Found Book One

Run

"Hey, Lainey," Daryl's voice fills my ears, I sit up and turn to him. "You have a perfectly good bed right there kiddo," he laughs. I smile, "Hey, you wanna go on a run today?" he asks, I nod my smile widening.

"Good get a bag and meet me in the courtyard," he says leaving the room. I dump out my green messenger bag onto my bed.

I practically run out of the quiet building to meet my father. "Excited?" he questions as I stumble to slow down. I nod as an answer still not sure how to fill the void between us.

"Come on," he says wrapping an arm over my shoulders. "Daryl!" a man's voice calls causing me to turn around. Hershel and Carl walk our way, "Where are y'all goin'?" Hershel asks.

Daryl smiles, "I'm taking her someplace," he says with a secretive tone. I furrow my brows and wrap one of my arms around myself. "We'll be back before lunch and if not I packed some," he says with a small smile.

"If you're not back by dinner I'll be out to find you," Carl says, Daryl shrugs. "We'll be back," he says walking away.

I give a small wave and jog down the road to catch up with the man and his crossbow. He places his bow on the back and puts his bag on top.

He hops onto the bike and pops up the kickstand. "Gettin' on?" he asks. I nod and swing my leg over the seat.

He starts the engine, I wrap my arms around his waist as he pulls out of the space leaving a trail of dust in his wake.

"Where are we going?" I ask Daryl over the rumble of the motorcycle's engine. He shakes his head and takes a sharp turn left at an intersection. "I can't tell you," he says pressing harder on the gas.

I shake my head, "Okay then," I mutter watching as the trees blur past. "Do you know who brought me food last night?" I question.

"No, I don't," he says taking another turn, "Well someone did," I mutter to myself. "Maybe it was Carl, I think he's got a crush or somethin'," Daryl says gruffly protectiveness laced in his voice.

I smile, I haven't thought about boys or even being a real teenager in so long. Daryl stops the bike in the middle of the road. He gets off and I follow suit. "Come on," he says motioning me to follow him. I nod and walk behind him into a large field. The sun is still rising in the sky and it's the color of blue cotton candy. 

Wild flowers whack my legs as we walk through them. "How'd it happen?" he asks, turning around to face me. I bite my lip, suddenly feeling the anxiety of telling him how our family was killed.

"Suzan was the first to die. She wouldn't listen to me and she got attacked by a walker. That's how we learned that if you get bit you turn," I mumble starting out with the easiest of the deaths.

We keep walking and I continue, "We found this group of people, Mom's brother Jimmy was the leader, he lead us deep into the woods, I had to carry Johnathan most of the way." I say.

Daryl smiles at the mention of my brother's name. "When we got to the cabin he promised was safe, we found out that it wasn't, there were men there. Men that he knew, one of them."

We walk toward a tree near the center of the field. "The leader talked about wanting to take me, he was tall and he had black hair. He said that I was a good fighter, that I could be of use to him with my bow skills, Uncle Jimmy said no. I wanted to make a deal. But that night Uncle Jimmy made us leave so that the leader couldn't take me," I say.

Daryl nods for me to continue, "So we left and found a house just outside of King's County, we stayed there for a few weeks. That's when Myra decided to start playing with the walkers, she thought that they were still alive. Mom and Johnathan got separated from me. I ran when I realised that the leader of the group that wanted me had taken them," I say.

"So you don't know if Lily is dead or not," Daryl asks turning to face me. I shake my head, "I'm sorry daddy," I whisper. "Come on," he says, I stand for a moment as he walks away. I stare at his back, "I still can't tell if this is real!" I call out to him. 

Daryl stops, "Need me to pinch ya?" he asks as he turns to me, I move my hand to my upper arm. I close my eyes and pinch my skin harshly. I dig my nails in harder, "It's real monkey," Daryl says when I open my eyes. I smile at him, "It just doesn't feel like it should be."