A Walk in the Woods
IN THE BACK bedroom of the RV, Carol sobbed in her sleep over her missing daughter. Andrea sat at the table, trying to put her gun together. Across from her, Kenzi was laying on her back with one arm behind her head, staring blankly at the ceiling. On the floor, Daryl laid awake, his fingers laced behind his head. Between Carol's sobs and the clanking caused by Andrea piecing a gun together, he couldn't sleep.
Daryl got to his feet and grabbed his crossbow, making Kenzi turn her head. "What's up?" she mumbled, sitting up and stretching her arm.
"I need my gun." Daryl answered in a low voice. Kenzi nodded and rummaged through the bag, pulling out the piece he always carried and handing it to him. "I'm gonna walk the road, look for the girl."
Kenzi watched as he left, biting her lip. She looked over her shoulder, seeing the pained expression on Carol's face. The dark haired girl quickly slid her boots on and zipped them up, grabbing her sword as she followed the archer. She stopped the door before it could slam in her face, the noise making Daryl look over his shoulder, "It's safer if two of us go." Kenzi reminded, stepping down and out, letting the door shut behind her. "Besides, I can't sleep either, between Andrea messing with her gun and Carol..."
"Alright." Daryl agreed with a nod, walking out ahead ot the RV, looking up to Dale, who was standing watch. "I'm going for a walk." he told the older man. "Shine some light in the forest. If she's out there, it'll give her something to look at."
"You think that's a good idea right now?" Dale asked, concerned.
"Don't worry Grandpappy Dale." Kenzi assured, attaching her sword to her belt loops. "We'll be fine." she winked and followed Daryl down the road, shining her flashlight into the woods.
The pair walked together down a trail, looking all around for any sign Sophia could be nearby. Kenzi kept her focus, shining her light wherever she could, her eyes reflecting a mixture of emotions.
Daryl glanced down at her, shaking his head. "You got that look on your face same as everybody else." he noted, making Kenzi look at him.
"What look?" she asked.
"Wondering if we're gonna find her." Daryl answered. "We just started looking."
Kenzi sighed, focusing more on her surroundings. "Well, look around Dixon, these woods are dense. She could be anywhere. And these trails go for miles in every direction."
"It ain't the mountains of Tibet. It's Georgia." Daryl reminded. "She could be holed up in a farmhouse somewhere. People get lost and they survive. It happens all the time."
Kenzi shook her head. "She's only twelve."
Daryl scoffed, "Hell, I was younger than her and I got lost." he told her, grabbing Kenzi's attention. "Nine days in the woods eating berries, wiping my ass with poison oak."
Kenzi quirked a brow "They found you?"
Daryl shook his head, "My old man was off on a bender with some waitress. Merle was doing another stint in juvie. Didn't even know I was gone." he continued. "I made my way back though. Went straight into the kitchen and made myself a sandwich. No worse for wear. Except my ass itched something awful."
Kenzi laughed, looking up at him. "I'm sorry." she apologized. "That is a terrible story, man."
Another laughed escaped her and she covered her mouth with her hand. Daryl laughed too, cracking a small smile, "Only difference is Sophia's got people looking for her." he pointed out. "I call that an advantage."
Kenzi nodded, "Yeah, she's lucky that so many people care about her." she looked down, her expression changing.
"What's the matter?" Daryl asked, noticing the change in her demeanor.
"Nothing, it's just, I was a year older than Sophia when I ran away." Kenzi answered, looking ahead of herself. "No one bothered to look for me. I was on my own until I met the woman I would come to love as the big sister I've always wanted." She finally looked up at the archer, "Sorry, here I am talking about my sister when your brother-"
"Don't worry about it." Daryl cut her off. "He's the dumbass that ran off, not botherin to wait for us. If he's alive, then fine. If he's dead, no use cryin' over it." He shrugged.
Kenzi was about to say something when they heard a rustling not far off from them. Both shone their flashlights into the woods, following the sound. Kenzi stayed close to Daryl, following his steps exactly. She moved her flashlight up, shining it right on a walker hanging from a tree. "What the hell?"
