A Thief with a Machete

Chapter 4

I stepped over fallen logs and sharp broken branches as we made our way farther into the woods, tracking a set of prints that looked like a raccoon's.

"How old are ya'? daryl asked breaking the silence.

"14, why?" I said looking at him.

"Don't know nothin' bout' ya'. That's pretty bad for an uncle," He said nudging me with his elbow.

"He's been gone my entire life...first time I hear of him it's that he's dead. How's that for a childhood?" I said climbing over a big fallen tree.

"Sounds better than our childhood,"  He mumbled.

"I know. It is, probably. Mom told me about' him, his scars. Now I'm used to the word," I said the last sentence under my breath, hoping he wouldn't hear it.

"What?" he said stopping in his tracks. I guess he was a good listener.

I didn't stop walking, knowing he would try to make me talk.

"Forget it, Daryl. I said sitting on another log. A lot had fallen from rot and decay.

"No. Come here, I wanna see something," He said walking towards me.

I frowned and stood up hesitantly.

He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. He lifted up the back of my shirt about a third of the way before dropping it suddenly. He let out an angry sigh and rubbed his hand over his face.

"I told you to forget it..." I said before he shot a squirrel on a tree.

"Who?" he said ripping the squirrel off of the tree.

"NO. I'm heading back. Have fun squirrel hunting, Dixon," I said waving my hand in the air and brushing past him.

"Whatever," he said continuing forward.

He couldn't hide it, bet he wasn't even trying. I saw the anger on his face, wondering who had the heart to do that. Didn't matter, what's done is done. The pain stays, the memories stay, the fear. I shook my head as tears threatened to flow over and onto my cheeks.

~ 

I was setting up a tent next to T-Dog's when Carl came over and helped me set in the pipes.

"Getting it alright?" T-Dog asked walking up to us.

"I got it..."  I mumbled.

"Alright." T-Dog said putting his hands up sarcastically.

"Find anything to make that basketball hoop with?" Carl asked hammering down one side of the tent. 

"Not yet," I replied as he handed me the hammer. Our hands touched for a split second and I felt a burst of electricity. My cheeks felt hot and I quickly ducked my head, noticing he did too.

We finally finished setting up the tent and I went inside with Carl trailing behind.

"Here," he said shyly handing me the cot.

"Carl?" Lori called from outside of the tent.

"Gotta go. Uh... see you around," He said before walking out.

Daryl walked in front of the tent and watched Lori walk away with Carl. He stepped inside of the tent just as I had finished fixing the cot. I laid down on the cot as he looked outside then back at me.

"Ya' like Carl?" he said smirking.

I turned my head over and looked at him.

"What the hell kind of question is that?" I said furrowing my eyebrows.

He sat down on the end of the cot and I put my feet up on his lap.

"I see how ya' look at him," He grumbled.

"Well I see how you look at Carol," I snarked back at him.

He shut up and I could see his cheeks redden a little.

"Can't crack me, but I can crack you," I said biting at my cuticle.

"Glad you're not in the barn anymore, everyone will actually know ya here, instead of hiding away," He said.

"I hide cause' I don't like people huggin' me so much," I said putting my warm hands on my stomach.

"C'mon," he said getting up, "let's do something rather than sitting on our asses any longer."

"Give me a book and that's all I'll do," I said taking his hand that he put out.

He pulled me up and we went outside to do something else.

'This world ain't what it used to be. But it's better than before.'