Sequel to Unknown Love
Can be read on its own, though you'd be missing an awesome backstory ;)
This is set roughly a year-year and a half after UK. Enjoy!
"Daryl!" Beth's frantic voice faltered underneath breathless gasps for air. Cement below her turned into asphalt as she made her way through blazing cars and screaming people. The world around her was crumbling into pieces in what seemed like only a few second's time. Though her mind raced frantically for logical reason to this madness, she managed to slow down just enough to check her phone, finding her call was dropped. In her fit of panic, Beth threw the useless phone to the side and kept on running. Running towards her home and most importantly, her family. Oh her family.
"Help me, please!" A woman's hand grasped Beth's ankle, sending her onto the ground forcefully. Blood trickled from the screaming middle-aged woman as she animalistic-ally clawed at Beth's legs. Her howling intensified; a man fell on top of her, ripping into her neck, tearing tendons and muscle in the process. Beth's body began to shake with fear. She couldn't help the woman who had become a feast for the deranged man right in front of her eyes. She watched the man's bloodied fingers rip into flesh instinctively. His attention was on the deceased woman for only a second before his inhuman groans turned towards Beth. His glazed eyes caught hers, reading fear easily. Beth shuffled backwards blindly, managing to crawl back onto her feet. She sprinted away from the horrific scene-that seemed to spread out in front of her for miles-with as much momentum her body could allow.
She nearly tripped again while making her way onto the familiar street claiming her home. Another body fell in front of her, choking on his own red liquid. His hands went from his throat towards her leg, calling out for help with a silent scream. Beth backed away, trying not to hyperventilate. This isn't real. This isn't happening. An explosion far off towards the inner city shook the ground. Beth's stomach churned, but she kept on going, leaving the dying man on the street in a puddle of blood. He wasn't real. Just get home.
What was once her quaint home turned into something foreign in front of her. She hadn't left the diner but a few hours ago-she kissed Daryl goodbye at seven thirty-eight AM, leaving home soon after-and now here she stood, staring at a gaping hole where her living room window would be; a burning car in its place, fuming with flames. Tears escaped her eyes as she timidly walked towards the driver's side, finding yet again another person close to losing their life. The old woman's eyes were cloudy and her moaning matched the deranged man she'd seen not too long ago, pulling apart a defenseless girl. The elderly woman reached towards Beth, catching nothing but the air between them; a seat belt kept her in place. Beth's thoughts raced; her breathing hitched. She can't be alive. There's glass coming out of her head. She can't be alive! She stood there frozen in fear, watching the woman's body lurch towards her with failed attempts before making any type of movement.
As if her trance was broken by an unseen force, Beth looked towards the unhinged door desperately.
"Daryl!" Her voice carried loudly in the small house. Though the outside world was buzzing with explosions and chaos, her house was eerily silent. No one answered her calls. She'd never felt more alone than at that moment.
Beth felt a split second of relief when shuffling noises exited her open bedroom door. Relief was replaced with fear as she inched her way towards the door slowly, afraid of who might be on the other side of the wall.
"Daryl?" Her voice was now shaking more than her body. Just as she reached the door a large figure collided with hers. Stumbling back, Beth looked up to find exactly who she was searching for, dazed and confused-much like what she felt. He dropped the duffle bag from his hands, looking at her with both relief and surprise before grabbing her hard. Beth's sobs muffled into his chest as he held onto her with dear life. He had thought he'd never see her face again.
"Why didn't you answer me?!" Beth pulled back, crying out angrily at him. She wasn't mad, she was furious. Daryl grabbed her shoulders firmly, keeping his silence a little longer before he spoke.
"I didn't hear ya. We gotta leave here. We gotta go Beth," For the first time since she'd met him, Beth heard fear in his voice. His eyes weren't the same; blue turned into something darker, more serious than ever. If this chaos was scaring him, she knew there was serious danger.
"What's going on? The sirens," Beth lip started to quiver once again, "They're so loud. Everyone's dying out there. What's happening?" Her voice started to rise with panic. Daryl grabbed the bag and with his free hand grabbed Beth's wrist, pulling her through the living room and away from the house. He could hear her voice, but nothing registered. How could he answer her worries when he had the same questions?
"I dunno. I tried callin' you but there's no signal. Somethin's not right," Daryl's obvious statement had her even more hysterical than earlier. She knew this was something awful, but what was happening? She had no idea.
Beth climbed into Daryl's truck, watching the way his body tensed as he slid into the driver's side. He had only shut the door briefly before a body slammed into the window, making the vehicle shudder unexpectedly. The man's movements were sluggish, but purposeful, slamming his chest and arms into the driver's side. For once, Daryl was too surprised to do anything more than fumble the keys into the ignition and swerve out into the road quickly. He didn't give the person much more of a chance to attack the truck as he sped down the street, avoiding crashed cars and people in the process. Beth sunk into the seat across from him, hugging the bag in her lap as she tried to cry silently.
Daryl's firm hold on the steering wheel turned his knuckles white while he kept his stare straight in front of him. The outer city limits appeared, as well as less people scattered throughout the roads and fewer crashed cars.
