Chapter 5
A tattered looking man stumbled out of the undergrowth. He was alive but clutching his shoulder. He winced and groaned as his arm swung limp at his side. Daryl put himself between the stranger and Beth, crossbow aimed and ready. "Please, please…!" the man began to sob, his complexion was deathly and drawn. "I, I need to find my wife!" he went in desperation. "You bit?" Daryl asked harshly. The man nodded, broken. His knees gave way as tears ran down his dirty face. "When?" Daryl challenged again. "Last night, a herd overran our camp, my wife ran into the woods this way. I, I tried, to protect her, but…"
In the ensuing silence only punctuated by hopeless sobs Beth had a distinctive sinking feeling. She considered the body on the edge of the forest. 'Could it be?' she asked herself. There was no way of knowing and by the look of him, the man was close to death. "I'm going to turn aren't I?" he whispered. Beth rushed forward, crouching next to him and looking him in the eye. "We'll stay with you until its time." She said quietly. Daryl relaxed, lowering his crossbow. But he stood close to her, just in case. "What's your name sir?" she asked. "G-Greg." He replied, wheezing in pain. Greg looked up at Daryl and addressed him shakily. "You're really lucky man, this girl is something special." Daryl shifted where he stood, looking extremely uncomfortable. The soft spot Beth had opened up inside him suddenly felt immense pressure. 'Is that how it looks from the outside?' he thought, not being able to believe someone saw him as good enough for her. He wondered how she felt about it, probably embarrassed. A knot twisted in his stomach.
Knowing he was in his final moments Beth held Greg's hand, she couldn't look up, her cheeks felt red hot. The idea of Daryl being hers was overwhelming. Butterflies unfurled their violently beating wings in her abdomen, snuffed out by the realisation that nothing like that would ever happen between them. Her chest ached. She stared at the ground. In her distraction she'd barely noticed Greg had slumped forward. She checked his pulse. Nothing. He was dead. Finally looking up at Daryl he saw the request in her eyes, she didn't want to do it. He stepped forward and stabbed the man through the eye socket. 'Poor motherfucker.' He mused sadly. He was used to being a hunter, and used to things being ugly, but he'd never accept himself as a killer. He was just doin' what needed to be done, these monsters weren't even alive. Trying to convince himself that he'd spared Greg of becoming a waking nightmare he led Beth onwards toward the road.
When they came out on the other side of the woods bright sunlight greeted them. A warm breeze caressed Beth's pale skin, soothing her a little. She watched as damp tendrils of Daryl's hair flittered very slightly. He noticed her gaze. She turned away and walked towards some little buildings. Just as he'd said, over the road were a collection of small shops. The fronts were scruffy and unkempt. They made their way into an old convenience store. The inside smelled fusty, like the door hadn't been opened in years. Daryl immediately jumped over the counter and rifled the cash register. Beth rolled her eyes and smiled.
While gathering essentials she started to think about the days when she would go shopping with Maggie, years after her sister had returned from college. She used to buy her a packet of her favourite chocolates every time, mostly out of guilt. It hurt to revisit those memories. But as she climbed to reach a top shelf scattered with a few dusty bottles of shampoo, she remembered how they'd laugh about the guys in Beth's classes. It seemed silly now, or maybe she'd just come to learn what a real man was.
Daryl came to find her, holding three guns and a plastic bag full of ammo in his fists. "You gone quiet." He edged, narrowing his eyes in concern. "Woah! Where did you get those?" she exclaimed. "These places always keep em behind the counter." He told her. Beth handed him the shampoo bottles and the other stuff she'd collected. "Is there anywhere to wash at the home?" she asked shyly. "Umm, yeah, first door I opened upstairs, nothin' special." He replied. "Good! Put all that in the bag." She said, imagining hot water running all over her. 'I love the country but dang my skin is dirty.' Beth thought with a shudder.
Daryl shoved the supplies into their back pack. He gulped, mustering some confidence. "Sure you're okay?" his deep voice gentler than usual. She turned to him, pursing her lips. Not knowing where to start. "I, I'm glad I'm not alone. I'm glad I have you." She said, blushing wildly. Emotion seemed to explode inside her. She threw herself against him and draped her arms around his strong neck. At first he didn't know whether to hug her back, but his arms slowly found their way around her waist. It felt warm and intimate somehow, he held her little body and for the first time he felt safe. They began to part, suddenly self conscious. As Beth moved Daryl's facial hair scratched her soft cheek, it tickled. She almost giggled. But the serious look in his blue eyes made her tense everywhere. Their lips lingered too close for comfort. She could taste his breath, it was sweet from the jelly he'd eaten that morning. They edged closer, neither wanting to back down. Daryl could feel her heart pounding against his chest. He wanted her, so badly. They'd barely touched and he was hard at the thought of it. She was so soft and innocent and feminine, part of him didn't want to ruin her. It would be like dropping a porcelain doll. He leaned forward, gently brushing his lips against hers. She moaned a little, tugging the hair at the nape of his neck. He couldn't do it, he couldn't destroy her like that. She immediately felt lost as he pulled back. In a daze and barely able to breath she followed him out of the store saying nothing.