I am so sorry I haven't updated in awhile. I had come down with a cold and felt really crappy and also my work schedule has been crazy. But anyways, again, I'm not very satisfied with this chapter. I've been having a bit of writer's block as well, so hopefully you enjoy this chapter!
Beth couldn't help but stare after Daryl. He hadn't done anything wrong in her terms, but the look in his eyes said otherwise. Her shoulders slumped forward and she looked away from him. Her tiredness was starting to take over. But another thought bloomed in Beth's mind.
The car. If three people have seen it, it's possible there are more people out there who know it's not supposed to be there. "I'm going to move the car behind the building," Beth said, starting to stalk to the door, stooping to pick up one of the still-lit flashlights.
Daryl jogged over to her. "Don't be ridiculous, there's walkers out there. You'll get overrun," he said, touching her elbow gently. Beth almost wanted to glare at him.
"You can't stop me," she said, backing away from him. Something about the way he retreated from her earlier and now struck a nerve with Beth. She knew he was a hard person to deal with when it came to feelings, but she had feelings too.
And he better well remember that she does. She pulled the gift shop door open, signaling the bell and sauntered through it. Daryl looked after, conflicted if he wanted to follow or not. Beth pointed her flashlight in front of her as she slipped her revolver out.
She knew it wasn't the best weapon to have at night, but she would have to make do. She paused at the doorway to the outside world, peering through it. She could see a few walkers that she could easily take out but that would only draw more in.
Beth knew she was going to have to make a break for it. She took a deep breath. She wasn't small and cowering Beth anymore, she was brave and fearless Beth. She clicked off the flashlight and pushed open the door.
The walkers were just shambling about as she darted out the door. On cue, the undead had sensed Beth venture outdoors. They stumbled towards her but she easily avoided them. She threw open the door and closed, shoving the locks down.
Beth hadn't realized that Daryl had shut the car off when they arrived at the rest stop. Beth was going to have to hot wire the car. She looked between her legs and, sure enough, the two red wires were hanging down.
Beth shut her eyes and tried to look back to the day that Daryl had hotwired the car. It wasn't that long ago but it felt like weeks to Beth. Thoughts raced through her mind in a jumbled mess. Beth decided to give up on trying to remember and grabbed the two red wires anyway.
She paused with the two red wires in her hand, ready to touch them together when the window burst open. One of the walkers had broken through. Beth screamed out as the glass shattered over her body, littering it with small cuts.
The man's gangly arms reached through the small opening, a small line of blood streaming out of his mouth as he gaped at her. Beth scrambled away from the man and into the passenger seat. All her apprehensions about using her revolver at night dissolved when the moment called for it.
She aimed the handgun at the man crawling through the window and pulled the trigger. The shot went through his brain and he slumped instantly, and then slid out the window only to be replaced by another dead woman. Her hair was a greasy mess and old lipstick smeared out of place around her bloody mouth. Beth cringed away from her but pulled the trigger again.
She had missed. Her breath came through her mouth in ragged gasps as she cowered against the passenger side window. Her shots were attracting more and more walkers to surround the vehicle. Beth hadn't noticed but she had started to cry. She didn't know why she thought she could be fearless. It just wasn't her.
The undead woman was reaching for her with split fingernails and empty eyes. Beth wanted to wipe away her tears but she ignored the urge. She raised the gun again, the sight wobbling to and fro from the woman's face. She shot again and hit the woman in her forehead.
She too slumped out of the window, again replaced by another walker. Beth shot again and again, taking out two more walkers but they just kept filtering in. Beth aimed once again and pulled the trigger but nothing happened. She clicked the trigger back again but no sound or shot came. She had run out of ammo.
Beth dropped the gun to the floor and cradled her face in her hands. She was weaponless. She wept into the cracks of her fingers. She had taken in the tools with her earlier, making sure they weren't to be stolen and it was a dumb mistake.
She was going to die. This was going to be her last day alive on earth and she knew it. But what she didn't know was that Daryl had heard her shots. He heard the first but thought nothing of it. But then when the second, third and fourth came he became worried.
But when the fifth never came and in turn Beth's scream did, he panicked. He loaded his arrows into his crossbow and took off running towards the SUV. He could see Beth's dark form inside the truck as she cowered away from the women.
She kicked at them but couldn't keep them away. Daryl took out walker after walker and then unsheathed his knife when his arrows had all been used. He stabbed the undead as they turned their attention to fresh meat.
Beth looked up as Daryl reached for the lock and slid into the driver's seat. "How 'bout we don't try to fearless no more, got it?" He asked. Beth mindlessly nodded, she wasn't going to try and be brave anymore. She was better off as she was before.
Daryl reached for the two red wires, touched them together and revved the engine when it ignited. "Pull the car up to the door, I've gotta get my arrows and then we're hightailing it outta here," he said quickly, jumping out of the car again.
It was almost as if the moment before had never happened. Like it was back to the old times of good conversations between friends. Beth scrambled into the driver's seat and sped up to the door. She crawled out of the SUV and let it idle and she followed Daryl inside.
He was grabbing at his bags and slinging them onto his shoulder. Beth did the same with the little belongings she had collected from the past few days. "Let's go," Beth said when she had everything she needed. Daryl nodded and jogged out of the rest stop, leaving the three bodies behind as the only indication they were ever there. "You can drive," Beth said. "I need some time to think."
Daryl looked longingly at Beth. He thought how she might feel. Like she only ever messed things up, but that wasn't true. If it weren't for him, she would never have been in that position. She was alone and scared and fighting for her life and Daryl wasn't there. He had put her there and he wasn't there until the last minute.
They both jumped into the car and turned onto the highway. Beth pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She idly picked at the loose threads on her butterfly stitches.
Daryl looked over to her and watched for moments at a time. He wanted to think it was a rare sight to see Beth like this – lost in a world of her own. He wanted to know what her thoughts were but he didn't think he deserved to ask today. Not over what happened just hours ago.
They had been driving for a while before Daryl had the courage to speak up. "How's your shin? We'll need to change those bandages when we find a place to stop and find a new car," he said. He looked to her again but made sure to watch the road.
Beth didn't move but looked at him. "It's alright. It's starting to scab a little," she said, still picking at it. "But Daryl," Beth started again. "Where are we going to go? What are we going to do? Everyone we go something bad happens."
Daryl braked and eventually stopped the car at Beth's questions. "We're going to keep going, Beth," he said. It was the only thing he could say at the moment. He knew Beth was sheltered for most of the apocalypse at the farm and inside the prison but that lifestyle was not happening again anytime soon. "We're gonna keep going until we're safe, until we find the others."
She nodded, looking down. "You don't have to lie, you know?" Beth said flashing her blue eyes to Daryl's. "I know we're not going to find the others." Daryl settled back against his seat and ran a hand over his beard.
Eventually he spoke, "I know." It was time that Daryl admitted it to himself and Beth believe it as well – that the group was split for good. If they we're going to find each other, it would have been done already. But it was just the two of them now. Daryl and Beth.
Daryl clasped Beth's knee and smirked ruefully. "We're gonna kick some ass, me and you," he said without a reply from Beth, only a small smile played on her lips. He took his hand back and started to drive again, watching the sun rise over the hell they were still learning to live in.
Any suggestions on where to take the story? I kinda liked the interactions between Daryl and Beth in this chapter. Leave a review please (:
