The walking dead- Chapter 2 – CREEP.
INTRO: It's easy to blame walkers for the destruction of the world we've all known so well for hundreds of years, but like most disasters, it all goes back to the human population. We might have even been able to save civilization if we had all formed an alliance together and had each others backs. Unfortunately fear makes people do drastic un-intelligent things. Instead of standing together, we kill each other and become possessive. Like an aggressive dog with a raw piece of meat, we bear our teeth and guard our possessions with out a second thought about shedding blood. Tragically more than less loose their humanity all together.
Two months later..
Daryl held his arrow at eye-level. He could feel his body begin to relax due to the intense concentration. A small speck of sweat dripped off his nose, everything felt like it was in slow motion. As he watched the tiny grey squirrel gracefully pounce from branch to branch. As the tiny animal rose the brown nut up to his little pink nose, Daryl rose the arrow and held his breath as he let the trigger go. The small body dropped from the tree and landed on the rough forest floor below. Daryl felt a strong wave of satisfaction, he loved hunting squirrels. He could hear someone behind him and knew they had been watching. He knew it was Abby. "Are you done creepin'?" He asked her. She didn't understand how he heard her, but she wasn't surprised, it was Daryl after all. "What? How'd you.." She began, but he cut her off. "You walk through the damn forest like a bear Abby, I could've heard you from miles away." He said. Abby rolled her eyes. She had been helping Rick out at the other side of the forest making sure it was secure, and then after she was done went to see how Daryl was doing, but clearly he already figured that out before she thought he had. "Good shot Robin hood." She said. "Damn right, ain't a squirrel I can't hit." Daryl said as he put the cross-bow on his back. Abby smiled and tried not to laugh, everyone knew how much Daryl loved hunting. "Something funny short stack?" He asked. Abby smirked. "It's just great that you can entertain yourself so easily." She said. Daryl looked at her and then kicked a rock. "Yeah well, when Merle and I were kids, Merle was gone most of the time from either gettin' arrested or doin' something else stupid, so I pretty much had to entertain myself. My pa' was a mean old son of a bitch, had to keep busy somehow. Daryl said as he took the arrow out of the squirrel and added the animal to his collection from the day of hunting. Abby didn't know what to say. "I'm sorry, I didn't know.." She started to say, but he cut her off. "Don't apologize for nothin', I ain't looking for anyone's sympathy. That's just life sometimes." He said seriously. Abby nodded as they began to head back to the prison. "Nuff about me, you never did tell me bout' that brother of yours. Was he a shit like Merle? Or one of them goodie-two shoes like you." Abby gave him a look, "I am so not a goodie-two shoes!" She said, avoiding the brother topic. He smirked, "Yeah and I'm a fairy princess," he said sarcastically. "I used to get in-trouble all the time at school!" She said. Daryl snorted, "Oh yeah?" He asked. "Seriously, I was chased down by the vice principal once in 9th grade." She said, Daryl looked at her some-what surprised. "I gotta hear this, what'd you do? Stick gum under your desk?" He said, being a smart-ass. "We had this teacher who was probably one of the most arrogant guy you'll ever meet. Rich, kind of on his high horse. He was talking about the government and got into the welfare system topic. He made a really rude comment about families in low income, so I called him on it, and we got into a huge debate about it, then I called him a jack-ass." She said. Daryl almost laughed, "Jack-ass? Good lord." He said, again sarcastically. "Wait smart-ass I'm not done. After that he told me to get the hell out of his classroom so I did." She said. Daryl snorted again, "Yeah, your real bad-ass.." He said. She ignored him. "Before I left, I pushed over his expensive glass gold rimmed globe." She said. Daryl was surprised, "That's more like it." He said. She nodded and replied "Damn straight!" Mimicking Daryl. She smirked as she saw that he realized she had mimicked him. "So what about you? Any bad-ass school stories?" She asked. "Got suspended once for punchin' some douche in the face. Broke his nose." He said. "Yeah teenagers can be real jerks. I don't blame you." She replied. "Yeah, only it was the director of the school board." He said with a smirk. Abby laughed. "Bad-ass?" She asked. Daryl smiled. "Bad-ass."
Just then they heard a loud crackle in the forest. Abby jumped and Daryl moved and stood in-front of her, cross-bow raised. Abby quickly took out the knife she had in her small bag. The crackling became louder, and louder. They stood together ready, adrenalin flowing through their veins. Just then it went quiet. They waited a minute. "What do you think that is?" She asked. "Dunno, could be a walker." He said. Daryl began to move closer to the sound, just then something burst through the bushes and almost ran right into Daryl. "Whoa don't shoot!" A familiar voice shouted. "Glenn!?" Abby asked, half short of breath. Daryl put his bow down and stormed towards Glenn as Maggie joined Glenn out of the bushes. "Christ! I could have killed your Korean ass! The hell you think you're doin'?!" Daryl demanded. "We were just.." Glenn started and then trailed off. Abby and Daryl noticed the messy hair and half UN-buttoned shirt, and exchanged smirks. " Next time...I'd pick a safer spot." Abby said. Glenn smiled awkwardly and the four of them headed back to the prison.
