A/N
Omg I'm back. It's a miracle. Praise Jesus!
Sorry beautiful people but I've had a case of lazy. I've been trying my best to recover but it is an ongoing and often crippling condition that I must suffer with!
Have started next chapter and am trying my best to get with it!
If anyone is still reading please review and also you are the best kind of cool.
One more step.
One more step.
One more step.
One more step.
It took all of Madison's effort to keep from falling down, her legs were shaking screaming to rest and she staggered slowly through the forest the adrenaline long worn off.
The first rays of sunlight were gradually starting to filter down through the thick foliage and Maddie figured it was just pasy dawn, not that it mattered.
She stopped for a quick moment to catch her breath her thin body sagged tiredly against the trunk of a large oak every muscle aching in protest begging for a reprieve. That moment lasted less than a few seconds though when something rustled behind her and she quickly whirled around heart nearly beating through her chest.
It was only a bird searching for its breakfast among the leaves.
The fright was enough though to get Madison moving again and she pushed off her resting post continuing forward her bright blue eyes scanning the area for any signs of life…or unlife.
She covered 50 meters and it felt more like 5000, her mouth was bone dry and she licked her lips the need for water was near overwhelming as she sat and slid down a small embankment pulling herself back up with a large tree root which came protruding from the ground. For a second the world around the eight year old spun and she staggered a few steps sideways nearly losing her balance. She placed her hands on her knees and concentrated on the ground, her bare feet were covered in dirt and she could see cuts and scrapes but strangely felt nothing as though they weren't even attached to her body.
Madison looked around the small clearing trying to figure out what direction to go her sense of direction was lost with fatigue and she glanced up searching for the sun but saw only branches and leaves, she was completely lost and had been since she left camp.
The impending dread she'd been fighting back suddenly commenced on her all at once and she sunk down onto her knees and shuddered, not possessing enough energy to even cry now.
Her shoulders sagged tiredly as she battled to keep her eyes open and the world started to rock gently back and forth her stomach lurching and if there was actual food in it, it would have most definitely made a reappearance.
"Daryl…" She whispered tipping onto her side her cheek resting in the cool dirt and the trees around her began to spin faster until she closed her eyes and let the darkness finally take her away.
Not even the snapping of branches and groans of the hungry would wake her now…
"Th' fuck happen'd here?!" Daryl arrived into camp or what was left of it, a handful of rabbits slung over his shoulder.
His eyes darted around the shambles that was tent city to a small group of people who were gathered outside the RV. Most of whom were in a state of shook some nursing injuries.
"MERLE!" Daryl turned away from them and started up the hill he could smell something rancid in the air an odour that was all too familiar now and spotted a small pile of corpses in the distance and figured the walkers had finally made it up the mountain.
"MERLE WHERE YA AT?"
He quickened his pace passing the truck which was empty and continued towards the familiar dome tent immediately noticing a few of the pegs were kicked loose and the ash from the fire pit was scattered all over the ground.
Daryl quickly discarded the rabbits and crossbow and ran the rest of the way up the hill as he reached for the unzipped tent flap he hesitated a moment before pulling it back preparing for the worst.
It was empty.
The relief was instant but short lived when he realized his siblings were still nowhere to be seen which meant anything could have still happened to them, he pushed this thought immediately from his mind though. Dixon's were tough.
Daryl turned and squinted back down at the main campsite there were notably less people then when he'd left. He could make out the bean pole kid who was sitting with her mum on the RV step crying and the know-it-all sheriff's son wasn't too far from them but there was no sign of his baby sister. An odd feeling stirred in the pit of his stomach but again he refused to acknowledge it.
Daryl jogged back down the slope spotting Shane and veered off towards him. The man was walking away from camp a spade over his shoulder.
"Da fuck happen'd here?" Daryl yelled louder than intended as his emotions took control.
Shane stopped and turned around raising his hands in a calming gesture which pissed the redneck off even more
"Camp was attacked by a herd last night…" there was hesitation in his voice "Some didn't make it".
The muscles in Daryls body went rigid at the words spoken.
"We're burying the bodies over there giv'n em a proper burial" Shane noticed Daryl tense and took a step back giving the agitated man in front of him some space, he had already had a few run ins with the Dixons and they never seemed to end in handshakes.
Daryl moved restlessly on his feet his eyes darting to the spade at the man's side it was covered in both dirt and blood.
"Ma brother'n sister? They good?" He asked reluctantly, again preparing himself for the worst possible news, though his face showed no emotion.
"Merle's fine he's up there nursing his hangover" Shane gestured behind his shoulder to where he was headed.
Alcohal was still the number one thought in Merle Dixons brain even in the middle of an appocolypse.
"N'Maddie?" Daryl shuffled restlessly "Where's she?" The redneck felt his heartbeat begun to thud when there was lack of an answer.
"Well where the fuck is she then?" He growled hands tensing into fists at his side.
"Look I-I'm sorry man—" Shane put his hand on Daryl's shoulder but it was quickly pushed away and the cop was immediately shoved back a few paces.
"Where da fuck is she?! WHERE'S MA BABY SISTER!" Daryl went to take a swing at the cop but thought better of it and instead spun round and took a few steps away to distance himself, trying to keep a clear head. Hell if he started he might not be able to stop.
