Italics: OC's thoughts

CHAPTER 12: PIRATE

Once the clearing was done Hershel gathered us around for Otis' memorial service. Patricia, his wife, wanted to hear his last moments and asked Shane to do so. I looked at him and he clearly looked hesitant.

"Hey. I know you wanna know wha' happened ta him. But yer not thinkin' 'bout Shane. It's pretty traumatic ya kno'? May not be the best thing ta–" I felt an arm against my stomach, I looked down and to my left. Dale shook his head.

"Please" she begged. "I need to hear it. I need to know his death had meaning"

"Ok." Shane whispered. I patted his back to let him know I was there if he needed me. He narrated the story, his voice broken. Once done, he limped towards the grave and placed a rock, just like everyone else did. Patricia sobbed, when she couldn't take it anymore, Maggie took her inside followed by Jimmy and Beth. We all stood there and gave Otis his one-minute silence. I was getting hyper and started tapping my foot and the bit my lip.

"Hey Dale," I said when I was out of control. He looked at me with concern and I rolled my eyes. "Might as well start taking our stuff out and set up the tents."

"Yeah, yeah. Sure, go" he answered crossed. I took off towards the RV, I walked quickly. Really needed to get to doing something. Once I was inside I heard someone yelling. "Son!" Dale called as he approached the RV. I came back out. "I'll tell you what you can take out and what stays in here."

"Fine." I stood at the door as he passed me tents, bags, chairs. I threw them on the ground. Shit. Should've worn a t-shirt instead of this tank top.

"Need some help?" Glenn cheerfully approached.

"Yeah, take this there." I pointed to a spot over the trees. "I'll help ya set everything up."

"That's it." Dale said as he stepped outside the RV. I nodded and grabbed the remaining things.

"All of 'em?" I asked Glenn once we were getting started on the tents.

"Yeah. Only Rick and Lori sleep together."

In nodded. "Hey Dog, pick yours and set it up. Can't force yerself with that arm. I'll do the other ones." While setting them, I looked to my right to the meeting the others were having. I couldn't hear anything so I just kept on doing my work. Someone approached so Glenn and I looked up, Maggie.

"Heard yer fast on yer feet and know how to get in 'n' out." she said to him. He looked at me confused and then turned to her.

I left them and grabbed another tent. I was almost done with it when another one came by, realized it was Daryl by his shoe. "Yours?" I said without looking up.

"Yeah. Bag's 'ere." he left it besides the tent.

"There. I'm done. Wha' 'bout the cot? Yer gon' use it now?" I asked him, this time I looked at him in the eye and raised a brow. He looked down and bit his thumb, overthinking. I walked away from him to the cot when I heard him follow me. He dropped his crossbow and we both carried it all the way to his tent and inside. "Oh yeah, there it is." I said and patted on his shoulder. Daryl flinched so I quickly shoved my hand away with confusion. I left his tent and moved on to the next one.


"Imma go bring mine." I told Glenn as I jogged towards the house. I stepped inside and went to the bedroom I slept in. Just as I left it. Immediately I walked to my bag and grabbed a shirt. I buttoned it up and then grabbed the rest of my stuff. I came back out and saw Daryl walking away, Rick looked at me and then at Daryl's back.

"I want you to go with him..." he said.

"Didn' he jus' say he better on his own?" I replied crossed.

"You'll cover more ground." Rick spoke confident.

"Ok?" I said awkwardly. I left my things by the porch and took my crowbar. Before leaving I turned back to him and warned, "I'll set 'em up when I'm back, ok?"

"Whatever you like." he said as he raised his hands.

I ran towards Daryl. He stopped when he heard me but did not turn around. "Pretty sure I told Rick I'm better on ma own."

"I kno'. Repeated so myself. But he said somethin' 'bout coverin' more ground." I said as I reached him. Daryl snorted but didn't complain anymore. We quietly walked through the woods. I didn't feel like making conversation and he probably neither. So we just walked there in silence. His tracking skills were really good and he got me interested. "Hey. How d'ya know' she was here?" I asked when he crouched.

"Dunno. Look it's a shoe print..." he taught.

"Oohh.. But, how d'ya know whose is it?" I asked again as I stood back up.

