Chapter 2: The Stars
It was starting to get dark when I reached the farm. The fire was already burning. I walked to my tent, feeling everybody's eyes on my back. I entered my tent and collapsed onto the ground, not realizing how exhausted I was. My thoughts once again wandered to Sophia. I wanted to punch somebody, something. I wanted to do anything to prevent her from getting into my mind again. I was so sick of seeing her everywhere. The guilt was eating me alive. I laid in my tent, just feeling anger bubbling inside of me.
After about an hour, I knew I wasn't going to be sleeping any time soon. I emerged from the tent, the sky now a deep blue. The stars were just starting to appear. I looked up at them, remembering the nights when I'd sit out on my roof, just staring up at them for hours. That is, until Merle would find me. I didn't want to think about him almost as much as I didn't want to think about Sophia. I snapped out of my thought cloud, and walked over to the fire.
"Daryl? Do you want some dinner?" Lori asked.
"I'm not hungry," I muttered, but my stomach told me otherwise.
"Suit yourself…" Her voice had a matter-of-fact tone to it.
Subconsciously, I found myself scanning the group for Carol. My eyes flicked to her. She was sitting across from me, her gaze cast into the fire. She slowly picked up her head. I found myself staring into her eyes again. Later on, I would deny it, but I had never seen a woman look so beautiful. Maybe I was just being stupid. I don't know. But the stars were casting shadows on her face, yet all of her features were being traced by the light from the fire. The corners of her mouth twisted into a smile, I felt mine starting to do the same. Stop that. You're weak. You don't need her. Merle's voice echoed in the back of my mind. I felt my face go blank. I'd forgotten about both my brother and Sophia in that tiny moment.
I don't know what exactly happened in those next few minutes. My head started to throb. That had been happening often, so I didn't pay much attention to it. But then my ears started to ring, and my legs went numb. All of a sudden, something hard bashed the back of my head, and my hearing vanished. I was lying on the floor, looking at the stars. They looked so beautiful that night against the dark blue sky. Lori rushed to me, with Carol tailing behind her. Their mouths were moving, but I couldn't hear a thing. Glenn followed Andrea, and soon everybody was around me, their faces looking panicked. All of their mouths were moving, and they all looked afraid. I didn't understand why. But then I realized that is was my turn to be afraid.
Among them, were Sophia and Merle. Sophia looked down at me, her face glowing, her cheeks pink. She smiled. Merle was standing next to her, glaring at me.
"Come on, little brother." He said. "Get your ass on up."
But I couldn't move. I couldn't tell if I was happy or upset or afraid that he was there with me. Maybe all of the above. All I could do was look at him and Sophia.
"Daryl, come with us." Sophia said. Her voice was like a song in my ears. She looked at me and outstretched her hand. "Come on, I'll help you up."
I reached my hand up to hold hers, but she and Merle disappeared into the stars above me. I reached for them.
"Merle… Sophia…" I choked out, my throat closing. "Come back. Take me with you."
I felt sudden pains in my head and face. The expressions of the people around me looked even more frightened then before. I felt my arms drop to my sides. My vision blurred. I felt two hands on my face as I drifted into a peaceful darkness.