Hey people from around the world! Next chapter, wohoo! This chapter is a little bit more rough, some cursing here and there ... story maybe gettin' a littl violent ... but it'll stay Walking-Dead-like! Kill a walker, shoot it down ... ;o)

Read and review ;o)

We had been driving a long time and I watched the scenery pass by. I thought about my 'campsite-group', as my new group called them. I wondered why my thoughts always turned to Daryl. At first I always thought about Amy, how we became friends and joked around. It was the first time I felt I belonged to the group. I felt accepted. Everyone had family in there or at least a friend. Amy and Andrea, Lori and Shane, Daryl and Merle … again Daryl was in my head. I closed my eyes. You know why you think about him … There is more to it than meets the eye. Shut up, I told the voice. But that didn't keep me from having a flashback of Daryl.

I watched Daryl and Merle going into the woods, fully armed. I thought they were going on a run or hunting, so I followed. I was eager to learn how to hunt. Both brothers were loners and social like a rock. They could live on their own, make it on their own. I always wondered why they stayed with the group. Being social wasn't their thing at all, which made me even more wonder about them staying. If they would leave there was no one who would go out to hunt a deer or squirrels. I wondered how Daryl could shot these little fast animals.

But that was not the only reason I followed. Merle would never teach me anything but a lesson in how to be aggressive and abusive. But Daryl was different. He wasn't as mean as Merle. Daryl didn't talk a lot, but when he did it wasn't insulting, well … not always. He tried to push me away in the beginning, but at some point he stopped. He must have realized that I didn't care and he was wasting his breath. Now we could even sit together, mostly not talking, but it was fine. I enjoyed being around him, it felt safe. I smiled to myself.

If they would leave some day, I wanted to be safe. I wanted to know how to defend myself. No one wanted to teach me how to shoot or how to kill a walker in a precarious situation. So I took the knife Daryl gave to me and tiptoed after them. I followed their direction, but as soon as I was in the woods there was no sign of the men. I walked deeper into the forest trying to hear footsteps or talking, but there was nothing. I was walking a long time, already thinking about heading back, but while I made another step, someone jumped at me. I fell back and it felt like my spine cracked. "Ah!" I immediately grabbed my knife to kill the walker who was sitting on me, but it slapped away my weapon and pinned my right arm to the ground. "Don't ya wanna poke me with that!"

I realized there was no walker sitting on top of me, but Merle with a lustful glance. "Get off me!"

He just laughed. "Don't cha get all whiney, bad ass." I tried to kick him but failed miserable. "I like it when they fight back." With my free left arm I punched him in the stomach but the effect was rather cowardly. I realized there was no chance to fight him off. "What a gentleman."

He starred me down. "C'mon, some fun with Merle will do ya good."

"Nah, don't think so. You know, I like it hot, but you are more that guy who can't bring it." I smiled to myself to get him confused, but I turned him on instead. "You busty bitch, I'll give ya …"

Suddenly Daryl appeared behind Merle and hit Merles' head with a limb. Merle fell unconscious to the side. I instantly pushed the rest of Merle off me and stood up. "Ya okay?!" He looked at his brother. Did he mean me or Merle? I didn't answer but went looking for my knife. I found it and kneeled down. My back hurt as I grabbed the knife. "Ah damn …" That damn Merle … I stood up with a pain in my spine again and turned around just to look directly in Daryl's eyes. He was close.

When he began to speak I felt his breath on my face. "I asked if ya okay!" His voice was harsh. I nodded a bit confused that I didn't hear him coming after me. He turned and walked away. I thought he would go and look for his brother, but he went on. I walked after him but stopped at Merle's side. "What about your brother?"

He stopped. "What about him?"

What about him? You will leave him lying here to be walker food? My thoughts debated on and on but I just silently looked at Daryl. We were standing some steps away from each other, just glaring in each other's direction. I didn't know how to answer his question, so I took the opportunity to ask him to teach me how to throw a knife. "Will you teach me how to kill a zombie?" He didn't move and the glaring became more like a look that could kill. "I mean with a knife and not with that if-looks-could-kill-stare."

He smirked. "Go ask Shane."

I slowly made my way towards him with a cocky smile on my lips as well. "You are not quite a listener, are you? I told you he does not want the women to …"

He interrupted my sentence. "Ya're more like a careless kid without responsibilities than a woman."

"Thanks!" A muffled sound made us look to the side. A walker was approaching us. I looked at him, but he sneered at me. "Your chance!"

I didn't want him to think I was weak and all girly like he just said. I wanted to proof him wrong. I took the knife in my right hand and wanted to go for the walker, when Daryl behind me let out a sigh. "Ya should hold the knife more like a weapon and not like ya goin' to chop tomatoes."

I turned around just to wink at him. "I am going to make you eat that dead body when I finish that geek." I quickly turned around to the dead body coming at me. He was slow at first but at the sight of fresh food he began to increase his speed. His arms outstretched in my direction. With my left arm I pushed away his arms, so he spun to the sight. I wanted to go for his head.