He stood up and followed the print's direction. "We'll find out." We walked for what seemed another hour. My breathing got heavier as I grew tired.

- Snap -

We both turned around, back to back. Silence. I held my crowbar ready to swing and Daryl loaded his crossbow. We stood there apprehensive for another minute. Nothing. When we were about to move on we heard some leaves and dry branches break. Something was definitely out there. I looked at his and nodded. Slowly we walked away from each other around the noise. I walked carefully, whatever was making the noise stopped. A few more feet and I found Daryl again.

"What the?" I said. Both of us looked confused. I shrugged and made my way back, looking down at my steps. As I walked carefully I heard branches breaking, I figured it was Daryl but when I lifted my head to look the walker jumped over me. "Holy shit!" It took my breath away. I grabbed it by the shoulders and tried to push it away. "Da- Daryl!" I tried to yell. "Fuck! Fucking sum bitch!" I looked to my sides looking for my weapon. Daryl never showed up. He can't hear me. Probably left, wouldn't it be easier for him? Slowly my arms were giving in. What if? What if all of this is over? What am I surviving for? One bite, one scratch. And it's all over. All of this pain.

I was in some sort of trance, when the walker was about ten inches away I flinched due to the pain on my shoulder, it woke me up. "Oh no. No, no, no, no, no" I pushed the geek away once again, the fear in my face could only be compared to the one that hick I saved back in Atlanta had. "Mother fucker. Daryl!" I shouted, loud this time. Nothing. Nobody came. With all the strength I had left I pushed the walker off of me and rolled away from it. I stood up and luckily for my crowbar close enough. I started swinging it like a baseball bat, after some hitting my shoulder couldn't take it anymore the weapon fell of my hands. "Fuck me." I said as pissed off as never before. "Daryl!" I yelled to my back as I grabbed my weapon once again. The walker, all beaten up still came at me. It looked like a middle aged lumberjack, taller than Shane with big, strong arms. I took more distance from it when I realized he was really close, as I stepped back it grabbed my shirt. I pulled away and the shirt tore apart revealing my tank top and the bandage around me. "Leave me you freak!" I took the shirt off. With all the strength I had left I raised both arms and smashed the geek's head, and so it dropped on the ground, and never got back up.

I spat on it and sat. "Shit." I said recovering my breath. Seconds later, I heard something getting closer, really fast. I stood up and grabbed my crowbar. It was Daryl. "Da fuck took ya so long?!" I barked. "Damn it." He looked surprised I managed to kill that giant freak on my own, with a crowbar only. Suddenly he squinted; I looked at my chest and saw the bandage popping off. Shit. I quickly tucked it in and grabbed the shirt from the ground, put it on and button whatever buttons were left. "'s go." I ordered. Daryl turned and I followed him.

We came to a clearing and saw a big house up front. It looked abandoned. Daryl looked at me and signaled for me to go to the back. Quietly I got inside; the floor creaked so I had to be more careful. The house was empty, abandoned. But, it looked like after the people that left, no one found this house. It was just as they had left it, or at least it looked like it. I accidentaly bumped a door and the next thing I see is Daryl's crossbow pointing at me. "Hey. Jus' me. May bad" I raised my hands. He looked at me and turned around; I walked behind him to the next room. I entered the room and saw Daryl crossbow up pointing at a closet. I stood closely behind him, he opened it and we realized it was empty, except for a makeshift bed on the floor. Weird.

Daryl walked away while I grabbed everything in stock. Tore one of the curtains of and made a bag out of it. If the house wasn't ransacked before, it sure was now. Take what you can, leave nothing behind. "A pirate's life for me" I sang sarcastically.

"Sophia!" Daryl called. "Sophia!" Once done I walked outside and stood by the door. I watched Daryl kneel and grab a flower. I leaned by the door and half smiled. He stood up and turned around. He tilted his head and I walked to him. "'s go. There's nothin' here." I nodded and walked by his side this time. "You gon' tell me?" he asked, when we were deep in the forest.

"'Bout the bag?" I played dumb. "Took everythin' in there."

"Naw. 'bou' tha' thing on yer chest." he coldly said looking at me by the corner of his eye.

I ran a hand through my hair and looked away "Naw. 's none of yer business… yet."