Another chapter for you and thank you so much to those who have followed and favourited and reviewed, I'd love to hear from each and every one of you. If you'd like to get your wishes and ideas for the story across, please do message and I'll respond as soon as possible.
I'm also interested in finding a Beta Reader. I've never had one before so unsure of how it works but would love someone to assist with the story. I am thorough with grammar and punctuation but would love ideas and guidance of the direction of the story and how to add more detail during description writing. If you're interested I'd love to hear from you.
Also as noted in the description, the story may later become M rated due to adult themes, but not until further chapters.
I'm so excited for the direction of this story and look forward to hearing from you all.
Enjoy the next chapter...
An arrow flew, tearing through the rotten flesh of a walker, collapsing to the floor. Daryl stormed over and yanked out his bolt, wiping the arrow on the walker's jacket to get the gunk off. He grunted, pulling the crossbow over his shoulder and tightening the rope that carried the squirrels he'd picked up on his search for Sophia.
The search for Sophia and the girl's brother officially started tomorrow, but being so close to the rest of the group in those tents already made him uncomfortable. He just had to get out there, look for Carol's girl. There wasn't time to waste. He knew Shane's mind; the man was counting down the hours before they believed there was no hope. Daryl didn't believe that for a second.
His anger at the thought of giving up on that little girl drove him forward, his keen eyes searching the woods for any sign or trail. A few walkers had gotten in his way but he put them down without a single problem. Daryl was positive they'd find Sophia but as for that Patrick kid, he wasn't so sure. The wild girl that Rick insisted bringing into camp had said she'd lost him many miles back. Which meant Patrick could have run in any which direction. Every day the boy could be moving further away from his sister or he could have been eaten the very same day Hayley had lost him.
He was sure that though chances were slim for finding Patrick, Sophia had only been gone a few days and was most likely hiding out there somewhere. Just waiting to hear her name called.
Daryl continued to head for the creek, listening out for the groans or shuffling footsteps that would need his attention. A snap of a twig had him raising his crossbow. He paused, waiting for the slunking body to come out but Daryl saw and heard nothing further. No footsteps, no groans, nothing.
He lifted his bow.
"Come on out!" he yelled.
Nothing happened.
"I know yer out there. Get ya ass out here before I put an arrow in it."
A heavy sigh sounded and a small figure stepped out from behind a tree, her hands high in surrender. Daryl lowered his weapon and internally groaned at the sight of her.
"Go back," he ordered before turning and striding on.
Hayley frowned and her hands fell to her sides. How long had he known she'd been following him? Damn him and his hunter ears.
"No." She was practically pouting as she stomped after Daryl. Her mother's stubborn streak was making an appearance.
The redneck huffed and kept on moving. Hayley stayed behind the man, uncomfortable with the thought of standing beside someone that clearly hated her. She looked around her as she moved but hoped Daryl would be leading their search, perhaps find some tracks to go by.
"Shit girl, ya wanna make more noise?"
Hayley gawked. "What?"
He stopped in his tracks and pointed his crossbow towards her feet. Hayley practically jumped away from him, keeping her toes away from the weapon.
"Can't hear shit with ya shuffling along like that."
Daryl left her in shock as he continued on.
Her mouth closed and her eyebrows fell into a glare. "What is your problem?" She began to stomp after him again.
He whirled round, shouldering his crossbow.
"My problem?" He pointed at her, anger clear in his eyes. "Yer the one followin' me."
Her face darkened. "You know why. My brother is out here somewhere."
"Why ya even here when ya lookin' like yer gonna collapse?" Hayley rubbed at her eyes subconsciously at the mention of her tiredness. "I ain't haulin' yer ass around to find some kid ya shoulda kept an eye on."
Hayley took a threatening step towards the redneck, his personality no longer scaring her off. Surprise at her reaction was clear in Daryl's eyes.
She practically spat her words out. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
The man swallowed but he wasn't one to be frightened off by a strong-willed stranger. Who did she think she was? Daryl had little attachment to the group but he was less eager to help some girl that had drifted into their lives, happy to take advantage of them.
He matched her anger and frustration, keen to carry on searching for Carol's girl. "I ain't wastin' my time draggin' ya around when Sophia is out there."
Hayley raised her voice, gesturing to the space around her. "I'll help find them both, you need me."
He snorted. "Trust me I don't."
She growled, stepping closer. "Why are you such an asshole, help me! Help me find him."
"Probably nothin' out there to find!"
