MONTAGE! Okay I've added a song "In The Woods Somewhere" by Hozier who has had music featured on the show. This song is pretty much an inspiration for the title in a sense but also because, if you haven't figured it out, everything kinda happens in the woods with Daryl and Tessa... somewhere. I know, perfect setting for these two, right? Listen to the song while reading at the indicated point, read it then play the song and revision the scenes happening, I don't care, but its actually quite chilling when I envision and listen to it. ENJOY!
Back at the house, Michonne sits in the living room on edge thinking about everything Tessa just told her. Her guard is up, her mind is racing, she is conflicted on what to do. Her eyes flicker back and forward across the floor as if searching for the answer within it. Overwhelmed, Michonne jumps up and paces to release tension. Then, there is a knock at the door and she goes to open it. Torri is on the other side.
"Hey, Michonne," greets Torri. " Is Tessa around? I really need some help at the stock house."
Michonne stands strong as if blocking her from entering though Torri is not trying to.
"She is, but she's not allowed to come out right now," speaks Michonne firmly in a low tone. She rushes the conversation.
"Not allowed? What is she two?... What about Carl?"
"He's out with Rick tending to things."
"Well... what about you? Can you help me?"
"No. I'm tending to… something and Judith is asleep."
"And a lot of other people are busy, too," reply Torri a bit frustrated. "C'mon, I promise it'll take like... five minutes. Seven at most."
Michonne looks towards the stairs. Protecting Tessa is the only thing on her mind and dared to let Tessa know she was leaving the house. She hopes she doesn't know Torri is at the door.
"This stuff is heavy and I can't do it alone."
Giving in to her appeal, Michonne turns back to Torri.
"Alright!" snaps Michonne in a whisper. " Seven minutes tops."
She quietly closes the door and they rush to the stock house. Peering out the window upstairs, Tessa watches as her cousin and Torri goes swiftly down the street to the stock house. She waste no time.
Thunder is roaring as the grayish dark clouds makes way towards the community. At Aaron's house, Carol is inside the open garage watching Daryl fix on his bike. She stands back but occasionally hands him tools or takes them as he gives them to her.
"You were just fixing it a while back. What's wrong with it now?" ask Carol
Daryl drops a tool to the ground and pulls a part off the bike. Showing it to her he explains.
"Speaking English to you...," starts Daryl because if he were to explain the technicalities she probably wouldn't understand. "One of the main components was only gonna last me a while longer. It got a bit more juice but I won't risk taking it out for nothing. Not until I find a good replacement. I've been looking for a while now. "
Daryl puts the burned-out part back on the bike.
"Well, you can look cool in a pickup truck until then," tease Carol.
"Tsh…Yeah right."
He gets up and pulls his red rag from his back pocket to wipe his hands. Carol glance to the sky.
"Well, those clouds are coming pretty fast. Come over and get some lunch before the rain pours. I made more cookies, too."
Carol smiles and heads off in the direction of her home.
"Alright. I'll be over," Daryl grins stuffing the rag back in his pocket.
As he watch Carol leave, he looks out into the community to see Michonne and Torri in the distance walking swiftly to the stock house. He doesn't think anything of it and carry on with his business. Daryl picks up the last few tools before pushing the button to close the garage door and goes into Aaron's house.
DARKNESS.
Darkness... more peaceful than light. In darkness you can see nothing but in the light you can everything. The good, the bad, the ugly…. At least that's what her Grandmother once said and she's right. Darkness. This is what Tessa choose. Everything goes away. There is nothing worth seeing anymore. She doesn't get to choose her future, her fate is already written. Everything she was or ever will be- gone.
Just yesteryears, Tessa was like any other young adult. She was a college student, experiencing new things in life, achieving goals and chasing dreams, developing a social life and love one. Now she finds herself figuring out life a whole new way. Running, hiding and for what? Just to breathe the dyeing stench of the world? Tessa is alive but she isn't living. Her dreams of having a good job, traveling the world and experiencing new things, having fun in life and hopefully finding that lover to share life's joys with was now non- existent.
A deep exhale and Tessa opens her eyes….
Deep in the dark green forest, a few dead Walkers are scattered around the cabin in attempts to mask her living scent from those roaming the woods. Even if the bodies attract the curiosity of the living, they are her best defense against the dead uncontrollable creatures. Tessa sits on the porch of a small, rugged cabin looking out into the woods at the first drops of the rain falling through the canopy.
