They hadn't spoken in days, and it made Hannah wonder why they even ran off together in the first place. He never looked at her properly. Sometimes he glanced over at her, probably to make sure she was still breathing, but he never looked her in the eye. Maybe it made him feel uneasy. Since they didn't talk, looking at each other for more than a few moments almost seemed impossible. But it still confused her. Why didn't they make a plan? Why was it always so quiet? What were they going to do about the situation they were in? So many unanswered questions, and Hannah knew she'd never find out the truth.
She was sat a few feet back, right behind a large tree in the forest, and silently observed them. She had been doing this for the past week; since the prison. The man had run off, dragging the girl behind him, and they had been alone and silent ever since their home was destroyed. Hannah had seen it all. The tank, the small army, the gunfire and the beheading of the old man. She had seen the cries of the police officer as he fired the first shot and watched the attack unfold right before her eyes. It had been a miracle she had even seen the man and the girl run off when she did. She just so happened to be at that edge of the forest when it all went down.
Right place, right time.
Hannah continued to just watch as the man chowed down on the now cooked piece of snake he had killed earlier in the makeshift camp the girl had built whilst he was away. He was clearly a hunter, no one had the skills he had and Hannah had only been watching him for a week. He had a crossbow near his right thigh, a smart and practical weapon of choice in her eyes. It was silent but lethal in the right hands. Maybe he used it before all of this, maybe he was built for the way things were now.
As the girl finished her meal, Hannah looked over her appearance. She was small, skinny even, and with striking blonde hair that must have looked beautiful before all of this. But now it was dirty and tangled up in a braid and a ponytail. Dirt covered her arms and face and her clothes had seen better days. But the man didn't look any better, in fact he looked ten times worse. Dark, greasy hair that hung across his face like a curtain, and Hannah wondered if he had ever even heard of a shower before. They all looked well dressed and clean cut back at the prison, so they must have had some sort of running water somewhere.
She smiled to herself. She missed showers. It was a miracle if she even found a lake to wash herself in nowadays. Sometimes, if she was lucky enough, when she found an abandoned house the water would run for a few minutes, even though it was freezing cold. She still made the most of it and tried to wash off as much grime and gunk as she could. But it would just come right back a few days later, making the whole thing a waste of time. She just wanted to be clean, to feel fresh and beautiful again. Not disgusting and sticky and hot under the hot, Georgia sun.
She was pulled from her thoughts by the sound of the girl's voice. She had barely heard it when the two spoke before, but it was nice to finally hear someone else's voice other than her own. It made Hannah feel less crazy.
"I need a drink." Her southern accent rang out into the air, soft and gentle. The man didn't bother to look up, just lazily threw her a green water bottle that hit her thigh with a hard thud. Hannah scoffed quietly. He clearly had some sort of attitude problem, but she wasn't about to storm over and call him out on it. The blonde girl looked at him with a tired expression. "No. I mean a real drink." She put the bottle to one side before looking at the man, who was still tearing into the piece of snake. "As in alcohol." He didn't respond. He didn't even stop eating.
He just blatantly ignored her, and Hannah curled her hands into fists out of annoyance. What was his problem? "I've never had one. Because of my Dad." The blonde continued, trying to get his attention in some way. Either that, or she was just as tired as Hannah was of only hearing the birds chirping around her. "But he's not exactly around anymore….so…" She trailed off sadly and Hannah frowned. Could her Dad have been the police officer? Or the old man who was beheaded? Maybe she had lost him a long time ago. Who knows.
The man was still refusing to even acknowledge her existence and Hannah was starting to get irritated at him.
"Come on." She breathed out, leaning into the tree and staring at him.
"I thought we could go find some?" The blonde suggested. But even she started to realise he wasn't going to respond and just rolled her eyes. "Okay. Well, enjoy your snake jerky." She said halfheartedly, getting to her feet and wiping some dirt off of her light wash jeans. The blonde walked past him, picking up a large hunting knife that had been stabbed into a log, and walked off. Hannah held her breath as the girl started making her way towards her, and she shot back further behind the tree, not wanting to be seen.
The loud crunching of footsteps came closer and closer and Hannah covered her mouth with her hand as the girl stepped past her, not even noticing her presence, and disappeared into the woods without so much as a glance back at the man. Hannah let out a sigh once she was alone, and turned to the man at the camp. He hadn't even moved. She scoffed again and moved into a crouch, turning back to where the girl had gone and quickly followed her. If the guy wasn't going to bother checking on her, then at least she would.
Hannah tracked her deep into the woods, following her loud, agitated stomps until they stopped at a small clearing. She quickly hid behind some bushes when the girl turned around to see if the man was following her, only to see nothing. The blonde blinked and opened her mouth.
"Jerk." Hannah barely heard her mutter, before both girls turned at the sound of twigs snapping and groans coming from further up the clearing. Four dead bodies, three men and a woman, were stumbling their way through the woods towards them. The blonde girl quickly rushed to a tree and pressed her back to it, turning her head to try and hear where they were. Hannah watched as she slowly bent down to grab a rock that was lying at her feet before throwing it near enough for the bodies to hear, but far away enough for them not to see her. Both girls seem to breath a sigh of relief when the bodies started walking away, however one didn't seem fazed and continued on its path towards them. The blonde unsheathed her hunting knife and held it to her chest, getting ready to fight, but Hannah was already picking up another rock.
She stood up as much as she could without being seen and hurled the rock in the direction of the other bodies, praying that the one that had been led astray would follow it. The blonde girl frowned at seeing the rock whizz through the air, but watched in surprise as the body followed it and turned away, stumbling off into the distance behind the other three. The blonde then turned and narrowed her eyes, trying to peer through the bushes and trees to see who had thrown the rock. Hannah crouched back down and bent her head to the ground, hoping that she hadn't been too careless in saving the girl.
But the tension was cut short when she heard another twig snap up ahead and Hannah looked up to see the man standing with his crossbow only a few paces in front of her. She bit her lip, not wanting any sort of sound to come out, as the blonde stared at him in shock, clearly not expecting him to have followed her. Without even a moment going by, the man turned and started walking back the way he had come, the blonde eventually following him. Hannah shook her head at the weird, silent exchange between the two. Maybe he did care, even just a little bit. But she didn't want to get her hopes up, so she followed them once again. Just like she had been doing every day and every night.
