I finished all my exams and have no school! That sadly doesn't mean I'll be updating often. I have a busy summer schedule, but I have freet time too, do don't worry!
A big thanks to all my reviewers and people who favourited the story! You're helping with my self-esteem. ;)
So, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own The Walking Dead
Chapter 4
It's amazing how slow time can be.
It's been a week since the death of Sophia, and people have slowly begun to move past that fact. More work's being done, there's more talking amongst one another, but there aren't many smiles now, or any feelings of happiness. Our existence is now bleak and depressing as we live our lives in fear every day.
Every night Glenn has been having dreams, some that he understands and some that just don't make sense. He can remember some stuff, my sisters who I used to play with when I was younger, some zombie kills here and there, some guy named Morales and his family. The other dreams are just total blurs, walking through pounding rain all soaked and cold, intense pain sparking from my stomach, a strong feeling of regret while leaving Atlanta, those kind of memories were scattered, like his brain wants him to solve a puzzle.
Sometimes those dreams turn to nightmares and Glenn wakes up sweating and panting. Daryl wakes up too because of Glenn, and ends up trying to make me go back to sleep. Well, not in a nice way, it's either sleep and risk a nightmare or get his ass whooped a hundred times by Daryl.
Daryl hasn't exactly been a good tent-mate, he always comes back from his hunts smelling like guts and dirt, and he sleep-talks sometimes. Something about a 'Merle', and getting lost in the forest and making sandwiches, I don't know, Daryl must have some crazy dreams too.
Glenn sat in front of the fire pit, just staring at the dancing flames. Everyone was just doing some normal morning routines, eat breakfast, look out for walkers, fortify our camp, every day since her death, we've been stuck in a rut.
Glenn glanced at Rick, who was conversing to Shane and Lori. They kept sneaking looks at me, which made me feel a little uncomfortable. Rick suddenly walked in front of the group.
"I think it's best if move to a new place, this place isn't safe, and I think we should try again to get closer to Fort Benning."
There were murmurs of agreements from the crowd. Rick continued, "I really want to get moving as soon as possible and as soon as we can get all the supplies. However, I think we should also restore Glenn's memory before going."
"Huh? Really? Why?" Glenn stuttered.
"You were our best scavenger and you were a great asset to the group. We need your memory back so you can find supplies." Lori told him. Wow, you're just using me to get supplies? Thanks a lot, Lori.
"I think if we let you do stuff that you used to do then it'll help with your memory." Rick said. "You can start by hunting with Daryl; you used to hunt with him a bit. He can show you that cabin where you supposedly were kept at too, maybe that'll help."
"Hey, wait one fucking minute!" Daryl interrupted, "Why do I have to do? Why can't any of you do it?"
Rick glared at the redneck, "You're the only one who knows where this cabin is, and besides, you were going to go away hunting anyways, weren't you?"
Daryl grumbled something in response, but no one understood what it was. Rick took that as a 'yes' and dismissed everyone.
I walked up to Daryl, "So, I guess we're hunting, right?"
Daryl harshly nodded and shouldered past me. I wobbled backwards at his force. "Come on short-round! Gets your ass moving!" I scowled but followed him into the forest.
Daryl was really focused hunting. He didn't speak at all and just gripped his crossbow closer as he stealthily made his way through the forest. Daryl's head quickly twisted in another direction, making Glenn look also. "Do you hear something?" Glenn asked curiously.
"Shut up." Daryl hissed as he began moving towards his target. Glenn mimicked Daryl's movements, trying to be as quiet as he was. It felt a like they were doing this for hours until something came into Glenn's view. It was long-limbed and had pale brown fur. It has huge black eyes and small little ears, it ate some grass while darting its head from side to side, as if expecting something. A deer!
Glenn and Daryl were right behind the trees; not too far but not too close to the small mammal. Glenn waited for Daryl to pull out his crossbow and shoot it but he did no such thing. He just stood there quietly, just watching it. Glenn wanted to ask why he wasn't making a move but he didn't dare. He knew that if he even make a sound the deer would run in the opposite direction and Glenn would get skinned in its place.