"She dead then?" The rednecks eyes were glued to the ground and his voice wavered, he hadn't even said goodbye to Maddie when he'd left yesterday and only planned on being a few hours away but had stumbled on the tracks of a big buck and ended up tracking it well into the night…only to discover a walker had got to the dam thing first.
"WELL IS SHE?!" He spat into the dirt.
"We don't know sh-"
"WHATTAYA MEAN YA DON'T KNOW!?" Daryl whipped round. "SHE EITHER ALIVE OR SHE AINT!" The redneck yelled his voice echoing around the campsite.
Then a wave of absolute dread washed through him.
She'd been bit.
His baby sister. A little kid who hadn't done no wrong to nobody. The only Dixon he knew who was good and pure and always forgave him when he growled at her when he was tired. She was an innocent kid with not a bad bone in her body and now...she was gonna be one of them...
It was too much to live with.
"Look Daryl" Shane interjected in the knick of time "Maddie musta run off when the herd attacked, she aint here no more. Amy was the last to see her, said she saw her running into the trees"
The redneck looked unconvinced for a second and it took a moment to properly process the words before relief kicked in.
She was alive!
"Why didn't ya say sooner!? Where da fuck is Amy I wanna speak to her myself" Daryl immediately spun in a 360 looking for the little blonde, he knew her hair colour and that she was Andrea's kin but that was about it.
"She got bit…didn't make it" Shane ran a hand through his short dark hair the Georgia heat already kicking in as beads of sweet accumulated on his brow.
Daryl stopped searching and wiped a hand over his grimey face.
"Noone's out look'n for her then?" Shane opened his mouth to answer but was quickly cut off by the impatient and increasingly aggitated redneck.
"Fuck sake ain't nobody here looking for ma baby sister? Or wha she not good nuff?!" Daryl jabbed a finger into the man's chest.
"Hell if that winey brat of the sheriffs was out there everyone would be out. No fucking stone left unturned bullshit" Daryl shoved the deputy again and the man stepped back offering no resistance.
"That aint true man Rick and T Dogg have gone after her Glenn wanted to as well but I need people here to defend the camp in case there's another herd coming through." Shane tried to calm the infuriated Dixon who looked ready to unleash hell.
"Shoulda had those dumbasses watching camp last night!" The redneck spat angrily "Then maybe none'a this woulda happened"
Shane calmly bore the brunt of Daryl's rage he knew the man had a right to be upset and it was best he take it out on him then someone else.
"pfft that's wha i thought" The redneck spat at the deputys shoes then stormed passed him, he'd wasted enough time as it was. Sun had been up for a good few hours and it weren't getting any cooler.
"MERLE! MERLE!"
The man in question was sitting on a tree stump next to a freshly dug grave looking a lot worse for wear.
"C'MON WE GOTTA GO GIT MADDIE!" Daryl grabbed his brothers arm but was quickly pushed away.
"WHAT YOU DOIN MAN? MADDIE'S OUT THERE?" The younger Dixon gestured towards the treeline impatiently.
Merle finally looked up at his brother his eyes were bloodshot and barely open.
"I-I told 'er ta git ta bed...t-told er ta quit cry'n" His words were slurred and barely understandable, it was then Daryl noticed the near empty bottle of Jack at his brother feet.
Their baby sister was out there missing and all his brother was thinking bout was the drink.
Rage clouded his vision and his boot came up and connected with Merles side sending the man flying off the stump he didnt even have time to register what had happened before Daryl was on him his fist connecting with his face over and over again.
"YOU SONOFABITCH! YA MEANT TA BE WATCH'N 'ER!" Daryl continued wailing down on his sibling who was trying his best to get free but his arms and legs werent cooperating like they were suppose to.
Daryl jumped to his feet and grabbed Merle by the shirt yanking him up, the big man stumbled his face dripping with blood.
"YA AINT WORTH SHIT MERLE!"
The world was spinning again and where Daryls face had been there was now only sky, he'd been thrown into the grave his body wedged painfully in the narrow hole.
"IF ANYTHIN' HAPPENS TO 'ER,THE NEXT HOLE WILL BE FOR YOU" Daryl threatened kicking some dirt ontop of his dazed sibling.
He couldn't even stand the sight of the man. Many times Merle had let him down but this would have to be the cream of the crop.
Behind him a few safe meters away Shane was watching closely he contemplated stepping in but only because he couldnt be bothered diggin another grave, his back was already aching something wicked. Fortunately though things settled down.
"What way did Rick'n that go?" Daryl was breathing hard and used his pant leg to wipe the blood from his knuckles.
"They went east think they picked up her trail"
The redneck snorted and wiped the persperation from his brow. Hell they probably couldnt find their own dicks in the dark.
He jogged back down the path scooping his crossbow up. A new kind of adreneline was kicking in and he moved forward with a little more urgency darting around the tents, a few people looked up but most were still in shock.
A few meters towards the treeline Daryl picked up a familar set of tiny footprints in the dirt and his tracker instincts kicked in. He wasnt gonna stop until he had his baby sister in his arms.