She wanted to see where they were going, if they would find their group again. Because at the moment the two were heading in the direction of DC, Hannah's main destination and top priority since everything started. But she was so use to being on her own that the thought of going up to strangers and asking for help, especially in a world like this, was terrifying. So she avoided it. She had watched the prison group for a day or two before the man in the tank showed up and destroyed it all. She had seen everyone being split up and heading in different directions, and she was somewhat glad that the man with the crossbow had been the closest to her when running away. She saw him fight, she saw him use a gun, and she knew that he would be her best bet in staying alive on the road to DC.
She just hadn't been brave enough to approach him yet. That's why she was thankful the young girl was with him; at least that way she knew she might not get instantly shot through the head with an arrow. Maybe.
Hannah trailed behind them silently, not wanting to make any noise, before seeing the girl almost trip over something. It was the long wire she had created around the camp, metal tire rims attached to it, to stop anything from getting in. It had been a makeshift alarm system and it was a smart idea, but now it only seemed to piss the girl off.
"The hell?! You brought me back?" She exclaimed, and the man turned to her with a harsh glare. "I'm not stayin' in this suck ass camp!" The blonde flipped him off and turned around to start heading in the opposite direction, only to be grabbed by the wrist and pulled back. The man stepped over the wire and practically growled at her to make her stop.
"Hey!" He snapped. "You've had your fun!"
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" The girl cried, yanking her arm out of his grasp and stepping away from him. "Don't you feel anythin'?" The man's face seemed to soften slightly, but was still it's usual, stern look. "Yeah, you think everythin's screwed. I guess that's a feelin'. So you want us to spend the rest of our lives starin' into a fire and eatin' mud snakes?"
Hannah was so shocked at her outburst. The two had barely even exchanged two words since she started following them and to hear both of their voices now was almost worrying. What had these two been through? What had they both lost?
"Well screw that!" The blonde breathed out, shaking her head at the older man who just stared at her with a vacant expression. "We might as well do somethin'! I can take care of myself, and I'm gonna get a damn drink!" And with that, the blonde spun on her heels and made her way back through the woods, heading in the opposite direction to their camp. The man just watched her go and for a second Hannah thought he wasn't going to follow her, but she breathed a sigh of relief when he quickly went into the camp, grabbed whatever he needed, and hoisted his crossbow over his shoulder before grumbling to himself and following the girl.
"She's right, you know." Hannah said, standing up straight when he was out of earshot, before following both of them further into the forest.
***
Hannah saw the golf course before the girl did, and she smiled at the sight of a building up ahead. It had been a while since she had seen anything but trees and dirt and leaves, and seeing such a pristine building such as that made her heart flutter. Maybe she would finally find a place to stay for the night and not have to sleep in a tree or on the cold, hard ground.
"Golfers like to booze it up, right?" The girl asked the man as they stopped at the edge of the forest, staring at the building with wide eyes.
He didn't say anything, just looked past his shoulder at a small group of dead bodies making their way towards them. Neither of them panicked; the group was too far away to be a threat. The girl then looked at the building and smiled.
"Come on." She ushered and started walking up the golf course, making sure to stay close to the trees, whilst the man slowly followed along behind. Hannah waited for them to pass by her hiding spot before making a move, but nearly cursed out loud when she accidentally stepped on a fallen branch, the loud snap making both the man and the girl turn and raise their weapons. Hannah ducked down, pressing her body to the floor, and watched as the man narrowed his eyes at the forest, scanning the area for whatever caused the noise.
"It's probably just another walker." The girl said, making Hannah frown. Walker? Was that what they called those dead things? The man didn't move for a while and Hannah started to get nervous. He couldn't find her now, it was too suspicious. He would shoot her without hesitation, she could see it. He wouldn't even give her a moment to stand up before shooting her between the eyes.
"Daryl, come on." The girl urged and turned her back on the woods, heading up the stretch of field towards the building. The man, who Hannah could now call Daryl, grunted but lowered his crossbow a little before doing as he was told. Hannah swallowed and waited patiently until the pair were far away from her before getting back to her feet. She had to be more careful now, especially since they were heading into a building. That meant less places to hide or run if she got caught. She could get backed into a corner. For a few minutes, Hannah debated whether or not it was worth following the two anymore. She could be risking her life and her plan to get to DC would fail before anyone even knew about it. She shook her head and waited for the two to walk around the side of the building before stepping out of the woods. She had come this far, she wasn't about to back down now.
She kept low to the ground, giving one last look at the group of dead bodies...of walkers...that were now not too far behind her, then hurried over to the side of the building. As she watched Daryl and the girl go inside a side door, the front not opening no matter how hard they tried, Hannah pressed herself against the building's wall. She looked at a sign across from her labelled 'Pine Vista Country Club' and almost laughed. Her mother used to work at a country club. She shook her head, not wanting to cloud her vision with thoughts of her past life, before hurrying around the side of the building where the two had disappeared. She heard the walkers behind her getting closer and she cursed when another rounded the corner she was trying to get to.
She grabbed her hammer that she had stuck into the belt loop of her jeans and smashed the metal end into the walkers head, sending it to the ground instantly. Hannah stepped back and held onto the hammer tightly before noticing a broken window on the far side of the building, a little further down from where the two had gone through a set of black double doors. She took her chances, hearing the walkers gaining on her, and sprinted towards the window. She threw her backpack through the gap and then hauled herself up by her hands until she could slide over the window ledge and hop down into the building. She made sure to duck down quickly, not wanting to be seen, before surveying her surroundings.
She was in some sort of cellar as shelves lined the walls with a limited amount of canned and packaged food lining them. She saw some bottles of water and made sure it wasn't dirty water before stuffing them into her backpack and putting it back over her shoulder. Water was dripping from above her, the roof slightly caved in from water damage, and Hannah made sure to tread carefully and not slip over. Otherwise, she'd send a shelve crashing to the ground and not only would that set off any walkers nearby, but also alert Daryl and the girl of her presence.
