[Author's Note: Woot! Super-long chapter! And I'm posting it early because I've got a business trip and won't be back until November. Enjoy!]
We continue walking most of the day, making good progress as we go. The walkers don't pose too much trouble, however we do find a few more of the walker pits. Both Daryl and I take precautions to avoid them as much as possible.
"I know it's a risk," I say, as we pass by the fourth pit that day, "but should we maybe try to grab some of the backpacks from them? I mean, if people took the time to pack them and carry them around with them, they're probably full of useful things right?"
Daryl stops and looks pensive. As we've continued, the longer we've walked, the more Daryl has had to take over tracking. I'm getting better, but Daryl still picks up many signs that I miss, which is crucial the longer it's been since someone has been by. "No," he finally replies.
"Why not?" I counter. "It could be awhile before we come across another house or cabin. If I've learned anything from you it's that we need to take the advantage whenever we can, gather supplies as we go. Anything for survival." I spot a long branch that has broken off a tree and fallen on the ground. "Look! We could use this branch to try to hook one of the backpacks..." As I reach my arm out to grab it, Daryl roughly grabs me and pulls me back, away from the pit.
"I said no!" Daryl shouts, his voice echoing the quiet woods.
Everything stops for a moment; even the walkers cease their moaning for a second. As the silence continues, I look down at my arm where Daryl is still holding me. "Daryl," I say in a hushed tone. "You're hurting me."
Daryl follows my gaze down to my arm, where he can see the indentations being made by his fingers, the way my skin is slowly turning white from his grip. A brief flash of horror passes across his face as he quickly lets go of me as if burned. Running his fingers through his hair, he takes a step back from me, but keeps himself positioned between me and the pit. "I-I-I'm sorry." he stutters, not quite looking at me.
"Hey," I say, reaching out for him. "It's okay." I smile at him and hold out my arm, showing him that there's no harm done.
"No, 's not." he says gruffly, ducking out of my reach and rushing past me. "Let's just go."
I'm taken aback, but decide not to push it. With one last look at the pit, I adjust my backpack and hurry after Daryl.
We walk in silence after that. Well, we often walk in silence, Daryl more so than me, but even this time I sense that something's different, that I should just stay quiet and not try to lighten the mood with mindless chatter. We continue on, Daryl pushing us at a hurried pace. After what seems like forever, I stop him.
"Daryl, slow down." I say. "Let's just, take a breather. A 5 minute break. We've still got lots of those pecans left!" I smile and sit down on a log, pulling off my backpack. I dig around until I find the pecans, and offer Daryl a handful.
Daryl just grunts at me and continues to pace around, looking restless and unsettled. Chewing around a mouthful, I try again. "Come on, you gotta keep up your strength! We've been walking all day. 5 minutes of rest won't kill you." At the word 'kill', I notice Daryl flinch slightly. "Daryl, what's wrong?"
"Nothin'. I just don't want nothing to do with them pits 's all." he responds. "Somethin' ain't right."
"Yeah, I know," I say. "I get that. But if there's something in those pits that could help us... shouldn't we at least consider the idea of trying to get to them? Wouldn't it be worth the risk?"
"Nothin's worth the risk!" Daryl snarls, turning back towards me, looking me in the eye. "There were people in them pits. You were nearly in them! We've lost the prison, we've lost Carol, we've lost Judith, we've lost everyone!" Grabbing me roughly, he continues, "I ain't 'bout to lose you too!"
As if realizing that he's holding me too tightly again, he abruptly lets me go and moves to walk away. Without thinking, I reach out and grab him, pulling him close, hugging him about the waist. "You won't lose me." I say, my voice muffled in his chest. "I'm right here."
I feel his arms come around me hesistantly, as he lowers his head to rest on mine. We stand like that for a few moments, holding each other, saying nothing. Daryl's trembling slightly, but I stay strong for him. "We're survivors, you and I." I finally say. "Together, we've got this."
Daryl makes a choking sound. "Together," he murmurs into my hair. I flush slightly, but hold him tighter.
When he finally lets me go, I feel cold without him. Without looking at me, he grabs my backpack and thrusts it at me. "Thanks" he mumbles.
Without another word, we continue on our way. We pass by a few smaller pits of walkers, as well as a few isolated stragglers, as the sun goes from directly overhead and brutal, to dipping slightly in the sky. I let the silence stretch between us as we follow the trail, hoping to catch up with whoever was ahead of us at that cottage. While not entirely comfortable, at least this silence isn't laden with tension like it was earlier in the day. Although still guarded, I can see him slowly relaxing back into himself, as he looks out for signs on where we should be headed next.
