It was closer to one in morning, and the night sky sparkled with stars. The sounds of the fire and the distant cicadas surrounding the little camp. No one was talking all too tired to strike up a conversation. Zoey pulled her thick waves over her shoulders running her fingers through the ends of it. Sighing heavily she tosses the heavy strands back over her shoulders taking a quick glimpse towards the end of the drive way. There was no head lights but she thought she heard the groan of a vehicle off in the distance.
After she had fully relaxed back in her seat again the tree next to the group's fire she heard it again. Only this time she wasn't the only one who had heard it. Slowly the heads of those around her turned towards the newest noise, accompanied by a streak of light racing down the gravel road. She stood and walked towards the old blue truck as it sped past everyone. It skidded to a halt next the front steps of the farm house. Shane jumped out pulling two bags out with him.
Zoey took notice of the missing man that had left with Shane. With a frown she watched as Hershel and Rick threw open the screen door in a hurry to reach the outside. The old farmer help Rick grab the items while at the same time looking over the truck. "Where is Otis?" he asked removing his eyes from the truck and placing them back on Shane. The other man looked down at the ground and frowned a look a guilt was set in the corners of his mouth. "He didn't make it." He announced before dragging his hands down his face.
Hershel gave instructions not to tell the man's wife until after they performed the surgery. The older man ushered those who were going to be needed back into the house. Zoey watched Shane closely as he sat on the front sets, his head in his hands. A large hand landed on her shoulder. She looked over and Daryl stood there looking at her. With a nod of his head, "come on we have a long day tomorrow. The kid is in good hands and they got what they need now." Zoey nodded and followed behind her brother.
The next morning Zoey was awoken with a nudging to her legs. She rolled over sitting up slowly sitting up noticing the faint light that was peaking though the tent. With a nod to assure her brother that she was awake she crawled out of the tent grabbing her boots. With a final kick to ensure they were on comfortably she stretched pulling her hands into the air and pulling herself up to her tippy toes. Once she was all stretched out she took a step forward guiding herself towards the smell of food. Without any wasted time Glenn handed her a small plate filled with the remnants of what looked like spam and some powdered eggs. Zoey gratefully scarfed it down.
Just as everyone finished their breakfast Rick emerged from the house. He looked relieved, not as tense. When he reached the group camped out in the front yard, he announced that Carl was doing much better. He called Daryl and Tdog over to the hood of SUV, a map in hand. Apparently Hershel had given them a map of the area, giving them a better idea of where they were headed.
Hershel appeared then insisting on Rick resting as much as possible, he had given too much blood. He wouldn't make it more than a mile before passing out. Daryl took it upon himself to speak up then. "Then me and Zoey can take this area and search for her." He pointed to a spot on the map and hovered his finger about an area. "Good, just make sure you guys stay in sight of each other." Rick said throwing a glance over at Zoey to make sure she was listening. With a nod Zoey smiled and turned and went to retrieve their weapons.
Within an hour Daryl and Zoey were walking next to a creak keeping a close watch on the ground. Zoey had split off about a hundred yards off from where he was standing. He still could see her hair around the branches of the trees, giving him a good idea if she needed help at all. Glancing up his watch has her head bobbed up and down around the different shrubs. He smiled when his thoughts turned to their mother, Zoey was the spitting image of the women. Their mother had wavy red hair but nowhere near the shade that Zoey possessed. Her eyes were the same color that Daryl and Zoey both had and Zoey was just as short. His sister held the same compassion in her heart as the mother did as well but Daryl had even noticed a bit of the old man's hardness and cruelty. This was what made Zoey so compassionate and loving, but also made her violently protective of those she called hers. Her family her friends, and allies.
Daryl had noticed though that his sister was able to balance her anger a lot better than their old man had. Hopeful it stayed that way, Daryl didn't know if he would be able to handle her losing her sanity. He frowned, how many times had he taken the belt for his little sister when the old man came after her. How many times had Merle stepped in for himself, before he left? Huffing a sigh he shook the memories out of the fore front of his mind and focused back on the ground. That's when he spotted it.
Zoey heard Daryl whistle from her right. Turning to look she saw him waving her over pointing to the ground. She jogged over holding her bow to her side. When she reached him and looked down at the fern there at his feet. Under the little plant sticking out from the edges of the leaves was a tiny shoe print, far too small to be anyone at the camps. Zoey smiled and looked up at her brother, he nodded and headed in the direction of the toe print was headed.
She trailed behind Daryl looking for any hint that she veered off in any directions. She crisscrossed back and forth over the trail making sure that she didn't step on any of the track. An opening in the trees made her pick up her pace to stay with her brother. When the trees gave way to a clearing she spotted an older building. The windows were long boarded up and the front porch looked like it might give way.