Daryl shone his flashlight on a piece of paper pinned to the tree, "Got bit. Fever hit. World gone to shit. Might as well quit." he read off, looking back at the hanging walker, "Dumbass didn't know enough to shoot himself in the head. Turned himself into a big swinging piece of bait."
"Well that's a lovely comparison." Kenzi crinkled her nose, groaning in disgust.
Daryl kept his flashlight on the walker, "Look at him, hanging up there like a big pinata." He moved the light down, revealing nothing but the bones where the legs should be. "The other geeks came and ate all the flesh off his legs."
Kenzi coughed and turned away, "Alright, you're trying to make me vomit, aren't ya?" she questioned, covering her nose with her arm.
Daryl looked back at her, cracking a smirk, "Yeah." he agreed. "Payback for laughing about my itchy ass." He took one last look at the walker, "C'mon, let's head back." Daryl slung his crossbow over his chest.
"Wait." Kenzi halted, "Aren't you gonna-" she motioned to the walker.
Daryl shook his head. "No. He ain't hurting nobody. Ain't gonna waste an arrow either." he answered. "He made his choice. Opted out. Let him hang."
"He's making noise, which is gonna draw more eventually." Kenzi noted. "Besides, it looks like his tent's been untouched." She motioned to the pitched tent a foot or so away from the tree. "I don't know about you, but I don't want any more walkers comin out of the woods." She unsheathed her blade and ran it up into the walker's brain via under the chin. After pulling her sword free, she shook off excess blood and brain matter, wiping it off with a bloodied bandanna tied around the scabbard before sheathing it. "Let's see what he had."
Daryl watched as Kenzi ducked into the tent, hearing her rummaging through things. He figured 'what the hell' and followed her. She was on her knees, digging through a black garbage bag. "Find anything?"
She looked over her shoulder, "Not much, just lots of canned peanuts and cheap beer." Kenzi sighed, shaking her head. "I found a couple bags of pretzels too." she held those up before setting them aside. "Not much else."
"What's wrong with the nuts?" Daryl questioned, picking up a can that fell out.
Kenzi pointed to herself, "Deathly allergic." she informed, grabbing the pretzels as she got to her feet. "But if you want 'em, go ahead." She opened one bag and popped a couple pretzels in her mouth. "Let's head back before Dale comes looking for us."
The two left the tent, making way back to the RV. The walk was mostly silent, except for the sound of crunching nuts and pretzels. Daryl tossed the empty can aside, looking down at Kenzi, who had already started on the second bag. "So, your friend Lauren dated your sister." he brought up.
Kenzi nodded, "Yep." she looked up at him. "But, although they did go out, Bo's door swung both ways." She ate another pretzel. "Sometimes both in one night." Kenzi added with her mouth full, making Daryl raise an eyebrow. "Bo had a very," she drew the word out, "ravenous sexual appetite." She cracked a smile, "That's why I took the attic bedroom."
"How long did you live with her?" Daryl asked, jumping the guardrail. He held his hand out, offering to help Kenzi.
"Five years." Kenzi answered, grasping his hand and leaping over the railing. The walked down the highway. "It may not seem like a long time, but, she cared about me more than the woman who gave birth to me."
"Guess we have that in common." Daryl muttered. Kenzi nodded, offering him the remaining half of the pretzel bag.
Dale climbed down the ladder and stood by the RV as the duo returned. Kenzi shook her head, looking at her feet. Daryl patted her shoulder before entering the RV. "Want some company keeping watch?" Kenzi asked, looking at Dale.
"Sure kiddo." Dale wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let her climb to the roof first. He followed shortly after and sat beside her. Kenzi laid her head on Dale's shoulder, a single tear falling down her cheek. "What's the matter Mackenzie?"
"I miss my sister." she sniffled, squeezing her eyes shut. "I just wish I knew if she was okay, wherever she is." She sobbed into the old man's shoulder. Dale stroked her hair, soothing the young girl he saw as his own granddaughter, letting her cry.
