A Thief with a Machete

Chapter 2

"Wait... so you're Daryl's...niece?" The boy, whom's name he told me was Carl, said after I explained how I got here.

"Yeah..." I said rubbing my neck.

We went up the ladder on the side of the barn and climbed into the top shafty part of the barn.

"Still don't get why you can't just stay in a tent next to everyone else," Carl said looking around the barn.

"Probably just temporary," I said looking around, a pile of rope catching my eye.

Carl put the blankets down and tipped his hat up while I walked over to the pile of rope, which was sitting next to a tire and a big and old swinging chair that you hang up.

"We could probably make this into like a hangout area. Put a tireswing up, this chair..." I said, trailing off at the end.

"Carl! April! Dinnertime!" Carol yelled out. She yelled something similar to the group by the trees, but I didn't quite hear it.

"Ech! It's probably squirrel and eggs," Carl said.

"Better than treebark..." I said quietly.

Carl smiled and nudged my arm, moving me slightly to the right. "Come on, before she yells again," Carl said walking towards the ladder.

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This particular evening the women from camp had cooked in the house's kitchen, so we ate inside. I barely touched my food and Daryl, who sat next to me, nudged my arm. I looked over at him and he whispered,

"It ain't poison,"

I nodded and brought my dishes to the kitchen, the  chicken and potatoes still on my plate. Only tiny bites here and there, but not many.

I didn't really understand how Merle could be dead. My mom always said how he acted tough that night, no one messed with him. Now he's dead? As I thought this over Daryl came out into the kitchen and dumped his plate into the sink. I saw him glare at my plate then back at me.

"Look, I do believe that yur' me niece. That means I should look afta ya'. Ya' need to eat, April. You don't eat, ya' get weak, and weak don't do you no good in dis' world," He said standing in front of me, towering about a foot and a half over my head.

"I'm fine. Just ain't hungry," I replied looking at my bloodied jeans.

Daryl bit the inside of his cheek them nudged my arm and ushered me to the dining area.

"Okay...so let me get this straight," A man with a white beard and fishing type hat said putting his hand out. ~Oh boy!~  I thought to myself sarcastically. "So Merle is your dad, and Daryl is your uncle?" He continued.

"Yeah. So what?" Daryl grumbled lowly. I guess we were alike in some ways.

"Just odd seeing you as an uncle..." the asian man with a baseball cap, who's name I learned it Glenn. said taking in a forkful of potatoes.

Chuckles subtled around the table and Datyl shot Glenn a look that made him stiffen a bit.

I sat and waited until Rick broke the silence and told me everyone's names.

After dinner Daryl was walking me to the barn since it was "Sort of close" to his camp.

"How did he die?" I asked breaking the silence of the night. Daryl didn't say anything and hardened the grasp on his crossbow strap.

"Daryl." I said making him look at me. "How did he die?"

Daryl let out a sigh and told me the story of how Rick left his brother on a roof in Atlanta and when they came back to get him... he was just gone.

"Not the first time he's disappeared..." I mumbled under my breath.

"It never is, kid."