My battle axe fell and everyone looked up at the tree I was in. Everyone pointed there weapons, including the kid who was whimpering behind his mother.
"Get out of the tree nice and slow." Officer friendly called out to me. I raised my eyebrow at him. Should I do this? If that stubborn ass can trust him, can't I? I jumped down from my branch and landed with a hard thud right beside my battle axe. "I said slow." he said sternly. Is he trying to piss me off.
"I don't do well with followin' rules there... officer." I nodded toward his uniform. Daryl came out from behind me crossbow raised with a questioning look on his face. "Wha' old man." I asked him sternly.
He tensed and gripped his crossbow tighter. "Take off the mask." He said calmly.
"Excuse me?"
"Ya heard me. I said take off the mask." he asked calmly but sternly. I know pushing his buttons in front of people is a death sentence. So I did as he asked.
I put my hood down and removed the mask to show him my face. His face softened but it was quickly covered with an emotionless one. He lowered his crossbow and everyone else did the same.
The sheriff stuck his hand out. "Rick Grimes." Mr. Grimes himself.
I sighed but refused to shake his hand. "Anna."
"Well Anna you have a group?"
"Wha' are ya people out 'ere in the woods lookin' fer?" I asked him completely ignoring his question. I ain't giving the location of my people till I have to.
"A little girl ran in the woods the other day. You seen her?" Rick asked me nicely. Your the dumbass who lost her.
"Can't say I have." I lied to him.
"Tracks lead righ' through 'ere." Daryl said.
"I just got 'ere. Heard voices, climbed a tree. Bout as simple as tha'."
"You expect us to believe that?" a man with a shotgun says.
I scoffed. "Don't expect y'all ta believe nothin'. All I'm sayin' is the truth. Heard voices, climbed a tree." I shrugged.
"I'm gonna ask you again. Do you have a group?" Rick asked sternly. Now you're really pissing me off officer friendly.
I whistled and everyone jumped out of there tree weapons up. Ricks group put there weapons up. I stood there and looked at Rick. "Yes. Yes I do have a group." I looked back at the scared little boy hiding behind his mom. What the fucks wrong with me? I can do this. I turned around, looked Corbin dead in the eyes and nodded toward Daryl. Corbin froze for a second and lowered his crossbow, everyone else did the same. "Look we can stand 'ere pointin' weapons at each other all day or... we can locate tha' lil' girl. I got a huntin' dog makes trackin' faster an easier. Ya let me help tha' lil' girls gonna be jus' fine."
"She ain't coming with us Rick." the deputy said. Damn, I hate to fucking do this but it's the only way that I'll be able to keep my promise.
I looked around the group for a second and then looked my father dead in the eyes. "Where's Merle?"
Dad looked down at the ground then back up at me. "Atlanta."
"Atlanta? Why's he in Atlanta?"
Rick took a step forward. "Merle doesn't play well with others." Haha, oh wait he's serious. "I handcuffed him to a roof in Atlanta. We went back for him but..."
"Sum bitch cut off his own hand." dad cut him off.
Looking around at there small group, I see why Merle doesn't 'play well with others'. Cops, a Korean, women, and a small child. These people are crazy. I nodded toward Rick.
"Yeah I guess ya can say Merle 'Doesn't play well with others'. Let me guess... was he on somethin'?"
Rick nodded. "Found his stash in his pocket."
"Yeah he can be a real dick when he takes tha' shit." I glanced at my dad and chuckled. "Hell he's a dick off of the shit."
"Better watch yer mouth sunshine."
I looked at him calmly. "Ya gonna make me old man?" I don't gotta take his shit. I spent a year looking for this redneck piece 'o trash. I just want my dad back. "Listen like I said b'fore. Ya wanna keep chattin'? Or do ya wanna find tha' lil' girl?"
Rick looked at me like I was the world's stupidest redneck. Maybe I was. "Why would you help us?" I nodded toward Carol's sad but hopeful eyes. He glanced over, "How can we trust you?"
I chuckled and rolled my eyes. I put a firm grip on my battle axe and got a shotgun to my head in return. I looked at the man. "If I wanted ta kill ya... me, my fourteen group members, an ma great dane would have done it by now, deputy."
