Tell Me A Dary Dixon Love Story

A FRIEND

Weeks later she was walking through the woods when she heard a man's voice calling to her. Her head snapped in that direction and she set up her rifle getting low in the bush. Tiny crouching next to her baring his teeth. "I'm not gonna hurt ya, just was gonna see if you wanted some water?" she watched the man in a trench coat with long hair. He held his hands up still looking around for her. He was clean like he was from somewhere. That only made her more nervous.

She thought about just shooting him but reminded herself that looking for Troy involved actually talking to people. "Keep your hands up please." she called stepping out of her hiding spot. She took a deep breath and circled him the opposite direction of her growling dog. Tiny barked at him. "Im Jane, this is Tiny. Who are ya and where ya from?" she asked, sounding confident.

"My name's Jesus." he said, holding still. "I'm from Hilltop."

Hilltop, she repeated in her head, good enough, she lowered her gun and reached into her pocket pulling out a picture of Troy. "You seen this man?" He shook his head and lowered his hands. She shook her head and put it away, whistling to her dog to calm down. "Then have a blessed day, Jesus." she laughed and walked away.

He lightly jogged after her. "Do you need somewhere to stay?" he stopped in front of her and Tiny got between them forcing him to back off a bit. The man looked genuinely concerned though. "We got food, water, a place to sleep." he looked at the dog. "You shouldn't be out here alone."

"You're out here alone." she said pushing past him. He put a hand on her shoulder and she twisted it. "Don't touch me."

He shook out his arm when she let go. "I'm out here alone but i'm not out here alone."

She stopped and looked at him. "Why do you care?" she nearly sneered. He chuckled. "Like seriously, could I sound less interested in coming with you?"

He watched her and her dog pace insync with each other and wondered if she was more animal than human. "You just look like you could use a friend." he said and she stopped moving thinking of how Daryl had said that at one of her lower points in life.

She visibly relaxed a little. "I can't stay, I have to look for my brother."

"Stay and I'll help you." he smiled and she did too, she wouldn't mind the help. They walked side by side to his place as she told him about Troy, where he said, where she narrowed it down to, where she's already looked. She even showed him her map.

When they got to Hilltop she looked at the big wooden walls, and the spotters at the top of the gate. Secure, she thought as the gates opened, feeling a little safer.. "This is my place." He said, opening the door to a mobile home. There was a little kitchen table, stacks of books, a couch, a bed. "You can sleep there." He pointed at the couch and Tiny jumped on, curling up and making himself at home. She set her stuff down next to the couch before sliding her rifle out of site behind it. She noticed no one here had guns, she wasn't gonna risk someone stealing it. "You just need to meet Gregory, then you'll be set." he watched her look round the room.

"Who's gregory?" she asked, picking up one of his books. She missed reading, having time to read. She still got to paint and she painted anything she could with whatever she could.

"He's the person in charge." she looked at him questioningly, he didn't sound like he really likes this Gregory.

She picked up a legal pad and flicked through its blank paper. "Can i have this?" she shook it at him and he nodded so she tossed it on the couch. "Ok, where's Gregory?"

He walked her up to the big house and looked around at everything. She saw a good deal of crops going on, a smith, butcher, farm animals, some horses. They are better off than the school she thought walking up the steps. It looked like a museum inside. She looked at the winding staircase before following Jesus through a set of double doors. She smiled even though part of her was disappointed, this is not a leader, she thought looking at the old balding man. Even his handshake was pathetic. "Welcome, I'm Gregory. Take a seat, Joe." he said.