Hayley was raging but his comment stopped her in her tracks. Daryl felt a wave of regret at his words, seeing the pain in her eyes as soon as he'd said it. He mentally shook himself out of his slight guilt.
He nodded towards the direction she'd come from.
"You need to go." He turned and stalked away.
Hayley was furious but her voice low and strained. "Fuck you, I'm staying."
He turned to face her but continued walking. "Yer dead beat, girl. You ain't finding him today." He turned back and brought up his crossbow to kill a walker that stumbled their way at the sound of their raised voices. He carried on without a second look at Hayley.
Her skin practically vibrated in anger. She was seething, remaining still until she could barely see Daryl through the trees. Moans hit her ears, pulling her from her reverie. She span, seeing a couple of walkers behind her, dragging themselves desperately towards a bigger meal than the animals that were unfortunate enough to be caught. Hayley glared at the decaying bastards, storming forward and drawing her machete from over her shoulder.
She let out a small roar and swung her weapon as the female corpse lashed out towards her. Hayley decapitated the walker, stalking the second until she'd run her knife through its skull. She didn't stop and stare. She stomped in the direction of camp, a low growl emitting from her lips.
Unshed tears made their way to her dark eyes and she swallowed the lump in her throat. Her anger rose as she thought back to Daryl's words. How could the man have the absolute cheek to say that Sophia was out there but her brother was a lost cause? They were both out there somewhere. Sophia was waiting for her mother but Patrick was relying on her to find him.
He wasn't gone, he couldn't be. Hayley let out an emotional shriek and slammed her fist against the bark of a tree. She could barely feel the pain as she hit it again and again. She rested her head against the bark and released a sob, dropping the machete on the ground in her exhaustion. She allowed the tears to fall as her cries wracked through her body. Her chest heaved against the worry and sorrow she felt for Patrick, out there alone. He must hate her for not finding him yet.
Her sobs ran out as she took comfort in the silence of the woods. It took a while but she gathered herself together and made her way back to camp. She loathed the redneck for his comments but couldn't hate him entirely. He was still the first one out there searching for Sophia and the last one back. He couldn't be all bad.
Her knuckles began to throb but she didn't look at them, only put her weapon away as she entered the clearing. Hayley frowned at the sight before her. She strode over to the group gathered around a well.
She noticed Glenn on the floor as Shane wrapped rope around his legs. She approached Dale who looked on with a worried expression.
"What's going on?" The sound of her voice turned Dale and he offered her a bright smile.
"Hello dear," then he frowned. "I thought you were resting."
His tone brought a tint to her cheeks. He knew exactly what she'd been up to. She didn't answer but instead looked past him to poor Glenn. Dale followed her gaze.
"Got a walker in the well, contaminating all the water." He nodded to the poor man. "Glenn's gonna get him out."
"What?" she asked fearfully, walking past Dale before standing over Glenn. "Glenn, what are you doing?"
He looked up at the woman and squinted, the light blinding him. "Oh, hi Hales. Look, I'm bait!"
Hayley gawked at his eagerness to be walker food but couldn't help snorting at the man. Glenn and Dale were the only ones she really felt comfortable with here so far and his sudden use of a nickname warmed her heart. She hadn't been called that since her father was alive.
"Is this really necessary?"
"You're telling me," a voice said beside her. She turned to see the brown haired Greene daughter, Maggie, looking equally worried at Glenn. Maggie glanced at Hayley and briefly smiled.
Shane huffed and wrapped the rope around his legs again. "You'll be fine bud."
Hayley walked past the two men and peered into the well. The thing inside was gross, no way around that. It was bloated and sickly, growling and reaching up towards the young woman. She swallowed and looked away, back towards Glenn.
"Seriously man, you can't go down there?" Hayley directed at Glenn then looked at Shane. "Can't we just shoot it?"
Shane shook his head. "Na, can't risk the water, blowing its guts out."
She rolled her eyes. "And if you think anyone's going near that water anyway, you're insane. Glenn, you can't go down there with that thing."
Glenn shifted his butt towards the edge of the well while Shane stood and pulled at her shoulder, turning her towards the pipe where the rope was tied. "You gonna help?"
She turned and eyed Glenn, noticing how Maggie also looked worried.
"You people are crazy," she called.
Hayley stood at the front as Shane guided her, handing her the rope. He scanned her face and saw her blotched skin and red eyes. He felt a wave of sympathy for the girl and pride at her wanting to help. He gave her a nod, "You good?"
She nodded back and twisted the rope around her hand once in case it slipped. The group joined her, ready to hoist Glenn into the well.
