A Step in the Right Direction
It had taken one week; only one week, for the world to go completely to shit, not that it had that much of an effect on Daryl's life. The world went to shit, and he was striving alongside his brother, Merle. The two of them pretty much grew up, though unintentionally, preparing for an apocalypse, and he knew that if there were going to be two people to survive this bat-shit crazy new world, it would be him and Merle.
The deafening roar of Merle's bike sounded through the open window of Daryl's pickup truck as he watched his brother pull up in front of him, leading the way down the dirt road to God-knows-where next. He and Merle had stuck together, not letting each other out of sight since the geeks attacked their hometown a little less than a week ago. Daryl shook his head, laughing cruelly to himself as he thought about how they had destroyed everything and everyone he had grown up with. Of course, he didn't let Merle know how much it had upset him; he didn't need to be called a pussy, bitch, or Darylena again, taking the verbal abuse his brother dished out, while simultaneously getting the shit kicked out of him. Daryl had learned the lesson of being a man more than once while growing up in the Dixon house with his drug addict brother and alcoholic father, and he had the scars to prove it.
Daryl fidgeted in his seat, subconsciously rubbing his back against it, thinking about the beatings he had lived through, not only as a child, but as a grown man as well. But he didn't say anything about it. He was just an uneducated, piece-of-shit redneck that no one would care about, unworthy of love, even by his own kin.
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"SOPHIA!" Carol yelled, having to raise her voice over the screams of terror coming from the people outside.
It had only been one week since the outbreak started, and the epidemic had quickly spiraled out of control, causing panic and terror around the globe. The dead had begun to take over, killing everyone around them, and the chaos that ensued was remarkable. Gunshots and screams could be heard constantly as people's emotions and fears reached a breaking point.
"SOPHIA!" Carol yelled again, running around her house, searching for her baby girl. Carol winced, putting a hand up to her face where she could already feel a fresh bruise starting. She recalled Ed entering the house not thirty minutes earlier, arms clutching six wooden boards and a hammer.
"What's going on?" Carol asked, rushing to her husband's side as he slammed the door. He whipped his head around to look at Carol, beady eyes narrowing at her presence.
"Get your shit packed, NOW!" Ed yelled, placing a board against their front door, pulling a nail out of his pocket, and hammering it into place. Knowing better than to question her husband's orders, Carol turned around immediately and rushed to pack up their bags with clothes, food, and first aid equipment. As she made her way to their bedroom, she stopped at her daughter's room.
"Pack your things, Sophia. We're leaving tonight," Carol said quickly.
"What's going on?" Sophia placed her doll down and looked at her mother with terrified eyes.
"Pack your things." Carol repeated, not having the answer to her daughter's question.
Twenty minutes later, the screams started outside. Carol snapped her head to the window, hearing the bloodcurdling cries of her neighbors, and her face went pale with terror. She moved twice as fast in her effort to gather supplies before sprinting out of the room.
"We're leaving in five minutes!" Ed yelled from downstairs. "Hurry the fuck up!"
Carol stopped by Sophia's room once again and, seeing that she had everything packed, grabbed her hand and rushed her out into the hall. Once they made their way down the stairs, she stopped inside of the small living room, and saw the family photos that were sitting on the coffee table. She knew that Ed would be furious at her for bringing such nonsense, but she couldn't leave them behind. Trying to distinguish between the noises in the house and the noises outside, Carol strained her ears, hoping to detect her husband's whereabouts. Once she heard him swearing in the garage, she turned back around to the pictures and picked one up, looking at the three of them. She set the photo back down and hurriedly unzipped her suitcase. Moving some of her clothes out of the way, Carol placed the first photo on a t-shirt and covered it with a pair of pants, then laid the second photo on a cardigan and covered that with a shirt. Just as she was about to place the third photo into the suitcase, she heard Ed's snarling voice right behind her. Turning her head slowly, she saw his murderous face.
