Disclaimers: I do not own The Walking Dead or any of the characters, except for my OC characters
A/N: Hello everyone, this is my first Walking Dead fanfic story based on the game, Survival Instincts. The general plot will be the same as the game, along with the characters and OC characters added to the story. The prologue will be starting with Daryl's father, Will and further chapters will be Daryl.
Reviews and comments will be appreciated
The Walking Dead: Survival Instincts
Prologue
It was another typical day in the beautiful country side of Atlanta, Georgia. At least...that's what the small band of hunters searching the grass covered ledges of the ridge thought. After they had arrived in the woods, they noticed something was wrong...they hadn't spotted a single game animal or tracks. It had also caused a slight sense of unease...due to the lack of noise or sight of wildlife.
The lead hunter of the group, William 'Will' Dixon, was in his 70's, dressed in a red/olive green checker patterned flannel shirt underneath a henna fleece hunting jacket, stone blue Carhartt jeans and dark brown Timberland hiking shoes. Will, his second born son, Daryl and half brother, Jesse 'Jess' Collins had left his brother's cabin after having a light breakfast. They had picked out what guns they were going to take with them before leaving the cabin; a Remington 700 bolt action rifle, a Glock 19 semi-automatic handgun and S&W Model 66 revolver.
"So...Dad." Daryl asked, feeling uneasy about how silent the forest was.
"What Daryl?" Will asked, while also feeling slightly nervous about how silent their surroundings were.
"Where are we supposed to meet your buddy, Buck?" His son asked as he and Jess overheard him and Buck talking over the phone. He was supposed to meet them at their usual meeting spot, where they planned their hunting strategies...but they didn't see him as they pulled up near the entrance to the woods.
"He could be scouting on ahead, trying to find any tracks or sign of game?" Jess suggested, as he, Will and Buck were veteran hunters and knew the mountains better than Darryl.
That was when they glanced down and noticed a disturbance in the soil beneath them; the tread impression of a hiking/hunting boot leading near the edge and down into the a creek bed leading further into the forest. The creek was almost dried up, as it held a small amount of water. Knowing it must've been Buck...since the three of them had just arrived.
"He could be. Jess, you and Daryl stick to the high ground. I'll navigate the ravine and try to find Buck." Will ordered and the tone of his voice left no room for argument from either of them.
"Yeah...whatever you say, Pop." Daryl muttered softly, while glancing away from his father and Jess couldn't really blame the younger man..especially due to how he and his older brother had grown up living with their 'dad'.
"We'll come a sharp eye out for ya Dixon." Jess stated, while standing in between them, as he could tell that Will was angered by how Darryl acknowledged him as his father.
"Yes...you both do that." Will muttered, before safely approaching the edge of the ravine and climbing down, softly on his feet while slinging his Remington 700 over his right shoulder.
'The nerve of that kid...talking to me like I'm not his father! He was just lucky Jess was there to stop me from doing something I wouldn't regret!' The older Dixon mentally shouted in his head, while glancing back and secretly gritting his teeth from being disrespected by his second born child.
'I gave him and his good for nothing screwed up brother a roof over their heads and food to eat! They would at least bother to help me out! Do their chores and keep the house clean ever since Amelia died after complications from delivering Daryl!' Will continued shouting in his head, angry at how Daryl and Merle just stayed in the house being lazy and doing nothing while they were content with letting him work his fingers off to the bone!
'Wait a second...What the hell is...?' He asked as he spotted something that almost made his heart stop...three huge smears of blood painted on the solid rock sides of the narrow ravine.
'This...this is blood. But...it appears to be...at least a few days or a week old.' The older man stated while observing it and seeing it had started to turn black from being exposed to the sun and elements.
Will had continued navigating the creek bed, hearing nothing but the sound of his own footsteps as he walked in the low level water. He had also spotted two more smears of rotted blood on the rocks and feeling more cautious as every second passed.
"Dixon, hey! I can see Buck! He's over there signaling!" Jess called out overhead and pointed, due east past a narrow passage underneath a collapsed tree in a small opening in the ravine.
