A huge thank you to all of my readers, followers, and favoriters! I'm so excited to see so many people have already read chapter one. This will be a slow going story, I'm in my senior year of college and I get buried under homework. I hope you all stick with me! I'm determined to finish this labor of love

-C.M. Weaver

After striking a deal with tall, dark, and grumpy I had an internal debate about whether or not to bring my sisters along on the thirty-minute walk to the site where we had happened upon that godforsaken doll. If I left them here, then they were unprotected from the dead and living alike and once the spot had been viewed we would have to circle back around and gather them from our measly camp. But, then again, taking them with me did not guarantee immediate safety. This man could just as easily shoot me dead than help me and what of his group? For all I know this could lead to certain danger.

But I'd already had so many close calls…I couldn't keep them safe on my own forever.

What-if's were not going to get us anywhere but killed. I needed to keep a clear head if I'm going to do this. There was no learning from mistakes in this world of clawing shadows and cruel strangers.

"Let us gather our things and then I'll show you the way," I pretended not to notice the weight of the bag strapped to my back, "Lace pack up your and Sam's bags while I grab everything else." With that I set about throwing my three changes of clothes into my bag of Spaghettio's and taking apart our tent once Lacey was done packing their stuff up.

"Okay guys, we're going to take Daryl to the place we found the doll. In exchange he has agreed to take us to his camp." I could tell by the way her eyes bugged out of her head that Lace had quite a few problems with this scenario. My pleading look kept her quiet thankfully. I was a little shocked, my sister was never one to shy away from giving you her opinions. Lacey had always been the more outspoken of the three of us. Well if you didn't count the logic and tantrums of a rambunctious three-year-old.

"Alright, Daryl, this way." And with that I started out on the trail that would lead towards the river.

I took the lead, obviously, and Daryl was about a step or two behind me and to my right. The girls brought up the rear of our weird little travel party. We could have been a happy little family if you didn't care about awkward silences and thick tension sugarcoated with "Old MacDonald Had a Farm".

"And on his farm he had a unicorn!" Sam sang enthusiastically. I shook my head and smirked at her antics. I listened as Lacey kept her occupied by supplying a wide array of animals and peeked at the man walking beside me. His hair was in need of a cut and his clothes were spattered with patches of dirt, probably from searching for his Sophia, but all in all he was fairly clean. His group must have a large supply of water if it could be spared on such a luxury as a bath. His mouth seemed to be in a permanent scowl and his jaw was clenched, his eyebrows knitted together in what I could only assume was deep thought and his eyes hadn't stopped darting around scanning the woods surrounding them.

He could probably be quite handsome if it weren't for the constipated look on his face.

"So how many people are in your group?" If I was going to continue with this insane agreement I might as well be prepared. He eyed me for a few moments but didn't say anything at first. "Look, I'm trying to help you out here. I hate the idea of a kid out here alone, but I'm not going to take you anywhere if I can't trust you. I promised to take care of my sisters. I can't just blindly walk into a camp of strangers!" I clenched my fists and glared at him, waiting for a response.

He glared right back at me. "There's a farm. My group has eight not counting me or Sophia. There was an accident and a kid got shot. A family took us in while he recovers and is allowing us to live on the property." I was shocked to have gotten that much out of him. Nothing about him screamed talkative. But I was grateful. If he was willing to let me know one of his group members was injured, then I could trust him slightly. Admitting there was weakness within the group was a big deal.

Before I could say anything in reply our stilted conversation was interrupted. During our stare down Sammy had come up to us without being noticed and promptly grabbed hold of Daryl's left hand. I swear if the walking dead didn't get to me first this little girl was going to be the death of me!

It looked as if his eyes were about to pop out of his head. Maybe he'd have an aneurysm and I could wash my hands of this whole situation. The girl was probably already back at camp safe and sound with her mom.

I started to try and say something either to my youngest sister or to the stranger she was clinging to but it was as if my brain was short circuiting. As if Sam didn't already have the brooding man's attention she gave his hand a slight tug. Daryl raised an eyebrow in question and waited for the girl to speak.

"Are you Robin Hood?" my eye twitched and I heard Lacey snort in the background. Where did she even come up with this stuff, I threw a disapproving glance towards Lace and went to kneel down to eye level with the precocious three-year-old.

"Peanut, it's not okay to grab strangers' hands." Before I could finish Daryl cut in.

"I ain't Robin Hood," he protested but when Sam started to frown he continued, "he's my uncle." At this revelation Sammy grinned and started pestering him with questions for the duration of our walk to the riverbed.

Once I had located the general area of where Lace had found the doll we stopped. "It was right around this area here. My sister found it pushed up against a rock. I think your Sophia might have dropped it in the water and it got pushed up into the mud." With that I quit talking and allowed him to survey the area for himself. He must be some sort of tracker if his group trusted him to look for the missing girl on his own. Maybe he had hunted, if so that meant the possibility of real meat. Spaghettio's and baked beans paled in comparison to the idea of real protein.

I had all the book smarts I could ever need. I had countless learning ideologies and strategies memorized, I had grammar rules and works of literature that I knew by heart; but none of that was of any use to us now. Frost, Wordsworth, and Keats wouldn't ensure that my sisters didn't go to bed hungry at night. Knowing the short story "The Most Dangerous Game" didn't promise that I would be able to fight and protect them from the dangers, both living and dead, that this new world had sprung upon us. I needed to stay smart. I had limitations. If I surrounded myself with the people who knew how to do for themselves, I could learn. In order to learn I needed this man and his group on my side. Mama always told me I wasn't street smart, but I was observant. I would do whatever necessary to protect my sisters.

The first thing to do was to build trust between me and this man. And I could think of no better way than by offering him some of the food in our pack. Food was a precious resource. By allowing this stranger to know I had a decent supply of it and that I was willing to share would be a big deal. One I had a feeling he wouldn't take lightly.

I waited for him to stop going through the forest vegetation with a fine tooth comb before interrupting his concentration. "Daryl, before we head to your camp would you like some food? We haven't eaten yet this morning and I've scrounged up some cans of Spaghettio's and a packet of beef jerky." He looked as though he were sizing me up so I let the big guns come out. "It wouldn't do that little girl any good if her rescue party died of starvation, now would it? We can even leave some food here for her just in case she is close by."

Daryl worked his jaw for a minute but it seemed as though he had come to a decision. "Alright, but just long enough to eat. After that we move on, I don't want to waste daylight."

"Of course." I immediately replied. I could part with two cans of food if it meant a safer situation for my sisters. Besides, I would hope if the situation were reversed there would be someone kind enough to do the same for my sisters.