THE LAST PALE LIGHT BY APRIL CATHLEEN CORNELIUS
I'm sittin there on the road cryin'.
She's gone.
My sunshine. My ray of light. My Beth.
Me an' Beth, we've been alone for months now, just us since the Governor rolled up to our doorstep an took our home. Went to a real dark place for awhile but Beth, she's just like a light in the dark.
My light.
They fuckin took her. It was a set up. I should have seen it . We was just happy not to have to sleep in the woods for a night. Saw the car that took her an if she's been hurt…even if she ain't been hurt..
She pulled me out of the dark. We found this old shack full of moonshine. Got drunk. She's so fuckin' cute drunk, choking on her first drink. If I wasn't already in love with her, that would've been enough to do it.
She knows more about me than anyone. Not even Carol knew me an Merle were gonna rob the camp but he got left behind in Atlanta. She knows I wasn't nothing but a redneck asshole following Merle around before all this.
Told her all that an how it was all my fault we lost our home. I thought she'd hate me but she hugged me an told me it didn't matter. She said it only matters who I am now.
When she said that, don't know what I was thinking. Maybe it was the moonshine. Don't know. But I grabbed her an kissed her. Couldn't stop myself an the way she kissed me back she couldn't either. I didn't want it like this though. I love Beth so much. I don't think she even knows how much.
Took her inside and sat in the chair with her in my lap. Just wanted to hold her close. We were sittin there, thinking about what just happened and she whispers "Daryl.." an I just melt an we're kissin again. Nothin in my life ever felt this good an she whispers again to me
"Do you want me Daryl?" I want to say yes I want to pull her clothes an take her right there but I can't answer I just kiss her again even harder an then all our clothes are on the floor. She feels so damn good in my arms an I can't stop from whisperin "I love ya Beth " over an over . Never said that before not ta anyone an then I hear her say it
"I love you too Daryl," in between her moans an cries an we're naked an sweaty an holdin each other an she's mine now mine forever an Im going ta find her an kill the fucker who took her.
We stayed there like that all night. I wake up thinking it was a dream but she's there in my arms asleep on my chest. Its still dark when we wake up. I was afraid for a minute she'd say it was wrong what we did but she didn't. She just smiled at me bitin her lip an I just managed to say "Hey" before we were kissin again an pretty soon we were doing it again. Then she wants to burn the cabin an I can't say no to her. So we pour the moonshine around an burn it to the ground.
We move on after that, campin in the woods, me teachin her ta hunt and track an use the crossbow. We keep movin' like before only now its different cause she's mine now. She's getting good at tracking now.
She was tracking a walker. She had the crossbow an she was all set to kill it an she fell. Still fired; she almost hit it too. Her foot was caught in a trap; it wasn't broken but it hurt. So I carried her on my back didn't bother me none. I think I'd do anything for her.
We found a cemetery and then a house; we checked it out and it was all clear. My fault this happened. It was too clean. I should have seen it.
My Beth is so sweet, she wants to believe there's still good people left. I told her I don't think the good ones survive but that ain't true cause she's good. She just is. I wanted to believe for her. We found food. It was someone's stash. She was gonna leave a note but I said we should just stay here. I wanted us to have a place, just be with her. Safe for awhile. She played the piano for me and sang. Her sweet voice. I would give my life to hear her sweet voice again whispering my name..
I was about to take her upstairs again. We heard that dog . The one eyed dog. I thought maybe it came back. What happened next, what happened to my girl is on me my fault.
Because I opened the door an it wasn't the dog. Walkers. More than Ive seen outside the herds. No way that was an accident. They only try to get in if they know you're in there. They were planted..
"Beth run!" I scream "Go out the window," and I hear her say to me.
"I'm not gonna leave you!" but she goes like I say and I fight my way through what seems like a million walkers inside that house but I have to get through because she needs me. My Beth.
I finally get out of there and there's her stuff spread out all over the ground. I hear the car and I see it a black sedan with a cross in the window. Its burned into my memory and I will find it. I grab her stuff and run after it. I run all night then sit down and I cry. I can't lose her; she's everything my whole life. I can't go on without her.
I'm sitting there on the road crying remembering how good it felt to be in her arms when these guys show up. I knock the leader on his ass and my crossbow in his face. He just laughs.
"You fire and the guys behind you will drop you seven times over," I barely hear him. All I can think about is her and what could be happening to her. I follow them. I don't know what else to do. Without her I'm lost.
I found this notebook when I went through her stuff. Wasn't like I was snoopin just looking for anything I could use. I knew she still wrote in it. She was writing in it just the other day.
Something happened today, something amazing and wonderful. Daryl loves me, is in love with me. I can't believe it. I never thought he'd see me as anything but a kid. I'm so happy Ive loved him for so long, thinking he didn't even know I existed…..
Reading about how she felt about me I could feel tears runnin down my face again.
Joe and his friends are worse than Merle ever was.