"Where are we going?" Beth's voice was choked and barely audible, but Daryl didn't dismiss it.
"Merle's house," He grunted towards her direction, swerving away from a staggering body. His back tensed when he heard Beth gasp at his move, trying to keep his cool. He knew just as much as Beth did about what was going on. Something was happening in the city. People were acting crazed, as if something took over their bodies forcefully. If it wasn't such a serious situation, he would've suggested a possible exorcism for the entire city.
"I hope Maggie's with him," Beth's voice trembled at the thought of Maggie alone in this mess. She'd gotten scary close to her sister these past few years, ever since she moved into Beth's small house and never leaving until now. She couldn't imagine life without her.
"She'll be there," Daryl reassured. His voice was still not as confident as she hoped, but nothing would make her believe until she had her sister next to her again. Alive.
"Merle? Merle!" Daryl's rough voice echoed through the pine trees with only silence answering him back. Beth hung behind Daryl-his orders-slowly taking in her sister's newly found home in the woods. They had ventured out of the city thirty minutes ago, finally pulling into Merle's driveway, which surprisingly had zero bodies laying around. Whatever happened in the city hadn't reached the isolated place just yet.
Beth felt a hand fly to her stomach as they both made their way up the steps and to the door. Unconsciously holding her breath, she stood back, letting Daryl take his free hand to the door, slowly pushing it open with ease. The door was open. Where are they? Oh, where are they? Beth could feel her chest tighten, while she held herself up with the little strength she could muster. She feared for her sister's safety. Daryl turned towards her, sensing her fear and putting a finger to his lips before slipping in and leaving Beth alone on the porch.
Hunter instinct kicked in as he stalked through the darkened living room. His steps were nearly silent while he picked up the small knife he eyed on the coffee table. Something wasn't right.
"Merle?" He spoke out into the darkness, making his way towards the kitchen to find half eaten food on the table. Before he had the chance to look further in the house his head jolted to the side at the noise of screaming coming from the front. His body kicked in with adrenaline, throwing open the front door to find Beth wrapped up in his brother's embrace.
"Where the hell were ya?" Daryl dropped his arm to the side, letting the knife hang loosely in his hand. Anger was apparent in his voice, but Merle didn't take much notice.
"Jus' outback finishin' up stuff. Shit, I've been missin' meals workin' on this damn place," Maggie appeared beside Merle. She watched her sister's crying body; a confused expression plastered on her face, "What tha hell's up with you two?"
"Oh Maggie!" Beth realized her sister's company, taking her into a breathless hug. Maggie held onto her sister as she cried into her shoulder.
"What the hell's up? You two even know what's goin' on out there?" Daryl questioned.
"Obviously we missed tha memo, baby brother," Merle chuckled, wiping sweat trickling down his forehead. His smile dampered once he saw how serious Daryl was.
"The world's turnin' to shit-"
"Something's happening to everyone. People are dropping to the ground. They're dying," She calmed down her sobs somewhat, "I-I saw a man attack a woman. He bit her throat. He was eating her." She moaned into her sister's shirt once again. Maggie's expression was blank as she held her crying sibling.
"Aw, just a case of bath salts loose to tha public, nothin' ta worry 'bout," Merle's laughter turned nervous. No one was amused by his jokes.
"No, that's not it. Can't ya hear the explosions out here? The city's turnin' to shit. Hell, don't wanna know what it looks like now," Daryl ran a hand through his hair, taking in a memory of what he saw earlier.
Daryl jolted from the bed as he felt the house around him shake. The loud noise broke him from his light sleep, sending an instinctive pull from the bed and to his feet immediately. Smoke lightly entered the cracked bedroom door as he pulled it open slowly, afraid of what he might see.
He kept his place in the bedroom doorway, staring at the destruction in front of him. A lone car replaced the bent futon beneath it along with the window and wall that once stood in its place. His mind couldn't wrap around what had happened until he heard a low grumble. Slight movement came from the car's driver's side. Daryl started to think clearly again once he realized a person was trapped inside the destroyed vehicle. His body moved outside of the house and close to the car door, prying it open as fast as he could.
He'd only managed to open the car door before a hand reached out towards him, bloody fingers reached intently. The surprise of fast movement made Daryl jump back, looking at the horrid figure trapped beneath the seat belt. The woman's body was distorted from the crash, smashed and crippled. He couldn't believe she was alive; her arms thrashed at him as she groaned and snarled like an animal. Something wasn't right about the way her eyes glazed over. She wasn't human anymore, she wasn't alive.
"I didn't know if we'd find you guys alive," Beth broke Daryl's train of thought. She still clung onto Maggie, though her voice was somewhat back to normal. Seeing her sister still didn't calm down the fear racing through her mind. Nothing could prepare her for watching helpless people die in front of her eyes. The brutal images flooded back into her mind. Maggie held onto her sister, still silent and thoughtful.
The four stood on the porch a bit longer. Beth's sobs died down for good while she wrapped her arm around Daryl, leaning into him while he started to discuss what to do next with Merle.