Maggie called to Glenn as he started to move down. "You doing OK?"
His voice echoed slightly inside the well. "Yeah, just peachy." Hayley could hear the nervous edge to his voice.
"Keep an eye on him, Maggie," Dale called over to her.
The group fed the rope through their hands slowly lowering Glenn into the well so he could get rope around the walker. Maggie kneeled beside the well and watched him go further and deeper.
"Little lower," she called to the rest.
Hayley held onto the rope tightly, moving her hands along as Maggie continued to prompt them.
"Little lower."
A few creaks had Hayley snap her face forward. The metal pipe groaned and the bolts came loose.
"Wait!"
She was too late. The pipe sprang away towards the well and the rope with it. She held on tightly and was whipped along the floor. Shane and T-Dog were on her in a moment, gripping the rope with her. She struggled to hold on as Glenn's weight had him crashing towards the walker.
"Get me out! Oh my god, get me out of here!" Glenn was screaming in fear inside the well, his cries bouncing off the walls.
The group yelled in panic and clambered together in a pile along the floor to hold on to the rope. T-Dog gripped the rope, with his feet pushed against the wall. It took the whole group just to hold on, keeping the rope from lowering further. T-Dog groaned in pain from his injury. He started to thread the rope and each member rapidly pulled with everything they had.
Glenn's voice got nearer and nearer. He yelled, "No! Get me out! Get me out!"
"Pull him up!"
"Glenn!"
Shane and T-Dog grunted either side of her as the rope began to pile up. Shane stood and gripped the rope, pulling until Hayley saw Glenn appear at the top. She bolted forward with Maggie and grabbed him under the arms, yanking him away from the well.
Glenn kicked and scrambled along the dirt, his chest heaving. Hayley had her hands on him, checking for bites but saw nothing.
"You ok?"
He gave a weak nod, gasping for breath.
Dale sighed in relief. "Back to the drawing board."
Glenn raised his head with a proud smile on his face.
"Says you," he gasped, handing Dale the rope. Dale rushed to see the walker tied up inside the well, the rope looped under its outstretched arms.
Glenn walked over to Hayley and she grinned at him, raising her hand as he clapped it and fell onto her in an exhausted hug, forcing her to steady her stand. Glenn smiled proudly and Hayley shook her head in amusement.
"Maggie's right, you lot are nuts," she laughed weakly, gasping for breath herself. Glenn ruffled her hair as he released her.
"Have some faith, Hayley."
The lad wandered off, probably about ready to collapse. Hayley felt a hand clap against her back.
"Atta girl," Shane praised and she smiled up at him. He gestured to the well with his head. "Come on."
"Shit, how we gonna pull his fat ass out of there?" Hayley moaned. Maggie gave them an idea and soon Hayley was watching Maggie tie the rope on her horse's saddle. The group lined up again, Shane, Hayley, Lori and Andrea pulling at the rope while Maggie guided the horse, with T-Dog and Dale giving them direction.
Hayley gagged at the smell but continued to pull as the walker was dragged to the top of the well.
"Keep going guys," T-Dog yelled.
"Mind ya self, Dog," Shane warned. The man coughed, the smell of it hitting the back of his throat.
Hayley dry heaved, "Christ, it stinks."
"Wait guys, its stuck!" T-Dog shouted. The walker gurgled and groaned as its ass was caught on the wall. The group pulled, tugging on the rope, trying to pull it over.
Their efforts had the walker torn in half and the group surged forward slightly at the relief of its weight. Its bottom half tumbled into the well and Hayley groaned, hearing the splash as its insides hitting the water. The walker continued to gurgle, reaching towards them in hunger but with no legs to get him anywhere.
The group stared at it, feeling beaten.
"We'll seal off this well," Dale suggested. Shane ran his hand over his shaved head.
"Yeah, might be a good idea." Shane looked at the walker then to Hayley. "Hand me your knife, would-"
Before he could finish, T-Dog was smashing its head in over and over with the pipe. Hayley heaved again, a whole new wave of something awful hitting their noses. She looked away.
"Good thing we didn't do anything stupid like shoot it," T-Dog muttered, throwing the pipe to the ground. Shane sighed and looked up at the sky, sweat dripping from his forehead. Hayley sighed heavily, eyeing the disgusting creature on the floor.
"Could use a drink right about now," she mumbled. Shane laughed at her and squeezed her shoulder.