Hannah took out her torch from her back and shone it over the shelves, trying to find a door to get out, and noticed bottles and bottles of wine lining one wall on the far side of the room. She smirked slightly, hoping that the girl would find them and get to have her drink, before she heard a loud bang echoing through the building. She heard footsteps and panting and quickly shut the torch off before hurrying into a nearby cupboard, then panicked when she realised it had no door. She crawled through one of the gaps in the shelving units and pressed herself against the wall to try and make sure she wouldn't be seen, then held her breath as she heard the two rush into the cellar.
Hannah watched through the slits in the shelves as Daryl started to look around, using his torch and sorting through cupboards and drawers, picking out anything he deemed useful. The girl on the other hand walked away from him and past Hannah's hiding place, shining her torch into the room and making Hannah stiffen in fear. For a second, the girl paused and stared into the room, and Hannah could have sworn she locked eyes with her. But the girl moved on without another thought and Hannah felt her body relax slightly. As the minutes ticked by and neither Daryl nor the girl left the cellar, Hannah started to get fidgety. One of her feet went numb and her body started to get tired of standing up straight for so long.
"Come on." She begged under her breath, continuously seeing Daryl's torch wave about as he scavenged. "Just go already."
She then jumped in fright at the sound of the other girl's cries and instinctively she moved towards the noise, crawling back through the shelves and heading towards the doorway, but then threw herself back against the wall as Daryl moved past her and headed towards the commotion up ahead. Hannah had to bite back a yelp as she saw a walker lunging for the blonde girl in the darkness, a large wine bottle in her hand and her torch in the other. Hannah watched silently from the doorway of the cupboard as the girl smashed the bottle over the walkers head and stabbed it with the remaining glass shards, only to throw it away and pull out her knife, jabbing it into the walkers skull and sending it crashing to the floor.
"Thanks for the help." Beth snapped once she noticed Daryl standing there watching her. The man blinked.
"You said you could take care of yourself." His gravelly voice spoke out in the darkness. "You did."
The two then once again walked off into the blackness and Hannah let her shoulders sag in relief. How she had gotten this far undetected she didn't know, but she wasn't about to let her winning streak die just yet. Hannah tip-toed down the dark corridor until she heard their movements again and came to a set of spiral stairs leading to a lower level of the Country Club. She tried to avoid the creaky steps and once she was back on the floor, she moved into a crouch. There was a fallen shelving unit with glass casing lying across the floor, but it was just big enough for her to fit through and crawl under. Once through, Hannah followed the set of open doors into a large shop filled with clothes and shoes. She noticed lines of golf clubs and bags across the walls and realised this was where the Country Club owners went to buy new gear.
She scanned the racks of polo shirts and khaki pants before seeing an oversized black jumper with the company logo hanging up in the men's section. She hurried over, pulling it off of the hanger and stuffing it into her backpack, knowing that even though it was hot at the moment, Georgia's weather was known to be unpredictable, and the winters were harsher than anywhere Hannah had been before. She even grabbed a new pair of light wash jeans in her size before zipping her bag closed and throwing it over her shoulder again, deciding to venture on and see where Daryl and the girl had gotten to.
As she wandered further and further into the Country Club, she could hear some commotion up ahead; the familiar snarls and growls of the dead before they abruptly stopped. Hannah walked quickly and quietly, not wanting to get ambushed, and pushed open a wooden door that led into a locker room of some sort. She took a step forward only to feel something crack underneath her boot.
"Shit!" She hissed, stumbling back as her boot had gone into the broken skull of a walker. She scuffed the bottom of the boot on the carpet in a desperate attempt to wipe some of the blood and bone off then looked around the locker room. Bodies littered the floor and one even had an arrow sticking out of it's head. Daryl had been through here, she thought to herself, that was a good sign. Hannah noticed the door leading out and followed it into a long, dark, hallway that seemed to go on forever. It seemed like ages until she heard the girl's soft, Southern voice once again and Hannah began to tread quietly as she neared her.
"I know you think this is stupid." The girl said from down the hall and Hannah had to strain her ears to hear her clearly. "And it probably is. But I don't care. All I wanted to do today was lay down and cry, but we don't get to do that." Hannah felt the girl's words hit her hard and she had to take a moment to let them sink in. She had felt like that before, a long time ago. Just after her mother died. She spent weeks sobbing in her bedroom or the bathroom, avoiding anyone that tried to talk to her and refusing to leave the house. She had been a mess for a long time and thought she would never get out of it. But she had been the one to start changing for herself, she didn't need anyone else to do that for her. She was strong like that.
"So, beat up on walkers if that makes you feel better." The girl continued. "I need to do this." And with that, the only sound Hannah heard was the clicking of the girls cowboy boots on the carpet, which suddenly changed as she started walking across a wooden floor. Hannah frowned and peered round a corner, only to see Daryl's back facing her a few feet away. She held her breath, watching him watching her, and noticed the girl had changed outfits. Or at least her shirt was different, but it was still covered in blood. Except this time it looked fresh.
Daryl eventually followed the girl inside a large, open space that resembled some sort of ballroom. It had a huge, round bar with smashed glasses and bottles lining the shelves behind it with broken glass and paper scattered across the floor and seats. It was a total mess, but so was everything nowadays. Hannah suddenly felt the urge to get closer, as if she needed to hear and see everything that would happen next, so once Daryl was in the ballroom she tiptoed her way across the hallway and crouched behind a small cabinet halfway down. She saw the girl go behind the bar and pick up a large bottle of alcohol. It was half full with a cork in the top, but from this distance Hannah couldn't tell what it was. Vodka? Tequila maybe?
The sound of glass shattering made Hannah nearly jump out of her skin and she peered out from behind the cabinet to see Daryl taking a now broken photo frame off the wall. She couldn't tell what was inside it, but she frowned at his actions, as did the girl behind the bar.
"Did you have to break the glass?" She asked.
"No." He said. Then he looked over at and raised an eyebrow. "You have your drink yet?" His tone was sarcastic, mocking even, and Hannah frowned at him.
