I've never written anything so quickly before! My attempt at a short story inspired by the song Skin by Rag'n'Bone Man. And my first attempt at something darker and maybe a little sad.
I don't own any rights to The Walking Dead world, or the song (though I wish I did).
He never said it to anyone, never said it out loud. It took a long time for him to even admit it to himself.
He'd been having dreams for a while before his feelings for her made any sense, when he realised the true extent of what he had lost.
It was almost love
It was almost
He would always see her running, jagged pink scars and a penny-sized wound - the one he always tried so hard not to think about. The blood smothered across her frayed clothes was dark, congealed from the hoard of walkers he could always hear but never see. He was running after her, feeling his head pounding, never really quite certain if it was from the effort to reach her or trying to escape the invisible threat. Eventually he would catch up and reach out, but without fail his head would always snap round to see no walkers anywhere. When he looked back he was grasping at thin air, his target nowhere in sight.
Turn around
I'm holding on to someone
But the love is gone
Until eventually the dream changed. The scars had healed leaving silver-white reminders that she never failed to put up a fight, long blonde hair framing her face in soft curls. They were walking along a trail - sometimes surrounded by wildflowers, others sunflowers - but she would never fail to skim her hand along them with a peaceful smile. There were no feelings of dread or sorrow, just sunshine and calm. Neither feeling a need to fill the comfortable silence.
He would wake up crying for a different reason after these dreams.
When I run out of air to breathe
It's your ghost I see
I'll be thinking about you
About you
The group had grown over the years, along with partnerships and friendships with other communities. Life carried on while always reminded that no-one was ever truly safe. The baby they had all risked their lives for at one point or another was a little girl now, flourishing in the community with houses and a school, no boarded up windows or having a guard on the house porch at night. Families expanded, the addition of a little boy who never knew his father - or aunt - those who made the rules, responsible for the safety of their people, and those who tended to the land to provide an equally important role.
He had a job to do, a job that he was good at, a job that protected those who had become his family so long ago. But in the confines of the dark room at night, he'd be hit by those he couldn't help, couldn't save.
Carrying the load
With wings that feel like stone
Knowing that we nearly fell so far
Now it's hard to tell
When the day came he was there on the front lines, fighting side by side with his people, next to his brother. Since it all began they'd battled countless enemies, but they knew this one was different. This was bigger than anything faced before.
They had the children and vulnerable elsewhere, but he felt it, that those left here were in more danger than they were willing to talk about.
When I heard that sound
When the walls came down
I was thinking about you
About you
He knew it from the moment it started, that today was the part helped save his family, and that made it easier. But that wasn't the only thing that helped him.
I reached out for your hand
When the walls were caving in
But I see you on the other side
We can try
All over again
When his family looked back at that day they had a feeling why.
He never said it to anyone, never said it out loud. It took a long time for him to even admit it to himself.
But their family knew why Daryl Dixon passed with a peaceful look, amongst all the chaos, and that helped them.
I couldn't help but think of Daryl and Beth when I've listened to this song, and just felt inspired to try writing it. Plus I had to throw in that slight mention of Glenn, purely because I miss him - I'm still not over the death of Hershel yet so I don't think I'll be getting over the loss of Glenn any time soon!
I am completely obsessed with this song at the moment, and the rest of the album to be honest. If you listen to it please also try the song As You Are - I think it's one of the most beautiful songs on the album, and they're all brilliant.