LIGHT A FIRE
{Author's Note: I think that I might completely re-vamp chapter one guys, as I'm seriously not happy with it. So, don't worry if you see a chapter that you don't recognise; I'm my own worse critic :). In this chapter we see how Tessa and Daryl's second 'introduction' went after Herschel had patched her up. Anyway, enjoy, and please review if you have time-it makes my day :).}
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the character(s) you don't recognise.
Lyrics: Remember Me by Lucie Silvas.
Anyone can see the sorrow,
But there's tenderness behind your scars,
I was there when you were laughing,
I know who you really are…
-+-
[TWO WEEKS INTO OUTBREAK]
My eyes blinked rapidly as my brain fought to regain control of my body.
"Tessa!"
I couldn't determine whose voice was calling out to me, everything sounded as though it was so far away.
Screams echoed all around me as I finally managed to regain enough control for my fingers to desperately reach out around me to find the knife that I had been using.
My nails dragged against gravel and dirt, the nude pink nail polish chipping as I frantically searched before finally finding the curved handle.
Gripping it tightly in my right hand, I took a deep breath before forcing my body up, gasping in pain as I looked around.
The dead were everywhere.
There was nowhere I could turn without seeing them stumbling towards us.
Bullets were still being fired but I knew that Caleb must be reaching the end of his clip as bodies were littering the ground.
"Mom?!"
I looked around desperately, my eyes scanning the immediate area but only seeing dead bodies and the abominations.
"Shit!" I slammed my knife into a nearby abomination before turning to look over at Caleb, "You seen Mom or Dad?!"
He shook his head, still desperately firing his silenced pistol before a sudden clicking noise was heard and he was forced to throw himself into looking for more ammo.
I swore under my breath, before glimpsing what looked to be my Father trying to pull my Mother towards where Caleb and I were.
Forcing myself forwards, I didn't care how many of the assholes came at me; I had to save my parents.
"MOM! DAD!"
My Father turned to look at me as he was trying to drag my Mother away from the horde that was just a few feet away from us.
"Just go Tessa! Grab Caleb, get in the car and drive to Atlanta!"
"I'm not leaving without you and Mom!" I answered him back fiercely as I pushed my way through the dead bodies, holding out my hand to my Father, "Grab my hand!"
He reached out with his free hand; the other was being used to pull my Mother with him as I stretched my fingers.
His hand connected with mine as I smiled lightly in relief, trying to hold on tighter as I pulled him towards me.
Suddenly an abomination was upon me as I was forced to let go of his hand momentarily so that I could dispatch it.
It must have been only a minute…just one minute.
Only, that one minute made a drastic difference.
When I turned back to help my parents, I was met with two of the undead who were on top of my Father whilst my Mother was screaming.
"DAD!" I screamed as I jammed my knife into one of their heads, as a bullet whizzed by me, cleanly taking down the other one.
I rushed over, throwing the bodies off him as my heart clenched painfully at the realisation that it was too late.
Blood was gushing from a deep wound in his neck as he spluttered, struggling to speak.
"Dad…"
The snarls and growling of the nearby abominations didn't matter no more.
I felt numb.
His hand weakly lifted up towards me as I quickly grasped onto it with my own, gripping his hand tightly.
"We can disinfect-"
"Tessa…" He spoke with a throaty rasp as I knew from the look behind his eyes that he was preparing himself for death.
"NO!" Caleb's anguished cry from behind me resonated through-out the area as I blinked back tears.
"I can't do this Dad…" I shook my head as I knew from the way his hand was trying to indicate to my knife, what he wanted me to do.
My Mother was silently sobbing as she stared at my Father with fear clearly etched on her face.
"Daddy…" I whimpered in pain as I started to break down, my hand shaking despite the confirmative squeeze he had given me.
He wanted me to be the one to end it; to stop his suffering.
His eyes stared into mine as I gripped onto my knife tightly, closing my eyes to not see the light go out behind his eyes.
"I'm so sorry Dad…I'm so sorry…"
Bringing my hand up, I quickly brought it down into his skull, ending his suffering but starting my own.
"NO! TESSA!" My Mother suddenly burst into action as she ran at me, grabbing the knife from my hand despite it being much too late.
"What have you done?!" She gasped out in horror as she widened her eyes at me.
Numbly, I opened my eyes slowly, staring ahead as I daren't move out of my uncomfortable kneeling position.
"I…I had to…"
"You killed him!" She stared at me in disgust.
"I HAD TO!" I screamed at her as rage filled my whole body, "HE WAS SUFFERING!"
By this time Caleb had come over and was staring at our Father's body with a look of complete shock and heartache on his face.
"He would have turned…" Caleb spoke quietly, his bottom lip quivering as he forced himself to turn away.
"The military said to disinfect! He wouldn't of-"
"He was bit Mom!" Caleb had angrily turned towards her now as his eyes were ablaze with emotion, "He would have turned into one of those things!"
"She didn't have to kill him!"
"What other choice did she have?!"
"Just go!" My Mother had glanced at me and Caleb as she knelt down next to my Father's body.
"I have nothing more to say to either of you."
My eyes filled with tears as I reached out towards her, "Mom, please…"
"Don't touch me!" She screeched out the words as her body turned away from me, "Leave!"
Caleb angrily touched my arm as he shot my Mother a look, "We should go Tess…"
I started to sob as Caleb had to pull me away and to the car as he carefully helped me in before getting into the driver's seat.
"It's not your fault!"
Shaking my head, I let the tears slowly run down my cheeks as I remained silent.
"Tessa? Mom doesn't really blame you-"
"I killed him Caleb…" I kept my gaze focused on the window pane as I struggled to handle what had just happened.
