Back by semi-popular demand!
Just like before, I claim no ownership! Though I do own a Lego Daryl mini figure.
If you have any thoughts, notice a misspelling or anything, drop me a review. Without reviews I am basically left to assume someone is actually reading this...
What Would Daryl Do, Part 2 Conversation
"Slow down..." Carol lifted her eyes from the atlas open in her lap. Sam had been driving since first light that morning. "See that?" she gestured ahead.
"What?" Sam slowed the car and looked around.
"That road. Its not on the map."
"And..." Sam prompted.
"And we're going that way."
"Why?"
"A good feeling. Daryl says to listen to your gut, my gut says turn" Carol said.
"This Daryl must have been pretty special..." Sam was fishing for conversation, she hadn't been talking much that morning, and the long silent stretches made him uncomfortable.
"You've got that right" Carol smiled.
"So... Who was he?" Sam slowly turned on the road Carol had pointed out.
"Just a friend." Carol sighed slightly,"My best friend"
"Bull Shit! You wanted him! I can read it all over you with the whispy voice and look at how much you are blushing!" Sam laughed good-naturedly.
"We weren't like that," Carol's cheeks burned in embarrassment.
"Ok. So tell me how you were then? Prove that you weren't lying awake at night pining away for this guy." Sam continued to grin at her, slowing the car so that he could watch her while they chatted.
"What can I say?" she started, "He is kind hearted, but doesn't want anyone to know that. He almost dies searching for my daughter when she went missing. He is built for this world, he hunts, tracks, heck, he taught me everything I know."
"And he's dreamy" Sam joked.
"Ok, true, it doesn't hurt that he is really quite attractive..." She trailed off.
"But you never told him how you feel?" Sam asked.
"No! I couldn't possibly tell him. It wouldn't go well."
"You know, I told Ana every single day how I felt. I didn't want her to ever wonder, you know, if something ever happened to me? She told me everyday too. I know she's gone, but at least we had our time together, right? You should have told him, what if he felt the same?" he shook his head.
"You don't understand, we are both too broken." Carol sadly smiled at this kid trying to help her.
"That is a ridiculous excuse. You're just a chicken. Bad ass lady can kick the dead's ass, but feelings? Yikes! Too much!"
"How old are you?" Carol tried to change the subject.
"Twenty-seven. Ana was only twenty. Doesn't matter, we weren't too scared to find a little bright spot in this dark as hell world."
"Fine." she paused to gather some strength,"You are right. Fear has everything to do with it. I was too afraid to get hurt again, but it is over any way. I can never go back there, he'll never find me, he'll never know." Carol swiped at her eyes as a single tear threatened to fall.
Turning back to the road and speeding up slightly Sam asked "Do you have any siblings?"
"No, why?"
"Open road, trunk full of supplies, no destination in mind. It's the perfect opportunity for Twenty Questions. Since it is you and me against the world, might as well get to know each other" he flashed her a bright grin.
"Then, it's your turn. Do you have siblings?"
"Three brothers, all older. Don't know what happened to any of 'em. I got through to Marc once at the beginning. He said that they were all meeting at my uncle's, but I'll never know really. Its not like I can get back to Cleveland that easily. Your turn, Biggest Regret."
"Well,.. uh.. I guess you are starting with a heavy question... I guess staying with Ed after having Sophia. I kept telling myself he would change, if I was a better wife, if I cook better, clean better, be better, then it would get better. Definitely a mistake." Carol took a deep breath, it actually felt really good to get all of this off her chest, "Parents?"
"Yup. I had 'em" Sam laughed breaking the tension left from the last question.
"You know what I mean. What were they like?" she laughed with him at his dumb joke.
"Mom was a total bad ass. She had to be to deal with the four of us boys growing up. Dad died when I was four. Drunk blindsided him."
Carol reached her hand over to his arm, "I'm so sorry."
Shrugging slightly, "I don't really even remember him, just stories, you know?"
He smiled to himself, "Lets go back to simple. Favorite ice cream?"
"Easy. Butter Pecan. Once I found it with cashews in it too, and damn was that good, you?" Carol answered.
"Mint Chocolate Chip. Covered in hot fudge. Favorite color?"Sam asked.
"Deep red. Ed always said I looked like a hussy in red. I always thought it looked good. It sort of became a forbidden fruit of sorts. Now, I want everything in red. Stupid, right?"
"Nope. We'll find you tons of red stuff. Red shirts, jackets, jeans, boots. You'll look crazy, and it will be awesome." Sam laughed.
"STOP!" Carol yelled.
"What?" Sam swiveled back and forth in his seat looking for what abruptly ended their fun.
"Oh, Gosh, I'm sorry, just look!" She pointed off the road to an over grown bramble of Cherokee Roses.
"Yup, flowers. Great reason to scare the hell out of me." Sam shook his head in disbelief.
"Hang on" she quickly jumped out of the car and jogged over to the bush and shoved some aside, pricking herself in the process, revealing a wooden sign 'CHEROKEE COUNTY ANTIQUE MALL 2 MILES'. "Can you imagine what might be there? It could be a treasure trove for the end of the world!"
"Good eye! Let's get move on, we'll be there before we have set up camp."
Plucking one of the roses and slipping it in her breast pocket, "Thanks Daryl" she whispered.