So Glenn waited, waited for someone to make a move. Finally, Daryl shot an arrow right in the deer's stomach. Blood stained its coat and its legs buckled beneath itself. It fell over, grass still in its mouth. Daryl walked over to it. Glenn rubbed his eyes, a little tired. "Why'd you wait so long to shoot it?" Glenn asked.
"It's a hunting thing kid, at least I caught it. A nice, big, plump son-of-a bitch! We're going to eat tonight!" Daryl hauled it over to Glenn, "You can carry it."
"What? Why me?" Glenn whined.
"You always carry my catches." Daryl said. "So go on, make yourself useful China man."
"I'm Korean." Glenn groaned as he attempted to carry the deer. He managed to sling it across his back. Daryl watched him, his eyes a little wide. "What is it?"
"You're Korean?" He asked.
"Yeah." Glenn said, "Why?"
Daryl smirked, "I thought you had amnesia, how'd you remember you're Korean?"
Glenn thought for a moment, and then said, "I don't know, it just felt right to say it."
Daryl nodded, "This might be some sort of trigger to your memory or something, you used to tell me the same thing whenever I called you China man. Maybe bringing ya to the cabin might actually help. Come on."
"Can you at least help me with the deer?" Glenn asked. The weight on his back felt like it was crushing his spine. Daryl rolled his eyes and adjusted the deer on his back. He put its forelegs over Glenn's shoulders and made him hold its feet like a backpack. The pain was less intense now. "How'd you not make it hurt?"
Daryl snickered, "I just moved its position, and it looks like you're giving it a piggy-back ride now."
"Ew sick!" Glenn yelped, suddenly disgusted with himself. "Are you sure I'm the one carrying the dead animals?"
"Well, you always carry backpacks so that deer's close enough." Daryl smirked, "Now come on, we got to get moving!"
Glenn made a noise of resentment before dragging himself after Daryl. The sun was halfway through the sky when they finally reached a small cabin. Daryl looked at Glenn, "Don't this look familiar to you?"
Glenn scanned the cabin. It didn't seem like anything special, just a run-down shack in the woods. But it did feel like he was here before. "A little I guess." Glenn said after awhile.
"Maybe going inside might do you some good. Let's go."
Glenn and Daryl forced their way through the busted remains of the door. Glenn looked around. Green fungus was growing from the kitchen sinks and the floor couch and table were layered in dust. This place was the definition of a dump. Glenn with the deer still on his back explored the cabin. It was small with not much to see. Glenn went down a small hallway into the bedroom. There were crimson stains on the sheets and a stale metallic scent in the air.
Daryl walked up from behind him. "If you can't remember anything, then let's get out of here."
"Get out of here!"
Glenn jumped up, startled. He stared at Daryl, "D-Did you say that?"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Get the hell out of here!"
Glenn's entire body numbed. His body flopped forward, the dead weight on his back crushing him. Daryl's voice was echoing around him, the room blurred and the smell of dead deer flooded his nostrils but Glenn barely took notice. He could only focus on the voices. The flashing pictures in his mind.
"Get out of here!" He screamed at Glenn, throwing a book at him. Glenn leapt out of the way just in time. He stared pleadingly at the man before him.
"It wasn't me! I swear dad! I was framed!" Glenn was frantically waving his arms back and forth in a motion of despair, his voice begging for forgiveness. Glenn's mother just wept her head on the table as she was slumped in her chair at the dinner table.
"You're telling me that you were framed for having stolen drugs in your backpack? You know how much money we had to pay just to bail you out? How much shame you brought to our family? You're a disgrace." His father's voice was full of contempt. His eyes were cold and his face was un-readable.
"Dad please, I didn't do it." Glenn was on the verge of crying.
"Get the hell out of here! I never want to see your face anywhere near here again!" His dad threw another book at Glenn. It landed on Glenn's shoulder, making him stagger backwards. "Pack your stuff and leave. You better be gone by midnight when we come back." With that, Glenn's dad took his moms hand and led her out the door. The door slammed behind them leaving Glenn alone.