"Shane, put that thing down." Rick commanded. Shane hesitantly put down his gun. "Over by the creek is where we lost her." I lifted my axe from the ground and whistled loudly for Titus. "Hey. We're not alone out here." I chuckled as Titus sat at my feet.
"Afraid of a couple lame brains sheriff?" I snapped and pointed toward Carol. Titus sniffed Carol and began to track. I looked back at my group. "Scavenge team goes with me. Rest of ya back ta the highway ta git our shit. Once I find this lil' girl, we're gone."
Everyone began to follow Titus. I was right behind him, dad was in the back. I wanted to talk to him but he would never talk to me. I looked at Corbin and he nodded back toward Daryl. Sometimes it's like he can read my mind. I nodded toward Titus and began to fall behind.
"So... you're Anna." I looked to my right and saw Carol. I raised my eyebrow and she gave me a hopeful smile. I rolled my eyes and nodded. "Does he know?"
What the fuck is she talking about? I huffed, "Does who know wha'?"
"Does Daryl know that you're his daughter?"
"Wha' the fuck ya talkin' bout?" What the hell? I've known her for twenty minutes and I'm bombarded with questions.
"You two have the same eyes." she whispered joyfully.
"This girl we're lookin' fer, she yers?" the smile whipped off her face. She nodded and looked down at her moving feet. "Maybe if ya kept yer nose out of e'ryone else's business we wouldn't be lookin' fer her."
I heard her sniffle. She's crying? She didn't talk after that. Maybe she'll leave me the fuck alone now. I glanced back at Daryl and he nodded toward me. Really? A year and a half and all I get is a fucking nod. I glared at him and he looked down.
"Hi." a little boy told me. I looked down and nodded. "I'm Carl."
"Didn't yer daddy tell ya not ta talk ta strangers?" he chuckled and I rolled my eyes. "Why would a tough lil' man like yer'self help these people?"
"I'm not tough. Dad didn't even give me a weapon. Just this small knife." Carl held up the knife and I poked the top of it hard enough to draw blood.
"Pretty sharp knife if ya ask me." I said and showed him my finger.
"Doesn't that hurt?"
"Na... I've been through worse." I wiped the blood on my shirt. "The girl yer friend?" he nodded sadly. "Don't worry kid. If anyone can find her I can."
"Carl come here."
"Listen ta yer mom kid." he went over to his mom and I quickened my pace to meet Corbin's.
"You talk to him?" he whispered.
"Not worth it." I shrugged.
"A year of searching and all of sudden not worth it. Don't worry you'll get your Disney movie. Give him time." Corbin chuckled.
"He ain't got time Corb. I was serious. We find this girl, we're gone." Corbin nodded.
Titus stopped tracking, sniffed around in a circle, laid down and whimpered. Everyone stopped walking and looked at me. I stiffened.
"What's that mean?" Rick asked.
"Trail went cold." I sighed. "Looks like we do this the ol' fashion way."
"How's that?" Rick asked.
"The creeks her only landmark right?" Rick nodded. "Then we walk toward there. If she's smart, she'll be in a tree somewhere near the creek." I already knew she wasn't the brightest young girl. She made it as far out as my camp. I'll search there when everyone goes to sleep tonight. Might even get dad's help.
Titus perked his head up and lifted his ears. I walked toward him then I heard... church bells? How come I've never heard those before?
"Which way is that coming from?" Rick asked. Are we really going to run through the woods chasing echoes? I rolled my eyes. After a minute dad stood beside Rick and pointed. "Are you sure."
"Pretty damn sure. Its hard to tell out 'ere."
"If we heard them, maybe Sophia did too." Carol said hopefully. Yeah or maybe she didn't.
"Someone's ringing those bells, maybe calling others. Or signalling they found her." Shane said.
"She could be ringing them herself." Rick said running toward the direction of the sound. Soon his group followed in suit.
I turned around and starred at my group who had the same expression I had. "Are these people fuckin' serious?" Everyone snickered quietly. "Come on, let's go. B'fore everyone gits themselves killed."
We began running after Ricks group and easily caught up to them. Do these people not do cardio? There was a small clearing with graves scattered everywhere and a small white church. I ran in front of everyone.
