I actually love this chapter. And that's hard to say for me sometimes! Hope you like it as well!
As Carl, Beth and Daryl crept up the path, the walkers already caught whiff of them. It didn't take long from them to pinpoint the smell and charge after it. Carl's gun split the air in two with a loud crack. A walker fell at his feet. Beth only watched the man slump for a moment before darting forward with Daryl at her side.
Their weapons sunk into head after head, coming back stained red. Sweat and blood clung to her pale skin and pooled at the indents of her collarbone. Beth didn't dare to close her eyes as she swung her hammer forward again, crushing through the bone with a crunch. She tried to yank the head free, but she only slumped with the lifeless body she was clinging to.
She tumbled to the ground scraping her knees. The backpack weighed her down. Glancing up only once, the walkers started to descend upon her as she yanked on the handle. But in an instant, Daryl was in front of her. He lifted her under her arm and jerked the hammer free from the walker's head. He handed Beth her weapon back, the handle slick with blood. He had a light speckling of it over the bridge of his nose and cheekbones.
Daryl turned back to the fight, shoving another walker to the ground and stomping his head in. Carl's shots still rang out around them. It felt like hours that they had been fighting. It was an endless stream of walkers. Beth's arms stung and hung limp by her sides after each strike she delivered. She wouldn't let herself think negatively even if he thoughts flickered through her head for half a moment. Beth spun, looking to Carl and Daryl.
They were each in their own battles. She thought of Daryl's words earlier. She didn't know when he had actually spoken them to her; it felt like ages ago. Run if you have to. "Daryl!" Beth screamed. "Carl, we have to run! There's too many of them!" She hacked away at another walker, kicking him away from her and jerking her hammer free.
It was their only option. "Go!" Daryl bellowed, shoving away a walker. Carl pulled his trigger again but his gun did not expel a bullet. He had run out of ammo. He thrusted his gun into his holster and darted forward, narrowly avoiding a throng of walkers. He ran by Beth's side as they sprinted down the trail.
They stopped momentarily, turning to look for Daryl. Carl's hand settled on the slope of Beth's neck. She ignored his touch, worrying about Daryl. He was still cutting himself free from the mob of walkers. "We can't just leave him!" Beth shrieked. She stuck her hammer back into her belt loops, fumbling for her revolver. Heat boiled in Carl's veins. Fear and anxiety.
Beth raised her gun, but Carl only stopped her. "It'll just draw more in," he said. Beth huffed, holstering her gun again. He was right, it would just waste more ammo and they would need that for another time. But as if on cue, Daryl plunged through the pockets of reaching hands and shot down the path to wear his companions were.
"We're going. Now." He grabbed Beth's hand as he sprinted past. She thought if they moved fast enough the walkers would lose the trail. Well, she hoped. As they ran, the walkers seemed to thin out until there was a spare few of them. Daryl glanced behind them every once and awhile to see how many were still pursuing them. It wasn't many.
He hadn't realized his fingers were still twined with Beth's. As if something shocked him, his hand separated from hers. He wondered if Carl had taken notice. Beth looked down to her vacant hand, eyes flashing to Daryl's.
She knew it was because of Carl; she had to convince herself it wasn't her. "Let's stop," she breathed, sloughing off her backpack. Her shoulders ached, her hands were cramping and she was beyond parched. She unzipped her pack, slipping out her personal water bottle and chugging half of it down. Daryl watched her down the water in a matter of seconds.
"How are your knees?" He asked, taking a tentative sip of his own water. Carl drank some of his own water, stooping to the ground in a crouch and then leaned back against his backpack as he sat down, resting his arms on his knees.
Beth capped her water and sat down catawampus from Carl. She brushed her knees from of dirty and inspected the inflamed skin. She didn't see any blood, which was a plus. They only seemed to be brush burnt. "They're all right," Beth remarked. "I'll live to see another day," she smirked up at him.
He only chuckled. "What about you, Carl? You hurt?" He asked.
Carl shook his head. "I'm good," he squinted, taking another swig of his water. "We should be asking you, Daryl. You almost didn't make it out alive." The words didn't sound natural. Carl couldn't believe he was saying them. Daryl? Not making it out alive? Carl could only see it if he was sacrificing himself for someone else.
Daryl hung his head, hiding his eyes behind his overgrown bangs. Beth wanted to comfort him. "Yeah, I'm good, too. I ain't bit." He looked up; blue eyes raging like the sea. She knew he wanted to say something to her, but he couldn't. Not now. Not with Carl here. She would have to wait until later tonight. "We should get moving again."
