Daryl and I traveled for several weeks straight. We didn't know where we were going, we didn't have anywhere to go but we just drove. And when that car ran out of gas, we found another and drove some more.

We are in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania now. At first, we stayed in a few different buildings in the city. We hated it. I know that probably sounds stupid, but…we were never meant for the city life. Not even in the apocalypse.

We found a nice little cabin in the woods that we are currently staying in. We have only been here a couple days now. I was in my room staring at myself in the mirror. Lately, I have been more like Daryl. Trying to at least. I have been going out on more runs and being tougher. But as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I realized that I can't just act like my brother; I have to look like him, too.

I smoothed out my hair, it had grown down to the middle of my back and was pretty long now. I held out some strands and pulled out my knife. "Well, here goes." I said taking a deep breath. I began sawing off my hair to where Daryl's length is. I don't know if you ever cut your hair with a knife, but it doesn't feel too good I can tell ya that much.

I looked at the hair I just cut off. "Not bad." I nodded. I continued the process until I went all the way around. I stared at the finishing product in the mirror. I was a little unsure at first, but the more I looked at it the more I liked it. I smiled at myself.

The next step was my clothes. Daryl always wears his black jeans. I hate jeans. I'm a sweatpants person. I guess black sweatpants wouldn't be too much of a change. I was good there. As for the top, my brother always wears a button up shirt with the sleeves ripped off. I dug around in the closet to see what I could find.

I skimmed through everything. Eventually, I found a purple tank top with a matching button up top. What are the odds? I quickly took it out and ripped the sleeves off it then put it on. It looked really good! Well, beside it being a bit too big on me. I didn't care, though. It's better than being too small, I guess.

As, the finishing touch, I tied my pant legs up with strings like Daryl does so his pants don't drag on the ground. I looked at myself in the full length mirror and grinned from ear to ear. "Pretty good." I thought to myself. I wish I had a vest to wear like my brother's, but for right now I'll have to settle for what I got. And with that said, I turned on my heel and headed out to the other room.

Daryl was sitting at the table in the dining room cleaning his knife or something. "Hey, check it out, big bro." I said. "I'm you." He looked up at me with a blank expression.

"Hm." He said looking back down at his work. "Nice."

I walked closer to him. "Nice? That's it?"

"What do ya want me to say, kid? Ya ain't me. Yer you."

"Yeah, but…I wanna be you." I smiled.

"Why the hell would ya want somethin' like that?" He gave me a weird look.

I looked down for a minute and bit my lip. "I don't know." I shrugged. "I just wanna be tough and brave like you, I guess." My brother just snorted. I gasped. "Hey! The next time we go out, can we look fer a cool vest fer me like yers?"

"Sure, kid." Daryl smirked. "Whatever ya want." I smiled.

I sat on the floor in the living room writing down lyrics for a song. I tried a few days ago, but couldn't get the words to sound right. Every time I tried it, it just didn't sound right. Writing music is harder than I thought.

"Hey, what ya doin', Sissy?" Daryl asked me as he walked into the room.

"Just writin' a song."

"Writin' a song?" He said in disgust.

"Well, I'm tryin' to at least."

"Well, good luck with that, honey bun." My brother ruffled my hair.

I scowled at him. I swear ya come up with different nicknames to call me everyday."

"Yup." He ruffled my hair again earning another scowl from me. "What'd ya do that to yer hair fer?"

"Cuz I wanna look like you. I told ya already."

"Right." He chuckled. "Well, I'm gonna go hunt." He grabbed his crossbow.

"Wait." I stopped him. "How 'bout I go huntin' instead 'a you?"

"Or ya could just come with me."

"Nah." I shook my head. "I wanna go alone. I can do it. I did it before, remember? I killed that wolf."

"Yeah, I remember." He raised his eyebrows. "But ya don't gotta."

"But I wanna."

He sighed. "Sissy…"

"Daryl," I stood up and walked over to him, "I'll be fine. If I run into the trouble I cain't handle, I'll just come home. Ya know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. It's just…I don't want nothin' to happen to ya."

"It won't. I'll be fine. I promise." I smiled. "Please."

He gave me a disappointed look. "Oh, all right. But if ya don't get nothin, come home before dark, got it?"

"Yes, sir." I saluted him and headed for the door.

"Don't be a smartass." He followed me.

"Yes, sir." I said again. He swatted me. I giggled.

I been out here for a long time already and I ain't caught nothin'. Daryl was right about what he said before, I am a lousy hunter. I sighed and looked down at the ground. Just then, I saw deer tracks! I gasped and studied them. It's close. I gotta find this deer.

I tracked the deer for a short time before I spotted it. It was a small one, but who cares? It's just Daryl and I anyway. I stepped a little closer being quiet as hell then aimed my gun. It looked up from eating and noticed me then took off. "Damn it!" I yelled out loud.

