IMPORTANT READ!
Ok so I originally had started another story called 'Down the Rabbit Hole' but I had a brain spasm and decided to delete it and start again with this instead, sorry!
Ok so this story takes place just after they flee Atlanta, the group don't stop at Hershel's Farm instead they set up another temporary campsite on the other side of the town...they don't encounter the horde of Walkers on the highway and Sophia is still alive YAY!
So please read and review and remember I own nothing!
Cheerio!
Daryl Dixon picked his way slowly through the forest it was the furthest he'd ever ventured from the campsite and the sun was slowly starting to set casting long shadows through the trees telling him it was time to turn back before the dark really set in.
The redneck already had five fat squirrels slung around his waist which had plenty of meat on em enough to make a good stew with, earlier he'd come across the tracks of a deer and was trying to track it but the trail had run cold and he finally gave up not wanting to push his luck any more than he already had.
He spat at the ground and turned for home but only made it a few steps when something snapped behind him and he spun back his crossbow instantly loaded and in his hands, he expected a walker and quietly hoped it were that deer – a big fat buck with plenty of meat on it.
Instead there was nothing but trees and bush.
"Fuck Sake" He muttered angry for being so jumpy, he slowly lowered his weapon but stopped when something stirred off in the distance, it was barely noticeable only a keen eye would have detected the movement.
He crouched down and moved forward with a stealth that had been learned long ago quickly covering ground there were fallen leaves scattering the forest floor but he stepped in-between them without even looking.
He stopped behind a large oak and lent up against the rough bark aiming his crossbow, this time there was a target.
Ten or so meters straight ahead a walker was standing out in a small clearing the first one he'd come across today, it was just a kid but that didn't matter none to Daryl. All walkers died the same.
This one was small and thin with long dark greasy hair and olive brown skin, although you could hardly tell it was so filthy, he could smell it a mile coming.
The rags it wore which probably once resembled clothing were shredded and muddy and in its hand was a dead hare blood dripping from its fur. Daryl closed one eye and aimed for its small head wanting to put this one down quickly so he could get back to camp before losing the light, the walker wobbled from side to side then slowly turned towards him. He hooked his finger round the trigger and started to squeeze when its two piercing green eyes locked on his.
"Fuck!" The redneck managed to drop his arm just as the crossbow went off and the arrow whizzed past its target by mere centre metres and lodged itself in a tree, the small child stood stock still staring at Daryl looking just as shocked as he was, her eyes held his for a few more seconds before slowly drifting over his shoulder and she gasped causing him to turn just as something crashed into him and he barely had time to grab at an arrow before a walker was on him.
"FUCK!" Daryl fell to his back with a heavy thud and managed to shove the body away with his feet it groaned and came at him again hungrily clawing at his trousers, its large clumsy body falling on top of him and for a second Daryl felt it's hot putrid breath on his face.
"YOU FAT FUCK!" He grit his teeth and was forced to drop the arrow and put his hands on its shoulders, pushing its rotted torso up and holding it at arms length but now his hands were occupied and he was pinned to the ground under the crushing weight of the repulsive creature. The walker moaned and brought its decaying hands up toward Daryl's face its fingers some of which were literally just bone getting perilously close to the rednecks eyes before it suddenly shuddered and went limp its arms fell with a thud to the ground beside him and he quickly pushed the creature to the side and shuffled out from under it, his heart was racing and there was a sheen of sweat across his brow.
The walker was laying face down in the dirt an arrow sticking out the back of its head and beside it the small wide eyed girl was standing his crossbow in her hand.
"Wha' the fuck kid?" Daryl jumped up and reached over snatching his weapon back, she flinched and took a step back.
"Wha' you retarded or somethin'? You coulda shot me!" He reached down and pulled the arrow from the walkers head wiping it on his trouser leg.
"Piece of shit!" His blood was really flowing now and he swung his leg and his combat boot connected with the corpse's side with a sickening crunch of bone.
"Try'n eat me? Stupid Lard Ass Fucker!" He continued to rain kicks down on the walker until he finally ran out of insults.
"And what do you think your look'n at huh?" His attention than turned to the green eyed kid who remained unmoving and silent.