I once heard the guys talking about finishing off a walker. Only a shot in the head can kill them. So I jumped at the chance to stab his head. But I missed his head as the walker tried to balance itself. I only stabbed his shoulder. There was no blood, instead a piece of festered flesh was spiked on my knife. I tried again to go for the head, but the arms of the walker were suddenly reaching for me. I thought about self-defense class and kicked it in the crotch. The walker was unimpressed and grabbed my shirt. I screamed and was afraid he would scratch me and made me turn … By that I began to panic. I had to finish this geek as soon as possible. Go for the head!

Was Daryl watching me all the time? Not helping or anything like that? I had no chance to look in his direction. So I breathed in. I can do that. I can do that. I. Can. Do. That.

I put my knife in my belt behind my back and grabbed the arms of the walker, which were both holding my shirt. With all my strength I pushed him back, away from me. When I was pushing him backwards, he stumbled and I could push him down on his back. I immediately sat with my knees on his torso, sinking into his rotten body. While I was sitting on him, kind of like Merle sat on my before, I took out my knife again to stab it through his right eye. To be sure the zombie was really dead, I did it again. When I was sure the walker wasn't moving or croaking anymore, I stood up and looked at Daryl with a triumphant smile.

"Now ya wanna make me eat it?" I laughed at him loudly. I was happy that I just killed a walker by myself. I was high on adrenalin. I felt like a crazy psychopath who was happy to kill his ex-wife. Was I going crazy? I smiled all thoughts away. "I did it!"

"Yeah. But kicking a walker in the crotch has no effect at all." I blushed a bit, but didn't care. "There is nothing I can't learn. Even from Merle." I was referring to me sitting on the zombie.

"Better learn fast not to mess with Merle or a walker."

I walked over to Daryl. "Now you gonna show me how to shoot?" I looked at the crossbow on his back.

"First things first."

I smiled at him. "So there is going to be a next time? A real teaching class?"

"Ya should better watch ya back. Merle could easily attack ya and a walker could do too." We went back to Merle who was lying on his back snorting louder than my grandfather. Daryl sat down a few meters away from his brother, but never letting Merle out of his sight. I sat down across from him, observing Daryl how he watched his brother. It was a look of being attentive and dismissive.

"How come ya didn't flinch the other day?"

"Hmm?" With a query in my eyes I watched him still staring at his brother. Thinking about what he could mean, my eyes beholding him, I felt a warmth in my belly I hadn't felt in a long time. Was I crazy to feel like that in a situation like that … in a world like that. Maybe I was going crazy … I still looked at him to illuminate me, but he said nothing. Then it dawned on me. "You mean when you threw a knife at me?"

"Smart girl." Now his eyes were no longer on Merle but focused on me.

"I am not afraid of you and I am not afraid of death." As soon as I said these words I thought about my dead family.

He chewed on his inner cheek. "Are ya insane or what?"

"No, I am just realistic." He didn't counter with a sarcastic comment. I took a little branch and began to play with the leaves in front of me. "My family died and I think there is no one of my relatives left in this hell of a walking dead world. I have nobody left." I soaked in what I had said, realizing I really was alone in this world. "Feels like this life is like Carpe Diem. Living every day like it is the last." I believed my words made him feel awkward. He is not the emotional kind of guy nor did it ever show emotions besides being mad. And this was the first time I showed my serious and grownup side. A side I hid under a pile of childishness, happy nature and a libertine.

"Always be rough n' read!" Was all Daryl said.

"Ya talkin' shit bro." I looked back at Merle who was conscious again.

I smiled at him and tried to look as tough as I could. "Sleeping beauty is awake!"

Daryl just sat there playing with an arrow. Merle rolled over and looked at Daryl who still focused on the arrow in his hands, but with one eye he glared at Merle.

Merle touched his head. "Did ya deadbeat hit me?"

I was about to fall asleep as Alex turned to me. "You think they are working on a cure at the CDC?" "I hope so. This sudden demon era is more like a bad horror movie. I feel like trapped in a video game. Shooting zombies, knifing walking dead bodies."

She laughed. "Yeah and you really know how to shoot. You gonna survive this game."

Mark wasn't our opinion. "This is not a fucking game. This is life now. You two should better realize that this is how the world is now. Not a game but a damn apocalypse." We went silent. Mark's voice had been harsh. Maybe he lost someone he love, maybe family. Everybody lost someone these days.

"You would suit a Tomb Raider game. With your brown hair you look like Lara Croft." John eyed me in the drivers mirror and Alex laughed hard.

"Yeah, you just need your hair done in a French braid." I rolled my eyes. Alex began to laugh. "I can see it right in front of me …" I had to admit that I loved the game Tomb Raider and joint her laughter. "I always played it on my brother's playstation."

Alex stopped laughing. "Really?" I nodded. "Yeah. We sat together and played for hours."

Suddenly a shot was fired. John tried to put on the brake, but our car slid down the road. While standing on the break he screamed. "FUCK!" As we dashed around and eventually came to a halt, John immediately took a shotgun. "Someone shot at us."

