I've kinda abandoned my first Daryl story, but fear not! This is a new one. I ran out of directions to take the last story, so I'm just starting over. Forgive me if there are several mistakes in the stories, I just got acrylic nails and I'm re-learning to type with them on. So, please, have pity lol I don't own anything or anyone from The Walking Dead. I receive no gain from this story; it's for fun and entertainment. Chapter 1!
It was starting to get colder now. The leftover water from the day's thunderstorm still soaked the ground we knelt upon. The screams filled the air, sending us shivering even more than we had already been. Tonight was the night of The Decision. Women, and girls, were sent upon the small council of 3, to be decided upon if they were deemed unfit to continue on with the group. If you were deemed unfit, you were sent to a gruesome death; eaten alive by the dead. Most of us would have preferred that compared to our every day fate. The men did the hunting, but everything else was left to the women. 10 women for 15 men. Used is the best way to describe it. Cooking, cleaning, and sex. The men, led by Michael, sit around and do nothing but get served by the women. If you revolt, you are up for a bad Decision. "Lauren!" I take a deep breath, stand to my feet, and send a glance back to the other women. I walk around the camp, heading for the main tent, being followed by an armed guard. I know my name is up for a bad decision.
After a week of being used for sex by the 15 men we cater to, I grew sick and tired of it. I put up a fight and broke one of the men's noses. My heart pounded in my chest, louder with each step. But I knew I was automatically up for death. I couldn't risk being thrown to the dead with no weapon, and God only knows how many there would be down in the pit. I felt sick as I reached my decision. I stopped at the water supply, feeling a small nudge in my back. "You're supposed to keep going." I turned around to face Miguel. He was an attractive guy, the one who found me. I took a step closer to him, lowering my voice so only the two of us could hear what I said. "Miguel, you and I both know what shape my name is in tonight. I'm dead food, for sure. The least you could do is let me get a drink before I'm scheduled to die. Please?" He seemed to be the only one in the camp to have a heart. He sighed, stepped back and nodded. Fortunately, the water supply was near the woods. I took two, then three cool drinks of the water before I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I turned around and looked at him as I walked closer. Then I jumped at him, raising my knee to hit him in the chest.
He bent forward, dropping his gun, and I seized opportunity. I grabbed the back of his head and puled it down with all the force I could find onto my knee, sending him limp and to the ground. No one had noticed what I had just done. I quickly snatched his gun and ran past the water supply and into the thick woods surrounding us. I heard my name being shouted moments later. They were in pursuit. I was afraid as the thickets and brambles cut at my legs, but I couldn't stop to care. The thin night gowns and slipper shoes we women were allowed to wear, weren't meant for the abuse of running and fighting. All the concern as I had about not planning this out, was pushed into the back of my mind. The main thing I focused on was distance. I had to run as fast and far as I could to get away from them. I ran past a creek, over an empty hillside, and pushed myself to go further. Satisfied with my distance in a few moments, I leaned over, resting my hands on my knees, and gulped in fresh air. My side ached with stiches, but I knew I would have to ignore them. I took one final, deep breath, and started running again. As the sun began to rise, my pace had slowed considerably.
I was at a good, steady jog. I stepped into a clearing and saw one of the dead before me. This was how it had to be, now. Alone, fighting, fending for myself. I held the gun and looked down the sight, aiming for it, then pulled the trigger. The bullet lodged in his shoulder. I went to shoot again, but the gun wouldn't work. Among all my knowledge of random things, I could only assume the gun was jammed. I turned around and found 2 coming up behind me. Fear tightening in my chest, I skirted past the one and past a tree with exposed roots. I was grabbed from behind and I tripped, automatically feeling a pain in my ankle. I looked back and saw my night gown snagged on a root. The three dead were closing in on me, and fast. And I settled in to the fact that this would be how I died. Covered in my blood and muck from the ground. In a thin night gown and slippers. Without a fight. I laid down, looking at the blue sky between the leaves of the tree I only wished I had a cigarette and a drink. But such luxuries were hard to find in this world, let alone to have at the time you want them the most. The three were only a few feet from me, and I was ready. I looked the first in the eye.
A tattered business shirt, remnants of an electric blue tie, ripped and shredded khakis. He must have been a business man from Atlanta. A jolt from the body and he fell forward, landing inches away from me, an arrow sticking out of the back of his head. One of the other two turned and moved towards the distraction. Panic flooded me, they found me. Already caught up to me and ready to kill me themselves. Carry my body back to camp to make an example out of me. The last remaining one staggered towards me. I heard a loud bang and felt pain in my head. The one remaining dead turned around, and another loud bang. I heard a voice, steeped in Southern accent cursing. "I fucking told you I had him. Now you probably killed her too." I kept my eyes closed and stayed still. My head stung like hell, but I didn't know what these people wanted. The sounds of footsteps grew closer and I heard the sound of a knife coming out of a sheath. I felt tugging on my nightgown and then I was picked up. A woman's voice came next. "And what the hell are you doing?" The man who had picked me up, carried me up the embankment and back to the path. "We're taking her back. I ain't listening to no arguments neither. You shot twice. If you want to stay here and wait for the walkers, be my guest." I was too tired, too hungry, hurting too badly to keep awake any longer. I let my eyes droop completely closed, and forgot about the world as I slipped into dreams where I was safe.