He stood, thrusting his hand out to Beth who took it graciously. She dusted her behind off free from any dirt and shrugged on her backpack again. As they started walking again, Beth let her thoughts wander. She thought mostly about Michonne. She thought about her out there all alone with just her katana. At least Beth thought she was alone. The closest person Michonne had been to was Rick. But Rick and Carl had ended up together and he hadn't said anything about Michonne.
She doubted that Michonne would work with any of the Governor's puppets. Beth liked Michonne. She wondered if she was still alive or if she found a new group to be a part of. The uncertainty depressed her, but she fought against those thoughts. She couldn't let herself get low again.
Her thoughts shifted to baby Judith. Her heart ached for the child. She knew Judy didn't stand a chance out in the world like this. She was too young, too innocent. It brought tears to Beth's eyes that the little girl would never know what the real world was like. She wouldn't be able to watch football on TV, go to prom, or go to the movies with friends. All she would know is destruction and death and walkers. That wasn't a life for someone to grow up to.
Beth thought of Carl next. He was barely fourteen. His childhood wasn't over yet. This was easily one of the toughest periods of his lifetime and this world was only making it harder. "Beth?" Carl asked, clearing the fog from Beth's mind. "Are you okay? You're crying." Beth wiped at her cheeks feeling the tears streaking down her face. She hadn't even realized.
"I'm fine," she said, gazing at Daryl and Carl. They had stopped to look at her. "I was just thinking," Beth waved them off. "Let's keep going." They started walking without another word, Beth still lagging behind a few paces.
After a few moments, Daryl slowed his gate, walking beside Beth. Carl didn't seem to notice. "You okay?" He breathed into her ear. Beth nodded.
"I was thinking of Judith and Michonne. That's all," Beth murmured back. "Are you okay?" She asked him, shooting him a sideways glance. Daryl shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want to talk about it. Beth wasn't going to push him. She knew Daryl had his limits and she didn't want to cross them.
His fingers brushed against her knuckles. Beth's eyes flickered to Carl. He seemed oblivious to their conversation. "I was thinking, too," Daryl hushed to her. Beth arched a brow, noting the smirk that decorated his thin lips. "I was thinking 'bout yah in that pretty little piece of lace we picked up at the mall," he leaned in to her, licking his lips.
Beth gasped and batted at his arm. Daryl kept his laughs low, not to alert Carl. She never heard him talk this way to her. But… she kind of liked it. It made her clench her thighs as she walked. "I bet you were," Beth teased, knowing well enough the lingerie was buried at the bottom of his bag. "You'd like that, huh?"
Daryl's eyes skirted over Carl. He was more than a few paces in front of them. "No, Beth. I'd love it. I wanna appreciate what's mine," he growled, slipping his hand into her back pocket and squeezing. Beth hopped, surprised at his audacity. She swatted his hand away. His mood was taking a total one-eighty from what it had just moments ago.
"Well," Beth sneered playfully. "You might get to appreciate that tonight. Only if you play nice," she smiled, lengthening her stride so she was walking next to Carl now. She felt bold, she felt brave. Carl looked to Beth, wrinkling his brow.
Carl was confused by her. She held her head high, lips pursed in a small smile. Her hair swished in her ponytail to her upbeat stride. She was beautiful; Carl wouldn't deny himself that fact. And he surely wouldn't deny himself a few peeks at her. Not when living in a world like this.
No one was quite like Beth. He thought back to when they first arrived at the prison. How they bonded and spent time together. They had lost what they had along the line. Carl still hoped that it was there, somewhere in the girl named Beth Greene. Carl tore his gaze away from her, not wanting to stare for too long and freak her out.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She was smiling about something. He heard the whispers between her and Daryl; only making out the hum of their voices. He could accept that. They were stuck together for almost a week. Of course they would have bonded; became friends. They would have their jokes, their hardships that no one else would understand.
Carl wanted that with Beth. He wanted to feel her soft skin under his fingers. To kiss her lips, to call her his. To twine his fingers with hers and feel her squeeze his hand. He wanted happiness in a world of sadness. Beth was as close as he was going to get. He knew he could achieve it; make her his. He looked at her again, the small smile still on her lips. He made the promise to himself. He would do anything to win her. Anything.
For those of you asking how Carl was going to complicate their relationship; does that answer your question? (; Also! For those of you who read Damn Your Eyes, I am currently STUCK. I am having bad writer's block on that story is actually unbelievable. I've tried writing the chapter over and over again but nothing works out. Hopefully I'll get it updated soon. Review please. Reviews really help with the story!