My Hope

Chapter 46

I knew exactly who and what it was.

"Dale!" I screamed. I ran into the field, but Daryl was already halfway there. I scrambled to find Dale in the tall grass. Daryl barreled into the walker ripping into Dale and stabbed its skull with his knife. I fell beside Dale, his stomach was torn open. There was no way he would survive from this, I knew it and so did he.

"Hold on!" Daryl screamed and waved down to those who were running to us.

"Dale, just hold on. Please, you can't leave me." I took Dale's hand in mine. I heard voices and Andrea knelt down on his opposite side. We both were sobbing. Rick came up along with everyone else, calling for Hershel who knew there was nothing he could do.

"Dale..Dale, their alive. Randal and Isaac are alive. You saved them." I whispered to Dale through my tears. He smiled and pulled me closer to him, gasping for air through his words.

"S..see? There, there is hope left. Don't...don't loose hope. Please," Dale whispered into my ear so only I could hear. Dale moaned and gasped in pain.

"He's suffering!" Andrea cried. I stood up and looked at Daryl. I couldn't watch them kill him. Rick stepped forward and pointed the gun to the suffering Dale's head, but he couldn't do it. I backed away, I couldn't do it. I couldn't loose him.

Daryl stepped in and took the gun from Rick and knelt down beside Daryl's head. As he pointed the gun, I turned and started walking to the house.

Each step I took felt heavier and heavier, until finally the shot rang out. My legs became weak under me and I fell to the floor. I cried into my hands; he was gone. Dale was really gone.

I heard footsteps around me, but I stayed there in the dirt and stared up at the stars. He's up there, with Gracie.

Andrea walked beside me and helped me to stand. We both cried as we walked back to the house, the moon high in the sky.

"You want me to walk you to your tent?" Andrea asked. I just remembered that my tent was really Daryl and I's tent.

"Um, I think I might just sleep up in the house for the night, if it is alright with Hershel." I told her. We both had been crying, out faces red and puffy from it.

"He's in a better place." I said to Andrea before she left. She smiled and nodded. I saw Hershel, Maggie and Beth walking into the house and ran to catch up to them.

"Maggie?" I called after her before she disappeared into the house.

"Yeah?" Maggie faced me as I walked up onto the porch.

"You think I could sleep in the house tonight? I sorta have nowhere to go."

"Sure thing. You can use the spare bedroom." she led me into the house.

"I'm fine with the sofa. Do you think it will be alright with Hershel?" I asked.

"After what's happened tonight, he won't have a problem. Come on." Maggie led me into the house and up the halls to the spare bedroom.

Maggie gave me some clothes to sleep in and left me alone for the rest of the night. I tried to sleep, but I couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes I saw Dale gasping in pain, his stomach torn open.

Then I started wondering about Daryl. Did he wonder where I was? Did he even care? I spent the night just thinking and crying. My eyes fluttered close, until darkness swept over me and I fell deep into sleep.