Just another Dead Girl – Prologue
[This will be a crossover, kind of a rough draft and wanting to get your opinions on it and the spin of it because I'll probably try to write this either way, but wanted to see how far to actually take it. With my attention span I have to be careful lol, I don't know why, but I always build up the crossover like a surprise but most that are into these fandoms should have a guess by the end of this. This will be eventual Daryl/OC with a mild slow burn and set in season 5.]
Aaron's a damn idiot.
She had known this long before now, but seeing him go off towards that barn with those two women – who had taken his fucking gun, well, it bared repeating. She wasn't sure what she should do now, he had wanted her to go with him, her petite size may soothe them and make them appear more approachable than just a random man coming out of nowhere. But they were feral, she could sense that, being that way herself not that long ago. From what they had observed from the group they weren't going to take to two strangers, no matter what they offered. So she had given a firm shake of the head, and he told her to head back to the vehicles, keeping the area cleared until he came back. But he could be getting tortured right now, maybe strung up on his toes as the meat was stripped off his bones, watching as they devoured his flesh in front of him.
No better than the infected, she cringed at the thought, the two of them couldn't be too sure, hell, those people had eaten dogs. Fucking dogs, no matter how hungry you are how could you eat a dog? Having a few of her own back home she didn't know if she wanted dog eaters around her pups. There were too many fucked up people out there, and no matter how much you watch or listen to, it didn't do any good to lend an open hand until you knew what you were truly delving into. Huffing in annoyance, she made her way towards the barn, the building being worn down enough that there had to be some kind of hole to peer into and make sure Aaron was all right.
Finding a good position she crouched and scanned inside, she counted all fourteen people plus the baby they had, and, as suspected, they had him on his knees as the men towered over him. Taking his backpack, they rifled through the contents before tossing the pictures at the man Aaron had determined was their leader. She couldn't make out all they were saying, but she could hear Aaron's soft mumbling as the bearded man strode towards him and punched. Her body braced, wanting to fight, but she was too far outnumbered and it wasn't hard to figure out that even if she took down a few she would be overpowered and taken prisoner as well.
Maybe if she found a perch of some kind she'd have a better vantage point, being able to take them down without finding her. The drawback was they would kill Aaron, taking a guess that he had a partner and this was retaliation. Before she could search for another way, she heard rustling from behind her, seeing one of the infected heading towards the barn.
Looking back inside, no one was paying attention to the threats outside, and she knew if there was one more would follow, so going with her gut she stayed crouched as it made its way past her and struck it with her switchblade from behind. Scrunching up her nose, she wiped the rotted blood on her pant leg, giving another sweep of the field before heading back to her spot.
If more did come she was going to have to whistle signal Aaron and she had no clue how to do that without alerting the others to her. Getting back, she was glad he had come to, sitting up with a smile on his face making her roll her eyes back. Of course he'd keep smiling, he'll be lucky they don't think he was a complete lunatic. She became alert, her guard building on the word 'firepower' the majority of the people loading their guns and starting to edge their way out the door.
"Please, she's just a girl, she'll be cautious but she means no harm. Just tell her who you are."
Just a girl? Well, fuck you too, Aaron.
She sneaked her way to a cluster of trees watching as the group spread out in two on the road, one taking the south way the others heading north towards the RV. Aaron was trying, he always tried to help people, and though she was wary she knew she needed to extend the same courtesy. It was her job, but there was no way in hell she was giving them her stuff. She made her way through the trees, staying as quiet as possible as not to rustle the limbs too much and draw attention.
She got caught up in a sparse few of infected and though she knew she could walk past them she took her time and put them down. She only halted when she heard the familiar clunks of something heavy hitting skull. She waited a few more minutes until the sounds stopped, knowing the danger had been taken care of.
When she got to the RV, they were already inside, and she knew they were turning the place over. It wasn't surprising, though it did shock her that she didn't feel angry about it. She had been out here, out there in a lot of terrible situations and one thing you adapt to real quick is scavenging. You find whatever you have to, to survive. And she couldn't put blame on someone else for doing the same thing. She contemplated if she should talk to them, with the number dwindled to five it should be more simple. But between the katana woman, the assault rifles, not to mention Red over there. He could be a teddy bear for all she knew, but she had met men like that before, the brawny type that'll break you in half before tearing your head off.
Stay in the shadows, kiddo.
She didn't need to hear him to do that. She knew better, too much had happened not to, and she knew she was at a heavy disadvantage at the moment. So she squatted in the pine needles and waited until they were gone, her scoffing that they not only took the car she had drove, but the entire RV as well, translating to any food that was stashed away. It would be fine, she kept food in her pack for this reason, and looking out ahead she was able to squint and make out the top of the water tower knowing she was to go there in this scenario as a rendezvous point. She estimated it'd be sundown by the time she got there, and if Aaron didn't get there in the night then she was going to have to venture back to the barn by first light. She let herself take in the stillness of everything, letting the anxiety go.