"No." The girl bit back, walking out from behind the bar and sitting at one of the stools. "But I found this." She placed the bottle on the table and thumbed the label. "Peach Schnapps. Is it good?"
"No." Daryl scoffed, walking past her and out of Hannah's line of vision.
"Well it's the only thing left." The girl sad sadly. Daryl seemed to ignore her once again and Hannah watched as the girl bit her lip and looked around the bar before picking up a small mug. Hannah felt her body move out further from behind the cabinet as if a magnet was pulling her away. She stared curiously as the girl started cleaning out the mug with a tissue, wiping blood from the inside and then grimacing.
As Hannah moved slightly to lean on her hands, another bang sounded from inside the room and she felt her body tense up in fright, her left leg kicking out and smacking into the cabinet by accident, sending a small, glass vase crashing to the floor. Hannah heard the girl yelp from the ballroom and she turned her head only to make eye contact with her just as sh dropped the bottle of alcohol onto the floor, the bottle scattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. Without warning, Daryl crossed in front of her with his crossbow armed and ready; a dark scowl across his face. Hannah instantly raised her hands in surrender and backed away, but Daryl was already marching over to her.
"Who the hell are you?!" He demanded, staring at her down his crossbow. Hannah instantly went red and gulped, but Daryl didn't back down. "Answer me!"
"H-hannah!" She choked out, feeling her body start to shake in fear. Even though she had been following them for days on end and seen Daryl kill walkers, it was totally different from seeing him face to face. In fact, it was scarier. "My name's Hannah!"
"The hell you doin' in here, huh?" Daryl grunted. "Why were you hidin'?"
"Daryl, calm down!" The girl from the bar had jumped down from the stool and rushed over to the two of them, staring at Daryl with hard eyes.
"I-I was j-just-"
"Just what?" Daryl cut Hannah off before she could finish her sentence, tightening his grip on the crossbow. The blonde girl beside him then stepped toward Hannah and stared at Daryl.
"Stop it! She's obviously not goin' to hurt us!"
"The hell would you know?" He snapped, not taking his eyes away from Hannah's.
"She's shakin'!" The girl pointed out, seeing how scared Hannah was, lying on the ground at Daryl's mercy. "At least put the crossbow down!"
"Are you kiddin' me?" Daryl spat, but the blonde didn't back away.
"Just do it!" Daryl hesitated and took one long, hard look at Hannah before doing as the girl said, grunting as he did so. He then yanked Hannah up by the arm and forced her to stand up straight before patting her down, grabbing the hammer from her belt loop and taking away her bag.
"You got any other weapons on you?" He asked, rummaging through her bag. "You got a gun on you?" Hannah shook her head.
"I don't know how to use them." Daryl's head snapped towards her and he looked genuinely confused by her statement.
"Seriously?"
"I use knives." Hannah said as Daryl pulled out a hunting knife and a small swiss army knife from one of the inside pockets of the bag. "That's all I have on me. I swear."
"It's okay." The blonde girl said, giving Hannah a gentle nod. "I believe you."
"I still wanna know what the hell you think you're doin', you followin' us or somethin'?" Daryl asked, tossing her bag aside and standing up right. Hannah froze. How the hell was she supposed to explain herself now?
"I...I saw…" Her voice started to fail her and she looked at the floor in embarrassment. Then she saw the girl's cowboy boots taking a step towards her.
"Hey, it's alright. Take your time." Hannah looked up through her lashes to see the girl smiling at her, and it took her off guard. She didn't expect anyone to be this nice to a stranger, especially in this new world.
"I saw what happened to your home. That prison you were in? I saw what happened to it." Both Daryl and the girl's face fell slightly, and both went completely silent. Hannah swallowed her nerves and continued. "I had seen cars drive by the woods a few days before and followed them. That's when I saw the prison and decided to try and see who was there. See if you guys were dangerous."
"You were watchin' us?" Daryl asked. "For how long?"
"A day, maybe two." Hannah admitted. "I didn't want to just walk up to the front gates and ask to join your group. I didn't know who you people were, or what you could do." Hannah then paused and glanced at the blonde girl whose face was vacant of emotion. "Then that man in the tank came...blew it up. He killed that old man…" Hannah shook her head. "It was horrible."
"Yeah. It was." Daryl said, his voice agitated and strained. "He was a good man." Hannah noticed him look at the girl with sad eyes, but she decided not to ask questions. It wasn't any of her business.
"So, how did you find Daryl and I?" The girl asked after a short silence.
"I was on the side of the woods you ran into. I realised you were headed in the direction that I was and followed you." Hannah shook her head as she saw Daryl's eyebrows furrow in worry. "I know that sounds bad. I promise, I'm not with anyone else. I'm alone."
"So you been trackin' us this whole time? Why?" Daryl asked, walking up to her. Hannah then realised how tall he was and she seemed to sink into herself at how intimidating that felt.
"I took a risk." She glanced between the two of them. "You both seemed pretty harmless."
"You sure about that?" Daryl asked slowly and Hannah's eyes widened. Beth frowned and stood in front of him, as if to stop him from getting any closer, and began smiling again.
"You seem to know what you're doin'." She said. "You really aren't with another group?"
"No. Haven't been since the start. I haven't really wanted to be with anyone else until I saw your group."
"What changed your mind?" The girl asked.
Hannah shrugged. "Honestly...it seemed fortified. Like you had a good thing going for you. I wanted to make sure I was safe before I carried on going to DC."
"Washington? Is that where you're goin'?" The girl asked, her face starting to beam in excitement. "I've never been before. Is that where you're from?"
"It's where my Dad was born." Hannah said, reaching up to touch her necklace without a moment's thought. "I'm trying to find him."
"You didn't live with him? Even before?" The girl asked and Hannah shook her head sadly.
"I've never met him."
Daryl frowned, clearly confused at that. "What do you mean you've never met him?"
"I lived with my mom before all of this. Just the two of us. My dad left when I was four, ran off with some other woman instead. Apparently he couldn't handle the thought of kids, he wasn't ready. Wasn't committed enough."
"I'm so sorry." The blonde said sincerely and Hannah shrugged.
