As she walked over to the center of the camp, Danni was still tired. She stifled a yawn saying good morning to Dale. She was trying to erase the dream from her thoughts. She was afraid if she ran into Daryl, he'd know. He'd somehow be able to see inside her mind and watch the dream. Ridiculous, she knew, but it had seemed so real. She saw Glenn walking toward her. She looked around. No sign of Daryl.
"I'm going on a run. Do you need anything?" Glenn asked her as he always did before going to scavenge supplies in Atlanta.
"Just that case of Maybelline Great Lash mascara you forgot last time."
He laughed but seemed distracted.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked concerned.
"I have to bring people with me." He complained.
"People?"
"Andrea, that new guy T-Dog and Merle."
"Why?"
"The group voted. Before you woke up this morning. They think more than one person should know the route in and out."
"Makes sense." Danni tilted her head, thinking about it.
"I do better on my own. Extra people are going to make it way more dangerous." He looked up from under the brim of his ball cap. "You want to come? I actually trust you."
"Not with that cast member of Deliverance over there. Sorry." She motioned to Merle.
Glenn nodded. "At least it's just him and not both of them. Daryl left on a hunt early this morning." He kicked at the dirt under his feet.
She was both relieved and disappointed that she wouldn't see Daryl. Usually, his hunts lasted the entire day.
"So do you want anything?"
"Just you back here alive, pal.
"Makes two of us."
... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .
The early afternoon sun was high above the three women as they washed clothing in the lake.
"I can't believe I'm using a washboard." Carol mused. "I miss my Maytag back home that's for sure."
"I even miss the Laundromat right now," Danni added."I hate the Laundromat."
"Hey Danni could I use some of your makeup one of these days?" Amy asked. "I'm tired of looking like such a hag all the time now."
"You're welcome to what I have. I don't think I've got more than some lipstick and maybe eyeshadow."
"Seriously? You aren't wearing mascara? Foundation?" Amy was incredulous.
"No, I wish. I'm a total makeup junkie. To be honest, I'm kind of dying without eyeliner."
"Your eyelashes do not just look like that? Your skin..."
"The only thing I got from my mother was good genes. Good skin." She laughed. "At least that's something."
"Sounds like you didn't get along?" Carol ventured.
"No. She wasn't a mom like you are. She's my mother, but she really shouldn't have had kids. She was too busy living her own life to help me out much with mine." Danni looked directly at Carol and added "Sophia's really lucky to have you."
Carol averted her eyes, not used to compliments.
"What about your dad?" Amy asked.
"He left when I was five."
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't pry." Amy apologized.
"Its okay. There were stepdads. Three, the only one worth remembering is the one she drove away. He taught me to play guitar; got me into music. I waited for my real dad to come back though. I pretended that he was just like Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, who was my ideal of the perfect father. I guess I was actually waiting for Gregory Peck to come call me Scout and take me away from everything. "
"Any brothers or sisters?"
Danni looked lost for a minute, but quickly regained her composure. "Yeah, a little sister. She was ...four years younger so I really felt like I helped raise her you know?"
"What happened to..." Before Amy could finish the question, Ed interrupted the conversation, walking over to the riverbank shouting Carol's name.
"Let's go."
"We're not done yet Ed," Danni answered.
"Its okay," Carol acquiesced, standing up.
"No, its not. You don't have to go Carol." Danni told her.
Ed took a few steps closer. "I don't need no smart mouthed city bitch telling my wife what to do. That's my job. You keep interfering with my family girl, you're gonna be sorry."
"Why, are you gonna hit me like you hit your wife? We see the bruises."
No one saw it coming. Shane was suddenly there tackling Ed. He held the larger man down in the dirt beating his face bloody with only his fists and his rage. The beat down was vicious and ugly, even for a man like Ed. Carol ran to them screaming, desperately trying to pull Shane off of her husband. Shane finally stepped back hissing "If I ever hear 'bout you laying a hand on a woman again, I'll kill you. Don't think I won't. "
He stalked away angrily not looking at anyone. Carol helped Ed to his feet and back to their camper.
"Should we be afraid of that guy?" Amy asked.
"Ed?" Danni suggested.
"No, Shane." Amy clarified.
"Honey, Be careful of everyone."