Sightless

Daryl Dixon

~ Today ~

Max leaned against my chest while Andrea and Dale carried Amy into the hole that some of the men had dug. I had my arms wrapped around him, holding him to me like he would disappear, but he made no effort to get away. I could hear Andrea's crying, but no one wanted to comfort her. Apparently, while I had been holed up in the RV, she was threatening people with guns, and refused to put Amy down until she came back as a walker. 

It was strange, but if that's how she wanted to grieve, I don't understand why they didn't just let her do it. 

"Does anybody want to say anything?" Rick asked, once the hollow thud rang out, showing that Amy's body had finally been but into her final resting place. No one moved, and no one spoke. 

When I heard Andrea's soft cries start to move away, back towards the camp I knew I would need to say something, if only to help her find closure. 

"I didn't know Amy Harrison long. We met a little over a month ago, and I never had the pleasure of seeing her face but I know from my son, Dale, and Andrea that she was a beautiful girl. But she was more than that, she was a beautiful spirit who didn't deserve what she got. The first time I met her, Dale and Andrea were fighting the Walkers off of us, giving us a chance to escape our house and make it to the RV. It was chaotic, but Amy didn't rush us. She calmed me down, and led me up the stairs. I'm sure it was difficult, helping this stranger who was helpless, but she did it, while her sister was in danger, and she never once raised her voice. In fact, I don't think I've heard her become overwhelmed, except with you Shane, but I feel like you can bring that out in the best of people." I paused as a few short laughs rang out, and I could tell that Andrea was one of them. 

"I didn't know Amy long, but from what I do know of her, there was not one piece of her that needed to be changed, she was the perfect version of herself. Kind, caring, selfless, loyal. She was an angel on Earth, and at least now, she doesn't have to suffer this Hell any longer." I finished, and there were a few sniffles from Andrea, but I could no longer hear her cries. It was silent for a long moment, and then her voice rang out. 

"Thank you, Meg." She said quietly, so silently that I almost didn't hear her, and then she took off down the path towards the camp. 

It took a moment for us all to follow her, and I grabbed Hendrix's lead from Max, and took Max's hand in my other one before following I believe Rick, Lori and Carl down the path, and I could hear several footsteps behind us but I wasn't sure who it was. 

"Burying other people is bad enough, but the thought of one of us..." Rick mumbled in front of us, probably quiet enough that Max hadn't been able to hear, but I could, and I could also hear the soft slap someone, probably Lori, placed on his arm in retaliation to his comment. 

"Shh." She hissed, but Carl's voice overwhelmed her warning. 

"Are we safe now, dad? Now that we're together?" I almost felt like I was intruding on a - should be - private moment, but it was their choice to talk about this when we were all walking down to the camp as a group so... 

"I won't leave again. I promise you that. Not for anything. Now give me a chance to discuss some things with your mom okay?" Rick said, and Carl huffed. 

"Yeah." He said, and then I heard his footsteps veer off from Lori and Ricks, and Max pulled me after Carl, so I suppose that's the direction the camp was in, leaving Rick and Lori behind in the woods. 

"You two a'right?" A gruff voice sounded from a bit behind us, and when I turned, assuming it was us that Daryl was talking to, I was proven correct when his heavy hand landed on my shoulder. Max stopped as well, and I could tell he was getting anxious to get back and play with Carl because his hand was wiggly in mind, but he didn't try to pull away. 

"We're fine. Right Max?" I asked gently, and I think he nodded because Daryl didn't say anything else about it. 

"Rick and Shane are arguing about whether we should go to the C.D.C or to Fort Benning. What are y'all gonna do?" He asked quietly, and I realized why when a few people walked past, their footsteps loud and heavy, probably Shane, Morales, and T-Dog. 

"Whatever Dale wants to do is what we'll do. He'll probably want to stick with whatever group is biggest, but I don't know. He's the one taking care of us so..." I said quietly, and when Max pulled on my arm I turned my attention down to him before Daryl could say anything. 

"Can I go play with Carl, Sophia, Louis and Eliza?" He asked, the words practically erupting from his mouth. 

"Sure babe, just don't go in the woods okay? And stay next to Mrs. Carol, or Mrs. Lori okay? Or Mrs. Miranda if she's not busy. But no going off on your own!" I yelled the last part when his hand ripped from mine and he darted away. 

"I think Fort Benning's a bad idea." Daryl hissed once Max ran away and I turned my attention back to him, trying to point my face towards his so he wouldn't be uncomfortable talking to me. 

"Why? Because it's Shane's?" I asked, trying to keep my voice clear of anything, so he wouldn't take it as an insult or anything, like he couldn't make up his mind about something using anything other than hate. 

"No! Because I saw the military when we were in Atlanta. They're gone. There's nothin' left. I think it's gonna be the same thing there. At least at the C.D.C they could have meds for Jim." Right, Jim. Another thing that happened while I was in the R.V. Jim was bit last night, and was now suffering the slow change into a walker in the back bedroom of the RV. 

"Don't you think that if there was any military left they'd go to the C.D.C.? Shouldn't it be just as bad there? I don't think either option is a good option. We should head out, away from the city. Get somewhere deserted, from before. Won't be any walkers in a place that had no people before." I suggested and he was quiet for a minute, probably thinking about my suggestion, but I could tell he hadn't moved away because I could still hear his breathing. 

"You're probably right. But we aren't the leaders here, Rick and Shane are apparently. And out of the two? I pick Rick." I nodded, turning my head when I heard two sets of footsteps coming from where we were before and I heard crunching under Daryl's boots, so he probably turned to look as well. 

"Just Rick and Lori." He mumbled and I nodded, extending my hand to him. 

"I guess we better follow them, you mind taking me to the pit please?" Without a word, he wrapped his fingers around my wrist, leaving my hand aching for his touch, and my brain confused on why that is, and hauled me off to the fire pit, to hear what our fearless leaders have planned for our future. 

A/N: Happy New Years! I hope 2020 is amazing for everyone! I am so excited for this year and all the changes that are coming for me, and hopefully all of y'all are excited as well! 

For those of you in that 1995-2005 age, like me, can you believe that this decade is going to be probably the biggest decade of our lives? A lot of us are going to be starting our careers, getting married, having kids, traveling the world, and doing amazing things this decade. I honestly cannot wait to see what the 20s bring us!