My Hope

Chapter 47

I woke to the sound of knocking at the door. I was so tired because I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I spent most of the night tossing and turning and managed to fall asleep around 5am or so. It is about 7am and, and someone was knocking on the door.

"Come in." I yelled to whoever was outside the door. I was hoping it was Daryl, but it was Carol.

"Hey, the service for Dale is in about twenty minutes or so." Carol said then left the room. I stretched my arms and went in search of Maggie.

I found her sitting at the dinning table with Glenn.

"Morning. Hey Maggie, do you have some extra clothes I could borrow?" I was reluctant to ask, but all my things were in the tent.

"Sure, follow me." Maggie got up from the table and led me to her room that she shared with Beth and pulled out some clothes from a drawer.

"Here, these will fit you. We are about the same size." she handed me the clothes and I thanked her. She could probably tell something was wrong because she sat down on the bed and patted the seat next to her for me to sit down.

"You ok? I'm sorry about Dale." she said, taking my hand in hers. I nodded back, but she could tell that it was more than that.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know. I snapped at Daryl and he said a few things." I replied.

"You and Daryl?" Maggie gasped. I guess I forgot to tell her we were a thing.

"Yeah, opps." I smiled. We both gave a little laugh and Maggie left me to change my clothes. I walked to the bathroom and I changed into the black t-shirt and jeans. They fit pretty well and I combed my hair and let it flow over my shoulders.

I walked out of the house and stood next to Andrea and Lori near Dale's grave. Almost everyone had tears in their eyes, except a few others. Daryl wasn't a crier, he stood next to Jessica who seemed uncaring about the whole thing.

Rick gave a little speech, but I wasn't really listening. I saw that T-Dog was trying to hide the fact that he was crying alongside Glenn who was crying. I silently stepped next to T-Dog and brushed my arm against him, telling him that I was there. I knew that this was what Dale would have wanted, everyone getting along and caring for one another.

"Sarah, you spoke to Dale last. He whispered somethin' to you before he..." Rick's voice called over to me. I knew that everyone felt bad that the last thing they ever said to him was that they wanted to kill Isaac and Randal.

"Um, well. Before he died, I told him that Isaac and Randal were still alive. He smiled that Dale smile we all knew so well." I said while everyone looked over to me.

"A little while before, when we decided to execute the prisoners, I told Dale that there was no hope. I was convinced that there was none. He told me that he knew there was hope left, because I stood up for Isaac and Randal." I felt a tear fall down my cheek and T-Dog put his arm over my shoulder.

"Hours and even minutes before Dale died, he believed there was still hope. The last thing he said to me was, 'There is hope left. Don't loose hope, please'. Those were his final words. I promise you Dale, that I won't, I promise." I walked over to the pile of rocks and picked one up and put it on the top of Dale's grave. His grave laid beside Grace's, I knew that he was safe with her now.

Slowly everyone put a rock on his grave and Hershel ended the service. I stood there with Andrea, until I left her. I needed to get my things from Daryl's tent.

I walked to the tent, which Daryl and Jessica were packing up.

"Daryl, why are you packing up your tent?" I asked. Daryl looked up at me while folding up the last of the tent.