Sweet Caroline
Chapter 36 – "Things that Go Bump in the Night"
Caroline crawls inside the tarp tent, Rayland fast asleep with little Katie. She turns to look at Daryl as he puts another log on the fire. "They're asleep; I don't want to wake them."
Daryl waves at her to join him. Her entire body was still humming from being with him. She sits down between his legs as he places his leather vest over her. The angel wings look so beautiful against the fire light. She holds one of his hands as the other rubs his leg. "Thanks, I'm exhausted."
The fire was warm but low. Daryl was extra careful not to let it blaze too high, allowing it to slowly burn.
They lay down together, Caroline snuggled into his chest. Daryl pulls his arms tight around her. Daryl hadn't realized how tired he was till he lay down with her, their body heat and the flames warming him.
As the night passes on, Caroline rolls over. Daryl spoons into her, his arms pulling her form close to him.
The crackling fire was like music to him. The crisp night air sweeping across their skin was raising goosebumps.
Daryl spreads the vest out over the both of them, rubbing her arms. He thinks about putting another log on the fire but decides to stay close to Caroline.
Sleep was heavy on his eyelids as he closes them shut. The visions of the woods and Caroline flash before him. Her alabaster skin, her red flowing hair, her ocean blue eyes, it all made him smile.
A crunching sound comes from behind him, the sound of footsteps seemed so close. Daryl turns over to see his big brother. "Merle?"
"Hey there little brother, ya got to be careful of thangs that go bump in the night." Merle stands there laughing.
Daryl eases up from Caroline, standing face to face with Merle. "I got a thousand questions. Where have you been? Is it really you?"
Merle holds out an arm with a missing hand. "Sure ain't the Easter bunny."
Daryl hugs his brother but gets a cold reception. "I'll go find Rick, we can work this out."
"Damn, little brother. I've been watching you…you've been doing good for yourself. From the way I see it, you're second in command around here. Well, well, well…you aint' doing too bad in the gurl department either. You always did like the feisty ones." Merle looks Caroline up and down, smirking at Daryl.
"You've been watchin me? If you were close you should have told me. We could have used ya man." Daryl looks at Merle, trying to figure out what's on his big brother's mind.
"I ain't stayin Daryl and neither are you. We are getting the hell out of here." Merle looks around the campsite.
"Wait a minute Merle. You are crazier than a shit-house rat if you think I'm leavin." Daryl's face goes hard, his eyes creasing in the corners.
"Don't give me no lip Daryl. You're leavin with me and that's that." Merle reaches for Daryl as he backs away.
Daryl looks down to Caroline still sleeping, not one of the group had stirred. He looks to the top of the stone walls for Glenn or T-Dog but they aren't there.
Merle squats down, his fingers playing with a rock. "We're blood little brother. You gonna pick some fast piece of ass over family."
Without warning, Daryl slugs Merle, sending him sailing back to the ground. "Stay or go I don't care Merle but no one talks about Caroline like that."
"You still got a mean left little brother. I tell you what. You stay and play Sergeant with General Grimmes there. Play family with your little bitch and try not to forget who you really are. You're a Dixon…southern born and bred good ol' boy. Just remember that while those freaks are chewin on ya." Merle walks off, the darkness consuming him.
Daryl sits back on his haunches, thinking about everything Merle has just said to him. He begins to think his brother is right, he's forgotten who he is.
A hand slides on his shoulder, he turns thinking he's going to find Caroline. Instead he finds the group all dead, even Caroline. It looked as if a herd of walkers had torn them all apart.
Daryl reaches down to pick up Caroline's bloody body. He cradles her in his arms, blood pouring from her mouth and ears. He screams out to the darkness, kissing her cold forehead.
Then he hears a voice coming from behind the stone wall. "Choices Daryl…we all have to make them."
His eyes flash open wide as he sees Cassidy walk towards him. "You're dead."
"Even dead I can see the truth." Just as suddenly as he had appeared he vanished. Daryl looks down to find nothing. He pats the ground before him, yelling out Caroline's name.
"Daryl…Daryl. Wake up." Caroline was leaning over him, shaking him from his nightmare.
He grabs her face, kissing her like he hadn't seen her in forever. "I was dreamin…just a stupid damn dream."
Caroline smiles back at him, her hands caressing his face. "Nightmares…that seems to be going around."
Rick walks over to see what's wrong. "You guys all right?"
"Right as rain Rick thanks." Caroline winks at Rick as he walks off. She looks down at Daryl, still trying to shake his dream off.
"I think I'm gonna go for a walk, just to clear my head." Caroline takes his hands, holding them to her chest.
"I can come with you. Do you want to tell me what's wrong Daryl?" He kisses her hard, laying her back down.
He closes his eyes, holding her next to him. Those last words in his dream come back to him. "Choices Daryl…we all have to make them." Cassidy's ghostly figure had come to him but why? What did any of it mean?
The man he was when he and Merle joined the group wasn't the man he was now. He had a place he belonged, friends he cared for and a woman he loved. No, Cassidy was right, choices had to be made and he made them.