I followed the deer, it took me a while but eventually I found it again. It stood there eating all innocent. I stepped closer but not too close then aimed my gun. I held my breath and pulled the trigger. I watched the deer hit the ground. "Yes." I breathed a sigh of relief.

I dragged the deer all the way home. It was just getting dark by the time I got back. It was hard getting that thing back here. At first, I tried carrying it on my back, but it was just too damn heavy so I ended up dragging it. I left the deer outside and went in the cabin to find my brother.

"Daryl, check it out. I gotta deer!" I grinned widely. He looked outside.

"Good job, Sissy." He patted my back. "I'm proud 'a ya." I grinned even wider. He said he was proud of me. "Come on, let's skin this sumbitch."

"That was a good dinner." I said rubbing my belly. "I sure am full."

"It's a nice change, ain't it?"

"Sure is." I put my hands behind my head and leaned back.

Suddenly, I got another itch on my back. It kept happening during dinner. I scratched my back the best I could. But something was really itching me. I thought I could feel something under my shirt. "Daryl, is there somethin' on my back?" I walked over to him and lifted my shirt a little.

"…yeah, it's a tick." My brother stated. "Ya gotta tick, baby."

"Ew! Get it out."

"I'm tryin'. I need ya to hold still." My brother said. I felt his hand on my back. I held my breath and waited for him to get it. "I got it." He finally said.

"Are ya sure? The head ain't stuck in'nere?"

"I got it, baby, look." He held it out and showed it to me.

"Ew, gross. Kill it." I grimaced.

"Way ahead ya." My brother said and walked outside.

"Thanks." I said once he was back inside. "Wanna play a game or somethin'?"

"Depends on what kind."

"Well, there's monopoly."

"Hell nah." Daryl snorted. "Hate that fuckin' game." I giggled.

"All right, well…there's Life, Sorry, Yahtzee…"

"Uh…let's play Yahtzee, I guess."

"Okay." I pulled the box off the shelf and handed out the cards.

We were almost finished with the game. "I still need my small straight." Daryl said.

"Or a big gay." I grinned. He gave me a stupid look and I laughed. I rolled and took my last turn. The only thing I had left was my chance. I added it up and wrote it down. Then, I added up my total score while Daryl took his last turn.

"Well, what do ya got?" I asked him.

"324." He stated.

I looked down at mine. "322." I said disappointingly.

"Ha ha." My brother teased me. I hit his arm. "Ya wanna play again?"

"Nah. Let's play somethin' else. There's Scattergories."

"How the hell do ya play that?"

"I'll show ya as we go along." I said pulling the game off the shelf.

"The letter is 'D'." I stated. We went through and answered as many as the questions as we could before the timer goes off. This should be a good one. I thought. The timer went off and I had a few left. "Okay." I said. "First one, a boy's name?"

"Daryl." My brother laughed. I giggled.

"I knew you was gonna say that so I put David." I laughed. "Okay. A City?"

"Dravosburgh." Daryl said.

"What the hell is that?"

He shrugged. "I saw it on a sign on the way here. What about you?"

"Couldn't thank 'a one." I said disappointingly. "Somethin' found in the ocean?"

"Drugs."

"I said drunk people!" I laughed, he chuckled, too. "Okay. Thangs found in a coffee shop?"

"Douchebags." Daryl said.

"That don't count." I said.

"Why not?"

"Cuz it don't." I laughed.

"I don't see why. What you put then?"

"Doughnuts." I giggled.

"Oh." My brother smirked. "Didn't thank 'a that." I giggled.

We went through and I ended up winning that round. We finished our whole cards, which was six games and I ended up winning in total.

"That was fun." I said.

"Ya only thought it was fun cuz ya won." My brother raised his eyebrows.

"Someone's a sore loser." I stuck my tongue out at him.

"Me a sore loser?" He asked in disbelief. "You lost Yahtzee and didn't wanna play no more."

"Cuz that game gets borin'!" I snapped.

"All right." My brother snorted. "So, ya wanna play somethin' else?"

"Nah, I'm actually gettin' pretty tired." I put the game away and stretched out on the couch.

"If ya fall asleep, I ain't carryin' ya to bed."

"Whatever." I said and got comfortable.

"So, what do ya do Tomorra?" Daryl asked me after some time.

"What do ya mean?"

"Ya wanna stay here or should we move on?"

"I kinda like it here." I smiled. "Let's stay a while."

"All right." My brother shrugged. I yawned and stretched.

"Ah, why is stretchin' the best thang ever?" I said comfortably.

"Yeah." Was all my brother said.

I started thinking about the events of today. I bagged us a deer! And it was great! Daryl said he was proud of me. I smiled to myself. I'm becoming more and more like my brother everyday. Soon I won't need him to look after me at all.