"I'd join ya on that, girl," Shane agreed. He saw Andrea behind Hayley as she gestured for him to follow. He sighed and looked back to Hayley. "Another time, maybe. We're taking Carol back to the highway, check if Sophia made it." The woman nodded and waved him off. Shane shoved her shoulder lightly. "Catch ya later, Hayley."
She bobbed her head. "Later."
It wasn't until later on that Hayley had a moment to rest. Dale had caught her wavering when she'd offered to help keep watch and he'd sent her right inside the RV with her tail between her legs. She would have happily helped but Dale was having none of it.
"No way, you've had zero rest, Hayley. You get inside now," he said, giving her a stern and fatherly look.
Secretly the woman was thankful as soon as she felt herself crash on the sheets of the bed. She was emotional drained after her encounter with Daryl and physically exhausted having Glenn risk his life as walker bait. She felt more comfortable in the RV with Dale standing above her keeping an eye out than she did inside the house.
It didn't take long for Hayley to drift off while lying on her side. She didn't even have the strength to remove her weapon from her back but the thing kept her from rolling over. The weight of the world was weighing heavily on the young woman's shoulders and it was the first moment in a long while that she didn't have to subconsciously listen out for danger or walkers while she slept.
Carol had wandered into the RV with full intention of resting for a while but her eyes swept over Hayley, sound asleep. The sight brought a small smile to the older woman's face. It was quite a shock seeing the young woman that lay beneath all that muck and grime. She was young and pretty but with a face that could shut you down in a moment. And she really was young, not much different from Glenn or Maggie. The poor girl needed her rest.
So Carol looked around her and frowned at the state of the place. She pushed up her sleeves and began to tidy, silently packing away items into cupboards and wiping down the sides, if only to keep her busy. She cleaned for a good while until she fell into a chair and stared into blank space. She remained staring into space for a while until the young woman on Dale's bed began stirring.
Hayley blinked away the sleep and moved her arm from under her cheek, looking up to see Carol staring back at her.
"Oh, hey…" she murmured groggily. She sat up on the bed and the mother returned a small smile
"Hi," she greeted. "Sorry, I didn't wanna wake you."
Hayley rubbed harshly at her eyes and crossed her legs.
"You didn't," she reassured. Hayley felt a burning sensation and looked at her hand. The skin on her knuckles was torn.
Carol noticed her gaze and spoke in a motherly tone. "Hayley, your hand!"
The young woman looked up and gave a weak smile. "It's fine, honest."
Carol shook her head and moved to grab a first aid kit from one of the cupboards. She grabbed a wet cloth before looked pointedly towards the table.
"Sit," she ordered softly. Hayley felt too tired to protest and moved away from the bed. Carol opened the box when she sat opposite, removing antibiotic cream and bandages and placed them in front of her. She opened her palm and Hayley placed her hand in hers.
Carol began cleaning her knuckles carefully, gently wiping the dirt from her split skin. Hayley had to bite her lip from hissing at first before the pain settled slightly.
"How'd it happen?"
Hayley shrugged and smirked. "Picked a fight with a tree."
Carol smiled gently. "Sounds like someone else we know," she laughed gently. She looked up at Hayley but her gaze was fixated out of the window, staring at the tree line. "What were you doing out there, sweetheart. It's not safe."
Hayley looked away from the window to see Carol's truly concerned gaze staring back at her. Hayley sighed.
"You've heard my brother's out there too," she stated. Carol nodded. "It's my fault he's alone out there, Carol. A small herd was right behind us and I told him to run ahead. I had my eyes on him one minute and then the next, he was gone. I…I couldn't catch up with him…"
Hayley swallowed. "It's my fault, he's always been alone. Ever since our daddy died, Patrick has been alone. Our mom was a monster. Drugs, alcohol, you name it and she'd lash out at the both of us. I got out, taken in by my friends, living in their apartment in the city but it meant leaving Patrick behind."
"She'd hit him and all he ever did was love her back," she laughed without an ounce of humour. She shook her head, trying to jolt herself out of her sorrow. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "You don't wanna hear this."
Carol stared at her and realised she had stopped cleaning Hayley's hand, gripping the girl's fingers instead. She grabbed the cream and dabbed it against the cuts, rubbing it in gently.
"My husband was the same," Carol said in almost a whisper. "Ed liked a drink and was a useless father. He didn't care much for either of us." She raised her eyes to Hayley and grabbed the clean bandage. She paused in her actions briefly before winding the material around her knuckles. "He was violent. Even as a little girl Ed would treat Sophia like dirt. He didn't deserve her."
Hayley touched her other hand on top of Carol's. "He didn't deserve either of you."
