Chapter VIII: Save the Last One

Pain was the first thing I felt. Carl, little Carl, not even a teenager yet.

"WHAT," Lori screamed falling to the floor in a pain of tears. Her body shook with her sobbing.

Jacob began to cry and I held him close, his tears soaking my shirt.

"You have to come with me know," the women said.

Lori got up and followed her out of the camper and the woman lifted her up on the horse shed been riding.

"Where are you going we don't know her," I heard Dale say from the top of the camper.

"Carl's hurt," Lori replied.

"The house is just down the road you cant miss it, names Greene" the woman said to us and they rode off down the road.

"What do we do," Carol said looking to me. I thought for a second and then a had an idea.

I walked out of the camper and looked around at the vehicles that were scattered on the road. I walked back over to the red Kia, a Soul and opened the front door avoiding the peaceful family. I pried open the spot underneath the steering wheel and allowed myself to think back to my time in the trailer park.

There were things I had learned during that time I wasn't proud of. How to Hotwire this car for example. I was good, too good. It wasn't my first time and I had a feeling it wouldn't be my last. I checked the tank half empty.

"Dale," I called up to him. He had been watching be and nodded understanding.

"You know when Daryl gets back he's gonna be pissed."

I nodded and walked back into the camper.

"Carol grab all your things," I said to her and she nodded gathering her and Sofia's stuff.

"I wanna stay," Jacob said to me.

"No absolutely not," I replied back to him shoving more things into my book bag.

"Please Lillie, I want to protect the RV and wait for Mr. Daryl," he said giving me the puppy dog eyes.

"It's all right I'll watch him Lil," T-Dog said.

I looked back at Jacob, then at T-Dog again. I was torn like when he wanted to go hunting. I was scared, we had already lost so many, and I wasn't willing to lose Jacob. The thought of him dying, killed me, but this was right I felt it.

"All right," I said," but don't leave the camper!" He nodded and I kissed him on the head," Stay safe."

As we drove away from the camper I kept peering at the mirror watching it shrink in the distance. He would be fine I silently told myself. T-Dog and Dale will watch them. I trust them, but I had also trusted Shane.

When the mailbox marked Greene came into view I pulled into the gravel driveway and drove past pasture after pasture of land until a White House came into view.

Lori was on the porch crying into Ricks shoulder. He looked up as we pulled in front of the house.

"How is he," I asked getting out of the car.

"Fine for now," Rick replied.

"How did it happen," I asked him.

"Maggie was out in the woods looking for her sister and thought that Carl was a walker, it's a gift that she didn't have good aim," Lori said through the tears.

An old man exited the house followed by the woman we had seen earlier and a young girl around sixteen.

"My names Hershel," the man said shaking me and Carol's hand. "And these are my daughters, Beth," he said pointing to the youngest one, "and Maggie."

"Lillie and this is Carol and her daughter Sofia," I said pointing to them. "Hello," Carol said nodding at Hershel.

"Welcome to my farm, your welcome to stay as long as you need to," he replied he was about to say something else but was cut off by the sound of motorcycle.

"Oh no here comes hell on wheels," Carol said.

"Mommy you said hell," Sofia said pulling on her Carol's sleeve.

"Hush now Sofia, a storms coming."

I could almost feel Daryl's anger as he walked up to me. His eyes bore into me, and his nostrils flared.

He was headed right towards me, balling up his fists and then when he got so close we were touching, I nearly fainted, but he didn't hit me like I expected him to.

He simply grabbed me in a bear hug and rubbed his hand up and down the back of my head. "Thank God your safe," he said to me rocked me body back and forth. I hugged him back.

"Of course," I replied loving the warm feeling I got when her rubbed my head.

"When I got back and you were gone...I," I could tell he was cracking up. I had only known Daryl for a month now maybe even two now that I thought about it, and I knew that Daryl had only been this emotional with me.

He hid his face in my neck to keep the others from seeing him cry, and I rubbed the back of his head. This wasn't Daryl something was truly wrong.

"Let's go talk ok," I whispered to him, looking over at the others who had turned when Daryl started crying. He nodded and followed me around the back of the house out of sight.

"What's wrong," I asked him looking deep into his beautiful eyes.

"I don't know," he said. In a sudden fit of rage he hit the side of the house. I heard something crack and Daryl fell back holding his hand.

"Daryl," I screamed!

"I miss him," he said starring and his broken hand.

"I know you do," I replied to him. I pulled his head into my shoulder and rubbed his back.

This was all about Merle. Merle who had been an ass from the start, Merle who had laughed at us all. Merle who had left his baby brother behind.

Daryl was an ass the rest of the day. Screaming at everybody about everything and to hell with consequences. He refused Hershel's offer to fix his hand and stormed off into the woods.

"What's his problem," Lori asked.

I simply shook my head and walked back out to me newly acquired car. In my haste I had managed to grabbed two tents, one that was Carols, and the other that we had pitched from one of the cars.

I had taken it for myself, because I dreaded the thought of sleeping in that camper one more night. I handed one of the tents to Carol and she quietly thanked me. Then I walked over to a group of trees on the far side of the yard in front of the house and sat mine down.

I had almost completely set it up when I heard shuffling behind me. I immediately thought it was Carol and got to me knees.

"Need help setting up your tent," I said without turning around. Then something grabbed me from behind and it groaned. It was a walker and I was unarmed.

I let out a high pitched scream as I made my desperate attempt to flee from it but its bloody hands where caught in my hair.

"Help," I screamed even louder.

CCCCRRRRRAAAACCCCKKK

The walker fell dead on the ground a bullet from Rick's gun in its skull. I sighed in relief and desperately tried to get its hands out of my hair.

