Author's Note: I DO NOT OWN THE CHARACTERS OF "The Walking Dead" NOR THE FEW SITUATIONS (like the prison home) THAT WILL APPEAR IN MY STORY, HOWEVER, I CLAIM THE EVENTS THAT I COME UP WITH AND HAZEL. This story is going to be an eventual romance between Daryl Dixon and my very own O.C., Hazel. I am really just experimenting with my own little story of the Walking Dead and though I am completely caught up, my story is going to start with everyone alive and well at the prison. It will be in first person switching from Hazel's P.O.V. to Daryl's and back and forth. Like I said I am merely experimenting and depending on how it goes I will try to update every week. So I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading if you actually made it down this far!
Chapter 1
Hazel.
All I can remember is running. Sprinting, stopping mere moments to gasp for precious breath before moving on at top speed to out run the living dead. My jeans ripped and bloodied, my tank top barely hanging by the threads, and down to no ammo, my hidden switch blade, and 3 of my throwing knives. How did I let this happen?
A zombie girl grabs my arm, yanking me from my thought, apparently the herd couldn't be outrun as easily as I had hoped. Just before she could sink her blood stained teeth into my skin I ram her head into a near by tree, I guess running into the woods has its advantages. I stop long enough to see that the girl Corpse was the closest to me and the rest of her herd is far enough that I can't see them but I can hear them. Turning back around I keep sprinting wondering if I am going to meet my salvation or my end.
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Based on the feeling in my legs I would imagine a day has gone by but judging the shadows around me it's only been about two or three hours since I took down the once female Corpse. The herd has drastically caught up and I am forced to take 2 or 3 down every 5 mintes, the numbers dwindling down to around 15 but I still can't take on that many Corpses. About to give up I suddenly hear something so beautiful, so pure, I wonder if I have already died. But when I trip on some roots and injure my ankle I know I'm still in the middle of the world's nightmare come true. Rushing to my feet, I limp towards the sound as its repeated every so often. I never thought I would hear children's laughter again but sure as death and plain as day there it was. Finally reaching the end of the trees I gaze upon iron fences, barbed wire, and living people. I don't mean survivors either, these people have crops growing and what seems to be a thriving community. It's almost too good to be true. When a Corpse gets too close, I shift to dodge, but as the Corpse loses balance and crashes to the ground I end up hitting a low branch and getting slightly dizzy. Lightly touching my hand to my head and pulling back I see thick, deep red liquid trail down my fingers. I start slinking up to the gate on account of my injuries and scream for all I am worth. "HELP ME PLEASE!... SOMEBODY HELP!... PLEASE!... PLEASE…" I could hear the dead behind me, but above the groans and vicious snapping of teeth I hear the unmistakeable sound of a gate opening, the gate opening. Feeling a small amount of hope for the first time in a long time I turn towards the dead and release my last three knives, hitting the three closest Corpses' between the eyes, before falling to the ground and letting the blackness consume me as shots are fired and the noise of the undead starts dying down.
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Daryl.
I couldn't believe the number of close calls from our run, we had just gotten back but lost one of the newer guys, I am really getting tired of loosing people.
"Whats got you so upset?" Michonne asks with severe curiosity, while the look on her face states, Don't bet yourself up we barely knew the guy.
"Just thinkin', maybe I could've done more" I reply.
"Based on the history I've learned, you've done more than enough to save people, you did all you could" She states, giving a comforting smile.
"Just sick an' tired of-.." I start but get cut off by someone screaming bloody murder.
"HELP ME PLEASE!... SOMEBODY HELP!... PLEASE!... PLEASE…" comes the echo and looking out I see a figure emerge from the tree line, limping, covered in blood and dirt, and trailed by at least 15 walkers. Rick is already opening the gate with Maggie, Glenn, and Tyreese close behind. Michonne and I sprint into action, as I approach the survivor I see her throw 3 knives and hit 3 walkers directly between the eyes. What the fuck? Who the hell is this chick?
And before I have time to process what I've witnessed, the woman falls to the ground as my group gets busy re-killing her band of followers. Rick approaches me and all I can think is 'here we go again with trusting me to make some important decisions'.
"Daryl, what should we do with her?" Rick clearly is at a loss, he can't ask her his 3 precious questions with her unconcious therefore he doesn't know if he can trust her to enter our 'home'. But he is also too good of a man to let her die out here. But I'm not.
"Unless she wakes up in the next few minutes theres nothin' we can do, so why don't we just drive her out somewhere safe and let her wake up on her own. Hell, you saw how she handled the throwin' knives. Can we really risk the chance of her being a murderous psychopath?" I quip, pleased when I see him start to agree before Hershel steps in, good old goody fucking two shoes Hershel.
"Rick, Daryl bring her inside so I can tend to her wounds, we can lock her up in one of the deserted cell blocks and you can question her when she comes to, by the look of things she has had it rough, we should give her the benefit of the doubt."
And just like that Rick and I are on opposing ends but still nodding to each other, he goes over and checks her body for hidden weapons, coming across a bow, shotgun, and two handguns; all out of ammo. Realization hits, if the others are busy fighting off small clusters of walkers and Rick is carrying the weapons that means that I have to carry Miss Lucky over there. Sighing I slide one hand underneath her knees and the other under and across her shoulders, surprised to find that she has impressive muscle tone, not to the point where shes bursting and more manly but where you can tell shes been through hell and back and it only made her stronger. Shes just like me before I truly connected and committed to the group, I realize, and the thought makes my distrust of her grow very close to the point where I don't care what her answers are, I will gladly put the bullet through her brain myself. I am reformed, who knows how far into the darkness she's been lost.
