Well, this is the next chapter- I'm really running out of things to put up here- I actually feel awkward- oh! Thought of something, I'm sorry if it feels too drama-y or repetitive as some reviewers have kindly criticised, I don't actually have a plan or plot it's really a chapter at a time deal so I'm sorry if my head spills out the same universal rubbish :D I will make an effort to improve, and I'm thankful for the help! xxx
Not in a world too far from the one we are in now, there were losses and mourning. People would get old and their organs would give out, or they'd get ill and never recover, and there was time to say goodbye. Tragically, there were also the losses that were sudden and sporadic, thing like freak accidents and negligence to safety. But both of these conditions give you time to mourn and grieve, and think about the person you've lost.
This world is different. The living are far outnumbered, if you grieve for everyone who died then it could never stop and we'd be here forever saying 'sorry' and 'rest well' to the restless moving corpses. That's another difference. In the old world the dead remained dead, their bodies could remain untouched and respected. We don't have that, we have no choice but to mutilate or decay above ground. And we all turn. No matter how we die it will happen.
Maggie face paled, the scream-like moan bubbling over her lips before she could censor it for thoughts of thinking that walkers would all flock toward them. She didn't have to look down, there was no use, she knew exactly what had happened. When her body fell it slammed into the body of the tuck, her shoulder bruising with impact, as she slipped down to the hard sun-cracked tarmac. Her fingers felt it, rough and so real, the sun streaming through her half closed eyes to make the rest all blurry. The gnawing pain in her ankle increased as the walker took another bite, red flowing from its mouth as it caught her where her jeans met her converse.
It must have been hard for the first family to see their loved ones ripped apart by other loved. I'm not going to say it stops being painful, it never does, but you numb yourself. You forget these things are human, that they once loved and laughed and cried. Perhaps they were just like you. Maybe they procrastinated reading stories but having the comfort of a warmth of security, we all had security. And every human has the ability to feel great burdens of pain without cracking in half, even if that's how it feels.
Beth's scream intermingled with her sisters. She took no time in climbing down, kicking the walker violently away, its head hitting into the peeling faded paint of the trucks door. It snarled at her, trying to crawl out from under the car with deteriorating arm muscles. A frantic noise came out her throat as she stabbed it sharply with her knife, leaving it there to rush to Maggie's side.
Daryl had moved her to lie down properly, holding her shoulders back so that she couldn't see the injury. Shock would only kill her quicker. Beth didn't have to choice to miss a beat, she pulled off her belt, strapping it around Maggie's leg as tight as she could.
''We gotta get it off,'' her voice was high and tears streamed down her face, Maggie's noises had fallen to small whimpers of pain and fear, leaving Beth's normal voice sounding like shouts. But there was nothing they had to use; a knife, a gun, a crossbow. Daryl shook his head at her, feeling sick at the cry Beth made to respond. Her body was shaking, her small hands wiping away Maggie's tears as her own only fell to replace them. She was shaking her head and sobbing.
''No, no-'' Beth's voice was hoarse and lost, stoking Maggie's hair back to look at her sisters feverish face, ''you'll be alright, Maggie- y-you have to be''.
Daryl took his jacket off folding it up to place under the brunette's head. She wasn't allowed to go in any more pain than necessary. Maggie's eyes focused and unfocused, the concentration forced on her face, she wasn't going to leave without saying goodbye. He had to appreciate the love in that action, how easy it must be to just give in to the solace of everlasting unconsciousness until the venom got to the brain or the blood loss got there first.
Of all the pain filled memories in his life, of which Daryl had his fair share, the undoubted top was seeing Merle turned. The death of his brother was something Daryl had thought inevitable before the world changed, he had resigned himself to the idea of overdose or liver failure for Merle. Then this shit happened, and bizarrely got his brother to cut back on the limited supply. For the first time there was a chance they'd do this, be the last two men on earth. Then he disappeared. But Merle was never dead, and the loss was never really a loss because he knew he was alive somewhere. Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon, and although the governor set the scene, Daryl had finished the job.
And was it not that poor Carl shot his mother only moments after his sisters birth, that he had stomached the death and moved on. But it changed him, made him cold and empty inside. No child should do that.
The first one he had seen have to do the deed was Andrea. That campsite night when they all sat around picking fights, and the blonde chick was laying on the floor, bleeding it out as her sister sobbed above her. Perhaps it was because it was the sickest thing he had seen anyone go through, or maybe the idea of family meaning something to each other- but he never forgot that.
This place did sick things to you. The most perverse distance from the old world was you either had to kill your loved ones, or they'd kill you.
Beth was knelt down beside Maggie still, muttering small stories about anything that came to mind. When had there been a time she didn't have Maggie? Maggie was her big sister, she could be brash and loud and used to beat her up as a kid. But that hole was never going to fix. Ridiculously Beth had once though her going to college and sleeping with boys would tear them apart, but what can that possibly be compared to death.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. She was meant to go to school, graduate spend the summer having parties and drinking behind her daddy's back. He would find out and shout at her, God, she wished he could shout at her right now. Maggie was never going to be a bridesmaid now. And then they'd get old and have children, and Maggie and her husband would come over for New Year's every year and Shawn with his progeny. Her mama and her daddy would see her every Sunday in the same church she was christened in.
