I couldn't think straight as I ran. I tried to keep my eye on the walkers in front of me, but Sophia had gotten a head start, and I lost them. Hesitating for a moment, I tried to think back to all the things Daryl and Merle had ever taught me. Eyes on the ground in front of me, I scanned for a sign of feet. The soft dirt ahead showed a clear foot print, and it was small. I ran in that direction.
Hold on, Sophia! I kept running, my knife in my hand. My gun was in the band of my shorts, but I was afraid to use it, afraid the herd would come back. Stopping a moment, I listened. Trying to hear something, any sign of Sophia. The woods were silent, except for the June bugs calling out through the heat.
Looking around, I watched the woods around me. I tried to remember all of the things Daryl and Merle had taught me growing up, but... My heart was pounding, my lungs burning. The heat was sweltering, and the air felt heavy around me as I took deep breaths. Glancing at the ground, I saw a tiny smudge in the dirt a few feet ahead. Running forward, I stopped in front of the broken dirt.
It was the small imprint of what looked to be the heel of a shoe. It had to be her! Sprinting forward, I kept my eyes on the ground, glancing up every few seconds to make sure I wasn't running into a monster. Slowing again, I looked at the ground, eyeing every surrounding inch of the dirt around me. There was nothing to see.
Sighing, I looked around. The sun was gone behind the trees, no longer visible in the dimming woods. My gut lurched, and I knew I was in trouble. You gotta git back to the road before it gits too dark... I turned on my heels, and began jogging back the way I had come from. Trying to keep an eye out for my own marks in the softer areas of dirt, I started to lose hope as the light continued to dim.
Nothing looked familiar. I could barely see in the darkness of the woods, limbs and branches scratching at my face, arms, and legs as I scrambled through the brush. Knowing I wasn't going to find my way back with my sight, I tried to listen hard, hoping I was closer than I thought. Hoping I would hear the faint voice of one of the others.
Snap! My head jerked at the sound, and I listened carefully. I wanted to call out, but it felt as if Merle was beside me saying, "Don't do it, stupid!"... So, I waited. The sound came a little closer, off to my left somewhere in the brush. Listening, I knew it wasn't one of the group. It wasn't a wild animal. The dragging, scraggling, scruffling noises could only come from one thing. A walker.
Keeping my footsteps as light as possible, I snuck away quickly. Turning my walk into a careful sprint, I tried to focus in the dark woods. Terrified, I could feel my heart hammering as I ran, trying to keep calm. The only thing I could hear was my own heart in my ears, and I was truly afraid of being grabbed up by a walker at any moment. Think, Evelyn! Think...
"A tree, girl." I whipped my head around, expecting Daryl to be beside me. But I was alone...
"The hell..." I muttered, positive that his voice had been right beside my ear. Shaking my head, I ran forward, squinting in the darkness. The trees all seemed to have limbs too high for me to reach. I was beginning to give up hope as I fumbled through the dark woods, until I finally felt a branch not too far above my head. Hoping for the best, I grabbed it, and swung my feet against the trunk.
Using the trunk as leverage, I pulled myself up and climbed up onto the tree branch. Steadying myself, I reached up for the next one, using the lower branches for a foot hold. Climbing up, I continued up the tree until I felt I was high enough not to worry about walkers. Leaning back against the trunk, I let out a breath. The limb I was sitting on was thick, but not comfortable.
Guess that's no sleep for me... I glanced around at the darkness around me. Tilting my head, I could see the stars twinkling brightly in the sky through the brush of leaves in the tree. They were so beautiful... A snarl made me tense up, and I heard the dragging footsteps of a walker underneath the tree. The thought of it being right there, made me not even want to breathe. Silently begging it not to notice me, I refused to move, even when I didn't hear it anymore.
Raising my eyes back up to the sky, I focused on the stars, trying to cut out the night's sounds around me. Trying to cut out the scary thoughts that were attempting to invade my head. Another walker scraggled by, but I kept my eyes on the sky, cutting out the world below. It didn't need to be on my mind, all I needed to think about, was my plan for day break.