I heard him curse under his breath as he slammed on the breaks, turning to face me as the car stopped.
"She was out of her mind! You know that Dad wouldn't have wanted to end up like those things! He wanted you to end his suffering Tess and you did it! I'd want you to do the same for me!"
My sobs got louder as the last semblance of control that I had withered away at his words, as I buried my head in my hands and let loose all of the pain and suffering that had been building up since all of this had started.
-+-
[HERSCHEL'S FARMHOUSE|TWO MONTHS INTO OUTBREAK]
The minute I had stepped foot outside of the farmhouse I could feel the warm summer air hitting my skin and spreading warmth through me that relaxed my soul.
It had been so long since I had come across any type of beauty that hadn't been tainted by the smell of decaying flesh or the sight of dead bodies.
A smile lifted my lips upwards at the view.
"You must be Tessa?"
I turned at the voice as I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion at seeing a man standing behind me with a friendly smile on his face.
"Yes…are you Rick?"
The man nodded as he gestured to my side where a thin vest top was covering the dressing of my wound that stretched from underneath by breastbone to my hip.
"How are you feeling? I have to admit that I wasn't expecting you to be up and walkin' yet…"
I chuckled lightly, "I'm a fighter…" Trailing off I then cleared my throat to say awkwardly, "I wanted to thank you and your group for saving my life."
Rick shook his head with a smile, "It was Daryl who found you and brought you here Tessa, we just wanted you to pull through okay."
I returned his smile, "I want to thank Daryl…my memory is still hazy but I know that I didn't exactly look inconspicuous with blood all over me. Not many people would have taken a chance."
At my words Rick's hand had come out to comfortingly squeeze my shoulder, "You were hurt and we help those who need it. The world may have changed, but we don't."
I couldn't help the smile that was tugging at my lips as I nodded, "Thank you. Do you know where Daryl is?"
He gestured to where a man was coming out of the woods with numerous dead squirrels attached to his belt.
"We'll talk later? Shane wanted to meet with you…"
He then held out my bag to me as he nodded once before indicating that he was needed elsewhere.
I gratefully took my bag from his outstretched hand as I opened it cautiously, a feeling of intense relief washing over me at still seeing that the photograph of Caleb and me during last year's Spring Break was still there.
It was a crazy weekend of alcohol, fancy-dress and forgetting where we had left our other halves.
Those were the memories that I still needed to cling onto; I had to keep my sanity.
It was proving hard to work up enough courage to go over to the crossbow-wielding stranger who had saved my life.
He didn't impose a threat to me, but for some reason I found myself getting nervous.
"Excuse me? Daryl?!"
As soon as I had called out, his head turned my way and recognition spread across his features.
The more closer he came, the more my eyes couldn't divert themselves from focusing on the dead squirrels around his waist.
If I wasn't a vegetarian before, then I sure was now.
"Yeah?" He looked at me with a cautious look behind his eyes.
"Uhm…hi?" I cringed at sounding stupid as I smiled softly, "I can't remember if I said my name or not, but in case I didn't, it's Tessa."
"Hey…" He answered me back with a throaty tone as he chewed on his bottom lip.
"I wanted to say thank you for saving me. I'm not staying, but if there's anything that I can do-"
"You ain't stayin'?" He looked annoyed, "You ain't healed!"
"I can't use up any more of your supplies! I will give Herschel as much of my supplies as he wants and you…I was going to offer you a few cans of fruit but…" I trailed off and indicated to the animals before answering his confused expression with, "I'm a vegetarian. But the offer is still there."
He scoffed gently but I could have sworn that I saw a smile briefly touch his lips, "Don't need nothin' for helpin' you…"
Shock visibly spread across my features at hearing him turn it down, before I blushed at thinking that he might have been insulted at my offer, "Okay, that was a pretty crap offer…meds?"
He shook his head, "Just stay, heal."
I bit onto my bottom lip in shock and confusion at him not wanting payment as I then smiled, "Okay, I'll stay here until I've worked it off."
A strange expression of relief overcame his features as he then indicated to where others from his group were eating, "You hungry?"
I smiled, "Starving actually…"
-+-
[THE PRISON]
I awoke to the sound of arguing and yelling as confusion caused my mind to remain muddled.
Sleep still had its hold over me and for a moment I was confused over where I actually was.
Then it dawned on me.
Coughing, I quickly placed my hand over my mouth as I sat up in the bed, listening to the angry voices not far from where I was put.
Karen and David were put in a different cell away from me as they were showing signs of their symptoms being more severe earlier.
Rick had visited me earlier, filling me in on other situations around the prison, but by the sound of things, people were getting more sicker as the hours went by.
Suddenly the door to my cell flew open as Daryl was standing in the doorway looking relieved, his eyes wide and his hands gripping onto the door frame.
"Daryl-"
"Tessa! You okay?"
"Yes, I-"
"Karen and David, they…" He trailed off as I could see the pain clearly on his face.
"Oh my God…" I quickly burst up and ran out of my cell, looking into the one next to me.
I don't know what I was expecting to see, but I definitely wasn't expecting what I did see.
Blood was everywhere.
All over the sheets, staining the pillows, as well as two massive trails that led out to the yard.
"Tessa!" I could hear Daryl behind me but I couldn't stop myself from following the trail as I didn't have to go far to see the reason why he was so shocked and worried.
Gasping, I froze in place as I stared in horror at the burned corpses in front of me, before my eyes lifted up to where Rick was looking at me with a mixture of relief and sadness on his face.
Daryl had come up behind me and was trying to pull me away to block my view.
Only, it didn't matter.
The bodies were one part of the devastation, the other was the silent sobbing of Tyreese who was still clutching a bunch of flowers in his hand.