A Survivor's Diary of the Apocalypse (TWD/Daryl Dixon)

S1Pt5 - The Redneck

We were on our way back to camp when I decided to talk to Rick.
"So Rick?" I asked. "What's your story?"
"Well," He began. "I woke up in the hospital from a coma not that long ago. Since then I've just been worried about finding my family." He said. "I swear I'd do anything to see them."
I nodded and sympathized with him.
"I know what you mean." I said quietly.
"Hey Kelley." Andrea said to me.
I turned around and looked at her and nodded my head. "Yeah?" I asked.
"Listen, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for what I said in Atlanta. I didn't mean that I don't like you, I do... I was just intimidated you know?" She said.
"Yeah, I know. And I'm sorry if I came off the wrong way, it has just been awhile since I've talked to real people." I said. "I've only been able to talk to this guy." I said and pet Bud.
He barked at me and wagged his tail and Andrea and I started to pet him. We heard Rick and T-Dog talking about what happened on the roof.
"No one is gonna be upset about Merle. Well maybe except Daryl." T-Dog said.
"Daryl?" Me and Rick both asked.
"Yeah, his younger brother." He said.
Me and Rick just sighed. This was going to be a bad first impression.
A few minutes later we parked the van behind Glenn once we arrived to their camp. I could hear people complaining about the car alarm and then it stopped and everyone settled down.
"Let's go newbies. Come meet everyone." T-Dog said and hopped out of the truck.
Andrea followed after and was greeted by another girl and they embraced each other. I stepped out after with Bud at my side and saw everyone look at me, uncomfortable with the new face. And then Rick followed after me. He stood there with his hands on his hips and took a deep breath. All was silent as everyone looked at us.
Then a little boy screamed. "Dad!!!"
The little boy, followed by who I assumed was his mother, ran up to Rick. He embraced his son and fell to the ground in tears. He then picked up the kid, walked over to his wife, and embraced her.
"At least he found his family alive." I thought.
I then saw his wife give a hateful glare to another man before she looked back at Rick. Rick then looked at that man and nodded his head in thanks.
"That's Shane." Glenn said. "He used to be a cop, like Rick. I think they were partners."
I nodded my head but didn't dare say anything. I was getting emotional over watching Rick reunite with his family and started remembering my own.
"Everyone!" Glenn called out. "This is Rick Grimes and Kelley Jones and her dog Bud. They are going to be staying with us."
Everyone smiled and there was no disagreement about us staying.

~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night we all sat around a fire to keep warm and chat. Rick was sitting with his wife and son, and I learned their names are Lori and Carl. I was sitting with Bud and kept my distance from the group. I was grateful to be here with people, but it was a difficult adjustment. Next to us, we heard a crackle in another fire and saw a man throw another log into the pile.
"Ed, keep that fire down." Shane ordered.
"It's cold." He said with an attitude, which caused Shane to stomp over to him.
We looked away and decided it was best for them to handle it themselves. It was silent until someone spoke up.
"Daryl is going to be pissed his brother got left behind." An older man, named Dale, said.
Rick nodded in agreement but then shrugged. "I had no other choice. He was getting aggressive."
"No kidding." I said and shook my head. "Where is Daryl anyways?" I asked.
"Probably out hunting is my guess." Glenn said.
I nodded and yawned at the same time, and leaned back to rest my head on Bud.
"I'll go get you a tent and blanket for you tonight." Dale offered and got up.
"Oh, thanks." I said, shocked with his kind gesture.
He nodded and came back from a RV with a tent and blanket for me. I thanked him again, said goodnight to the group, and left to go set up my tent. I found a secluded spot away from the group where I felt most comfortable and pitched up my tent. Within a few minutes, me and Bud closed our eyes and had the best nights sleep we haven't had in a long time.

~~~~~~~~~~

I woke up the next morning to people chattering and kids laughing. I slightly smiled at the thought of this becoming normal, the idea of not being alone becoming a reality.
I put my hair up in a pony tail, laced up my boots, put on my vest, and left my tent. I grabbed my weapons, just in case, and called Bud out from the tent. We walked into camp and were greeting by familiar and new faces. A woman named Carol, her daughter Sophia, and Ed was her husband. Andrea's sister Amy. A Mexican man named Morales with his wife and two kids. And a guy named Jim who I noticed always kept to himself.
"Hey, good morning Kelley." Dale said and waved at me from the top of the RV.
I waved back and looked around the camp. "Is there anything I can do?" I asked.
"Yeah actually. Go out into the forest, see if you can go hunting for some food. And maybe find Daryl, he's been gone for a couple days now." Dale said.
"Sure thing." I nodded. "I'll be back later today then." I said and heading into the trees.

~~~~~~~~~~

I was following the tracks of what looked like a deer's prints and Bud was keeping watch for any dead that might be wandering. I was on the lookout for anyone that could be Daryl but didn't see any signs of human life out here. A few minutes after following the tracks, I felt like I was close to the deer. I held my rifle and was getting ready to shoot in case I saw in run by. I was getting closer to a clearing when I heard someone start screaming. Bud started barking and we automatically ran to the noise. Once we reached it we saw the group standing around watching a walker devour a dead deer.
Rick, Shane, Glenn, and T-Dog saw me run out of the woods and stared at me.
"Damn it." I said, pissed off.
Bud started barking at the walker, which got its attention. I drew my knife and was ready to fight when an arrow came out of no where and killed the walker. We heard a rustle coming from the bushes and aimed at the noise. Then a man with a crossbow emerged and looked at all of us, then the deer.
I heard the group give a sigh of relief. "It's just Daryl."
"Son of a bitch!" He said. "That's my deer. Look at it. All gnawed on by this piece of shit." Daryl yelled and kicked the walkers body.
"Actually that was my deer. I was tracking it this morning." I said to him.
"Who the hell are you?" He asked me, rudely.
"Kelley. And you better watch your attitude." I said back.
Everyone around was shocked at what I said but I didn't care. Daryl just scoffed at me and then looked at my dog.
"Huh. Well at least we have a meal of a good sized dog right here." He said and pointed his crossbow at Bud.
Something inside of me flipped at his comment and I was infuriated. Bud was the only family I had left and I wasn't going to let this guy hurt him.
I stomped over to Daryl and, before he could move, I pushed him with all my strength and aimed my rifle at him. He put up his hands and stared at me. Bud stood by me, giving Daryl a deathly growl. Everyone watched us and waiting in anticipation to see what I would do.
"If you ever threaten my dog again, you best hope I'm dead." I spat at him.
Everyone around was speechless. I guess no one has ever done that to him. At least not when his older brother was here. Daryl slowly lowered his hands and began walking away towards camp with everyone following him. I took a second to regather myself and contain my anger before I followed the group back to camp.