"I had my mom. That was enough for me." There was another silence before Daryl shook his head and folded his arms across his chest.
"Well. I'm guessin' you'll be goin' now?" He said, nodding towards the hallway Hannah had come down, and she opened her mouth in shock.
"Oh, right." But before she could move, the girl spun around on her heels and glared at Daryl.
"She's not goin' back out there!" She argued. "Not by herself! It's suicide!"
"She ain't comin' with us neither!" Daryl growled. But the girl clearly wasn't having it.
"She's not leavin', Daryl." Daryl scoffed and walked away from the two of them, rubbing a hand over his face. "We can find the others and we can all try and figure somethin' out, together!"
"Don't start gettin' your hopes up, Beth." Daryl said and Hannah felt a small smile tug at her lips. Beth. She finally new the girl's name. It suited her. "We don't know anythin' about her! She could be lyin'!"
"Well I don't think she is, so quit it!" Beth exclaimed, shutting Daryl up almost instantly. He kept looking between the two girls before scoffing and facing Hannah properly.
"How many walkers have you killed?" He asked.
"Um...I don't know. I mean, I've lost count by now." Hannah admitted.
"How many people have you killed?" Beth and Daryl watched as Hannah's body stiffened.
"Three."
"Why?" Beth asked before Daryl could, curious as to what the answer was. Daryl however was just cautious.
"They attacked me first, Tried to rob me and…" She closed her eyes, trying not to think about the memory of what happened a few months back whilst she was on the road, completely alone. "They were dangerous. I did what I had to do to survive." Daryl blinked before letting out a deep sigh through his nose, then nodded.
"Get your stuff. Both of you. We ain't stayin' here." Daryl marched back into the ballroom, leaving the girls alone, and disappeared out of view. For a moment, neither of them said anything, but then Beth turned around and reached down to pick up Hannah's bag before handing it to her with a smile.
"My name's Beth. Beth Greene. And that's Daryl but, don't worry about him. He's always like that." Hannah felt herself laugh a little and then grinned as Beth kindly held her free hand out for her to shake.
"Hannah Warren." She said, shaking her hand and then hoisting her back up over her shoulder, sliding the hammer back into the belt loop. "Thanks for letting me come with you guys. Seriously. It means a lot."
"It's nothin'. We gotta stick together, right?"
"Yeah." Hannah sighed, following Beth as she made her way into the ballroom to follow Daryl. "I wish everyone thought like that." As Hannah and Beth walked through the room, Hannah heard glass cracking under her feet and stopped to look down, seeing the pool of Peach Schnapps on the floor. She sighed. "Beth?" The girl in front of her turned and smiled.
"Yes?"
"I'm, uh, I'm sorry about your drink." Hannah gestured to the floor and Beth's mouth pouted slightly, but she shrugged it off.
"It's okay. I'm sure there's more out there somewhere." Both girls went quiet as Daryl wandered back into the room. His face was a lot softer than before and he too was looking down at the pool of alcohol at Hannah's feet.
"Ain't gonna have your first drink be no damned Peach Schnapps." He said, holding onto the strap of his crossbow. "Come on." He threw open a door that led back out into the sunshine and patiently waited for the two girls to leave before closing it behind him. Hannah smiled to herself and she shared a knowing look with Beth. Maybe Daryl wasn't so bad after all.
***
"A motorcycle mechanic."
"Huh?"
"That's my guess. For what you were doin' before the turn." Beth said simply and Hannah turned to her in confusion. Beth giggled slightly and stepped over a large branch that had fallen down onto the path. The three had been walking through the woods for the past few hours, mostly in silence unless Beth or Hannah struck up a conversation amongst themselves. They had left Daryl to himself for most of the journey, not wanting to anger him or set him off by getting his attention, but clearly Beth was fed up of him being the odd one out. "Back at the prison, we all tried to guess what Daryl used to be before." She explained. Daryl scoffed up ahead, clearly unimpressed by the fact he was actually being brought up in one of their conversations. He just wanted to be left alone in the peace and quiet of the forest, but even that was too much to ask.
"Oh. No one's guessed it yet?" Hannah asked, turning to Daryl. He didn't say anything.
"Not yet." Beth said. "Did Zack ever guess that one? A mechanic?"
"It don't matter." Daryl said stiffly, focusing his eyes on the path ahead of him. "Hasn't mattered for a long time." Beth looked away.
"It's just what people talk about, you know to feel normal?"
"Yeah, well, that never felt normal to me." Daryl said, bending slightly as he walked underneath a hanging branch. Hannah stayed close to Beth as the forest began to get narrower as the trees seemed to grow closer together. The two girls were left in silence again before curiosity got the best of Hannah.
"Who's Zack?" She asked, and Beth was about to answer her, but Daryl spun on his heel.
"Didn't I say it don't matter?" He barked, catching both the girls off guard. "Just leave it be." He continued walking away and Hannah had to bite her tongue in case she spat back a remark. She didn't want to be at the end of his crossbow again.
"He was a member of our group a while back. He went out on a run with Daryl and some others and...he didn't make it." Beth told her quietly, leaning over so she could whisper. "We, we kind of had a thing."
"Beth, I'm so sorry." Hannah said sincerely but Beth shrugged.
"It wasn't for that long. Besides, he doesn't have to deal with this anymore. It might not be all that bad."
"Do you miss him?" Hannah asked, hoping that didn't sound like a stupid question.
"I suppose. Sometimes. I miss a lot of people." Beth said. "My sister, that's Maggie. Her husband Glenn and the leader of our group, Rick. He was a good man, got us out of a lot of trouble these past few months. He has a son and a daughter. I miss them a lot. They were all like family to me." Beth then went quiet and pursed her lips before adding: "I miss my Dad, too."
"Was he…" Hannah could barely say it, but Beth clearly saw what she meant.
"That man you saw, the one who…" Beth trailed off then swallowed. "The man who was beheaded. That was my Daddy."
"Oh my god." Hannah breathed out.
"He was the best man I ever knew. Kind, wise, lovin'. He did everything for us, and he meant a lot to everyone in a way. It's like he was everyone's Dad." Beth smiled at the memory and Hannah was happy that she could at least remember the good times with her father. Beth then turned to Hannah. "You said you wanted to find your Dad? Do you know where he is?"
