Lottie

A Stormy Night

After about a week, Lottie had finally settled in Daryl's tent. They spoke a little bit more, talking about the day or whether Daryl was going on a run the next day. Daryl always made sure to ask if Shane had spoken to her or even gone near her. Shane hadn't, he'd avoided her since that night.

Daryl and Lottie were making their way back to the tent after some food at the campfire, Daryl had moved the tent another five feet away.

While they were sat getting ready to sleep, Lottie in her sleeping bag getting changed. Lottie suddenly had an idea, a way to earn her keep.

"I don't have any special skills like cooking or sewing," Lottie said sitting back up on her bed, legs crossed in her shorts and stained t-shirt "I want to go on a run."

Daryl was shocked, he was looking down at the boot he was untying and looked up slowly to face her. He's had to protect this girl, carry her unconscious, and throw a man, who was trying to kill her, to the floor.

"Do you even know how to shoot or even hold a gun?" Daryl asked quietly.

"No," Lottie said a little ashamed, untying and brushing her long blonde hair back with her hand "But I can use a knife well."

"How do you know that?" Daryl sat up straight to face her.

"I'd rather not say."

"Well I wanna know how well you'll have my back."

Lottie had just become aware of how deep and calming his voice actually was. She thought he spoke with a Southern American accent, but she wasn't sure.

"Well I-" She started looking away slightly "When I had to escape that place, I had to...get passed some men."

Daryl thought for a moment "So how does being able to use a knife fit into that?"

"I, um, I killed two of them..." Lottie looked away, waiting for a gasp of shock or an angry shout or something.

However, all she felt was Daryl sitting next to her on her camp bed and putting his arm around her.

"It's alright," Daryl said quietly "Most of us, most of us have killed people." Daryl went quiet in thought again "You escaped, gave yourself up to save Carl and the rest of us and still survived. I'll talk to Rick, I'd be happy with you out there with us."

Lottie smiled but still looked away still ashamed. "I really don't know how to use a gun."

"Maggie uses a knife and I have a cross bow." He said pointing under his bed and the huge black crossbow.

"Thank you Daryl"

"Now get some sleep," He said standing up and getting into his own bed "There's a run tomorrow, gunna need you awake!"

The second Lottie lay her head down, a huge rumble of thunder shook the floor underneath her. Lottie shot upright with a small scream. She cupped her mouth with her hand and shuffled to the back of her bed onto her pillow.

Daryl chuckled "Don't like thunder huh?"

Lottie looked at him "What makes you think that?" she smiled.

Another rumble. Lottie shut her eyes and pushed herself away from the mesh window to the edge of her bed and slid back down into her sleeping bag.

"I'm sorry, I'll be quiet, go to sleep" Lottie said quietly.

"Do you wanna move away from the side?" Daryl asked sitting up.

Lottie shrugged, "kinda" she said.

Daryl stood up and pulled her camp bed away from the mesh window, it felt a little like anger, she wasn't expecting it and almost fell off. Her bed was now about six inches from Daryls bed.

Another loud rumble of thunder, rain started pelting the tent.

"Put this on, you're cold." Daryl said throwing a black, long sleeved shirt at her.

Lottie hesitated for a moment, Daryl nodded at her and she put it on, and pulled her sleeping bag back over her shoulders and lay facing Daryl's bed.

Daryl got back into his bed but turned towards his mesh window. Lottie shut her eyes, put her hand to rest next to her face to try and shut out the flashes of lightning.

The rain continued to pelt at the canvas, the wind made the tent sway violently and the thunder shook the floor.

Lottie was scared, walkers could walk up on them, Shane could come to the tent and no one would hear. She kept playing these scenarios over and over in her mind making her panic and panic. She started to shake with fear, her eyes welling up with tears. Then she felt a hand touch hers, she jumped.

She opened her eyes to see the hand on her hand was Daryl's. He was facing her, eyes still shut. The thunder, the rain it all melted into the background.

Lottie shut her eyes again, took a deep breath, and fell asleep.