to speak. Her words would forever stick with me and Daryl both. "You have to let yourself feel it."

I peeped around the tree once more to see Carol place a small kiss on Daryl's forehead. I faintly smiled for the first time in weeks when she did this. It brought my joy to know that she cared for him just as deeply as I did. "You will. I know Elizabeth will to."

I clenched my fists as I heard her walk away. This time I didn't care about being heard.
I broke away from the tree and ran in the opposite direction of the others.

~Rick's p.o.v~

I jumped up as I heard the sound of a snapping twig near the forest. We all did.
Once we saw it was Daryl, a sigh of relief flooded through the air. I waited for Elizabeth to emerge from behind him, but she never did. Even Maggie was confused about this.
"Where's Elizabeth?" Rosita asked as she looked all around Daryl. We all expected her to join Daryl and Carol as they tried to find water. That's what she went out there for.

"What?" Daryl asked with confusion. "She stayed here."

"No," Rosita said in protest. "She followed you and Carol."
We all looked at one another with both anger and realization. I slammed my fist on the ground as Daryl cursed out loud.

"Well," Tara spoke through the chaos. "She's gone again."