Mark took his gun too and locked out of the window. "Why don't you drive on?" He was nervous.

"Tire broken." That was Johns answer to our misery.

I looked over to Alex who was bleeding. She must have banged her head against the window. "You okay?" She nodded but I could tell from her eyes she wasn't. I took my gun too and as I looked out of the window I saw two guys with guns raised coming at us. "Right side, two guys, at least two guns." The others in the car followed my gaze. I wanted to open my window, but John stopped me. "Wait!" Why the hell did he stop me? I know how to shoot. I could easily shoot them quick. Don't be so cocky!

The two came closer and screamed: "No quick movements and no one will get hurt!" I was caught between fear, blank horror and acting fast. Feelings fought inside me, but I didn't let angst win. I needed to be rough-and-ready, like Daryl had once told me. I scanned the woods behind the strangers and couldn't see any other people. On the other side of the road was a green field where nobody could be hiding. So it just had to be these two. I looked back at the strangers. "John, I'll shoot at the right guy you get the other one. I don't think they shot our tire to chitchat."

My eyes never left the guys outside, but I could tell from the silence in the car that the others were not agreeing to the plan. Since John reminded me so much of Merle, he would love some shooting. Nick's voice was in my head, telling me to not risk the lives of my newly friends. So all I did now was protecting them. "You sure you can kill a man?" John asked me.

"Who said killing. I will take him down, shoot in his knee." They came closer.

John uttered a brief laugh. "Sure you aim that good?"

"We'll see. You ready?" Next to me I heard Alex loudly breathing in.

"Go." I promptly opened the door and shot the right guy in the arm which held the gun. I thought I aimed at his leg, but that was fine too. I shot again and he went down. I looked to the other guy who was on the ground too, screaming in pain. I wanted to jump out of the car but Alex held me back. "There could be others …"

I winked at her. "Back me up!" I jumped out the car and approached the men who were still lying on the ground with my gun pointed at them. I kicked away the gun of the guy I shot. John was at my side. As long as John was our leader he spoke first. "What do ya fuckin' assholes want?" They didn't answer but still whimpered in pain. John kneeled down beside the man he shot. "You gonna answer me or piss yourself again?" I looked at the man's pants. Now that I looked closer he must be young, maybe 18. John punched the young guy, but he didn't say a word. The guy's eyes were filled with tears. John asked him again. "What's ya fuckin' problem?" He punched him again hard and baby boy instantly passed out

The other guy sat up, holding his arm. "Our friends must have heard the shooting. You will be dead in a sec." He let out an evil laugh. My eyes widened. Mark exited the car and John screamed at him. "Change the damn tire. We have to hurry." I saw Alex helping Mark, while John and I held the wounded guys at bay.

The man I shot looked at me maliciously. "You look too pretty to kill a man."

"Not too pretty to shoot him again." I released the safety catch of my gun and his ugly smile was gone. I took his gun I kicked away before and put it in the back of my jeans.

"Walker!" Before I could react to Johns scream, John shot a walker to my right. I froze. I hadn't heard the creature approaching us and the loud bang of the shot paralyzed me. My ears were ringing. "Ella, watch out!" John's warning came too late. Again. The injured man suddenly jumped at me. I felt to the ground, my back meeting the hardness of the street. The man was on top of me fighting to get my gun. I fought him back, but he was too heavy. I couldn't simply shove him away … My left arm was still too weak to be a help here. So instead of using my arms, I used my good leg to kick this bastard in the groin. He screamed loud and fell to the side. John was next to me to kick the guy in the stomach again and again until he wasn't moving anymore. I stood up quickly to see the other guy still unconscious on the ground. Had he killed him?

John forced me to get to the car. "Go, go!" Alex and Mark just finished the tire change and jumped in the car as well. We drove away as fast as the car could move.

"Everyone alright?" I nodded at Mark.

I checked Alex. "How is your head feeling?" She touched her forehead and a little bit of blood was on her fingers. "Just a scratch." At first I thought she would be in shock and mad at me for attacking the strangers, but she was stronger. "No need to worry. What about you?"

I smiled at her. Even we just had a confrontation and could have been killed, she was acting cool. "Still in one piece." I answered her.

John slowed down a bit. "Apocalypse made a strong survivor out of Barbie."

Mark huffed. "That could have gone bad. We should be more careful."

John began to argue in an annoyed voice. "We were just driving. We didn't do anything, they attacked us first."

"I meant the shooting."

"That was bad ass' idea." John countered

I didn't want to get into this fight. Mark seemed very much pissed. "Won't happen again!"

Alex let out a laugh. "I wouldn't count on that. John is right. The world changed. It's us against the dead."

John agreed. "I am always right. Listen Alex, the dead are not the only ones to worry about." I knew he was referring to the guys we just met.

Mark kind of agreed too, but he was the soft kind of guy. "But we should not kill human beings. We are no murderer."

John shot back. "I didn't kill them, just taught them a lesson." I was relieved he wasn't all Merle, who wouldn't have saved a life of a man who pointed a gun at him.

Thanks for reading!
xxx