Shane carried me in his muscled arms while I guided everyone to my mother's tombstone. Luckily, my mother was buried on the outskirts of Atlanta in a small graveyard. So everyone was willing to stop by it. Unfortunately, a couple of walkers lingered there too. We killed them quietly. Daryl stabbed one through the base of their neck with a knife, exiting through their skull. Then shot the other in the head with his crossbow. He pulled out the bloodied arrow. "All clear," he stated, overlooking the cemetery for more undead.
"Where's the grave, sweetheart?" Rick asked.
I pointed straight ahead. "It's the gravestone with two angels and flowers carved in on each side."
That tombstone stood out from the others. It was more beautiful than the rest. Dad had spent so much money to make it that way. Her grave was distanced away from the other graves. A cherry blossom tree guarded her grave. Everyone was silent as they approached the grave of my mother. "Alexandra Rose Cruz, nee Barnes." Carl read aloud to us. "January 4, 1965 - August 9, 2001. She died before the outbreak then, huh?"
"Yeah. Car crash when I was six. I remember her body was so disfigured from the crash that the coffin had to be shut. She was later cremated with her ashes being buried here." I spoke through my burning fever, as everyone listened intently to my story. "When Mom died everything went to shit, even before the apocalypse. My sister, Carmen, got married right after and left. It was too hard for her. My Dad never got over it and I felt all alone. That's why I joined a gang and got in with the drug cartels real good. Went to jail for committing grand theft auto a few times, now you know why I know how to hot wire a car, Glenn."
Glenn gave a half smile at that, his hands dug in his pockets. T-Dog approached me. "You a gangsta, alright, ma girl." he said lightheartedly. He gave me a high five, though I was too weak to even lift a hand. T-Dog held my hand while he slapped his over it.
Daryl scoffed at that. "Anza? A gangster? Gimme a break."
I managed to roll my eyes through the pain. "It's true," I groaned. "And even when I'm about to die, you never cease to annoy me. And I've only known you for two days. Even as I lay dying, trying to lighten up the mood. I noticed the corner of Daryl's mouth sort of pull up into a half smile. Lori picked up a framed photograph of my mother from her grave. She was Caucasian. With long blond hair with hazel eyes, and high cheekbones. I looked like the Hispanic version of her. "This your mother?" she asked.
I nodded once in my fevered and hazy state. "Yes," I croaked.
"She was very beautiful," Lori commented, turning to me. "Just like her daughter. You have her eyes and face."
I managed to laugh, though it soon turned from smiles to hacking and coughing. I could feel it in my stomach. I was going to puke again. I wriggled out of Shane's arms, dropping to the ground. I began coughing, coughing, and coughing. The group could only watch with sadness as I began to vomit fountains of blood. It was very thick and clogging my throat. The blood was bunching up in my throat and I was choking on it. I felt like I was dying even more. My stomach felt like it was being squeezed to death. Dale rubbed my back in a comforting manner.
Walker sniffed my face, before licking it. A swipe of blood right off my mouth. I wiped the remaining blood off that stained the bottom of my chin onto my jacket. I looked up at the group. Their faces were so sad. Shane and Daryl each grabbed and arm and leg, hoisting me forward. Then, carefully, they laid me beneath my mother's gravestone. Daryl gently held the back of my head so I didn't hit the hard ground. My muscle felt like glass, shattering each time something barely scratched the surface. Daryl then slowly got up. They all stared down at me. Now, I knew it was time to go. Sophia knelt beside me. She held some wild flowers in her hands. "Those for me?" I breathed.
"For you and your Mom," Sophia corrected.
"That's sweet of you, take care of your Mom and be a good friend to Sky, okay?"
"I promise."
Sophia placed the wild flowers above my head. They laid gently on the tombstone beside the framed photos. One by one they all said goodbye. Glenn wiped away his tears. "I thought I had made a friend."
I smiled lightly. He grasped my hot and sweaty hand. It probably felt like a volcano. "You did." I stated. "And now with your hotwiring skills I taught you, you should be able to use my jeep. It's yours."