"There's no steeple genius." I huffed.
Rick and his group took off toward the church anyway. Am I fucking invisible? How the hell did they survive this long? I mumbled a few cuss words and sprinted after them. I saw Rick, Shane, and Daryl at the doors of the church while everyone crowded the steps. I paused and watched them. They have no sense. What if that church is full? I shook my head and did what any logical person would do. Let the men measure their dicks and turn off the automatic timer for the church bell.
I followed the speaker cord and found the box as it went off. Everyone starred at me dumbfounded. God these people are stupid. I ripped the battery pack from the box as Rick rounded the corner. "It was on an automatic timer genius."
"I think I'm gonna go inside for a bit." Carol said.
"How was I suppose to know? She could have been in there." Rick screamed.
"No." I said calmly. "The only people crazy 'nough ta follow sounds in tha woods are y'all. A group of teenagers can survive better. I sure as hell didn't lose no one." I threw the battery pack against the side off the church. I shook my head at Rick and scoffed. I whistled loudly for Titus again. "Ya and yer group decide what ya wanna do next, sheriff. I recommend ya send half back ta the highway. Git a small search party. Less people git tired, more ground gits covered, and less people take watch over."
"Never thought I'd say this Rick but, the kids right." Shane said.
My group and I were sitting off in the distance. I didn't want to deal with these people any longer. I would rather look for that girl myself. Trapper cleared his throat. "Anna, why are ya so angry? We've been searching, and searching... and searching to find that man whose ten feet away from you. And you haven't even talked to him once since you've seen him."
I scuffed and shook my head. "I hav' nothin' ta say ta him." Why can't people just leave me alone? I began walking back to Ricks group to hear him giving out orders. So is Rick the leader here? Or Shane?
"We're splitting up into two groups to cover more ground. The others head back to the highway. Daryl, you're in charge." I rolled my eyes, nice choice.
"I wanna go too dad."
I looked over at Kamon and leaned in. "Two waters says dad gives in first."
"You're on."
"No way." I'm guessing his mom said.
"She's my friend. I wanna look too."
"Let him come. He'll be careful." Rick told his wife. She sighed but nodded. I smirked toward Kamon who rolled his eyes.
The kid whispered something into Ricks ear. "Anna, Carl would like you to join us." Carl nodded.
I scoffed. "Why?"
"If anyone can find her, you can." Carl said hopefully.
I nodded and Carl smiled. "Take Titus back with ya." Corbin sighed but agreed. I traded Corbin my battle axe for my crossbow, and began to follow Shane, Rick, and Carl around the church. This is going to be a long day.
We were about to loop back around toward the highway when Carl spotted a deer. I put up my crossbow to shot but Rick pushed it down. Stupid Rick, that's a prize deer. He shook his head and pointed toward Carl. He was trying to pet the deer?
"Daddy. I can't." I whispered for the thousandth time and lowered my youth crossbow.
"Look baby girl it's either ya shoot it or we don't eat."
"But daddy, wha' if I shoot it an I don't kill it. Then it's hurt an it's all my fault."
"I know baby girl but if ya don't shot it, I will." I shook my head no. My dad sighed angrily and stood to his full height and shot the animal. Not in the head or in the heart, but it the leg. I gasped and turned around. Silent tears streamed down my face as the animal cried out in pain. Dad crouched in front of me. "Look baby girl. I know it's hard but it's kill or be killed. We need ta eat an if we don't eat we starve. I couldn't let tha' happen to ya."
I nodded and picked up my youth crossbow from the ground. I turned toward the animal who was desperately hanging on to life. I looked through the scope and pulled the trigger. As soon as the arrow reached his skull he was dead.
"That's my girl." dad said with a proud smirk on his face. I poked his cheek and he chuckled. I never wanna do that again but I will if I get to see my dad happy.
I heard a cocking of a gun and began to cautiously make my way toward Carl. I am not gonna let this kid die on my watch. Fuck... this is the second time a kids got a Dixon being a hero. Rick and Shane starred at me as moved closer to Carl. A gunshot rang out and I covered Carl with my body. My shoulder was in agonizing pain and the force of the gunshot made me fall over on top of Carl.