Git the hell outta this tree, for starters... Back to the damn road. Hopefully pick up my trail.. Or Sophia's. Of course, I wished Daryl would swoop in and save me, but I knew that hunting in the darkness was a lost cause. He was probably just hoping I used what I had been taught. Or maybe he ain't hopin' nothin'...
"You even know what the hell yer doin'?" Daryl asked, watching me intently.
"Shuttup, Dixon." I growled through gritted teeth, as I tried to keep my concentration. The beam wasn't high off of the platform, but I was leaned forward, my leg twisted awkwardly behind me.
"Damn girl, pull that leg any closer, ya foot's gonna be touchin' the back of ya head!" His voice was teasing, and I almost laughed. Almost.
"It's s'posed to!" I fussed, trying to be mad, as I lowered my leg. Wavering a bit, I teetered on the beam, and I felt Daryl's hand grab my arm to steady me. Didn't realize he was that close...
"Been eatin'?" Dixon muttered, letting me go. Stepping down from the beam, I glared up at his face.
"The hell? 'Course I been eatin'!" My voice rising slightly.
"Calm down, Ev'lyn." He chuckled. "Jus' fuckin' with ya."
"I'm out here tryin' to releave stress! Not git more thrown at me! Everyone wants me to be fuckin' perfect. Well I ain't." I huffed, grabbing up my water bottle.
"Hey, the hell's goin' on?" Daryl walked over, his thumb brushing my cheek. "You aight?"
"I... Fine." The word came out as a whisper. "Jus'... All those stupid collage applications, dance... School has been drivin' me up the damn wall... All I wanna do is jus' sit down by the lake. Maybe go for a swim. Do normal stuff for a change. Don't even wanna apply for dance school."
"Why not?" Daryl asked. "Yer damn good at it." I smiled.
"Jus' wanna do somethin' normal. Like be a nurse. Work at a bank." I laughed. "Hell, be an office assisstant!"
"Really?" He asked, studying my face.
"I dunno... That's it! I jus' dunno. Feels like I'm bein' pressured by Daddy to git outta here, go do somethin' big with my life..." I turned away. "My heart's here, though... I belong on the farm, ya know?"
"This got anything to do with me?" Daryl asked, causing me to turn around.
"It's got everything to do with you, Dixon." I teased. "You brought it out, but it's what I want."
"Don't tell ya Daddy that." He mumbled, and I grabbed his hand.
"I'm serious. Ya changed everything." I said softly, touching his face. "Want ya forever."
"Forever's a long time." His hand slid over mine, pressing my hand harder against his face.
"Not long enough." I mumbled, looking up at the sky. The sun was setting in the distance, disappearing behind the hills. His eyes met mine, and I offered a half grin. "I'll never love anyone else."
"Yer young." Daryl shook his head with a smirk.
"An' yer an old man." I huffed teasingly. "Attitude, anyway."
"Old man?" Dixon snarled, trying to keep the laughter from his voice.
"A grumpy, old man!" I widened my eyes, challenging him. Stepping back, I kept on my toes. It was coming, I knew it, so I was preparing to run. Run fast.
"Gonna regret that statement." His voice was coated with seriousness, but I just giggled. The moment I saw him jerk forward, I let out a small scream, running toward the house. Knowing he would catch me soon, I cut a sharp right, and fled toward the Magnolia tree across from the house.
Throwing myself forward, I put on a burst of speed, and then quickly slowed down once I reached the tree. I jumped up and grabbed the second branch, using the lower one for footing. Climbing as fast as I could, I was nearly halfway up the tree, when Daryl came around the side of the trunk, grabbing my foot. I laughed, and stopped, allowing him to climb up to the branch I was on. There was no out climbing Dixon, and I had known that from the start.
"Tryin' to run ain't gonna help ya." He threatened, and I threw my head back laughing.
"Ooooooo." I purred, lowering my head back to face him. "So scared."