We're at the camp in the woods. It's the second day since Ive seen my Sunshine. I'm skinning the rabbit I killed earlier when the car pulls up. A black sedan with a cross in the window. I should have known.
"Bout time ya got here Ya bring us some entertainment?" Joe says when the guy gets out of the car. The guy gets in the back and drags her out. My Beth. Her hands are tied. She's crying quietly. Our eyes meet and I want nothing more than to grab her and run but that would only get us both killed.
"Let Daryl try her out first bein' that he's new. Maybe he'll git his mind off the little whore he lost," I wanted to kill him right there but I keep my expression unemotional as I push her into the tent.
Once we're inside I cut her loose.
She's crying and she throws her arms around me.
"Shhh.." I tell her "We're getting out of this," She nods through her tears and I kiss her. "You ok?" I look her over; she has some bruises and what looks like a bite mark. Son of bitch I'll kill that piece of shit.
She nods, catching her breath.
"What are you gonna do?" I think for a second. I remember when me and Merle were in gladiator ring at Woodbury and how he beat on me a little first then he said "Just follow me little brother Im getting us both out of here," of course it helped that Rick and Maggie busted in shooting.
"Just do what I say," she nods. I touch her face and look in her eyes. I can see how terrified she is and it breaks my heart. "Trust me?" she nods. "Take off your clothes," I say knowing if they come in and she aint naked its gonna go bad real fast.
I close my eyes. I don't want to do this. It makes me sick but I have to.
"Get yer clothes off ya fuckin whore!," I yell loud enough for them to hear. I make like I'm tearin off her clothes. She strips for me. I can hear this assholes whoopin it up out there. Listening to us. I look at her all naked and helpless. She's beautiful..
She whispers "You better get undressed too if they come in and we're not…" I was hoping to come up with another way but I realize she's right.
"Fuck yer a hot little slut ain't ya little girl?" I say to her, feeling my face turning red as I say it. I get my pants off. I don't want to do this but she is so fuckin hot.
I cup her face with my hands, look in her eyes and kiss her passionately and run my hands over her body. She sighs then looks at me and nods.
"On yer knees little girl!" I say touching her to make sure she's wet. "Don't ya fight me yer mine ya little whore I'll fuckin do what I want with ya," making it look good. She is wet. Very wet. She looks back at me and bites her lip.
Just then one of the lowlifes opens the tent looking at Beth hungrily. My knife is close by. I grab it and glare at him.
"Fuck off she's mine," I pull her up so I can kiss her.
"Fuck that's the girl he's been looking for," I hear him say. I knew that would happen and I stab him through the skull. "Get dressed" I tell her pulling on my jeans. I knew we had seconds. Most of the guys were stoned off their asses, not caring at all what was happening.
I raise my crossbow and lead her out of the tent.
"Where you think yer taking her?" Joe says. Fucking scum. He takes a step towards us and I fire, the bolt hits him in the eye and he falls to the ground.
"Hey that new guy killed Joe!" I heard one of them say but Beth and I were already running . Then we heard the screams coming from the camp. Walkers were starting to come out of the woods. Nobody kept watch for shit like that. No rules they said. There weren't any rules anymore. Look where that got'em
We keep running. Its starting to get light out when we see the house in the pecan grove. It looked like someone had been there recently. There were two fresh graves in the yard. But it was clear and there was no sign of anyone and no walkers .
Beth and I collapse on the couch and I put my arms around her. We're safe for the moment. She lays her head on my chest.
"Thought I lost ya," I say to her when I can breathe again. She looks at me, smiling and kisses me.
"I knew you would find me," we kiss again. "I was scared but then I saw you," the kisses were getting more intense. "I knew you'd never let them hurt me," I shake my head.
"Never woulda let that happen," and she kisses me even harder. I'm holding her in my lap. "I love ya girl," I say to her. She's looking in my eyes and I know she can see all of me everything I am just like I can see her.
"I love you Daryl," she whispers, laying her head on my chest.
We didn't sleep long. I felt her lips on my neck and her hands running up an down my chest. I opened my eyes.
"You saved me," she whispered, kissing me.
"Beth…" I said. She was unfastening my jeans.
"I want you Daryl," she whispered. "Touch me I need you," she stood up an took off her clothes. She was so damn beautiful an she was mine.
I picked her up an carried her to the bedroom we found. I put her down on the bed, kissin her. I run my hands over her body an I feel her moan into my mouth. I cup her perfect breasts, rollin her nipples with my fingers. I kiss my way down her body, tryin not to see the bruises.
"Daryl…." She moans as my tongue find her clit. I lick her til I feel her come. I pull myself up an kiss her lips, and just keep kissing her. Then I push inside her an she cries out. I thrust up inside her looking in her eyes the whole time until I exploded inside her.
I kiss her sweaty face and hold her close to me and we sleep again .
When we wake up, we decide to stay here for awhile. Its safe, there's food there's even a gas stove for now. We're going to be ok here. Beth believes that an I can believe it too.