"No clue." Hannah said honestly, chuckling a little at how ridiculous it sounded. "My Mom never really talked about him, just said he wasn't a good man to her and left when I was little. I've never even seen him in person, not that I can remember anyway."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't even know his name." Beth's gasp was almost comical.
"You're kiddin'?" She exclaimed.
"Nope. I tried asking once but mom got all quiet, like she didn't want to remember it or something." Hannah shook her head briefly. "I don't know. I didn't really question it much."
"So, if you've never met him, and you don't know his name...how are you supposed to find him?" Beth asked curiously.
"I've got this." Hannah then reached up to the small locket around her neck, and opened the clasp to reveal a tiny photo inside. Beth stopped walking and focused her eyes, trying to see the tiny photo more clearly. It was of a man, only showing the tops of his shoulders and his head, but he was smiling at the camera with a beautiful woman with short brown hair. Beth smiled, realising it must have been Hannah's mother as they looked almost identical, and beamed up at her.
"That's your mom?" She asked. "Wow, she's beautiful."
"Yeah. She was." Hannah said fondly.
"And that's your Dad?" Beth pointed at the man with dark hair and bright eyes, beaming at the camera with his arm wrapped around the woman. Hannah nodded and gently pulled the necklace away, closing it and letting it drop back to her chest.
"Yeah. That's all I've ever had of him."
"Wow. You think you're gonna find him?" Beth asked; not in a rude way, but a hopeful way.
"I'm gonna try. It's all I have left. He's all I have left." Hannah replied sadly, glancing down at her boots. Beth then paused before wrapping her arms around Hannah, bringing her in for a warm, comforting hug. Hannah stiffened at first, shocked by her actions, but soon returned the gesture, letting her head drop onto Beth's shoulder.
"You'll find him. You will. And I'll help." Beth said as she pulled away, a large grin on her face. Hannah frowned, shaking her head at her.
"You don't even know me, why would you help me?" She asked timidly. Beth shrugged.
"I hope someone would do the same for me."
"You put a lot of faith into total strangers, you know that?" Hannah pointed out.
"I believe there's still good people. Daryl might not," the two looked over at his retreating back. He hadn't even bothered to notice that they had stopped. "But I do. There's always some good people out there. Even in a world like this, you can't give up hope so easily." Hannah felt Beth's words speak to her on a personal level and she almost felt tears well in her eyes. And she nodded, smiling slightly.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Thank me when we get out of this woods and find our group." Beth said with a laugh. "That way we have more ground to cover, and we'll find your Dad easier."
"Hey!" Both girls looked up, slightly startled, at Daryl's booming voice. He was stood down the path, hands on his hips and bored expression plastered on his face, and watching them impatiently. "Stop the chattin', and let's keep movin'. Ain't got all day." Beth giggled a little and looked at Hannah one more time.
"Come on. Mr Dixon is getting grumpy again." She teased. Hannah didn't respond, she almost couldn't. She was so overwhelmed with gratitude for the girl that had only known her for an hour or so at this point that words completely failed her. So instead of saying anything, she watched as Beth began to walk over to Daryl with a slight skip in her step, before following her lead.
Daryl led the girls through the forest for a few more minutes before Hannah spotted a small cabin through the trees. It was run down, pieces of the roof coming apart and the steps leading up to the slightly unhinged door were caving inwards, as if whoever owned the place had been too heavy for them to last. Daryl stepped out into the clearing surrounding the cabin and Beth and Hannah stood on either side of him, both completely silent..
"Found this place with Michonne." Daryl said, and Hannah looked up at him. When he realised why she looked so confused, he sighed. "Friend of ours."
"I was expectin' a liquor store." Beth said quietly.
"Nah." Daryl said. "This is better." He led the two round the back of the cabin, only to discover another building which looked like a garage. Daryl pulled open the door, revealing a cold, musty room that was pitch black before he switched his torch on. Hannah did the same and scanned the floor for any walkers, but heard and saw nothing.
"What are we looking for?" Hannah asked curiously as Daryl started rummaging through cardboard boxes and shelves, pulling out large mason jars as he went. They were all filled with clear liquid that Hannah at first assumed was water, then she saw a crate of the stuff and shook her head.
"What is that?" Beth asked, as Daryl stacked up the crate with the remaining mason jars, before hoisting it to his chest and stepping out of the garage.
"Is that moonshine? I didn't even think people still made that stuff." Hannah said in disbelief. Daryl looked at her with a raised eyebrow. For a split second it almost seemed like he was impressed that she had heard of it before.
"You tried it?"
"No." Hannah scrunched up her nose. Daryl then walked right up to her and shoved the crate into her arms, causing her to stumble slightly. Beth gave him a warning look, but he just ignored her and grabbed his crossbow.
"Well, ain't today your lucky day." He grunted, leading the girls back to main cabin. Hannah tried not to stamp her feet like a little kid having a tantrum on the way up the steps, desperately trying not to fall over with the weight of alcohol pressing into her arms. She was trying not to let Daryl's incessant attitude get to her; it didn't surprise her. She was a stranger, a possible threat in his eyes, and the only reason she was still breathing was because of Beth. But at the same time she was so used to being on her own, so used to making her own decisions, that having someone boss her around or act as if she was some stupid kid managed to hit her harder than she thought. She just hoped it wouldn't be like this for long.
The inside of the cabin was even worse than the outside. Newspapers lined the walls and most of the floor, furniture was either broken or thrown across the room. It looked like a hurricane had ripped right through it, but Daryl didn't even bat an eyelid at it. He just led the girls inside, shut the front door after them, and stood in the centre of the room, his eyes seeming to take in everything around him. Hannah's eyebrows creased together as she set the moonshine crate down onto a rickety old table. It was like he knew this place, as if it was familiar somehow. But why?
Beth hurried over to the end of the cabin, checking a small back door to make sure no walkers were around, before closing it and sitting at one of the grubby chairs at the table. Hannah did the same, leaving Daryl to grab some empty glasses from a cupboard, blowing away any dust, and pouring in some of the alcohol. He placed one in front of Beth and stepped back with a small look of pride.