The next day...
Michonne, Rick, Glenn, Daryl and Maggie were loading up the truck to get ready to go on a supply run. Carol could see Abby watching with that disappointed dreamer look on her face. Abby so desperately wanted to go along and help. "Go." Carol said. Abby was taken back. "What?" She asked. "What you think I haven't seen you day dream about going with them after all these months? Go." Carol said sweetly with a smile. "Are you sure?" Abby asked generously. "Yeah, I've got it here. Go on." She smiled. Abby smiled holding back excitement. She had the same look on her face that a teen who is handed the keys fore their parents car for the first time. "Okay" She said as she finished folding a shirt. Carol couldn't help but smile smile as she saw the beaming young girl run for the car. Just then Beth walked up holding Judith. "Where's she goin' in such a hurry?" Beth asked. Carol smiled, "Hopefully her first supply run."She said.
Abby ran outside and ducked under Glenn's arm as he was loading ammunition into the trunk of the car. "Abby.." He started as he knew she was up to something. Abby went to slip past Daryl to load more ammunition, but he stopped her. "Hold-up there short stack, where do you think your goin'?" He asked. "With you guys." She said all wide eyed and bushy tailed. Everyone exchanged looks. "No offense Abby..but are you sure you're ready for that? I mean I'm sure Carol could use your help." He said. "Carol said I could come. And I am ready!" She said seriously. "Rick..help me out here.." Glenn said. "Can you shoot?" Rick asked. Abby hesitated. "No, but I can learn. Besides, I can help in other ways." She said. Everyone exchanged looks again. "Please?" She asked again. Giving them the puppy dog face. She looked at Daryl. "That look don't work on me Abbs." He said. She looked back at Rick. "I'm ready. I promise." She said. Rick nodded and handed her a gun. Maggie and Glenn went in the car and Abby hopped on the back of the bike with Daryl. Rick and Machonne closed the gate behind them.
They arrived at a large shopping center with clothing and groceries. It looked safe, but being in this day and age, you could never be too careful. It could be completely quiet and one noise could send hundreds of walkers their way. Or worse, it could also bring other armed survivors who are possessive of the supplies. Maggie and Daryl parked side by side. Everyone got out of the car, and Abigail got off of the back of Daryl's bike, holding onto his shoulders as support as she climbed off. Being petite, she couldn't touch the ground with her feet until she placed one foot down first. She checked the back of her pants where her gun was, to make sure it was sturdy. She had never carried one before so she was a little weary of it, and wanted to make sure she had it secure and ready. As she walked around to the car, Maggie walked up too her. "Ready?" she asked. She nodded. As she went to follow Daryl and Rick into the shopping centre, Glenn stopped her. "Abby, here." He said as she turned around. He handed her a crow bar. "Just in case." He said. She nodded "Thanks." She smiled weakly. It was very obvious that she was nervous, and why wouldn't she be? She was only sixteen, and this was her first run with the group. They gathered together in-front of the store before they entered. "Okay, Glenn and Maggie, you go around the back, Abby and I will go through the front. Glenn spoke up, " This place is huge and has 4 floors. We need to cover every entrance and make sure we clear it before we pick anything up. We'll meet back here after it's cleared. Everyone understand?" Everyone agreed. "What if we get over-run?" She asked. Everyone looked at her surprised. "We fight our way out." Daryl said. Abigail realized how dumb she had just made herself sound. "Well yeah...but what if we all get separated and can't make it back to.."she stopped herself. "Never mind." She said. "Abby, it's okay relax." Glenn said. "I am relaxed, I'm just thinking out-loud." She took a deep breath. "Lets do this." She said with much more confidence. "That's what I'm talkin' about", Daryl said as he threw his crossbow over his shoulder. Everyone started off, Abigail followed Daryl to the side door.
(Maggie and Glenn entering)
They entered together and took out two walkers, then searched more.
(Daryl and Abigail)
Daryl entered first clearing the first corner, Abigail covering him. A walker came out of no where at Daryl, Abigail acted quickly and shoved her crow bar through his head. Daryl looked at her surprised and gave her a reassuring nod. Abby looked at him with wide surprised eyes, she didn't even think. She just went for it. "You're just as surprised as I was, aint you.." He said. Abigail nodded. "Pretty much." She said. "I'll check this side, meet back in 10?" She asked. Daryl nodded. "Hey kid?" He asked. She turned around to face him. "You got one hell of a left hook on you, but make sure to protect it when you lunge, don't wanna get bit." He said. She nodded and turned the corner.