She watched as Daryl took a hesitant step onto the rotting steps. The boards swayed and bent in the middle under his weight but it didn't break. Zoey waited for him to reach the top before she followed him up and into the building. It was defiantly a house, once in the house it was like walking into the front room of a house. Stairs to the front of them and a kitchen to their right. A sparsely put together front room to the left. A scuffling noise from the upstairs was where they took a look first.
Daryl took point, his cross bow raised. Zoey stood to the side of the upstairs door counting down on her fingers. Once she reached zero she flung the door open and backed down stair just in case. The twang of her brother's crossbow was barely noticeable to the sound of the walker falling to the floor. Daryl cautiously stepped into the room his cross bow reloaded and still at the ready. There was only one walker was in the room.
Zoey exited the room and made her way back down the stairs and began looking through the meager set up of the front room. Her brother made his way into the kitchen behind her. She heard cupboards opening then the pantry. "Hey, come here." His gruff voice echoed out of the kitchen. Zoey turned around and walked out of the front room. Rounding the corner she peered into the pantry door and there in the bottom was a blanket and a pillow. Her eyes lit up and she looked at Daryl who was smirking with a nod he closed the door and headed for the front door.
Once outside both of them set off around the house looking for any sign of where she could have headed after that. Several different trails were coming and going from the building giving the sibling hope that the little girl could be close.
Daryl caught Zoey's attention and walked over to her. "I am going to follow the newest trail off over there. I want you to wait here until I get back. Just in case." He said eyeing the woods closely. Zoey nodded and with a quick movement told him to be careful. With a determined set to his shoulders she watched as he wondered off.
Daryl followed the tracks into the woods. It didn't look like the child was in a hurry either. He was hoping she hadn't gone too far out. He passed a berry bush where it seemed she spent some time around. So he circled it a moment and finding where she went in the direction that was a slightly heading back in the direction of the building. With a smile he followed it off. She couldn't have been more than an hour ahead of him.
Another ten minutes and Daryl heard the gurgle and growl from a couple of walkers up ahead. He ducked down hiding next a tree peering around to check whether he could see them or not. And sure enough up ahead were three corpses lunging at a tree trying to reach something in its branches. Taking a deep breathe he pulled his cross bow up and stepped around the tree shoot the closest one in the back of the head, effectively gaining the attention of the rest. They tuned on him grunting and growling with their slow gate making their way towards him.
Having no time to reload he pulled his hunting knife when the first one reach him he ducked back around a tree stabbing it in the side of the head as it reached for him. Pulling it out roughly he dodged around the tree again taking the last one out head on shoving the knife into the walker's eye socket, watching it fall to the ground. With one last look at the corpses he made his way to the tree to check it out.
Zoey waited impatiently pacing around the house making sure she had it all cover just in case. It had been at least forty-five minutes and nothing had stirred in the forest. Some bird calls bounced off the trees making her feel a little better about her surroundings. She was becoming restless and was beginning to wish Daryl would hurry it up or at least an animal would come by so she could try and get it.
She had circled the house another couple of times finally stopping in front of a bush of flowers. If she remembered it correctly Daryl had said it was a Cherokee rose. She didn't remember when she had heard him tell her that, but she remembered it was his voice that was saying it.
This flower brought memories back of how her brothers and she had lived with their parents. She didn't remember her mother that much she had died when she was like three, but sometimes she could see her face smiley sadly at her. Her father was a gruff man, in personality and features. A tall man with strong set jaw and mean eyes. Merle was almost exactly like their father, although he didn't take his attitude out on Daryl, and yes she had started many of their fights but she found she missed that big jackass.
She took a deep breath hoping to relief of her memories. She reached up and softly rubbed her hand down her throat feeling the scar that sat there. Frowning up at the sky she reach behind her to the belt loop she had stuck her arrows in and pulled one out. Notching it in her bow she walked back around the house. She was walking the clearing branching away from the house telling herself she wasn't going to leave the clearing or the sight of the house. Reaching the spot where her brother had disappeared in she stopped and stared hoping to catch sight of him coming back. She didn't let herself hope that maybe he found the little girl that everyone was praying would still be alive. Even she was losing hope that they would find Sofia alive or even at all. She had been gone far too long for her and even in the world where the dead didn't walk around trying to chew on you the hopes of finding her was getting slim.
She caught movement off to her right pushing the leaves around. She pulled her bow up and dew the string back. Taking a deep breath preparing for the worst but she was cautious because Daryl hadn't returned. She knew better than to shoot before she saw her target clearly. When the branches moved again she caught sight of her brother and she released the tension in the string. Taking a deep breath she shifted her weight onto to one foot and smiled. When he got closer she noticed that he seemed to be carrying something heavy but the trees were still in the way so she couldn't make out what. Maybe it was a deer.
Then she saw it and it wasn't a deer. It was small and the top of its head had blond hair sticking out all over the place. She placed her hand over her mouth and moved towards him before breaking onto a run.