"You alright," Rick asked looking down at me," did I get yah?"

"No I'm fine it's just caught in my hair," I replied to him. I hadn't realized how long my hair had gotten. Down to my hips. I suddenly realized how dangerous it was. I could have died all because of my hair.

"Do you have a knife," I asked Rick and he handed me mine.

"You dropped it at the house," he replied to my confused expression.

I took my knife and cut it off and my ears. It fell in my face uneven. I didn't care. My hair had been important to me at one time. An obsession if you could call it. I had wanted for years for it to grow out to the length it had been; now it seemed stupid.

I looked up at Rick," It's too dangerous to have long hair anymore." He nodded.

"Lillie are you alright," Carol called as she ran up to us and stopped when she saw me. "I like it," she said smiling.

Daryl didn't come back the rest of the day and as the sun went down I felt anxious.

I took my axe and walked off into the woods. I walked for hours in the darkness unsure of where to look and suddenly realized how stupid a decision I had made.

"Daryl," I called out into the darkness.

A twig snapped behind me and I froze in my steps. Suddenly I was being pushed up against a tree and the cold feeling of a steel blade met my throat. At first I almost screamed for help, but as I peered into the darkness the light of the moon reflected off of a familiar face. For a moment I stopped breathing.

"Merle?"

"We'll if it isn't you sugertits," he said letting out a throaty laugh. He took me by the shoulder and pushed me back towards the direction I had come from.

"Now you're gonna play nice and take me back to my baby brother," he said pointing the knife at me with his remaining hand.

I turned around and walked towards camp. "They went back for you yah know," I said to him after a long while of silence," almost died doing it."

"Serves them right, for leavin old Merle up at that roof to die, chained like an old dog," he replied," I'm gone kill that officer and that black bitch when we get back."

I stopped and he bumped into me. I turned to him.

"It's your own damn fault," I said to him his face lit up with surprise.

"We'll would you look at there, Miss high and mighty got herself a temper, I like you sugar," he laughed at me. "Why don't I show you how a real man pleasures a beautiful babe like you?"

He pushed me up against a tree and kissed me, I kicked him in the crotch. "You better not try that again," I warned him. He howled in pain and jumped at me with his knife. He grabbed me by the collar and pushed me to the ground. I screamed.

"You best let er go," a gruff deep southern voice said from behind placing a certain crossbow to the back of Merle's head.

"We'll if it ain't my long lost baby brother Darylina," Merle said pushing the crossbow away.

"Merle," Daryl said stepping back and lowering his crossbow in shock.

"You seem shocked ta see my brother maybe because you ain't bin lookin fer me, no you been playing house with Officer Friendly, are you his bitch now," Merle said bitterly.

"Ain't anybody's bitch," Daryl said quietly.

Merle wiped his mouth and walked off into the trees in the general direction of camp. Daryl held out his hand to me and helped me to my feet.

"Come on Merle's gonna be bringing a whole lotta pain to camp," I said walking away from him.

A small part of me was angry that Merle was back, but a small part, I was unsure of how safe that part might be, was overjoyed to see Merle. It was then that I knew I was losing it.

For days after Merle's return the camp had latterly been turned upside down. Merle's sudden appearance at breakfast had caused an uproar of hot able arguments that often left the kids and the women crying from the shear angry outbursts, and Merle was no longer able to carry a weapon after almost slicing open Ricks throat.

Lori screamed as Rick jumped back from Merle's hand. I ran up behind Merle and jumped on his back allowing Rick to get back on his feet.

"Get er off me, you crazy bitch," Merle said trying to throw me but I held on. Merle continued to buck for a while but I kept my grip and someone laughed. Rick, and then everyone laughed. Glenn was rolling on the ground and Daryl stood leaning up against the farm house giving the loudest laugh I'd ever heard from him.

I started laughing and Merle stopped to catch his breath, before giving a chuckle himself. I patted him on the back," Had enough old man," I asked him.

"Old man," he said finally succeeding in dumping me on the ground. He helped me up and Daryl walked over to us. "How old are ya anyways," he asked as I dusted myself off.

"Nineteen," he looked at me in shock and then walked away into the woods. My heart dropped I hadn't realized my age would be a problem.

"Ahh he's just mad he's too old for your scrawny ass," Merle said walking away towards Daryl and their tent.

I was mad as fire, and I let it show as I stormed past all the others in camp who were starting and Daryl's fleeting back.

"Lillie," Jacob said running after me as I made my way towards our camp. "Why is Mr. Daryl mad?"

"He's just being a party pooper," I said to him playing with his hair.

"Carl says that Mr. Rick says he can be an ass," Jacob said.

"Don't say ass," I replied to him.

"Lillie," Rick called for me outside of the tent. I had fallen asleep somehow and I stood up and made my way out of the tent.

"Yeah," I asked.

"I and Glenn are going hunting and we wanted to know if you wanted to come."

"Sure," I replied I needed something to get my mind off of this morning.

A little while later we walked silently through the forest checking for any sign of animal life. A deer walked out in front of us and I smiled at Glenn and Rick. Rick pointed his gun at the beautiful creature but I pulled it down and put my finger over my lip. I walked towards the animal and it looked up to me.

In its eyes I saw innocence and the beauty of nature. It stared at me unafraid and I reached out my hand to pet its soft coat.

CRAAAAAACCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK

Went the loud sound of gunfire and the deer fell dead at my feet. Rick ran up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. The sharp pain in my side screamed at me and I looked down to see my white shirt slowly becoming red.

/

Yay Merle's back! Allot of people don't like Merle but I do for some reason. I like him in the last season when you see his true side and I want to explore that part of him further! And what do you guys think of the surprise ending? Questions? Comments? Feedback is greatly appreciated! :)

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