I must have dozed off because I woke up to my brother shaking me. "Le. Come on, Le. Get to bed."

"Oh okay." I said groggily. I slowly got up and made my way to my room. I changed out of my clothes and got into bed. That felt better than the couch. It didn't take me long to get back to sleep.

"Daryl?" I said weakly. "I don't feel so good.'

"What's wrong, kid?" My brother said and felt my forehead. "Whoa! Yer burnin' up!"

"What? What's wrong with me?" I asked frantically.

"I don't know. It doesn't look good, though. Ya might die." He said nonchalantly.

My head shot up in his direction. "What? I'm gonna die?"

"Probably." He shook his head. "Might as well put ya outta yer misery now." He pointed his crossbow at me. I screamed and tried to run but everything went black.

I jolted awake sweating and breathing heavily. Looking around, I realized it was morning. I breathed a sigh of relief and laid back in bed. It was just a dream. I told myself. But it sure was a strange one. Why would I have a dream like that? What could that mean? What was even stranger, though, was that I actually didn't feel too good.

I got up and joined my brother for breakfast. All we had was cans of fruit. It was all right with me, though. I opened a can of peaches and sat at the table leaning on my fist.

"We're gonna have to go out on a run soon." My brother said. "We're low on thangs." I did not reply. "I'm getting sick 'a havin' fruit all the time. It ain't enough."

"Yeah." I finally said. I realized my stomach felt sick and I didn't feel like eating. "Here, you can have these." I pushed the bowl in front of him.

"Why? Ya don't want 'em?" He asked starting to eat them.

"I don't feel very good." I smiled weakly.

He let out a small laugh. "Never heard ya say that before." He said sarcastically.

"Yeah." Was all I said. I went and laid down on the couch.

"You really don't feel good, Sissy?"

"Not really." I forced myself to laugh. My brother came over to me and felt my forehead.

"Yer a little warm." He stated. "All right. No huntin' fer you today, little lady." I wanted to laugh but I couldn't. "What's botherin' ya?"

I cleared my throat. "My stomach hurts and I don't know." I shrugged. "I just feel kinda crappy."

Daryl nodded. "All right. Well, I'll let ya play hooky fer today. Just relax, okay?" He pushed my hair back. I nodded weakly. "It's probably just a twenty-four hour thang. Ya used to get sick like that all the time, remember?"

"Yeah, I member."

"You'll feel better tomorra, kid, so don't worry."

"Yeah." Was all I said.

My brother was wrong. I felt worse the next day. I had a high fever, my stomach felt sick and I just felt weak. I was so confused because I was fine two days ago. What the hell happened? It's like this sickness came out of nowhere.

"You should try to eat somethin'." Daryl said while taking the thermometer out of my mouth. He looked at the temperature and whistled.

"I don't even wanna know." I said weakly. "And I cain't eat nothin'."

"Well, I want ya to try." He disappeared into the kitchen for a few minutes then came back. "Here. I made ya some soup." I slowly and weakly sat up. I tasted the soup, it was very good.

I slowly ate the whole bowl. I have to admit, it felt good to have some food in my stomach. I laid on the couch and tried to relax.

As I was laying there, though, I started to feel sick to my stomach. "Uh oh." I said.

"What?" My brother asked me. "What is it?" I didn't answer him, I jumped up and ran outside. I emptied the contents of my stomach on the ground. "Damn." Daryl said from behind me. "All that good soup ya just ate." I throw up some more when he mentioned soup. I groaned and stood up straight. "Ya good now?"

"I thank so."

"Come on." My brother lifted me and carried me into my room.

"Somethin' on my back hurts." I mentioned.

"Really? Where?"

I lifted my shirt and pointed to the area. "Do ya see anythang?"

"No, there's nothin' there." I felt him touch the area. I cringed. He touched another spot while checking it and I giggled a little. He paused then let out a small laugh. "Oh yeah? What about over here?" He poked my other side. I flinched and giggled again. "What about here?" He tickled my sides and stomach. I laughed loudly.

"Stop it!" I said laughing.

He chuckled. "All right." He helped me into bed. "Just rest." He pushed my hair back. "Just try to get some sleep." I nodded and got comfortable. My brother stayed with me until I fell asleep.

The next day, I got up and…felt completely better. It was gone. I jumped out of bed to find my brother.

"Hey, Sissy?" He said. "I'm gonna go on a run in a little bit. Maybe I can fine ya some medicine. Why ain't ya in bed? You should—

"I feel better!" I said excitedly.

He blinked at me. "Yer better? You was just sick and bed all day yesterday. Yer sayin' yer completely better?" I just nodded rapidly. "Okay?" My brother said strangely. He reached out and felt my forehead. "Hmm. Ya feel normal." He paused and just looked at me then shrugged. "Well…I ain't gonna complain." He ruffled my hair. Normally, I'd be mad but today is different.