okay so here's the rewrite of "A Place for the Night" drabble...or most of it. Don't skimp it. I redid some critical details here and there and then there's the twist. Hope you like it.
The Stranger
"Mama..."
"It's okay, baby." Beth listened and it was as she feared. Someone or something was breaking into the shelter. Man...walker... It didn't matter. Both were considered dangerous in this new world.
"Mama...woker."
Beth turned to the little girl. "I know, Judith. I know. I'm gonna make the wokers go away okay?" She put her finger to her lips, their universal language. The child knew she had to be quiet so her 'mother' would make the 'wokers' go away. But Beth's ammunition had run horribly low. A dull knife and a gun with maybe two shots were all she had left.
She opened the door that led from the bedroom into the living room. In the darkness, she could see a shadow of a being crawling into the cabin from the now broken window. The movement of the figure was too fluid for it to be a walker. Plus the intruder was tossing something into the room (what seemed like a crossbow) as he climbed his way in. The figure, however, ended up losing his balance and fell on his side to the floor muttering a few curse words inbetween breaths.
With a flashlight in one hand, the gun in the other, Beth cautiously opened the door further making her way towards the intruder. When the rugged worn stranger finally caught sight of the light, Beth had her gun pointed and ready despite her arm shaking. "Don't move!"
The man just groaned as he looked over at her. It was difficult to see much of the his face because of all the dirt and blood that covered him. He tried to move but found it hurt more to do so.
"I mean it! Don't come any closer!"
He just stared at her then in a heavy redneck accent muttered, "Easy...Don't want no trouble."
"Then...then just take what you want and leave. I don't wanna hurt you." Beth tried to hold her grip on the gun hoping it was enough to get him moving. But he was still lying there against the wall struggling to catch his breath, rarely making eye contact with her.
"Mama..."
"I'm coming, Judith." The gun was still pointed in the direction of the man as she slowly step back until she was back in the bedroom. Once she was in the room, the child calmed down. But Beth would remain by the door keeping watch on the man in the hopes that he would eventually leave. She would let him take whatever food or supplies he wanted just as long as he let them be.
...
Thumping sounds and the seeping sunlight, made Beth realized that she had fallen asleep sometime in the night. She scrambled around. Judith was asleep on the bed, thank God. The sounds had to come from the intruder. Beth peaked through the door and could see the man crawling over to the supply of food in the far corner. He reached over to the cooler to pull out a bottled water. But was unable to lift himself much from the floor.
Beth was going to cautiously make her way into the room, but Judith's crying caused the man the man to look up right at her. Now that he got a better look at her, there was something familiar about her but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She also seemed harmless...damn skinny to do any damage to him if she was the only one there. Could easily break in half any second.
His thoughts were interrupted as the crying got louder. It would attract walkers, like the ones he'd been chased by last night. "Keep yer kid quiet."
"She's not mine."
"Don't matter. Just get 'er to shuddup."
Beth rushed back to the bedroom and picked up Judith. She calmed down in her embrace but it was clear she was hungry. A risk would have to be taken to get the food where the man was. Nervously, she carried her back into the living room walking over to the supply of food in search for the remaining jars of baby food that was left. She was going to try to not let her unwanted guest deter her from Judith's needs. She sat on against the wall opposite of him and fed Judith as if he wasn't there. The whole time Judith was making eye contact with the man who looked at her almost bewildered. Beth could tell it was making him uncomfortable and it made her feel good.
He still was not trustworthy. But perhaps it was worth asking. "Are there others with you?"
The man looked down. "Was just me and my brother. Dumbass got 'imself killed."
"So the blood..."
"Would I be wasting my time here if I was bit?"
Beth gently put Judith down and reached for her makeshift first aid kit. Not knowing exactly what his injuries were, she just handed the kit over to him. She watched him take some alcoholic wipes to clean himself and chug some pain killers, nothing more.
"I'm Beth."
"...Daryl." He looked over at the kid. It still disturbed him that she was there. "If she ain't yours, why she call you mama?"
"I was part of a group. Her mom died giving birth to her and I sorta took over baby duty. Her dad and brother..." Beth didn't realize that she had trailed off until Daryl spoke up. "What?"
"We were in a prison..."
Daryl looked up. Did she just say 'prison'?
"We were having trouble with this other group and they came and attacked us. There was a meeting place just in case we ever were attacked. My sister told me to take Judith and go there. I got there and I could see the prison, the smoke...the fire... I waited there for two whole months...two months and no-one else came...nobody..." She couldn't pull the tough girl act infront of Daryl anymore. Not when it was clear that tears were coming from her eyes with every memory she had to relive of that day.
But it was nothing compared to what he was feeling on the inside. He now knew why she looked so familiar. Why the baby...
He couldn't tell her. She couldn't know. He had to hide his shock quickly. "That weren't wrong. You had to look after that kid."
Beth nodded. "I know..."
"How long you been out here?"
"Found this cabin a couple weeks ago. I know it's not safe to stay. I was thinking of moving on soon."
"What about before?"
"When I left the meeting place? I can't remember. Maybe 3...4 months."
Daryl was shocked. Four months? How was that even possible that Beth in her condition was somehow able to survive on her own with only a baby in tow for so long? She clearly was not physically fit. People like her and Judith, were the most vulnerable kind of people in this world. On their own, they would not have lasted a week. But perhaps he had underestimated her. Beth had been driven by her need to protect Judith. That had been strong enough to keep them both alive. And Daryl was willing to admit that anyone who could survive for that long just on that kind of nurturing will alone earned his respect and admiration.
"What do ya got to eat around here?"
"Mushrooms...berries...whatever I could find that's not poison."
That would definitely explain why Beth looked so physically weak. It probably had been an eternity since she had eaten any thing of true substance. Upon closer inspection, he could see her ribs were slightly poking out. She tried to stand up but was slowly losing her balance. If Daryl wasn't in a sh*t condition himself, he would've helped her out.
"Y'alright?"
"Sorry. I'm not feeling too well. I'm going to go lie down. When you're better, I think you know your way out."
"That it?"
"I really don't have anything you want," said Beth. "But if you're going to kill us, please make it quick and painless. I don't have the strength to fight you and we both know it." Beth picked Judith and they went back into the bedroom. "Goodbye, Daryl."
Once she left, Daryl began breathing hard and was shaking uncontrollably. 'Sh*t,' he thought. He didn't think anyone from that prison survived.
How could he tell her? Was it even worth it to?
The prison she spoke of...the day her family and friends got slaughtered...he was there...he saw it all...
...and it was all his fault.