"I think he wants to show or tell us something! You'd better go see what he wants." His half brother added and suggested, as the older hunter was motioning for him and Will to join him.
"Where'd Daryl get to?" Will asked, since he told him to stay close to Jess!
"He's right behind me. Just go reach Buck and we'll catch up you two!" His half sibling stated and he did just that, without any further discussion.
The older Dixon had crouched underneath the tree and sucked in his stomach, while squeezing through the tight and narrow space between the two wall of rocks. He had also held his Remington 700 close to his chest, with the safety off and barrel pointed to the sky so it wouldn't go off, scaring any game animals away or killing himself by accident. As he had made it through the other side, he and Buck shared a soft smile after seeing each other.
"Dixon, it's good to see man." Buck stated as he and Will shook hands in a firm and friendly shake.
"It's good to see too old buddy." The older Dixon stated back, after they were finished shaking hands.
Buck was probably one of the few people that Will actually liked. They had met while he had gone out on his own hunting white tail deer. Ever since, they had met up and gone hunting every deer season, trying to bag an outstanding buck and hung out, smoking and drinking. Buck was ten years younger than has friend, currently in his 60's with a bald shaved head and white/gray beard and mustache. He wore a tan brown sportsman guide hunting hat, black rimmed eye glasses, an olive dark green flannel shirt over a black undershirt, brown belt, blue jeans and hiking shoes the same brand as his. He also had his Remington 700 slung over his shoulder while he had been waiting.
"How come you didn't wait for us?" Will asked, since Buck had agreed to wait for him, Jess and Daryl to pull up outside the woods and the four of them would hunt together.
"Well, I thought I'd try to find any sign of big game to hunt. Only I didn't have that much luck...until I spotted a white tail buck heading north, right up this next bend." His friend answered while explaining why he didn't wait for them.
"I didn't crouch down while I was tracking it and I don't want to risk scaring the deer off further, especially if he catches my scent." Buck further explained to why he had been signaling for either Will or Jess to come to him.
"Alright, wait here for Jess and Daryl, they're on the way. I'll go on ahead and try to spot that white tail." The older Dixon instructed as he reached for his Remington 700, released the safety and cocked the bolt while doing a brass check, making sure the .30-06 round in the chamber wouldn't jam on him and make the rifle useless.
Will had crouched down while he followed the hoof prints made from the white tail deer. He glanced back and saw that Buck had simply sat comfortably on a tree stump, waiting for half brother and son to catch up to them. He had quietly followed the bend, while softly brushing away and tree branches blocking his view. He had stopped in his tracks after spotting the deer that his friend had spotted and tracked...a mature white tail deer with a 6 point rack on each antler.
'Sorry big fella...light out for you.' He said in his mind, while he leveled the scope on his rifle with his eye.
The deer had been nibbling on a mouthful of grass in a clearing a good 50-60 yards away from the hunter's position. He took a deep breathe will resting his finger on the trigger and aimed the rifle directly where it's heart would be. He took aim while glancing through the modern day range finding reticle of his scope...but was surprised as a flock of birds had burst out from the trees and the deer glanced in his direction and fled further into the woods!
That was when he heard a gunshot echo out and heard a man screaming...with the voice and screams coming from Buck!
"Buck?" Will asked after hearing his friend shooting at something and screaming in complete horror!
He had took off running back to where he left his friend and felt his blood freeze in fear as Buck was screaming and yelling in sheer pain and agony!
"OH GOD! GET OFF ME! DIXON! HELP!" His friend screamed at the top of his lungs...and became silent, which worried the normally calm and unnerved hunter.
As he returned to where he left Buck resting...Will froze and became white as a ghost to what he was seeing. Two 'people' had been kneeling over Buck's dead body, a two separate bite marks on his shoulder blades and a third in the croon of his neck...with a gash and huge chunk of flesh torn out from the side of his neck. His friend's eyes had stared lifeless as the two 'people' had bit into his stomach; ripping the flesh and rib cage open...lapping up the blood spilling out of the wounds and eating the intestines/organs of their current kill.
"Buck...oh, my god." Will muttered, not believing these two 'insane killers' had literary mauled his friend his friend to death and struggled not throw up after seeing his friend, even though his stomach was betraying him.