Aaron would be fine, they had encountered ferals before, hell she had been one when he came to her, it didn't mean your entire humanity was gone. Some common sense was left; just the will to live was more prominent. Those people had to have some good in them, they had a baby with them, they kept together, they cared. Right?
She shook her head; there was no point in thinking about it now. If it came down to it she'd take them out, if one damn thing happened to Aaron…But she needed shelter tonight. Though nothing out here would bother her, nothing ever bothered her, but people. People were what you had to look out for nowadays, deep down she knew it had always been such, but with the infected it had become more evident. But the infected didn't have the thought process to plot and scheme, it was the people that did that.
And poor Aaron couldn't accept that. That's how she ended up being part of these excursions to give him common sense, that not everybody could be saved. But he never listened; to be fair she never listened to him either so they were both deaf. She looked up at the sky, maybe it wasn't a bad thing though, maybe it was her that she should stop listening to.
The air was chilling as she approached the town, and she breathed in deep, these were the moments she liked, getting away by herself outside the gate being able to stay in the quiet. Ambling through the streets she looked for the mechanics shop they were to meet in. It would've been a great place to scavenge, but as Aaron pointed out, she wasn't chosen to scavenge things, but people. And that the only things they could take if they found it was food and medicine since they were the things in continuous demand. She had sneered, back in the early days of adjusting, when she was still very hostile to everyone and everything.
She relented to it now, coming out to use the tools by herself when she needed them. Lighting a few candles she fiddled with her back pack, she wondered if she should set out some traps in case of something. She wanted to sleep, haven't done so in days. But she needed to stay alert if someone besides Aaron were to show up.
It's a sound trap.
A what?
It's a sort of alarm.
Remembering this she took some of the rusted rims, and making herself a few, hanging them loose in the doorframes in case she fell asleep. She sat up in an old bench and propped her arm on the windowsill. She didn't feel like trying to bowl water to rehydrate a meal, so she opted for the stale protein bar and cold coffee she had. She dunked the bar in the thermos letting the liquid absorb it before nibbling a little at a time, giving herself something to do while she waited. She looked out the window for what felt like hours. She had scavenged for empty bottles to use later on, tied fishing line that was in one of the toolboxes in the doors to act as trip wires, and did almost a hundred sit-ups when her brain was just done. It had gone blank, settling down and wanting to rest. Her knees still drawn up she let herself lie on her back and her eyes closing.
It didn't feel like much time had passed, her head dizzy from its interrupted sleep, when she heard screaming nearby. Screaming and guns, never a good thing. Looking out the window she made out figures nearby, grabbing the rifle and knife she hoped she was making a smart move. Huddling her way in the alley she jogged her way to the source of the noise, seeing an ambush of infected. As her eyes adjusted she could make out Red from the barn trying to brain some. The coffee from earlier was making her jittery, her hands nearly shaking as she canvased the rest of the area. One of the women was getting overtaken so behind one of the vehicles she lined her rifle and took some of them down, the girl looked at the fallen corpse in bewilderment before taking her knife and plunging it into another one's eye. Deciding the a knife would be better to not draw any more than was there she made her way over, almost shoulder to shoulder with the woman when she turned suddenly her knife thrusting into her shoulder.
I'm an idiot.
The pain of not thinking before coming up hurt more than the gash, the woman's eyes widening when she realized she wasn't infected.
"I am so sorry."
She shook her head at the woman, it was her own stupidity. Bunching up her shirt she gritted her teeth down as she pushed the fabric in the wound to stop the bleeding until she could look at it.
"You're Ghost, right? I know – Aaron said you couldn't talk."
She nodded, being technical she could, but she preferred not to.
"We've been looking for you."
Apparently to kill her, but she didn't respond brushing past her to help get rid of the remaining infected. She silently helped drag them into a pile, ignoring the men as they regarded her. Done, she went back inside, pulling the bench with the good arm towards the mess of candles.
"Please, let me help."
Looking to the door the woman that stabbed her was there. She was older than her, pale skin, gaunt hazel eyes, and brownish hair tied in a ponytail.
"I'm Maggie, I guess a name would help wouldn't it?"
She gave a small smile to her, kind of liking her accent, it was more southern, and it reminded her of him. Maggie came closer and she had to shake her head at her, she didn't want her to see her.
"Please, I am sorry about that. I know it's a stretch but my father was a vet and he taught me a little bit. I can help stitch you up."
Shaking her head again she reached for her bag when she heard something clicking. Turning herself to the door she saw a man holding a crossbow, aimed at her fucking head. Her lip curled up in anger.
"Daryl, she's wounded, she's not gonna –"
"Hand yer weapons over."
He motioned for her gun, and bow. Pressing the shirt further into the wound she skidded the gun towards him as well as the arrows but not handing over her other belongings.
"Give the rest."
