Let The Flames Begin [COMPLETE]

Part 6

Daryl watched on mortified, struggling against the hold someone had on him as his eyes were glued on Charlene. The strong arms that held him back prevented him from going to her, helping her as the man stood behind her dragged the blade through her neck, slicing it wide open like a hot knife through butter. The blood spurted anywhere and he cried out, thrashing wildly against his restraints as the girl fell to her knees, unable to breathe as she grasped at her bleeding neck. Finally, the arms holding him let him free and he dove at her, his large hands coming to try and cover the wound, feeling sick at how her warm blood oozed through his fingers.

"No...please no!" he begged brokenly, tears streaming down his face as he tried so hard to stop the bleeding. Her gasping stopped as he looked into her eyes like a scared child, watching as she blinked at him slowly.

"This is all your fault, Daryl," she whispered, the voice echoing in his mind as his heart constricted painfully.

Daryl gasped as he shot up on bed, his chest heaving as his dream played on a loop in his mind, taunting him, making him feel sick. He looked beside him to notice an empty bed and his heart stilled, fear gripping him as he jumped out of bed, looking around frantically.

"Charlene?!" he called out, his voice bordering desperate while he ran to the bathroom. The room was empty though and so was Merles room.

"Charlene?!" he called out again, his fear mounting by the second. Be burst out of the front door, only in his vest and jeans, but he stopped still when he saw the girl with Merle outside. His shoulders slumped and he fought the choked sob that was trying to claw its way out, the relief seeping into his bones. She was okay, she was with Merle and she was most definitely alive.

"The fuck Daryl? Ya look like ya about ready to shit ya pants," Merle cackled as he looked over at him, trying to mask his concern at seeing his brother in such a state. Daryl swallowed thickly, willing the lump away in his throat as he cleared it. As usual, his temper flared, whenever he couldn't get a grip on his negative emotions they morphed into anger, it was just part of being a damn Dixon. He stormed over to the girl with a face like thunder and her eyes widened, stumbling back and almost falling over Merle in the process.

"The hell ya doin' out here huh?! I told ya last night ya ain't goin' nowhere without me, ya fuckin' deaf girl?!" he snarled, unable to quell the fear and rage pulsing through his veins.

"Easy baby brother," he heard Merle's warning tone from next to them, feeling him grab his arm and move him away a little, coaxing him away from her. Daryl shot a glare his way then and Merle's face was stern.

Daryl glared at him, jaw set and his nostrils flaring.

"I brought her out here because she had a nightmare. If ya wanna blame anyone, blame me," Merle said firmly. But there were things his brother didn't say, things he conveyed through a look alone that made Daryl swallow thickly. The look that told him to reign it the fuck in, that he was digging himself a hole and he needed to stop before he dug his own grave. Daryl's eyes flit to the girl then, watching how she glared at the floor, her hands trembling as she toyed with the knife in her hands, one Merle must have given her. He wondered just what the fuck they were doing out here. But he felt it. The guilt, on top of the rage and the fear, because it wasn't like he e-fuckin'-nough on his plate right now. What's one more negative emotion?

He couldn't bring himself to apologise to her, to make himself look like a fucking pussy with no conviction, even if he had upset her. Stubborn was in his nature just like his brother and Merle rolled his eyes, knowing his brother wouldn't say a damn thing to make this better.

"I'm goin' for a piss," Daryl huffed, but as he took a step back, closer to his brother, his eyes hardened and his voice dropped to a growl.

"Ya better make sure she's safe out here," with that, he was storming inside and slamming the door behind him, making Charlene jump. Merle watched her a moment, seeing how her hands shook badly as she glared at the floor. He heaved a sigh and shook his head.