Carol's heart swelled at the young woman's kindness and understanding. "We got away and so did your brother. You can't be blamed for running away from that kind of sickness."
Hayley frowned. "Even when it meant abandoning my own brother?"
Carol squeezed her hand. "You haven't abandoned him even now, just as I still have hope for my little girl."
Hayley breathed out a shaky breath and gave a firm nod. "We'll find them." Carol returned a small smile and placed the young woman's bandaged hand on the table.
Someone cleared their throat by the front door and Hayley felt her spirits fall at the sight of Daryl Dixon, alone. She felt herself wanting to glare at the man, maybe chuck him out. For all she knew, he'd heard every part of their conversation. The hunter stepped inside the RV and looked around the place.
"I tidied a little, I wanted it to be nice for her," Carol explained.
"Damn right," Daryl enthused. "Thought I walked in the wrong place."
He hadn't felt bad for listening by the door, not letting them know he was there until Hayley had told Carol about her mother. Maybe the two had more in common than he thought. Daryl shifted uncomfortably inside the RV, not wanting the new girl to be here when he spoke to the kid's mom, but he swiftly placed the beer bottle on the table. Carol stared at the flower in the bottle in confusion. Hayley eyed the hunter uncomfortably, feeling as if she were intruding.
"It's a Cherokee rose," he explained and when she still looked confused, Daryl pointed at the bottle lamely and said, "When American soldiers were moving Indians off their land on the Trail of Tears, the Cherokee mothers were grieving and crying so much because they were losing their little ones along the way…exposure, disease, starvation… a lot of them just disappeared."
Hayley couldn't help but find herself interested but torn inside as she listened to the hunter.
"The elders said a prayer. Asked for a sign to uplift the mothers' spirit, give them strength and hope. The next day this rose began to grow right where the mothers' tears fell."
Carol stared at him as the man shrugged uncomfortably. "I ain't fool enough to think there's any flowers bloomin' out there for my brother but I believe this one bloomed for your little girl. I'm gonna find her." He glanced at Hayley but returned to Carol. "Just a matter of time."
Hayley looked from the redneck to the mother. Carol wiped away a falling tear as she nodded in agreement, smiling up at the man in thanks. The younger woman felt sadness swallow her whole as she abruptly stood, mumbling an 'excuse me' as she brushed past the two and out of the RV.
She practically fell out the RV, crossing her arms, holding herself together since she might crumble. Tears dripped silently from her eyes as she took a few steps away from them. Her guilt and fear for her brother was eating away at her, but what was worse was that though there was hope for Sophia, she felt like everybody was just waiting for her to admit her brother was a lost cause.
Dread filled her stomach as the RV's door swung open behind her. She prayed that the hunter would just go about his business but his rough voice sounded behind her.
"Hey girl," he called out, as if she'd turn around to him with a smile on her face. Did he even know her name?
She brushed away her tears but cursed herself, knowing he'd see her weakness in her red rimmed eyes. She tightened her hold on herself.
"Hey!"
"Go away, Daryl," she replied over her shoulder.
"What?"
She spun on her heel and felt the venom in her throat. "I said go away."
He stopped in his tracks.
"What?"
Daryl took in her bloodshot eyes and felt his earlier guilt eat away at him. When the girl left him and he'd carried on his search, the more he'd look for Sophia the worse he felt for what he'd said about Patrick. Pigs would fly before he'd apologise to the woman but it didn't mean it didn't soften his temper seeing her so torn up.
"I get it, OK?" She threw her arms up in the air, her strength for wanting to appear fine was hanging by a thread. She was tired, exhausted and couldn't pretend to be alright with the man in front of her. "You think you'll find the girl but not my brother. You think he's a lost cause, that there ain't a body to find anymore, right? Who knows, you might be right!"
Daryl stared blankly at the woman. She started to growl. "But fuck you for saying it. Fuck you, Daryl, for rubbing it in my face and telling me I should basically give up."
Daryl stared her down, her words getting his back up and his eyes clouding with enough anger to almost match hers. But seeing her so angry, so upset that she was willing to let him see that she had cried just so she could curse at him ate away at him.
"I'm not giving up," she muttered, looking at him from head to toe in judgement. "I promise I'll find him." She took a few steps away from him and shook her head in slight disgust. "Just stay the fuck away from me." She turned and stormed off, clasping herself once again in hopes she'd pull herself back together.
Daryl stood there dumbly for a moment, frowning heavily at the curious woman until he tutted, trying to forget her disappointed expression that was burnt into his memory.