It's approaching late afternoon when Daryl finally speaks again. "You're right."
Lost in my own thoughts and taken aback by the sudden break in silence, I'm confused. "I'm right?"
Daryl chuckles. "Don't sound so surprised. I'm sure you been right before. I 'spect you probably been right most your life."
I laugh. "No! It's not that. It's just... I'm right about what?"
"'Bout them pits. 'Bout needin' to use them for resources and what not." Turning serious again for a moment, he continues, "But we need to be smart 'bout it."
"Oh, well, here I was just planning on throwing myself in with wild abandon!" I joke.
For a moment, I think Daryl's gonna snap at me, and I worry that maybe I shouldn't have made the joke so soon. But then he shakes his head and replies, "I said smart, not smart-ass!" he grins.
"Well, if I'm smart, then logic would follow that my ass would be smart as well!" I quip.
"We," Daryl closes his eyes as if exercising great restraint, "are not discussing your ass."
Disappointment briefly flashes through my mind before I shake it off. "No, of course not. Why would anyone discuss my ass?" I mumble, moodily. Daryl looks at me strangely and I quickly continue. "Okay! Well, the next pit we see, if there's anything useful, we'll discuss strategies then!"
As the number of pits we'd been passing had been steadily increasing as we went further along into the woods, I didn't doubt that we'd get our chance sooner rather than later. Sure enough, a couple of hours and a couple of smaller pits later, I see something promising.
"Check it out!" I say in a hushed tone, not wanting to disturb the walkers in the pit.
Daryl looks to where I'm pointing. It's one of the larger pits we've seen so far, but that's not what got my attention. About a couple of feet in, there's a walker wearing a military-like canvas backpack. Furthermore, a big red cross is sewn into it, clearly visible.
"Even if it's not military grade, we could use more medical and first-aid supplies!" I whisper excitedly. "And if it is military grade, well, then even better!" I grin.
Daryl nods slowly. "Alright, but I'm getting it."
I start to protest when Daryl continues. "No, it makes sense. I've got the longer reach. Besides," he says wryly, "you any good at climbing trees?" pointing to a tree that has a low hanging branch directly over the pit.
Unfortunately for him, I am good at climbing trees. However, I can see that he's not going to budge on the matter. Looking around at the pit and the area, I come up with an idea. "Alright, it's all yours." I bow graciously, gesturing towards the tree.
Daryl pauses a moment to eye me suspiciously before shedding his things and shinnying up the tree. I wait for him to get up the trunk, and firmly on the branch, before I put my idea into motion. Going to the opposite side of the pit from where Daryl is approaching, I start making noise, attracting the attention of the walkers. Daryl is not amused.
"Beth!" he hisses angrily. "The fuck you think you're doin'?"
"Creating a distraction!" I reply gleefully. "You didn't think I was gonna let you take all the risk and just stand here not helping, did you?" Daryl makes a move to start climbing down the tree again. "Oh no you don't!" I call out. "Come on, Daryl. I'm perfectly safe! They're stuck in the pit, I'm nowhere near it... and I have both my knife and your crossbow!"
Daryl stops where he is and glares at me. "If anything happens..."
"To your crossbow? Yeah, I know, you'll kill me!" I smile.
Daryl closes his eyes with a pained expression on his face. Opening his eyes again, he looks at me and simply says, "be careful," before shaking his head and continuing up and across the branch.
It doesn't take much to keep the walkers distracted, so really I am in no danger. As I continue calling out to them, I keep looking up to see how Daryl is doing. He's lying on the branch, directly over the walker with the backpack. He reaches out with a stick, trying to coax the straps off the rotted arms and shoulders. He gets one strap loose, then the other. Now it's just a matter of snagging the backpack and bringing it into our possession. In the shuffle, the backpack gets knocked a little further in towards the middle of the pit. Daryl inches forward on his branch, reaching out for the backpack. He's so close...
CRACK!
It's as if everything is moving very slowly and very fast, all at the same time. I look up at the sound and see the branch that holds Daryl snapping under his weight. I lock eyes with him just in time to see the look of horror flash on his face, as he falls down towards the writhing mass of walkers.
"No!" I scream, as Daryl disappears in a sea of rotted, desiccated arms.
