A/N – I love reviews! You all are awesome with your comments! Thank you so much for reviewing and I hope you like this next chapter...
Disclaimer – Same as before. I own nothing, yadda yadda, blah blah.
Chapter 4 – Expect the Unexpected
Daryl was loading camping supplies into the back of the truck when he heard the scream. It was loud, and it echoed around him. "Beth! That was Beth!," yelled Hershel from the side of Glenn's vehicle where he had but a minute ago been pumping gas. Rick ran out of the sporting goods store dropping the supplies he was carrying on the ground.
"I can't see anything! They must still be inside. There's no walkers out front," yelled T-Dog who had been scouting from the roof of the gas station. He had a direct view of the front and one side of the store that the women and Glenn had gone into.
"Where's Carl?" Rick had moved around the side of the truck and he looked panic-stricken at the empty front seat.
Daryl sighed. It seemed like every other day Carl went missing at one time or another… Don't these dumbass people teach their kids nuthin? Sit, stay - can't be much harder than trainin' a damn dog... he stopped mid-thought as another sound ripped through the air… a gun shot. What the fuck…
Hershel was already running towards the front of the store. Rick and Daryl followed.
"T-Dog! Keep an eye out!," Daryl called back over his shoulder. The crossbow was up, and he was ready.
Carol and Lori were in one of the storage rooms putting food into backpacks found in the store to make stuff easier to carry when Beth had screamed. They were only one room over, and the moment they entered the next room they saw Beth… lying on the floor face down, a pool of blood reflecting off the tile floor, strands of her blonde hair already staining an awful shade of red.
"Move." The voice had said. A man's voice. The voice was hoarse and cruel as something poked Carol in the back. She moved further into the room and Lori followed suit. She turned her head slightly and something was shoved harder into her back – "Don't turn around. I told you to move, bitch." She did what she was told. I always do what I'm told. The thought sickened her. But what could she do? She had no weapon. She didn't even know how to really use a weapon.
How hard can it be? Something sharp – jab him with it. Something hard – hit him with it. The thought thrilled her. She didn't move her head but she looked around using her eyes as best she could. It was a pretty full store… lots of supplies… they were in the gardening section… there had to be something useful.
Lori whimpered next to Carol when they saw Carl. He was behind the counter, slumped on the floor against the wall. His eyes were closed, and the trickle of blood on his forehead contrasted sharply against his pale white skin. They could see his trademark hat lying on the floor in the next room.
Where are Glenn and Maggie?
Daryl and Rick grabbed Hershel at the entrance of the store before he could cross through the door. "Calm down!," Rick hissed, "We've got to be calm about this."
"Those are my daughters in there!," Hershel growled out. Daryl was impressed. He'd never seen the man so driven.
"I know, and my wife, and Carol, and Glenn. We're going in after them, but we need to be calm about it. We don't know what's in there."
Carol. Her name brought a flood of emotion to him. He hadn't forgotten she was in there, but he'd forced himself not to think about it. He couldn't concentrate if he thought about her. He'd be no use to any of 'em if he let hi'self get distracted. A noise grabbed his attention and he whirled around… Walker… must've been the fuckin gunshot… rang the damn dinner bell.
He whipped the crossbow up and shot it through the forehead.
They watched the walker - a young girl, dirty, skinny, black hair - crumple to the ground, finally at peace.
"Let's hope she's the only one," Rick said. They all knew they couldn't afford another herd. Not now. Not without knowing what or who is inside that store with their people.
"Are you alone?" Carol didn't even know she was planning to say something until the words were out of her mouth.
"Shut the fuck up, bitch," the man behind her hissed, "Did I tell you that you could speak?" His accent wasn't southern. He spoke with the same anger though that she'd heard Daryl have at times.
Daryl. She shuddered at the thought of him somewhere in this store. He's coming. He had to be coming. There isn't anything in this world that would keep him from coming for me. Where did that thought come from? But she was sure, so sure, that Daryl would come for her. And at the same time, she was afraid that when he did, something could happen to him. What if I lose him? Lose him? Don't you have to HAVE something in order to lose it? I can't lose him too.
Carol was filled with fear at the thought of something happening to Daryl… at the thought of losing him too. She had stopped moving… her eyes focused on something just within her reach… not much of a weapon, but a weapon nonetheless. Without thinking, without letting herself feel anything at all, she grabbed for the shovel hung on the rack, and whirled around with it blindly. A gun shot rang out as she connected with something…