"The fuck you think you're doing?" he asked just above a whisper. Carol could hear Sophia let out a small whimper behind her father as she clutched the handle of her suitcase in her hands.
"I— I was jus—" Carol started, but was cut off by the back of Ed's hand connecting painfully with her cheek. Sophia screamed and she covered her mouth with her hands to muffle the sound, trying not to anger her father any further. Her suitcase crashed to the floor at her feet.
"I told you what to pack, you stupid bitch!" Ed screamed, standing above her, practically growling in anger. "Fucking worthless. Can't even follow simple instructions," he muttered to himself, making his way back to the garage. "If you're not out here in two minutes, I'm fucking gone. The biters can get your good-for-nothing ass for all I care!" he yelled before slamming the door shut.
Carol let the tears fall as she quickly zipped her suitcase back up. She then turned to Sophia, but all that remained was her daughter's forgotten suitcase lying in the middle of the room.
"SOPHIA!" Carol cried once again, racing upstairs as she prayed Ed wouldn't stick to his word and leave them both behind. She stopped by the bathroom door when she heard muffled cries coming from behind it.
"Sophia, baby! We have to go!" Carol opened the door to reveal her daughter's tear-streaked face. Sophia's small hand reached up to touch her mother's cheek, and her eyes watered once again. Carol closed her eyes, hating that her daughter had witnessed her abuse, but knowing they didn't have time to cry over it now. She took her daughter's face in her hands and looked at her with determination. "We have to get out of here. I need you to be brave, alright?" Sophia nodded, and the two of them made their way downstairs to the garage.
Leaving one hell and entering another.
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"Get that tent set up, baby brother," Merle yelled to Daryl as he made his way to the woods to take a piss.
Daryl watched his brother's retreating form before walking over to the back of his truck to get their tents and gear. They had been driving all day in the scorching Georgia sun, making their way to Atlanta. Daryl couldn't be sure, but he figured it was around four by the time they finally stopped to set up camp, which he was grateful for. He'd been cooped up in that damned truck for too long, and was dying to get out in the woods and hunt for something to eat. As he set up the tents, he heard Merle come back, making a b-line towards the bag hanging off his bike rather than pitching in and lending his brother a hand. As soon as Daryl was done, he looked at Merle, now standing by the bed of his truck, and watched him bend his face down to its metal surface, before jerking his head back up and shouting out.
"FUCK YEAH!" Merle shook his head rapidly before turning it to look at Daryl. He wiped his nose and grinned. "Let's go fuckin' hunting, Darylena," he yelled, grabbing his gun and practically running into the woods.
Daryl quietly followed his brother. He hated whenever Merle wanted to hunt with him after getting high. He was loud as shit, and alerted his presence to the whole goddamned world. Wasted time, he thought to himself as he walked with his crossbow, hoping to find something before his brother scared it away. Merle's loud footsteps rang throughout the silent forest, cracking twigs, and ruffling leaves, unlike his own quiet ones, where every step was cautiously taken to make the least amount of sound possible. The two brothers walked through the forest for an hour without finding a single thing. Daryl shook his head in frustration and looked at his brother, still high out of his mind.
"Merle," Daryl started cautiously, looking at his brother's back, which whipped around so the younger Dixon was now staring at his face, "Maybe it would be better if I hunted alone," Merle squinted his eyes at him, "You know . . . might make less noise."
Merle looked at his brother silently and tilted his head. "What's the matter, baby brother?" he asked, walking towards Daryl with confident steps which caused the younger Dixon to back away slowly from his brother's threatening form, "Don't wanna be out here with Old Merle no more? That it?"
Daryl continued to try and put some distance between him and his brother. "No, Merle, 'course not," Daryl began, choosing his words carefully, "Just thought it might be easier with, with one of us . . . be quieter, is all," he said, backing up before he felt himself collide with the rough bark of a tree.