"Do I look like a god dam circus freak?" He swung his crossbow back over his shoulder and felt for the squirrels which had remained miraculously still attached to his belt, all be it a little more flat now.
Daryl wiped the sheen of sweat from his forehead and quickly scanned the area making sure there were no more unwanted surprises, the adrenaline from being nearly eaten by a walker wore off quickly and he gathered his thoughts squinting down at the child to get a better look at her.
She looked young no older than Carl and by the state of her clothing and lack of meat on her bones she had probably been in the forest for at least a few weeks.
"Kid, you with any others? A group or somethin'?" He sniffed and looked around again expecting to see someone.
"Well who the hell you with then?" He growled impatiently the sun was setting fast and if he didn't go now he wouldn't be able to follow his own tracks back to camp.
The little girl didn't answer just turned and started walking in the opposite direction stopping to pick up the hare she had dropped, she paused at the other side of the clearing and turned back to face Daryl who cursed and stomped towards her plucking his arrow from the tree as he passed by. This weren't the way he wanted to be going but for some good for nothing reason he found himself following the kid keeping a good few meters between them as they hiked through the forest.
"Girly ya best not be lost" They'd only been walking for ten minutes but it felt more like ten hours, the undergrowth was a lot thicker and Daryl's bare arms were already getting scratched up by thorny bushes, the kid hadn't slowed down any she was a lot smaller and easily made her way through unscathed while Daryl practically ploughed right over everything in his path, his eyes darted round vigilantly for any sign of life...or un-life, could be the kid was leading him into a trap, the thought had crossed his mind but he always liked to live on the edge.
All of a sudden they emerged from the thick tangle of scrub, one minute Daryl was stomping through a particularly thorny bush and the next minute there was nothing but flat rocky ground, it happened so unexpectedly that he nearly stumbled as his foot connected with thin air.
"Wha' the fuck?" He reached automatically for his crossbow and spun in a 360 degree circle, she'd brought him to another clearing again only this one had obviously been cut out. The perimeter was lined with tall trees and more thick scrub which kept it well hidden, the ground was rocky and hard with a thin layer of fallen leaves which had started to decompose he could hear the sound of quiet gurgle of running water and guessed there was a small creek nearby, the open area was small not even a dot on a map and right in the middle was a tiny wooden hut that looked like it had seen better days.
It was slightly on a lean and the boards were the colours of the trees he'd walked by, dark green moss had started to grow on its walls dotting it like a rash, there was no windows only a door which was closed but sat slightly off its hinges, the kid quickly made her way towards it swinging the hare by its ears as she went.
Daryl followed more cautiously making sure to circle the rickety structure first, there was nothing of interest the shack stood alone he slowly pulled the door open with one hand keeping his crossbow loaded, just in case there was something not so nice waiting for him.
The hut was all one room that looked even smaller than it did from outside, it was dark and he had to squint and wait a few seconds for his eyes to properly adjust, not that there was really much to see...it was pretty much empty, a vacant half fallen down shelf sat up against one wall a few hooks hammered into the boards above it but they held nothing. In the opposite corner were a few mouldy blankets on the floor where the little girl was now sitting looking up at him.
On the ground in front of her was the rabbit and an old rusted can filled with water, the place looked like it was maybe a hunters hut a long time ago but it had since been ransacked, he looked up at the cobwebbed rafters, he could see the last of the days natural light through a few rusted holes in the tin roof.
"Nice place ya got here" He scoffed and lent his crossbow up against the wall, the kid pulled a small knife from her pocket and turned the rabbit onto its back not paying attention to her guest who stood awkwardly in the doorway, not sure of what to make of the whole situation.
"Where's everyone at?" Daryl watched her slit the animal from head to tail, slightly intrigued with the ease in which she did it all, 'course he'd been only four years old when Merle taught him how to gut a fresh kill.
She buried her hand inside the rabbit's body and pulled out its guts then grabbed the knife and cut off the parts that were good for eating they disappeared hungrily into her mouth smearing it red, she held a piece out towards Daryl with a wavering bloody hand.