Unfortunately...he never got the chance to, especially after the two 'killers' had turned to face him and a new sense of fear had overcame him. The 'killers' were in fact zombies, dead people that had come back to life!
'What the f...?' The older Dixon mentally asked, while not believing his own two eyes; zombies had just killed his friend and were approaching him!
"Stay away!" He shouted, as aimed his Remington Model 700 and fired a single round!
The .30-06 round had ejected from the chamber, striking the first Walker in the chest...and it simply shrugged the gunshot wound off! The Walker snarled angrily and Will gasped as he heard more growling/snarling coming from the forest! He had reloaded as fast as he could; pulling back the bolt and sliding it back before firing another round, this time aiming for the first Biter's head! It's decaying head had exploded after the high caliber round had passed through the front and back of its skull!
Just as he was about to eject the cartridge and slide the bolt back forward and fire again; he felt a sheer burning pain run through his body! He glanced back to see that a Walker, that had came out from the bend behind him and bit right into his right shoulder!
"Oh, god! Get off!" Will screamed in great pain, as its sharp teeth had penetrated his clothing and flesh!
He had curled the fingers of his left hand into a fist before pushing the undead off him, releasing its teeth from his right shoulder. The older man had landed a strong left hook to its decaying face, dislodging its neck bone and causing it to collapse on its right side. Before he knew it, Will had been tackled down onto the ground! The second Walker that had killed and been feasting on Buck, had him pinned by his shoulders...and lunged forward, sinking its teeth directly into his chest!
Will had screamed in great pain and agony as the Walker had tore away at his torso! As it had clawed away at his skin and ripping out a huge chunk of flesh, lapping away at the blood. As it was about to sink its teeth in again for another bite; a loud gunshot echoed out and a .357 Magnum round penetrated the left and right side of its skull!
"What the hell? Dixon!" Jess shouted as he had his S&W Model 66 and been the one who killed the Walker!
Just as he glanced down in shock after seeing his half brother dying from the fatal wounds he had just received from the Biters, another Walker had charged up behind him! The undead had grabbed a hold of Jesse's left arm and sunk its teeth in his humerus! He cried out and groaned in pain, before pulling his left arm back and out of the zombie's mouth! He aimed his .357 Magnum revolver and fired another single round; shooting it right in its opened mouth.
"No, no man!" Jess cried out in disbelief after seeing his sibling barely clinging onto life!
"Daryl, over here!" He called out as he spotted the younger man had examined Buck's dead and lifeless body!
"Dad?" Daryl asked softly, not believing that his father was dying on the ground, while reaching out for them!
"Oh, Dad, no!" He cried out, while falling to his knees and clutching the Glock 19 in his right hand!
"H...Help me..." Will begged while wheezing in a raspy voice, not wanting to turn into one of those things.
"We...we've got to do something! We-we can..." His younger son stuttered, trying to think of something to help his father but was forcibly brought onto his feet and facing his half-uncle.
"Daryl, there's nothing we do for him. He's too busted up!" Jess scolded his half-nephew, for trying to think they could save his father.
"The only thing we can do...is end his suffering." He sadly concluded, while he and Daryl glanced down to see Will still clinging onto life, with his breathing still weak.
The younger Dixon had pulled back the slide of his Glock and aimed the barrel of his handgun directly at his father's face. He simply couldn't fire the Glock, with his hand shaking and Jess looked at him with a look that was both a combination of sympathy and disgust. He knew Daryl wanted to fire the gun...but just couldn't bring himself to do it, especially after he aimed the Glock a second time and still didn't fire.
Jess had simply snatched the Glock out of his right hand before placing his S&W Model 66 in his left and Daryl didn't bother to fight him. He saw the younger man turn and walk away, as he couldn't bring himself to watch. He really couldn't really blame him as he sadly glanced down at his brother one last time.
"I'm sorry brother." He apologized before firing a single 9mm bullet from the barrel and ending Will's misery.
A/N: Here is the ending to the prologue. The next chapter will be the first episode of the game, at Jess's hunting cabin. Until then, take care.