The emotions within Glenn were just a mess. To be told so suddenly to leave your parents house and have them hate you was just a mixture of negative emotions that can't be expressed.
Glenn's father was an extreme Asian parent. Very strict, laid down all the rules, you had to meet his expectations or else. Glenn knew his father well enough that he was serious. His mother wouldn't speak up because she was also secretly ashamed, Glenn knew she was just by looking at her face. Glenn had no choice, he had to leave.
Glenn walked to his room, took his phone, his phone charger, some clothes and all his money. He exited and took some food from the kitchen. Glenn looked outside. There was rain pounding onto the concrete floor. White streaks illuminated the clouds and a deafening rumbling shook the air. Glenn gulped. He couldn't leave the house in weather like that!
Glenn hears the sound of a garage door opening. Glenn's heart dropped. They were back too soon! And if his father saw he was still here...
Glenn opened the back door and ran outside. He closed it behind him and ran into the streets. Glenn didn't think about getting a rain jacket or grabbing his bike, he didn't react to the cold drops of water soaking his entire body, he just knew he had to get away.
Eventually he got tired and ran out of stamina. Glenn slowed down, his entire body shivering. His teeth were chattering, lightning flashed around him, thunder roared above him, the smell dampness and rain was so strong. Glenn had to find some sort of shelter for the night. He walked until he found his way into an alleyway. There were a few solid boxes hanging near a dumpster. A box, how classic.
Glenn crawled into the box. It wasn't exactly roomy, but it had to do for tonight. Glenn covered himself in cardboard so people wouldn't see him and curled himself into a ball. Glenn, drenched, homeless, an emotionally scarred, cried himself to sleep that night.
Glenn felt a wet splash on his face. Was it more rain?
"I swear if you don't wake up I'll stomp on your ass! Wake up!"
Glenn bolted upwards into a sitting position. He was in the blood-stained bed. He was still in the cabin, wrapped in the sheets. That was just a memory... He hyperventilated, his heart beating thrice its regular speed.
"Good morning Sleeping Beauty." Daryl says sarcastically. Glenn put a hand on his chest. It felt so real, so vivid, and the emotions were so raw. It was like he lived the experience again for a second time. His parents, Glenn's parent kicked him out because of illegal stolen drugs were found in his backpack. Glenn knew he was framed, it was put there by someone, but he didn't know who exactly, probably just some dealer. But they messed up Glenn's life so much...
"So what happened?" Daryl asked. Glenn froze. He couldn't just tell Daryl what he experienced, could he?
"It was just a memory. That's all." Glenn said carefully, not wanting to worry Daryl.
"It was different, wasn't it?" Glenn opened his mouth to protest but Daryl cut him off, "It was different, not like your other dreams. I could tell."
"How?" Glenn spoke the words softly.
"This time you were crying."
Glenn didn't know how to react. He could only stare at Daryl stupidly with his mouth wide open. Daryl sighed and pulled a little closer to Glenn. "Now, you're going to tell me what you remembered, or all that shitty emotion crap will be stuffed inside of you. Get it off your chest so we can move on."
Glenn's lower lip trembled. He sniveled a bit, wiping his eyes and told Daryl of how his parents kicked him out. As he progressed with his story, Glenn's soft snivelling grew into loud sobs. When he was re-telling his story he took the pillow and buried his face into it and cried into it. How could his parents do that to him? How could they?
A rough hand caressed his scalp, fingers running through his hair. Glenn lifted his face to look at Daryl. His hair covered his expression.
"Is that what you were worrying about? Jeez kid, that's nothing. My old man acted like I didn't exist, had to do everything for myself, bathing, sleeping, making food-"
"Like making sandwiches after getting lost in the forest?" Glenn lightly joked, remembering Daryl sleep-talking that at one point.
Daryl's eyebrows shot up. "Yeah, stuff like that."
Glenn felt his heart rate relax as Daryl continued ruffling his hair. They kept the silence for awhile. A quiet, peaceful atmosphere. It was the most peace they've had after the death of Sophia.