"I got my own" He declined and motioned towards his squirrels, she ate that piece too and started sucking her fingers clean, the redneck slowly crouched down not taking his eyes from her, he'd been a little hungry before but his appetite had gone now as he watched her eat.
"You here on your own then?"
She wiped her mouth clean with the back of her hand than licked the blood from it before answering with a short nod.
"So you ain't a retard than" He glared at her, for a while he thought she was one of them special kids that he and merle use to make fun of at school.
"Hell kid you got a problem with say'n words or somethin'...cause I'm gettin' real sick of talkn' at 'cha" Daryl's patience was starting to come to an end, he'd already missed his chance to get back to the campsite and now he'd have to spend the night in this rotted out dump with a mute kid, suddenly the tent he now called home seemed like a luxury...
He shuffled over and sat back on his arse leaning up against the wall and drew his knees up a little the crossbow only an arm's reach away.
The little girl reached for the rusted tin and held it out, Daryl just rolled his eyes and waved it away.
"My piss is cleaner than that dam water" He mumbled catching the door with his finger tips and pulling it closed, once the sun had gone the temperature tended to drop rapidly and there was a wind swirling round which made it feel a heck of a lot colder.
His eyes had to adjust again to the dark room and he watched the kid slowly stand and pick up one of her mouldy blankets and slowly approach him, he didn't move as she dropped it at his feet and then backed away until she was back on her own bed.
The redneck kicked the stained stinking material away with his boot, he'd rather just be cold than put that infested thing round him.
"Quit been so generous girly, don't cha know that'll git ya in trouble" The child sat cross legged and wrapped her blanket round her narrow shoulders it didn't give her much warmth but it were better than nothing.
"So you gotta name or somethin'?" Daryl plucked a squirrel and hunting knife from his belt feeling his appetite coming back.
"Yea didn't think so" He glared sarcastically at her when there was no answer and slammed the fury creature on the ground, rig amortises had set in making it near solid and he stabbed it hard in the belly and started sawing up towards its head.
"Hell even ma dog had a name 'fore it got rundown..." He looked up at the girl trying to think of something suitable to call her by, his eyes drifted down to the floor to the scattered remains of her dinner.
"Well Rabbit's a good as name as any."
The corner of her mouth twitched at that and Daryl snorted going back to his own meal, his calloused fingers tore the edibles out from the squirrel, the meat was tough and left an unpleasant metallic taste in his mouth but it kept the pains in his stomach at bay for now.
He tossed the corpse aside and spat a gob of blood stained phlegm at the floor boards.
"So Rabbit...you min' tellin' me bout that lil bracelet?" He pointed to her foot which was sticking out of the blanket, wrapped around her bony ankle and looking mighty painful was a rusty looking chain that had dug into her skin and rubbed it red raw.
"You wear'n that for fun?...Or is there someone out in these woods here missin' themselves their little pet?" She quickly tucked her leg under the blanket eyes growing as round as saucers and her breathing sped up til she could feel her heart beating in the back of her throat.
Daryl immediately knew the answer and he reached out and grabbed his crossbow resting it on his lap, there were still things worse than a walker in this world.
He first noticed the chain back in the clearing and the way she was acting now was making him feel a little twitchy, "Now Rabbit you best be telling me if we're expect'n company" the redneck eyed the little bundle who quickly shook her head truthfully.
"j-j-j-just m-m-me..." Her voice was soft and barely audible, Daryl only just caught it.
He didn't seem convinced though but just getting those two words out was a struggle for the kid and he couldn't be bothered wasting time and energy trying to get more from her instead he rested his head against the wall and shuffled down a little, the wooden floor boards were like rock on his arse.
"Git some sleep then Rabbit we're leav'n at first light and I ain't slowing down for tired legs" He closed his eyes but kept his hands on the crossbow in his lap just in case...
A few minutes later he heard her shuffling round and when he cracked his eyes there was a little lump under the blankets, he shifted down a little more trying to get comfy which was pointless, sleep came sporadically and he woke at every sound expecting trouble.
The wind picked up and howled around the shack there was a strong draft coming under the draw and between every board which made his skin crawl with bumps, thankfully it didn't rain cause the roof was anything but waterproof.
The Rabbit was lucky he'd found her 'fore winter really set in...