Merle got in Daryl's face and smiled cruelly. "I think you want to get rid of your big brother," he all but whispered, closing the space ever more. "Trying to leave me behind, Darylena? Leave your kin behind and escape out in the woods?" Merle asked, voice rising with every word.
"Merle, no!" Daryl scrambled to say, trying his best to avoid the fight he knew was inevitable. "I ain't gonna-" but he was interrupted by Merle's large fist connecting with his gut, knocking the wind right out of him. Daryl gasped for breath, thankful he could lean against the tree for support.
"You're fuckin' right you ain't gonna!" Merle cried, pulling out his knife and raising it threateningly to Daryl's throat. "Wouldn't be nothin' without Old Merle around to care for ya. Just a worthless, redneck, piece of shit that no one gives a rat's ass about. 'Nd why would they?" Merle asked, leaning closer to Daryl's still gasping face, pushing the knife further into his throat. "You're damaged goods little brother. All scarred up and ugly. Ain't nobody gonna want you, care for you like your big brother. You best remember that next time you think 'bout leaving me behind," Merle all but growled before he spat at Daryl's feet. Tearing himself away from Daryl, Merle stormed off in the opposite direction, sliding his knife back into its sheath.
Finally catching his breath, Daryl lightly touched his stomach and winced from the tenderness of a large bruise that was already forming. He let his chin fall as his brother's words replayed in his head, breaking him down once again. What hurt the most was (being so close) the fact that Merle thought Daryl would actually leave his side and abandon him to fend for himself. He could never do something so awful to his own blood, after being left and forgotten time and time again; he was not the abandoner, he was the abandoned. Daryl could feel his eyes start to sting, and he quickly closed them to stem the tears that were threatening to fall. Stop being such a pussy. Dixon's don't fuckin' cry. Now get your ass moving and find some fuckin' dinner, Daryl thought to himself as he forcefully pushed off of the tree and reached for his crossbow that had fallen to the forest floor. He slowly made his way deeper and deeper into the forest, eyes peeled for both unsuspecting prey and walkers, and listened to Merle's thundering footsteps making their way back to camp.
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It was now nightfall, and Carol was watching Sophia and the little Grime's boy, Carl, play checkers in the back of their yellow Cherokee. Ed had finally informed them as they made their way onto highway 85 that they were heading towards the refugee center located in Atlanta. Shortly after this, however, the Peletier's were greeted by the overwhelming glow of thousands of red taillights shining in the distance. As a result, Ed's swearing and muttering rang out in the all but silent car.
Two hours later, they were all sitting outside. A woman named Lori Grimes greeted Carol, and Sophia introduced herself to Lori's son, Carl. The men of the two families, Ed and Shane, both kept to themselves. Ed had decided to stand by the side of the Cherokee, glaring menacingly at Carol's every move, while Shane stayed sitting in his SUV, trying to gather information about what was going on in Atlanta.
It was another thirty minutes before Shane finally exited his dark blue SUV in frustration; apparently, the emergency broadcast system had stopped, as well as the recording about the refugee center. Carol agreed to watch Carl as Lori and Shane ran up the road, hoping to find any bit of information they could.
"KING ME!" Sophia cried triumphantly, smiling at Carl through slightly crooked teeth. Carl smiled back, placing one of her pieces on top of the other before looking down at the board, debating his next move. "Your dad's nice," Carol heard Sophia say quietly, most likely not wanting her own father to hear the compliment.
Carl looked up from the board at her. "Shane's not my dad," he immediately corrected her. He looked back down at the board, taking a small breath before continuing, "My dad's dead." He looked at Sophia's startled expression, then let his face fall to the board once again. Carol instantly felt sympathy for the child in front of her. Losing a parent at such a young age was always hard; she knew from experience. She didn't have long to let her mind wander, however, as all of a sudden an explosion sounded off in the distance. Carol gathered Sophia and Carl to her chest, trying to protect them from any possible danger, as she looked at the scene in front of her. Riots broke out all around her, and the sounds people's screams and gunshots filled the night air, reminding her of the horrors she had left earlier that day.