...
Waiting has been antagonizing, the annoying rumors flying around are seriously starting to grate on my nerves even if its only been two days since 'whats-her-face' showed up. Honeslty where the fuck do kids come up with this shit? One of my 'favorites' was that she was the real life version of 'Black Widow' before 'The Turn' complete with top secret spy training and experience. Deciding I have nothing better to do I walk down to check on our prisoner – sorry patient. Arriving just as Hershel finishes up and heads out, leaving me alone with an unconcious possible groupmate. An unconcious possible enemy. In the light I take a good look at what I'm up against, seeing as though she is now cleaned up and presentable, thanks to Carol, I can actually tell that her skin is extremely pale, but not white-pale, her skin is toned slightly tan in muscled areas and her hair is a deep auburn that seems more brown indoors but I am willing to bet that when she steps into the sun its an immediate transfer to blazing blood red. Before I can allow myself to go any further in my cataloging of her body I stop and mumble, "You need to wake up soon so I can either get to know you as a friend or blow an arrow through your skull as my enemy."
I turn and leave, quickly and quietly without alerting Hershel who is back from his break and ready to help out his patient again.
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Hazel.
I gasp and shoot up out of the bed, nearly giving Santa Claus over here a heart attack as I watch him fall back, the loud bang echoing out of the small cell and into the hall. I go to get up but find my left hand, the one closest to the wall, handcuffed to the bed's post. A wave of dizziness hits me and I momentarily loose my sight to blackness, as it fades I see the old man being helped up by a tall man with long-ish curly black hair and peircing blue eyes. Another man with shaggy brown hair stands at the door, crossbow aimed at my head.
"What the fuck did you do!?" He spits. Wow 'A+' for compassion I think as I try to work past the lump in my throat.
"How long have I been here?" I mumble. My question sends him shooting across the room out of anger and I feel the tip of his arrow on the side of my head.
"Daryl, lower your weapon. She just jumped up and startled me" Santa Claus calmly informs, he bounced back a lot quicker than I assumed he would. After the crossbow is pointed safely to the floor, Santa Claus gives each of the men a nod and leaves the cell.
"How long have I been here, Daryl?" I repeat, using his name, knowing it would enrage him that I already know more about him than he knows about me. The look of pure fire in his eyes doesn't dissapoint.
"3 days" The other man steps in, sitting at the edge of my bed while 'Daryl' takes the metal chair next to me.
For a few minutes both of them seem to have a telepathic conversation and I wait patiently before giving up, I've never been patient. "Okay, anyone wanna tell me why the fuck I'm handcuffed and what the hell is going on here?"
Daryl looks like he would love nothing more than to shoot me through the heart just so he can kill me again when I come back as a Corpse.
"We saved your ass and are waiting for the fucking thank you card!" AHH so Daryl has a sense of sarcasm.
"We need to ask you a few questions" Blue Eyes states
"And I have to be handcuffed for them?" I bite back.
"We don't know you or trust you so until we are done they stay on, we only need to ask 3 questions at the moment" Blue Eyes tries to remain calm but I can see his resolve slipping. Remembering that they saved me I close my eyes and breath deeply before opening and collecting my emotions, if I'm going to answer their questions at least I can stay guarded about it.
"I'm sorry" I say to Blue Eyes before looking over at Daryl, "to you too, you people saved me from the Corpses and nursed me back into conciousness, thank you. I will answer any and all questions you need to know the answers to" I say with sincerity, both the men are shocked to the core, Daryl decides to take the lead.
"How many walkers you killed?" He asks. Walkers? Is that what they call Corpses? At my confusion he adds "you call 'em Corpses, how many?"
I look around the room trying to add them all up in my head before realizing I can't so I give them the truth. "However many it took to survive." I can feel my hold on my emotions slip and I'm silently hoping that is the hardest question.
Apparently my answer pleased both men because Blue Eyes continues with "How many people have you killed?"
No. No. No. No, breath. Deep breaths, just get out the number and they will move on. I tell myself before the flashbacks can start, my emotions falling even further. "…3…" I manage between calming breaths, my voice only wavering slightly.
"Why?" Daryl hisses, and I get the impression that he thinks I killed them because I wanted to, Blue Eyes is now on high alert as well, both awaiting my answer. Probably the answer that could mean life or death for me, a life with these people or a lonely word with hungry deceased roaming around.
"To save them" I whisper, as a single tear manages to cascade its way down my cheek before I angrily wipe it away. Taking a moment to get back into control I look over and see acceptance in Blue Eyes' eyes and guarded understanding in Daryl's.
"I'm Rick, you already have Daryl's name and the man that helped you earlier is Hershel" Blue Eyes – no, Rick smiles as he unlocks my restraints, "Welcome.. Miss.. What should we call you?"
"Hazel" I simply state, now why couldn't they ask easy questions like that?
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Well that's my start, like I said, I will update every week and just so you know I will keep my promise I already have up to chapter 8 written and my story has really just begun! I have a feeling this will end up being a VERY long story and hopefully you all think that's a good thing. If you enjoyed chapter 1 just wait 'cuz it gets better. Please leave me some feedback - positive (and negative if you must) - and if you loved it like and fav! See ya next week!