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

S2Pt1 - The Highway Herd

We've been on the move ever since the CDC. It's been weeks. We never stopped moving, never stopped running. Food was running low, water was scarce, and we've seen no other people.
We were driving down a main highway, following Daryl who was on his motorcycle, when all of a sudden we stopped.
"Damn it." Daryl said and parked his bike.
We looked out the window and saw a massive pileup of cars that stretched down the entire highway. It looked like people just abandoned their cars when the apocalypse first started.
"Spread out and search the area for any supplies. Come back at dusk." Rick said.
Everyone left the RV and started searching the vehicles, but I just sat down at the table and looked out the window.
I haven't been the same since the CDC, since I wanted to stay there to die. I haven't talked much after, and when I did it was very brief. Ever since then, it's been a harder struggle everyday. I felt myself getting mentally weaker because of how the world was changing in ways that began changing who I was as a person. It was becoming a lot to handle.
While I was deep in my own thoughts, Daryl walked into the RV and sat down in front of me.
"Hey." He said.
I nodded at him to show acknowledgment but didn't speak. I felt him staring at me, so I looked at him, and he saw the pain that was hidden in my eyes.
"That day you got me out of the CDC." I said. "Do you want to know why I wanted to stay?"
He opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
"All I wanted was a quick, painless death Daryl, and you took that away from me."
"Kell..." Daryl said.
"No..." I told him. "You don't get it. I watched my family die, saw them get ripped apart by those monsters, and after all that I had to kill them..." I said and wiped away a few tears. "I don't want to die like that Daryl. To be out here only to wait for the day when I become one of them... I just wanted to leave peacefully, and I chose that, but you didn't let me."
"I'm sorry." Daryl said. "But I couldn't let you die. You are too much of an asset to this group and-"
"Listen Daryl. I don't need your explanation." I cut him off. "It happened, it's in the past, and I am here now. So, it'll be best if we all move on from this." I said.
"So..." He said. "We're good?" He asked and held out his hand.
I nodded and shook his hand. "We're good. But, if I do become one of those things in the future, you already know who I'm blaming." I said.
"I won't let that happen." He said seriously and squeezed my hand.
I stared into his eyes and tried to read his expression. I felt like there was sincerity, caring, truth, and maybe something else I couldn't quite describe. All of a sudden I felt like how I felt with him at the CDC, and this time there was no alcohol involved. I looked down at our hands intertwined together and we both automatically let go.
Bud started whining and he barked, which made me and Daryl looked at him.
"What's wrong boy?" I asked, and he whined again.
"WALKERS!" We heard Dale yelled from on top of the RV.
"Shit." I said.
I grabbed Bud's leash and my gun and ran out the door with Daryl. We saw there were dozens of walkers walking down the highway in our direction.
"Shit. Oh shit." I said again.
Daryl grabbed my arm and we started running down the highway away from the walkers, and looking for a place to hide.
"Here." Daryl said and pointed to a car.
I quickly opened the trunk and had Bud jump in.
"What are you doing?" Daryl asked.
"I'm not leaving my dog out here." I said.
I signaled to Bud to stay and be still, and then closed the trunk. Me and Daryl then crawled under the car and hid. A few minutes later the walkers were moving down the highway right by our car. The walkers were extremely close, so close that I could hear them moaning and could even reach out to touch them.
My anxiety peaked, making my breathing become labored. It was getting harder to breathe. Daryl then grabbed my hand and motioned to me to be quiet, and I nodded. I closed my eyes and squeezed his hand, trying to imagine I was somewhere else, acting like his hand was my life line, and he didn't object.
It seemed like forever before the herd passed, but it eventually did. Daryl made sure the road was clear before pulling me out from under the car. I was still in a little bit of shock and held onto his hand.
"Bud." I said out loud and remembered.
I opened the trunk and there was Bud laying down and waiting for me with his tail wagging
"Oh. Good boy." I said and hugged him.
He jumped out of the trunk and licked Daryl's hand, probably as a way to say thanks. He smiled and pet him back. We then walked over to the rest of the group who we saw emerging from their hiding spots.
Carol ran up to us and she was panicking. "Where's Sophia?" She cried.
"I don't know. I didn't see her." Rick said.
"She wasn't with us." I said.
"Oh God." Carol cried.
"We'll-" Rick began to say.
Aiieee!!!!
We looked around to find the source of the scream. We saw it was Sophia, and she was getting chased by two walkers.
Without even thinking or any hesitation, I gave Daryl Bud's leash and chased after her. I could hear the group calling after me, and Bud was barking, but I didn't care to listen. I had one thing on my mind and one thing only. I was going to save this little girl.
I had to.