"Why don't ya jus' stay here till shit calms down?"
"You're joking, right? How the hell's shit gonna calm down there? People are fuckin' eating people. They'll spread out. Can't stay here, it ain't safe," Daryl ran a hand through his hair anxiously.
"How do you know they'll come here? Hell, we're far enough awa-" Groaning from behind the house interrupted Merle. The Dixon brothers tensed up, shoving both Beth and Maggie behind their bodies as the noise increased. Beth blindly grabbed onto Daryl's hand, squeezing his fingers unconsciously.
"Get your guns," Daryl whispered to his brother, watching the way Merle's surprised face nodded towards him, disappearing into the house. Maggie followed suit, brushing Beth's shoulder with her hand. Beth watched the way her sister's face changed in front of her. The worried look she had earlier changed to fright.
"You take this and don't let go of it for nothin'," Daryl placed the small knife into Beth's hand, wrapping her fingers around it with his as he looked her in the eyes. She nodded silently, pursing her lips at the thought of having to use it.
"Here," Merle threw a weapon towards Daryl. The darkening horizon made it hard to make out, but Beth realized he wasn't holding a gun, instead his hands worked at loading a crossbow. The crossbow he only used for hunting.
"You two stay inside," Merle threw back orders at Maggie and Beth, "Lock the bedroom door and close the windows. Close the shades and don't ya come out for anyone but us."
"Go," Daryl looked back at Beth who hadn't moved from where she stood. A hand managed to grasp her wrist, pulling her into the house and shutting the door. Maggie dragged her sister into the dimly lit room.
"We lost power not too long ago. Maybe that's something to do with what's going on?" She pulled her sister next to her, crouching into a corner with her comforter on them both. Beth shook her head.
"They're everywhere," Beth grabbed her sister's hand, "These people. The moaning we heard, that's them. They aren't just in the city. What if they try to attack them? What if they get killed?"
Beth's questions turned her into hysterics. Maggie shushed her sister quietly, trying to calm her down the best of her abilities. The moaning increased outside, even with the windows shut. Maggie feared for the two men outside, hoping they'd do what they could and came back into the house.
Outside, Merle and Daryl crept closer to the noises, hesitating every so often, listening, waiting patiently. The terrible sound increased violently in front of them as they turned the corner. At least twenty people stood in front of them, swaying drunkenly with arms hanging loosely around their sides. Simultaneously the bodies looked towards the brothers with empty stares. Their arms stretched towards them, moving with new found speed. Daryl managed to look at his brother quickly before running the opposite direction.
The bodies stumbled towards them, groaning with even more vehemently than before.
"Beth! Maggie! Get your asses out here!" Daryl banged on the bedroom door frantically.
"I'll get the truck if you get the girls," Merle mumbled towards his brother before leaving. Daryl felt the door open in a hurry, finding Beth near his side again and Maggie right behind.
"Gotta get to the truck. Hold your weapons and you run," He directed his voice towards Beth, "Don't you look back. You just keep runnin' till you get into that truck."
Beth nodded, running towards the door with Maggie in front of her and Daryl right behind her. She followed her sister into the darkening yard, sprinting past the outreaching hands of the moaning people. Daryl had barely missed their grip before shutting the truck's door behind him. The tight fit was nothing they worried about in their moments of fear. Merle pushed the pedal to the floor, sending the screeching truck out of the dirt driveway and away from the flood of people.
"I told ya they'd be comin'," Daryl broke the silence as the they ventured out onto the highway. Merle ignored Daryl's comment, staring out in front of him.
"We can't go to the city if everyone's like this," Maggie's voice surprised Beth. She'd kept to herself most of the time, shock still evident.
"We have to," Beth chipped in, making Daryl shift uncomfortably underneath her light weight on top of his lap.
"Why tha hell would we go back?" Merle's voice was harsh, though he didn't mean for it to be.
"Dale..Sasha. I have to go back. What if they need help?" Beth realized she hadn't thought about them until now. A new type of panic invaded her.
"Ain't no one ta me."
"They're my family just as much as you. We have to find them or drop me off and I'll get them myself," Beth's tone surprised them all. She wasn't going to leave them behind. She wasn't going to let them die.
"Turn the truck around," Merle groaned, braking the truck sharply at his brother's command.
"I swear ta god them if them bastards are alive they better be worth it or I'll-"
"We're going to get them. Shut up n' drive," Daryl raised his voice, silencing his brother once and for all.
Beth bowed her head down and for the first time in what seemed like forever, she prayed. She prayed for her friends near the city, for the people who seemed to have lost it and for her family. Exhaustion set in as she finally relaxed herself, letting her body fall into Daryl's just a little. Her hand found his resting on the truck's door, grabbing it and wrapping her fingers into his. Nothing could prepare them for what was to come, but for the moment, Daryl's closeness eased Beth's mind just enough to close her eyes and pray one more time.
What do you guys think? Worked a while on the first chapter, hope it meets your apocalyptic expectations :)