She shook her head.
"Daryl –"
Reaching for her pack the man took a step further, tripping over the wire.
"Oh, that's smart."
"I nearly cracked my fuckin' skull and ya tell her she's smart?"
"She was protecting herself, and she's hurt so can you please stop? I think her and Aaron have proven that they're not going to hurt us."
"You don't know that."
As they talked she dug in her bag for the dry erase board she carried with her. Exhaling she chewed the top off and wrote.
"Thank you for the offer, but I can patch myself up. I'd rather do it alone, and someone should watch for Aaron and your friends to get here. As for MY shit, you can take what I gave you but you ain't getting my bow. It's mine, it was given to me by someone I cared about and you can keep that aimed at my head all damn night if you want you're not getting it. You already took the shit in the RV, you're not getting my bag or bow."
His hooded eyes slit down even further after reading the board but she was going to relent and after a few tense moments he scowled and looked away, lowing his own bow, and scooping up her gun with the arrows.
He better give them back when we get home.
She looked back to Maggie who tried to give a reassuring smile before standing.
"Um, would mind, Aaron had a flare gun on him. And he said, we lost them a ways out and maybe if we signaled them –"
Maggie trailed off, but she didn't need to be told twice, rummaging she pulled out the gun and handed it over.
"She had another gun on her?"
She narrowed her own eyes back at the man as Maggie gently pushed him out of the room.
Finally.
Digging again, she pulled out the med kit, hissing as she pulled out the cloth and looked at the wound. It wasn't too deep, but she would need to stitch it, luckily the bleeding had subsided. Getting out the little bottle of alcohol she took one of the pencils she had and bit down, letting the liquid pour onto the wound, a jolt of fire rushing through as her body jerked. Her hands were still shaking but she got was able to thread the needle, and pulling up off the shirt, glad to have worn a tank under it, she pushed the flesh together and started looping it back together.
It was slow paced, tears dribbling as she progressed, having to wipe the new blood away every few stitches as it oozed. Packing gauze on top of it she taped it down, contemplating drinking the rubbing alcohol to ebb the pain. Pulling another long-sleeve shirt from her bag, she struggled to get it on, the pain making her woozy as she got her arm through. Her right arm, of course it'd be that one, looking down she raised the sleeve to trace her fingers along another scar on her forearm, a tattoo covering a good majority of it.
She felt the presence more than hearing, and she shook her head. It was Crossbow again. For some reason he put her off more than damn Red did. She was reminded when she was younger and her class had taken a trip to the zoo, they had gotten to see a panther. It had looked so cute, rolling on its back in the grass, coming to the window where they stood and rubbing itself on the glass. They had all cooed at it. Wanting to pet it. Then she heard the zookeeper tell the teacher.
"It's a predator tactic, they try to play themselves down to look like they're not a threat, but if that glass wasn't there he'd rip those kids to pieces."
Crossbow already looked like a threat though, but his eyes said something different. It was funny, how every single person had their own story, yet nobody else would ever really know it. Just reading others with what they displayed. She didn't know shit about him and he knew nothing of her. But she didn't like his stare, didn't like how he kept that bow at the ready on his hip. She didn't know why, not even sure how, but before her brain fully let her comprehend what it was doing she felt her vocal cords shift.
"Take a fucking picture, David Bowie."
She flushed in shame instantly. Not only were the words garbled from the lack of use of her voice, but they were muffled from her stump of a tongue. Her hand went to her mouth and she turned away. Feeling embarrassment course in her. She had startled him, she could tell that, and with his own snort left her alone. She couldn't stop it, and she felt a tear slip down her cheek, brushing it away as soon as she could.
"Ghost!"
Gazing up she saw Aaron and she smiled. Thank God. He hugged her to him, making her wince.
"Oh, God, you're shoulder, Maggie told me. I'm sorry, honey. Are you okay? Do you need help with it?"
She shook her head, shifting to her pack again she brought out the plate she had found a few days ago and signed to him –
"Since both of us have been through the ringer maybe you earned your surprise early."
"Alaska, how did you…yeah, I'm, I lost the car."
She snorted in laughter, making Aaron laugh too.
"You can be such an idiot sometimes."
"I know, but you like me anyways."
She nodded. Turning away when she thought Crossbow was back in the door. But it was the bearded man.
"Oh, Ghost, this is Rick, Rick, Ghost."
The man nodded at her, her giving an uncomfortable wave back, he still didn't trust them. Which was fine, she didn't really trust them either.
"If you're okay, I'm going to go talk to them for a minute."
She nodded at him, telling him to go as he took off his jacket and draped it on her.
"Get some rest. We'll be heading out early."
She watched them leave, before pulling her pack up and resting her body against it. She was exhausted, but she didn't know if she could nod off with these people around.
Goodnight, baby girl.
Her eyes prickled.
Goodnight, Joel.
Sleep did not come to her that night.
