Barely Alive // TWD // Daryl Dixon

Chapter 42 -- Startin' Over

"Come on!" Daryl exclaimed.

I nodded and quickly got in, followed by Daryl and lastly my mum. Daryl made sure the door was locked once again before we continued inside the dark building. We had all our knives in our hands, walkers could be inside the building as well.

Daryl walked a bit ahead of us with a flashlight in his right hand and knife in his left. We kept walking further and so far we only found a dead walker on the ground. I kicked it to make sure it was really dead and then Daryl took the keys from him. He probably was a guard here.

We kept walking, everything was so quiet. It seemed like there really weren't any walkers here, that could be good but also bad, what if someone else had gotten rid of the walkers and they were inside now?

Anyway, we reached an office then. I bit my lip as I walked in. I could almost see myself sat on one of those chairs years ago. In my mind this room transformed into how it looked like when I first came here. Very illuminated, very organized. A middle aged man owned it back then. He was nice but he couldn't keep any of his promises.

"You used to work here or something?" I heard Daryl asking my mum, interrupting my thoughts. I turned to look at my mum as she glanced at me for a second.

"Something," she whispered.

This office had three doors, Daryl then pushed the desk in front of one of them, just in case. My mum took the keys from Daryl and opened the last door, while I just stood there with my arms crossed in front of me.

That door led to a very narrow hallway and the hallway to a small room and bathroom, something you don't often find behind an office.

"What's this place?" Daryl asked as he looked at me, he knew I knew what it was because of my reaction outside and he knew me to well to read me.

"It's temporary housing," my mother said before I could.

Daryl then lighted the desk, where some books were. The one on top was 'Treating Survivors of Childhood abuse.' He quickly turned to look at me then, not with pity, thank God, but he now knew what this place was and why I was acting so uncomfortable here.

It wasn't like Daryl didn't know, he actually met my father and saw how he was. It wasn't either that I didn't trust Daryl, I did. But now I was feeling exposed. This was a reality of my life. I couldn't just pretend here, everything in here brought memories of that part of my life.

"You came here?" Daryl asked.

"We didn't stay," mum said quickly.

"Of course we didn't," I commented.

My mum just looked away from me, while Daryl just stood there, staring at the books. Then he coughed and walked closer to the bed.
"I'll take the top bunk," mum informed us as she put her rifle on that bed. "You two should sleep. I'll take first watch.
"This is locked up pretty tight," Daryl said after he put his crossbow next to the bunker bed.
"I know."
"Then we're good, then."
"I'll keep first watch. I don't mind."

"Suit yourself," Daryl finally said, giving up. I was stubborn, he knew it was impossible to make me change my mind and he also knew my mum could be pretty much like me when she wanted.

I sat on the bed and rested my back against the wall, while I brought my knees close to my chest. Daryl sat on the edge of the bed, he glanced at my mum before turning his body to me and resting his right hand on my knee. I lifted my gaze and looked right into his eyes and smiled at him.

My mum quickly headed to the bathroom then, I took the chance to grab Daryl's hand and without warming pecked his lips, which really surprised him.