Campfire Confessions
It was early on in the outbreak, on a quiet, starry night. The group was making small talk after dinner and the conversation turned to what they would be doing if their lives had continued the way they anticipated. They had been drinking some sparkling wine (they had found some on a raid and kept it stashed in a stream to keep it cool for the evening), and tongues were definitely loosened.
"So, what would you be doing, Shane?" Rick asked.
"You first, Rick."
"No, you, Shane."
Glenn intervened, laughing, and said, "Both of you, at the same time. One, two, THREE!"
Simultaneously both men said, "Leave Lori and become a go-go dancer in New Orleans!" They gasped in surprise and looked at each other as the group erupted in laughter.
"What about you, Carol?" Dale asked the woman who was currently shaking with uncontrollable giggles at Rick and Shane's shared dream.
"Kill Ed. No question. I'd already planned it." Again, the people around the campfire laughed uproariously, then paused for a second and looked at Ed to see how he would react.
"Hey, I'd kill me, too," he laughed, raising his hands as if to fend off criticism.
Carol noticed Daryl nodding and smiling in agreement, and worked up her nerve to ask him, "What about you, Daryl? Any dreams?"
Daryl scuffed the dirt with the toe of his boot and didn't make eye contact. "Well, I kind of hoped I'd meet somebody. Someone feisty, so I could feel like I'd finally met my match. You know, someone who wouldn't take shit from anyone and who would finally teach me how to love? But I guess that's impossible now."
Dale shook his head, "Don't give up on the dream, Daryl. I'm sure you'll separate from the group and meet some independent woman who'll first challenge you, but then will grow to love you." The group nodded silently and almost in unison. It sounded believable, or at least familiar, like a story they'd read over and over before.
Daryl smiled shyly, which emboldened Dale to ask, "Daryl, if you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"
Daryl stroked his beard and said, "You know, I'm not really sure. Some days I feel like I might be in my mid-20s and therefore age-appropriate for a younger woman, then other days I think I look like I'm in my early forties and would want to be with a more experienced, headstrong woman, maybe one who would want to hunt with me." (He nodded slightly to Andrea). "Then other days I think I might want to be with someone who would bring out the best in me, someone damaged and with abuse in her past." The group turned almost involuntarily to look at Carol, who took another swig of her wine and winked at Daryl.
"Uh, excuse me, still alive here?" Ed said comically. The group roared with laughter as Daryl said, "Sorry, man. If it makes you feel any better, it's also possible I'm gay and just don't realize it until I meet the right adorable Korean slacker." There were nods all around.
Daryl turned his attention to Dale and said, "You've been asking a lot of questions, Dale. Now it's your turn. What would you be doing if the world wasn't crawling with walkers?"
Dale sighed and said, "Burying my wife. Damn zombie apocalypse happened so fast I just had to wrap her in a sheet and stuff her in a foot locker in the camper."
There was total silence, which was broken when Glenn said, "So that's what that smell is! I thought Daryl was curing some horrible roadkill in there." There were hearty chuckles all around. Andrea gasped with laughter, choking out, "I thought it was some sort of old man smell." Dale wagged his finger playfully at her, bugged out his eyes and said, "Oh, you!"
Rick wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes and said, "Well, here's the question we all want to know. What about you, T-Dog? Spill, man of mystery."
T-Dog cleared his throat and said, "Well, I…"
All of a sudden the group heard distant moans, "Walkers!" They grabbed their weapons and went to battle positions. Rick crouched down next to T-Dog and said, "Don't think you got away clean, man. We'll get your story someday." T-Dog just laughed and put his finger to his lips. "Shhh."