The tears were hot and relentless, pouring now, she was aware of her streaming nose too but she didn't care. It had been hours, it have been minutes, it had been days. No more time was a sin to not have, but there was no amount of time that would make it hurt less.
Maggie's breaths were becoming insatiable breathes, her chest was filling with a liquid that made it all rattily. She was almost gone, Beth noticed. Her voice sped up, saying whatever she could think of to say, any story at all that would take the pain away a little bit, as if such thing existed. Some words came out as sobs, others simply couldn't be formed through tears or gasping breathes. Maggie tried squeezing her hand periodically to show she was there and still listening even if her eyes were closed and her own small sobs escaped her.
When the chest stopped moving, Beth sat back, her eyes even on the chest of her sister. She prayed to a god she had long ago forgotten, kissing Maggie on the head gently. Her teeth chattered together slightly, her face grimaced, loud sobs once again coming from somewhere deep inside her.
Daryl knew Maggie was gone from that noise. He had been stood a while away to give them privacy in that final long drawn out hour, shooting walkers down quietly and letting the siblings make the most of it. But it was all over. And hearing Beth nearly snap in half reminded him of himself. He knew there was no cure, he knew this was something she just had to deal with, but that didn't stop him looking at the sky and muttering some unachievable wishes to the breeze.
The pinprick sensation told him he was on the verge of tears himself, but he had a job to do now. He wrapped a strong arm around Beth's waist, she was fighting to clutch on to Maggie, but it was impossible to hold on in her state. He pulled her away, her struggling feet attempted to watch every last second of Maggie's body. When they were at the bonnet of the car on the opposite side her stopped moving, Beth's weight shifted downwards as she let herself cry, he gently let her find her place on the ground to curl up and sob.
Beth's knife was still in the walkers head, he pulled it out, wiping the blood off for ceremony. Kneeling down at Maggie's head was difficult, he killed walkers all the time, but it's different when it's someone you know. It's even harder when they still looked like themselves, pert lips slowly going blue. The sooner he did it the more like herself she would be. He rested the blade at her temples, trying to do this as nicely as possible. Maggie deserved the respect.
''I'll keep her safe, tell your father too.''
He stroked her hair in an odd affectionate gesture. Leaning back, and pulling the knife with him. He didn't expect to see an ashen faced Beth staring at I'm with large red eyes, he could see her swallow heavily. The weight of being the last Greene was too much to take, it felt weird. He simply watched her, knowing she appreciated not letting her sister turn because it's something she couldn't do that herself. There was only time to respect your dead, not the dead.
The backpack was still on her small shuddering shoulder, and he was transfixed seeing her face turn from pallid heart break to white hot fury. The boot crashed down the truck-walkers head even though he was dead. Blood spurted but Beth continued, smashing the head until it was unrecognisable. Her jeans were already red and stiff from yesterday, she seemed to not feel the wetness, not to let the dead stench hit her.
''Beth-'' his arms reached out, firmly encircling the top of her arm. She looked up blue eyes confused and angry, shaking her small head as she turned. And she ran, clumsily and as far as her legs would take her. The burning lungs and legs never stopped her, she just kept going. She needed to be away from there, and seemingly he hadn't missed a beat, running behind her letting her have the space and the protection. When she wanted to hit him, or cry on him, he would be there.
She stopped in the middle of the tarmac from a brisk walk. The sun was at its highest point, blaring down onto her reddening skin. It felt dizzying to simply stand, the motion of the world's continuance settling in her gut.
''I was meant to die first.'' She knew he was behind her, and she knew he would hear.
''She wouldn't let that happen. I'm sorry, Beth-'' his voice was as raspy as hers, his large hand settling on her shoulder. But he couldn't think of anything to say.
''I never said sorry for throwing her pills in the pond, or told her I didn't hate her for eating my pop tarts every time she came home drunk- I-I never said enough-I didn't do enough. And now I'm all alone.'' Beth voice cracked, the loud wail was muted by him roughly pulling her to his chest, letting her bury herself within the protective concealment of his arms. Her small arms held onto his back in small fists, her head fitting perfectly under his chin.
''No you're not, not you are not, Beth Greene.'' He muttered it into her hair, the heat of his presence and strength of his arms holding her together and stopping the shakes. They remained like that a while, then she slipped his hand into hers and they set out their journey. Just like before they headed to a future of survivors and rebuilding, trying to push the pain and death behind them.
There's something special about Beth Greene, the way she's still beautiful in heartache and finds the strength within her to believe and trust. The incapable actions of the rest of us are put to shame, we gave up on loving with the reanimation of the dead if not before. But she's like a shiny new penny, untarnishable by this, locked up in a strengthening solution of gradual pain and loss.
I'm sorry guys. Tell me how you took this! xxx