(back to Maggie and Glenn)
They heard a bang coming from the floor below them. "What the hell was that?" Glenn asked. Maggie listened, but couldn't hear anything. "It was probably Daryl or Abby, they're on that floor remember?" Glenn hesitated but agreed.
(Back to Abby and Daryl)
"Did you hear that?" She asked. He looked around and put his hand up to get her to wait for a minute. They listened and couldn't hear anything else. As Abby waited for his approval he turned around and relaxed. "It was probably a lone walker outside, nothin' to worry about" he said. Abby relaxed and nodded. They collected quite a bit of needed supplies, including baby food, a couple of warm jackets, some packaged snacks, and even some toiletries. They were walking and Abby caught the view of a store closer to the door she wanted to view. "What's the hold up?" Daryl asked. She did a cool little flip with her knife and put it in her back pocket. She surprised herself with how smooth it went, she thought for sure she was going to drop it. "You keep going, I'm gonna quickly check one of the stores back there, there's a ton of supplies and I think we could use it" Daryl agreed. "Do you want company?" He asked, she shook her head. "No we'll cover more ground this way, don't worry, I know how the gun works" She said. He walked over towards her and took the gun out of the side of her jeans. He opened the gun up and closed it, then flicked the safety on and off once. "It's full, safety's on, remember to turn it off if you need it" he said. Abby smirked. "What the hell you smirkin' for?" He asked half smirking himself. "You sound like my dad" she said with a little laugh. "Just get goin' will ya?" He said jokingly. "Okay old man, try not to break a hip when I'm gone" Daryl shook his head as they walked different directions. "Old man or not I could still kick your ass" "Bring it" he turned around and saw her smirking and standing all sassy like a little kid who just won an argument. "Listen smart ass, get your ass moving before I kick it. Watch the sass" Abby laughed and they went separate ways. About fifteen minutes passed and maggie and Glenn were way on the top floor spread out, and Daryl and Abby were also on separate floors. A great way to picture the mall is if you think of West Edmonton mall trashed and empty.
Abby took her bag off her back, and collected a handful of arrows that could be useful for Daryl and put them in her bag, along with some good quality socks and a couple of hunting knives. She was a little smarter than most people, she thought everything through before acting unless she was in a situation where she had to work through it on impulse. As she finished putting the last knife in her bag and zipped it up she took one last look at the store and as she turned around she was just inches away from a body. She backed up in shock and as she looked up to see the face of the body, she was shocked to see it wasn't a walker. It was someone from her past, one of the guys at her old school who was two years older than her and would harass and push her around. He was expelled for stabbing a kid in the neck over a stupid little argument, and had been in juvinial detention for months. He looked at her up and down and slowly started walking towards her even though she was backing up. "Lookin' good Abbs, still in shape I can see. Petite yet some-how there's a power about you. Hot." She reached for her gun so quickly even the boy was taken back. "One more step and I'll blow out your knee caps" She said. He smirked and Woo'ed, what happened to "Innocent little Abigail who sat alone at lunch and was too weak to fight back?" "Not sure if you've noticed Nim-Rod, but the world isn't exactly the way it used to be. She grew up" "Feisty, I've always liked that about you. You're even feistier now" He said. She pulled back the trigger about to shoot. "Last warning Mike. Back off." Just then a man grabbed her from behind grabbing onto her wrist trying to get the gun. He was stronger than her and succeeded. He tossed the gun over to Mike, and then grabbed Abigail into a choke like hold. The man holding her was in his early 30's and smelt strongly of tobacco and alcohol. He was very built and dirty, and had short blonde hair and subtle facial hair. Mike was tall built and was good-looking, but had a face that was constantly twisted in an ugly mess of negative expressions, which took the appeal away. The man holding her began to smell her hair and rested his face on the side of hers. Abigail wanted desperately to scream or do something, but she always over analyzed situations. She thought of Maggie, Daryl and Glenn and how if they ran to help her, they could be harmed, or if she screamed she could attract a herd of walkers from outside which would most likely be fatal. She had both hands on the mans arm trying to pull it off, but it was an obvious loose. She kept one hand on his arm and slowly snuck the other one towards her pocket to get the knife, while Mike was bragging about himself and talking about how "Macho" he has always been. As he turned around she quickly moved her hand so he didn't see her reaching. "You've always been smart, I'll give you that. But you're just too weak to do anything worth while. You've always been weak, and you will always be weak." He said. "Oh? And stabbing a sophomore in the neck because he stood up for someone is being strong? Last time I checked Mike, that was considered being a coward. Just like getting your buddy here to grab a girl and make her listen to your shit." The guy holding her snickered and then Oo'd. "You gonna take that Mike?" He asked. Mike came into her face and challenged her. Which is exactly what she wanted so she could get the knife and get him. "Listen you little bitch, I've hurt you before and I will do it again. This time, no one's going to be there to help you. It's my turn to have my way with you. It's just you and me. Weak little..." Just then she stabbed him in the hip causing him to yell in pain. She then stabbed the shoulder blade of the guy holding her, leaving the weapon in, and slid across the floor towards the gun that Mike had just dropped in shock. As she was about to grab it, Mike football tackled her, causing her to scream in shock. Before she knew it he was on-top of her and had her pinned against the cold tile floor. He began to choke her, so she grabbed the second and final knife she had in her back pocket and lunged it into his upper thigh. He yelled in pain and she kicked him. She got up again to get the gun, and as she grabbed it and put the back of the gun back on, he picked her up from behind and they fought with the gun, and it went off on a hanging light causing it to fall inches from them. The gun slid accross the floor again and Mike had Abby from behind and had her arms pinned.