"Should be." Daryl moved closer to me on the branch, his hand cupping my face. His rough hand took me by surprise at its force, but I welcomed the kiss that followed. Daryl's lips pressed against mine... His tongue touching mine, sending shivers down my spine...
I jerked awake, nearly falling off of the branch I was sitting on. Catching my balance, I squinted at the sun coming up in the sky, blinding me. Must'a dozed off... Fuckin' idiot.. Sitting still for a few minutes, I pulled myself back into reality, trying to figure out my next move. Looking down, I scanned my surroundings, searching for any movement on the ground.
My stomach growled, and I nearly fell off the tree branch again. Such a dumbass... I scolded myself for being so on edge, despite my situation. Trying to decide which way to go when I climbed down, I kept looking around the woods surrounding me. Even though I was in the tree, the height advantage wasn't much, and I couldn't see anything that resembled anything close to the highway.
Sighing, I turned awkwardly, and lowered my foot down to the branch below. Taking my time, I kept glancing around and over my shoulder every few seconds. Seeing nothing, hearing nothing, I continued down the tree. Reaching the last branch, I dropped to the ground with a small thud, and glanced around. Still, the woods were quiet.
Knife in hand, I headed toward the sun, hoping that I was walking in the right direction. Nothing looked familiar, but I tried to stay calm, and keep an eye out for any prints. I saw small marks here and there, a set of deer tracks, and what looked to be a coyote print. No shoe prints. Feeling a little dread building up inside of me, I started walking toward the right, away from the sun.
It felt like I had been walking for hours. The sun was beaming down on me, it was hot, and I was starving. More than anything, I just wanted water. My throat was dry, starting to burn when I swallowed. Squinting in the sun, I kept walking, towards what felt like no where. Discouraged and tired, I wanted to sit down. Just sit down in a river or stream, anywhere cool. My legs ached, my shoulders and arms ached, everything hurt.
Ring, ring, ring... Ring, ring, ring... The faint sound caught my ears. Laughing out loud, I thought for a moment that I was losing my mind. Wouldn't be the first time... I thought. Moving through the brush, it hit my ears again. Still faint, but it was clearly something going off in the distance. It sounded like... "Sounds like church bells.." I muttered.
Ring, ring, ring! It grew louder as I walked toward the noise. My heart leapt in my throat, and I wondered if it was Sophia. Heart racing, I sprinted through the woods, ignoring the stray branches and thorn bushes that made harsh contact with my skin. The ringing grew louder, and I pushed myself to run. Running as fast as I could, I suddenly reached a clearing, and I saw figures heading toward a church.
"Shit.." I muttered, ready to turn and flee. But, a glint in the sunlight stopped me, and I realized the figures weren't walkers. In fact, it looked like the group. Squinting, I ran forward. I saw Daryl at the side of the church, fiddling with something, before he turned toward the others. He said something I couldn't make out, and before anyone could reply, I saw his head turn towards me. "Daryl!" I yelped, stopping in my tracks.
For a moment, he just stared at me. Shaking his head slightly, he walked towards me quickly. His hands ran over my body, as he lifted my shirt, checking me for bites. I didn't resist, I welcomed his hands on my body, welcomed his touch. Closing my eyes, I relaxed a little, feeling safe again. Once he was satisfied, Daryl stepped back looking at me with detatched eyes. Like he didn't want to care. I wanted to say something, but Carol walked up, her eyes red.
"You didn't find her.." She whispered sadly, turning away and walking toward the church. I hung my head for a moment, and when I looked back up, Daryl was walking away. Following behind, I felt everything inside of myself sink. Nothing was okay, and I had a feeling it never would be again.
Okay guys, I am so so so freakin sorry for the long update wait ! My laptop charger died and I had to get a new one. Between work and my God baby being born (3rd one, finally a boy), I have been extremely busy !
But, I do deeply apologize about the long update wait ! I hope yall enjoy this chapter, and leave your thoughts on the Walking Dead finale if you review ! I wanna know thoughts/comments. You guys are so awesome, once again thank you for the favorites, reads, reviews, and follows !
~Kaila G.