"Kids, get in the car!" Carol cried, scrambling to guide them into the back seat of the yellow Cherokee. Ed rolled his eyes as he threw the butt of his cigarette onto the ground, smashing it with his foot. No sooner had she ushered the children into the safety of the vehicle, then the roar of several helicopters flying overhead broke the night air, directing their way towards the Atlanta skyline. Carol watched as they flew by, clasping her hands over her ears to dull the overwhelming sound. She turned her head down and noticed both Sophia and Carl's faces pressed against the car's windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of the commotion outside. Carol caught Sophia's eye, and saw the panic and terror filling them as even more gunshots and explosions went off in the distance.
Within ten minutes of their departure, Shane and Lori made their way back to the vehicles, both wearing forlorn expressions from the devastation they had just witnessed. Carol wanted to rush to Lori's side and ask what was happening, what had they seen, but held herself back. She didn't want Ed to think she was stepping out of place, and becoming too friendly with these new people; Ed didn't take too kindly to Carol making friends. So, instead, she waited for one of the two adults to have the first word. However, it wasn't Shane or Lori who spoke first, but Carl. Carol watched, stunned, as the boy made his way out of the backseat and rushed to his mom's side.
"What's going on out there? Why were there all those helicopters? Were those explosions?" He quickly asked, unable to decide upon just one question to ask. Lori and Shane looked at each other before Lori bent down to her knee and took Carl's face in her hands.
"I need you to stay calm and be brave for me, alright?" Lori asked, never breaking eye contact with her son, as though she were trying to comfort him with her gaze alone. Carl stared at his mother before taking a deep breath, and nodding his head. Lori nodded back before standing to her feet. "We have to leave the highway and find a place to make camp," She said, turning to look at Carol and then Ed, who was still leaning against the side of the Cherokee. "If the three of you want to join us, we would be more than welcome to travel together."
Ed sneered at her, pulling out another cigarette from his pocket, lighting it, and taking a long drag. Carol watched as her husband blew smoke into the night air, refusing to answer the other woman. She knew he would be furious if she were to speak for the rest of her family, but she didn't want to stay alone with Ed and Sophia. Grouping up with Lori, Shane, and Carl seemed like the smartest and safest move, as they could help watch each other's backs.
As though he could sense her hesitation, Shane stepped forward and looked between Carol and Ed. "You can talk it over amongst yourselves. We're going to go back to our car and pack up." She watched as the little make-shift family headed back to their SUV, and started packing away the bits of food they had taken out to munch on.
Carol turned to Ed and slowly made her way over to him. He whipped his head in her direction, glaring at her once again with his beady-eyed expression. "What you want?" He growled at her, taking another drag off his cigarette before blowing the smoke directly in her face.
"I, I think we should go with them," Carol said, looking down at the ground. She saw Ed's boots take a step towards her and she tried to back away from him, stumbling a little as she went.
"That so?" He asked, getting in her face now. "Put our trust in these people, probably get our asses robbed by morning?" He continued, taking one last drag off his cigarette. Carol's eyes watered at the menacing look her husband continued to give her. "You listen here, bitch. We'll go along and play house with these fucks, but if anything happens, we end up with our asses killed tomorrow morning, that's on you, ya here?" And with that, he took his cigarette and pressed it into the side of her shoulder, smiling as she tried not to scream in pain. "What you doing standing here, Carol. Gotta go ask our new family where we headed next." He turned around and got into the drivers seat, slamming the door closed behind him.
Carol whimpered as she tried her hardest to ignore the burning in her shoulder. She looked up and saw Sophia quickly packing away the checkerboard, obviously not wanting to upset her father any further. When she finally felt as though she had pulled herself together, Carol wiped the tears away from her cheeks and made her way over to Lori's car, brushing her hand against Sophia's hair as she passed her.