"I promise to take care of it."
"Yeah, feel free to use anything I once had. All of you." I announced as loudly as I could. Then, I rolled my head over to Daryl. "I was originally gonna give the jeep to you since you have a piece of shit truck, but I like Glenn more." I smiled, gleefully. There were a couple of low laughs. Daryl rolled his eyes, throwing his crossbow on his shoulder. Rick knelt beside me, holding one of my rifles. "Do you want this?" he inquired.
I gave a weakened laugh. It sounded like I was drowning though. "What's a zombie gonna do with a rifle?" I breathed. "You're gonna need it more than I ever will."
Rick nodded, shaking my sweaty hand. "I'm sorry this happened to you, Anza. It was a real pleasure in knowing you."
"You too, cop." I croaked.
Rick stood up and left with the others. Sophia wanted to keep saying goodbye to me, but Carol advised her against it. She told everyone to give me and Sky a moment alone. Sky rushed into my arms. I patted her on the back. "I'm sorry about your Mom, kid." I apologized, my voice sounding like a frog's. "And I'm sorry this had to happen to me. Promise to be strong okay? For me?"
Sky withdrew, sniffling once. She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes. I tapped the knife strapped to her side. "Make me proud." I whispered. "And I hope someday, you find your voice again."
She nodded once, with a smile. That was the first time I had ever seen her smile. Reluctantly, Sky stood up and slowly walked away. Walker remained at my side. They decided that they couldn't care for the animal. They weren't sure if he was infected or not. If he was, it was very slowly affecting him. Even then, it didn't look like they could move Walker. He refused to go when Sophia and Sky tugged on the leash.
I felt a nudge in my side. Daryl had lightly tapped me with his boot. Though it made my side burn even more whenever I moved. To my surprise, Daryl sat beside me with his legs crossed. "Hey, kid." he then said.
"Hey, jerk off." I breathed back.
He was silent for a moment. Daryl deep in thought. Then, all at once he said, "Look, sorry I snagged your shirt and what not. I know if anyone else was watching they woulda thought I was forcing myself on ya or something. I just had to do what I had to do. I had to know if you were bitten and I'm sorry if I was rotten towards you. I just get so frustrated sometimes. So, I'm sorry for that. I dun' want you to get bit."
Was he actually apologizing to me? Maybe he wasn't so heartless after all. Then, I quickly erased that thought. He wasn't heartless, he was...hopeless. He was a man who had given up on life. I shot Daryl a half smile. I was in a state of peace, although the fire was burning my insides. "Yeah..." I muttered. "You did save my life twice though."
Daryl lost the happiness in his face. I could see the guilt in his steel blue eyes. "And in the end, it meant nothing, because you're dead now."
"It didn't mean nothing. Everyone is faced with dangers everyday," I uttered throatily. "Walker or no walkers."
Daryl didn't say anything. He picked up his crossbow and stood up. He scratched Walker on the ears. "I guess you don't want to come with me, yeah?" Daryl asked in a babying voice. "You watch over Anza, okay?"
Walker barked once in reply. I opened my eyes weakly, taking in the last of the handsome features of Daryl Dixon. His short brown hair and narrowed cold blue eyes, his tattered clothes, muscled body, and his cynical attitude. I was actually gonna miss our bantering. "Goodbye, Daryl Dixon." I breathed.
After a long pause, Daryl replied. "Goodbye...Esperanza Cruz."
I closed my eyes and smiled to myself. I could hear the cars starting up, including the Wagoneer jeep I once owned. Now, I was content with death. I had made my peace with the closest people I considered my family. I grabbed at the grass underneath my hands. I was also with my mother. After about ten minutes, I slowly started to feel myself slip away. I was relieved that the pain was starting to fade away with this sleep. "Goodbye..." I said with my last breath. I felt myself fall into a black abyss of nothingness. No despair. No pain. No nothing.