Daryl was close by Maggie and Glenn and the three of them ran out of their separate stores as they heard the shot. "Did you hear that?" Glenn asked. "Sure as hell did" Daryl said. "Maybe Abby took out a walker" Maggie said. "She knows better than that, she wouldn't shoot unless she had too" Daryl said. "Unless it wasn't her.." Glenn added.
Just then they heard a high pitch girl scream followed by a second shot. They all ran towards the noise, Daryl first.
Abby couldn't get a hand free, so she stomped hard enough on his foot to get him to loosen his grip. Abby got an arm free and went to run but Mike grabbed her around the waist and threw her into a shelf causing her to hit her ribs hard enough to have her have to catch her breath. Before she knew it he was ontop of her again, and began to undo her shirt. "Get off of me!" She screamed. He ignored her and pulled harder at her shirt.
Daryl, Glenn and Maggie were only four stores away now and were following the shouts. Mikes friend then came over in pain, Abigail pulled at the knife in Mike's leg. Mike shrieked in pain and slapped her hard in the face. He ripped the front of her shirt off and began to unbuckle his jeans and held her arms down. "Get off!" She screamed again sobbing. Just then an arrow shot past Mike hitting his friend in the head. The man fell stiff. Mike quickly turned around and grabbed Abigail in a choke hold. Daryl stood there with Maggie and Glenn. Daryl's bow raised, Maggie and Glenn's guns raised. "Let her go." Glenn said in a calm voice. Mike laughed and tightened his grip. "Look, I don't want anything from you guys, carry on and let me deal with this little bitch the way she aught to be dealt with." Mike said. "She's with us, so let her go and there won't be trouble" Maggie said sternly. "Oh, you made friends abbs? Introduce me won't you?" He said. Abby struggled. "Go to hell" She said. "The sass again?" Mike said with a smile. "Listen you sick son' a bitch, I ain't warning you I'm telling you. Let her go now, unless you want to wind up like your buddy over there." Mike looked from Abby to Daryl. "Pretty sure I could snap her neck before you even thought about shooting me with that little bitch of a weapon" Mike said. Just then Abby got hold of the knife in his leg again and pulled. Mike fipped her over onto the ground hard enough to cause her to hit her head on the ground knocking her out. Daryl shot and got him right in the back. Maggie and Glenn ran to Abby, Maggie rolled her over on her back.
Daryl walked over to Mike, who was gasping for breath trying to drag himself away. Daryl pulled the arrow out of his back and picked Mike up by the shirt and slammed him into a wall gasping. Daryl punched Mike in the face so hard he hit the ground, then picked him up and slammed him into the wall again. "You like beating on little girls? You sick son' a bitch?" He hit Mike again. "Hey? You like that?" Mike was on the ground again and began crawling away towards the gun. Daryl stepped on his hand and then turned him on his back again. "Screw you man" Mike spit out with blood. He then smirked. "She liked it" Mike said. Daryl glared in his face. "You messed with the wrong little girl" Daryl said with a growl as he shot a bow through Mike's head.
"Abby, Abby come on honey wake up, Wake up" Maggie said. Daryl came over and kneeled down beside Maggie. "She okay?" He asked. "Should be, she's out cold though" Glenn said. Daryl pulled out some water and poured some of it on her face. She woke up coughing. He put the water down and helped her sit up. "You alright?" Daryl asked as he lifted her into a sitting position. Abby nodded and saw the two bodies. Maggie pulled some hair out of her face. "I am now." Abby said.