"Now that's a real first drink right there." He nodded and she awkwardly smiled in thanks. Hannah waited for her to take a sip, but when she didn't, instead staring at the glass like it was poisonous, before Daryl frowned. "What's the matter?"
"Nothin'." Beth said quickly. "Nothin', it's just...my Dad said that bad moonshine can make you go blind."
"Ain't nothin' worth seein' out there anyway." Daryl said carelessly before grabbing another glass and pouring a drink. He was about to raise it to his lips when he suddenly seemed to remember that Hannah was in the room too, and paused. "You a drinker?"
"What?"
"Before. You ever had a real drink?"
"Vodka, sometimes. I had a tequila shot at my cousin's birthday once." Hannah said shyly, feeling slightly embarrassed that she was telling this to a stranger, a stranger who apparently drank moonshine before the world went to shit. Daryl scoffed but then placed the glass down in front of her.
"Well, that ain't no prissy college drink." He pointed out. "So go easy, rebel." He was teasing her, making fun of who she used to be, and that just made her mad. Hannah flicked her hair over her shoulders before grabbing the glass and taking a sip, only to feel the rich burn hit her like a ton o bricks, making her cough once she had swallowed it.
"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, wiping at her mouth and sticking her tongue out in disgust. Whilst Beth looked scared to take her own sip, Daryl just smirked.
"Told ya." He muttered, looking back at Beth. "Go on. You wanted your drink, you got it." Beth gulped nervously, looking at Hannah.
"It's gross." She said, but then took another sip just to make sure. This time she didn't react as much and smiled. "But the second time isn't as bad." Beth nodded before slowly taking a drink, only to react the same as Hannah.
"That is the most disgustin' thing I've ever tasted!" She remarked and Daryl shrugged, not looking all that shocked at her words. Then Beth once again copied Hannah by taking a second sip. "The second round's better." She then started to pour more into the glass.
"Slow down." Daryl said but Beth shook her head.
"This one's for you." She said. "If Hannah and I are drinkin', you should to."
"Nah. I'm good."
"Why?"
"Someone's gotta keep watch." He pointed out
"So what, you're like our chaperone now?" Beth asked, pointing between her and Hannah, who just sat back in her chair and quietly drank her moonshine.
"Just drink lots of water." Daryl grunted, walking to the other side of the room.
"Yes. Mr Dixon." Both Hannah and Beth groaned sarcastically, only to both end up in a fit of giggles. Daryl just shook his head and looked away.
"Like a bunch of college girls." He muttered, and started grabbing pieces of old fabric laying on the ground and whatever nails had fallen out of the wooden boards across the windows. He starting hammering away with the butt of his gun, trying to make the cabin at least a little more secure for the three of them, whilst Hannah and Beth poured more glasses for each other.
"I still can't believe you've never even tried alcohol before." Hannah said. "Well, not like I'm a heavy drinker either but…"
"I get it. Teenagers, we're supposed to be drinkers." Beth grinned, swirling the moonshine around in her glass. "But my Daddy was religious. Didn't like havin' alcohol in the house, ever."
"Not even wine at dinner?" Hannah asked, gulping down some more. "Even my mom had a glass every once in awhile."
"He used to be a pretty heavy drinker. Stopped when my older sister was born, but after that he never allowed it." Beth shrugged, chugging down the rest of her glass and then coughing violently. That caught Daryl's attention from the other side of the room and he barked out at them.
"Told you to slow down, didn't I?" The two girls glanced at him before rolling their eyes and continuing their conversation. Daryl just started muttering to himself in annoyance, getting pissed off at the fact he was now being outnumbered by two teenage girls.
"You said you had a sister?" Hannah asked, pouring the two more drinks, making sure they were more than halfway.
"Yeah. Her name's Maggie, she's older than me and married." Beth smiled at the memory of seeing the ring on Maggie's finger after Glenn proposed.
"Who'd she get married too?" Hannah asked.
"Glenn, he was with Daryl and some of the others before they found my Daddy's farm." Beth explained after drinking. "Well, they didn't really find it. They were told were to go by Otis, friend of the family. He shot one of the members son." Hannah's eyes widened in shock.
"Oh my god, was he okay?"
"Oh yeah, fine. Much older now than he was back then. Smarter and tougher too."
"How did he survive?"
"Daddy was a Vet before and he performed surgery on Carl to take the bullet fragments out. It took hours but, he survived. He's a fighter."
"Carl?" Hannah said, more so to herself than to Beth. "Is he the son of that guy you mentioned, Rick?"
"Oh yeah!" Beth nodded eagerly. "Carl's his eldest, his only a year younger than I am-"
"How old are you, by the way?"
"Nineteen, at least I think I am. I could be older for all i know." Beth said it jokingly, but Hannah could see the hint of sadness in her eyes. Then she remembered something and quickly scooped her bag up and ripped it open. "What are you doin'?" Beth asked curiously.
"You'll see." She said, beaming from ear to ear as she rummaged through her small amount of belongings. From the other side of the room, Daryl peeked over his shoulder at the two girls, his curiosity getting the better of him. Hannah rummaged around for a bit before pulling out a small notebook and set it on the table in front of Beth. The girl blinked before realising what it was. "Is that a diary?" She gasped and opened the book to see the days crossed off with tiny x's, signalling which month, year and day it was. Hannah nodded with a proud smile.
"I've been keeping track since it all started. Since day one I've been crossing the dates off so I can keep track."
"Oh my god, Daryl, it's the middle of July!" Beth exclaimed, holding the book out over her shoulder for the older man to see.
"Ain't surprised. It's hot as hell out there." He hopped down from where he was stood on a ripped up sofa and stared down at the diary then huffed. "You seriously do this every day?"
"It keeps me sane." Hannah shrugged. Daryl looked at her for a while before reading over Beth's shoulder.
"17th of July. That's today?" He asked quietly and Hannah nodded.
"Uh huh. Is that an important date for you?" Daryl suddenly went very quiet, even quieter than usual, and both girls frowned at him.
