Escape the Darkness
TV Show: The Walking Dead
Fandom: Team Delusional
Couple: Bethyl (Beth Greene & Daryl Dixon)
Rating: Mature for future smut and current violence
Note: Another TD story?! Yeah, I know but this one just popped in my head while driving today. So I always thought if Beth came back it would be cool if she kind of switched roles with Daryl in some way. As in how we see in Season 5B how Daryl is hopeful to find people and he's pretty much being a better person, where Beth is darker and more closed off. It would show us a whole different character but still be Beth. Put a lot of parallels in there too ;) Mostly going to be Beth for a while, but don't worry... a known archer will show up some time soon ;)
There was a soft, gentle breeze cooling the inhabitants of this cold, dark world. Dead and alive. The woods were mostly quiet as the sun was starting to set. No moans or groans. No screams. Just the sound of a crackling fire and a knife's blade being sharpened. It usually wasn't this quiet but who really could complain?
But if you got too comfortable in this world, that's when you make mistakes. A walker came out of the brush and the noise barricade warned of the approaching threat. With a loud "arrgh" the walker face planted over the barricade into the earth below him. The knife sharpening ended with an annoyed sigh following the interruption. A few steps forward with torn up cowboy boots and a stab through the brain was the end of that.
"Can you at least talk to me?"
Silence again. The knife sharpening continued, more forceful this time.
"Sometimes... I miss the Beth I used to know."
Beth glared at Edwards, "She died a long time ago." Beth finally got the knife sharpened to her satisfaction and slipped it into her sheath at her waist. She got to her feet, throwing a few twigs on their hidden fire as she grabbed the crossbow beside her.
"Where are you going?" Edwards's exasperated question was left unanswered as she kept walking, lifting her leg over the noise barricade, and setting off into the woods.
She wanted to attempt to find some food before the sun set. When she went earlier she found minimal creatures that weren't the living dead. It was getting colder so she assumed it was getting closer to Fall. She knew if they didn't find shelter or a good group of survivors before winter hit, their chances of survival were slim to none.
She walked slowly until she saw it. A grey squirrel eating an acorn on the soft grass just minding its own business, munching on it's dinner. She crept a little closer and then sent the bolt flying. The poor thing never stood a chance. She retrieved the bolt and her kill and strung it to her waist. She continued on but stopped when she found a mutilated horse. She frowned as she remembered her farm. It was for a split second and then she continued. Dwelling on the past was a waste of time.
It wasn't long after she had continued her hunting that she heard a person following her. By the sound of the footsteps, they were trying not to be detected. Good things she was trained well. A branch snapped right behind her and she turned around, aiming the crossbow right in the stranger's face.
"Woah, you're gonna poke an eye out with that thing." The disheveled man joked.
She kept it trained inches from his face. Then something caught her eye, the man had a large W on his forehead. 'Great, a lunatic. I prayed for a group of people and I get a crazy man with a W on his forehead.' Beth narrowed her eyes at the man, not uttering a word.
"I'm Greg." He came closer to her and stuck his hand out but Beth pushed the crossbow into his forehead. Her voice got serious, "Step... back."
Greg stepped back but only a few inches.
Beth readjusted her crossbow, trying to make a point to him to move further back but he didn't seem to get it. She rolled her eyes, "Keep goin'."
He did, putting a few feet between them this time, "Look, I don't know what kind of guy you think I am but-"
"Shut up. Why were you followin' me?" Beth kept full focus, ready to pull the trigger at any time.
"I just thought you were lost or-"
Beth shook her head and growled out, "Bull shit, no one just follows anyone nowadays so they can make sure they get back home safe. So save it. Tell me the real reason." Beth's hold on her crossbow tightened.
"Come on! I'm a good guy." The man gave a wide grin. "Can't you tell the difference?"
Beth pulled the trigger right before the man went for the gun at his side. Hit him right through the chest, bolt sticking to the target she was going for. His heart. Knocking him to the ground. He had dropped his weapon and as he tried to grab it Beth got to it first. She then bent down and tore the bolt from the man's chest. Before the man could get too noisy, Beth shoved the bolt right through the man's head and pulled it out again. She took out her rag and wiped the surprisingly, unaltered bolt away of the mess that coated it.
"Yes, I can tell." She answered the dead man's question. As she continued on her search for a few more kills before the last few minutes of daylight were taken from her.