"What's wrong?" Beth asked, but was only met with silence until Daryl stood up straight and reached over the table.
"Give me that." He spat angrily snatching the nearly full glass of moonshine from Hannah's hand before storming over to the large arm chair in the corner of the room and collapsing into it. Both girls were in shock and gave each other confused looks.
"Are you okay?" Hannah hesitantly asked, only to receive a hard glare from Daryl across the room. "Okay, forget I asked." She rolled her eyes, sitting back into her chair and looking at the table with a sour expression. Daryl gulped down some of the drink a little too quickly, and Beth bit her lip nervously, not liking the way he could throw such a strong drink back so fast.
"Daryl." Beth said, turning around to face him in her chair. "What are you doin'? I thought you weren't drinkin'?"
"What, I can't change my mind now?" He snapped. "Thought you wanted me to let loose and drink like you two? Make up your damn mind, girl." Hannah watched him whilst the minutes ticked by, seeing the slow yet strong effect the moonshine was having on Daryl's attitude. She saw the way his eyes started to glaze over and how his head lolled slightly while he stared off into space. He finished his drink nearly 40 minutes later, and by that time Beth had already finished another glass and fallen asleep on the table, her back softly rising and falling with every gentle snore she let out. Even though Hannah was glad she was getting some proper rest, that meant she was now alone in a room with Daryl Dixon. A drunk Daryl Dixon. And that worried her.
"I'm gon' take a piss." He announced suddenly, standing from the couch and hobbling his way over to the corner of the room, and before Hannah could protest she heard the sound of his zipper.
"Seriously?" She said in a disgusted tone. "There's a whole forest outside, can't you do your business out there?" Daryl looked over his shoulder.
"I can't hear you, I'm takin' a piss!" Daryl mockingly called out, making Hannah jump. She wasn't expecting him to suddenly be so loud and she looked down at Beth who thankfully didn't stir.
"Would you quit it?!" Hannah snapped. "You'll wake her up."
"Oh, I'm sorry." Daryl said sarcastically, zipping back up and wiping his hands on some old newspaper. "Didn't mean to worry your pretty little head. Didn't realise you cared for her so much already." He mocked, moving back to the table and grabbing more alcohol.
"What is your problem?" Hannah hissed, standing from her chair and following Daryl to the couch he was now slumped on. "You've been hostile towards me ever since you guys found me!"
"Why the hell shouldn't I be hostile?" Daryl scoffed, gulping half his drink in one go. "I don't know who the hell you even are!"
"I'm not a threat, Daryl." Hannah said, folding her arms over her chest.
"Listen, kid." Daryl rose from the couch, glass in hand. "The only reason you're still breathin' is because of her." Hannah glanced at Beth as Daryl pointed a shaking finger at her sleeping form. "So don't start pissin' me off more than you already do, because even though havin' you alive keeps her happy, that don't mean shit if you pull anythin' on us."
"Why the hell would I do that?" Hannah spat, getting in Daryl's face. "I'm not going to hurt you or Beth, okay? Can't there be genuine good, honest people anymore?"
"There weren't ever good or honest people to start with!" Daryl shouted, throwing his glass to the ground, causing Hannah to jump back as it smashed and the rest of the moonshine pooled at her feet. "You saw what happened at the prison! He rolled right up to our gates as if he owned it! He ruined everything! You think he was good?"
"That wasn't my fault!" Hannah shouted back at him. "What, you think I could have prevented that from happening?" Daryl clamped his mouth shut. "And for your information no, I don't think he was good. No good person would ever do that. But you know what I do think?"
"Nothin' useful, I bet." Daryl growled and Hannah saw red.
"I think you're a good person!" She stepped right up to him, almost toe to toe, with a fire in her eyes so bright Daryl could already feeling himself starting to burn under her gaze. "You may be an asshole with no manners but that doesn't mean you're not good! You protect Beth, you obviously care about your friends, because they're family to you! That is what good people do, Daryl. That's what they've always done!" Hannah paused and her fingers instinctively reached for her necklace. Daryl's eyes followed her movements as she ran a thumb over the golden heart on her chest. "And that's what I'm trying to do too. So stop treating me like crap and just have some god damn faith in other people!"
And with that, Hannah walked away from him, making her way to the large couch opposite him and collapsing onto it, resting her feet on one side whilst laying her head on the other and closing her eyes. There was a long silence before she heard the creak of the armchair underneath Daryl's weight. Hannah tried to steady her breathing, she didn't want to feel so angry anymore. She hadn't felt this way in a long, long time, and it was all because of some guy who couldn't control his own anger either. He was bitter about something, she could tell, and it wasn't just about what happened to his friends. To Beth's family. It was something else, something deeper and more destructive. She just had no idea what it was.
Then Daryl finally spoke.
"Today does mean somethin," He said quietly, and Hannah opened her eyes and cocked her head so she could see him. He was hunched over, his elbows resting on his knees and his greasy, dark hair hanging in front of his face like a curtain trying to shield his eyes. She heard him sniff and for a split second she wondered if he was crying. If he even had the ability to cry. "It's Merle's birthday."
"Who's Merle?" She asked softly.
"My brother." He replied. "He's gone. Turned. All because of the Governor."
"The guy with the tank?"
"Yeah." Silence fell between the two of them, before Hannah cleared her throat.
"How old would he have been today?" She asked.
"52, I think." Daryl said, glancing up at her through his hair. "We're ten years apart."
"You don't look 42." Hannah commented and he scoffed slightly, but it wasn't in a rude way. It was almost like a laugh, or at least Daryl's version of a laugh.
"And you look even younger than Beth."
"Only a year younger." Hannah smiled slightly. Daryl breathed out through his nose before leaning back into the armchair and looking over at Beth's passed out figure on the table.
"I have to get her back to her sister." He said after a while. Hannah watched him as he looked down at his fingers, fiddling with them nervously.
"You will." Hannah said firmly, earning a look from him.
"She ain't got nothin' left. Not out here."
"She has us." Hannah smiled. "And Daryl?" He looked at her and for the first time it was right in the eyes. "You'll get back too. I promise."