{Music Selection: "In The Woods Somewhere" by Hozier}
Tessa sits on the wood railing of the cabin's small, rugged porch looking out into the woods at the first drops of the rain falling through the canopy. She reflects on the choice she has made to leave Alexandria. In a sense, she's regrets it yet is satisfied in her decision. "The more who die, the more we live." She goes inside just as the rain showers down.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Back at Alexandria, Daryl sits on the porch of Carol and Morgan's home smoking a cigarette and tending to his crossbow until suddenly, he stops. A chilling feeling comes over him and he glare out at the now pouring rain. This feeling, as if something is about to happen, tugs at his mind yet he remains subtle about it. He nonchalantly gets up and tosses the cigarette out into the rain. The Archer takes his crossbow and goes inside.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Michonne enters their house lightly damped from the rain. Lucky for her, she was half way back to the house when it started though she ran all the way before then with one agenda on her mind.
"Tessa?... Tessa!" calls Michonne running up the stairs.
No response. Upon opening the bedroom door she discovers that Tessa is gone. Michonne immediatly notices a few things missing that could be essential to survival like the TV cord for tying things shut, hand mirror, hygiene, etc. But on the night stand, is the photo from her boot. Her breathing increase with nervous energy as she picks it up. Thunder softly roar and Judith cries from the other room. Michonne drops the photo in a panic and storms out of the room.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Humidity sets in in the thick growth of the dark green forest after a few drizzles of rain. Lurking through the woods, the three men Bill, Phil and Dan scout for their query. Phil, the tracker, sees a hot clue of disturbed vegetation forming a faint trail. He whistles to the other two and nudges his head in the direction.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Carol opens the door with a pleasant smile upon seeing Michonne who holds Judith under a poncho. Carol's smile sinks as The Samurai speaks some concerning words. Hearing a panicked voice, Daryl and Morgan approaches the door from the room over to see Michonne's worried expression. Carol invites her in and closes the door.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
In the small cabin, a TV cord is tied around a piece of furniture connecting to the front door knob to stall entry. Tessa sits on the floor in the center of the cabin sharpening her knife when she hears a noise. Heart pounding, she readies herself and crouch down next to the window to peek outside. It is only a Walker but in the distant trees she notices movement. Movement of the living. Tessa swiftly gathers her belongings and bolts out the back door.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Carol holds Judith for Michonne as they listen to her explain the situation with Tessa. Of the three, Daryl seems the most concerned. His frown deepens as the details become heavy.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The three men now position themselves outside the door. Dan and Phil are on both sides waiting for Bill to kick it in. Due to the cord around the knob, it takes a couple of kicks until finally the door gives way, cracking halfway off the frame. Through the clutter of mess they examine every corner of the cabin and even though it seemed like finding a needle in a hay stack, Phil picks up the trail again and they head out the back door.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Tessa runs through the woods avoiding Walkers that reach for her whenever possible. One grabs her by the overshirt but she rips away and continues on with a narrow escape. The mud makes it somewhat of a challenge but she jumps over fallen logs, nearly slips on pine cones/needles and even splash into fresh, muddy puddles but she dare to stop until there is a fair amount of distance between her and the men.
DARYL (Voice Over)
How long ago?
MICHONNE (Voice Over)
It couldn't have been long. But she told me something else...
Tessa finally stops behind a tree and catches her breath. Chest heaving, she rears her head back on the trunk and gently close her eyes for a moment. Darkness. That moment of peace...
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Urgency in his steps, Daryl bolts past the women and out the door with his crossbow at hand. Carol assures Michonne as Morgan follows Daryl out.
"I'll gather who I can while you get the head start!" shouts Morgan running down the street with his Bow Staff.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Recuperated, Tessa quickly checks her bag for a few items. Inside is her take-down Vista Sage Recurve bow and other survival items. Putting it back on she runs off through the trees.
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The roar of a motorcycle's engine fills the community as Daryl immediately cranks up and rides to the gates. Upon seeing him approach, the Keeper waste no time opening them allowing Daryl to go straight through. The keeper looks on after him knowing that something is happening.
Determination fills every essence of his being as he races down the winding countryside road to a suspected destination.
Daryl has lost so much and so many… more than what he's gained. For what he has gained, he is willing to hold on to and fight for including Tessa. He has grieved over to many important females throughout his life. His Mom, Sophia, Beth, Denise and nearly Carol (THREE TIMES) to allow this cycle to continue. Daryl isn't just saving some girl or Michonne's cousin but he's unknowingly saving his future.
{ Music Ends}
Night has fallen and Morgan, Rosita, Sasha and Abraham are sitting around the dimly lit firepit.
"She may be long gone by now or maybe not even in these parts," claim Rosita.
"Daryl has reason to believe she is. We will find her," says Morgan staring wisely into the fire.
"Where is he now?"
"In the RV resting up," explains Sasha. "He wants to get an early start tomorrow."
Abraham strokes his mustache in thought trying to piece together what he knows of the situation and what he's heard. He turns to Morgan.
"We set out so fast it didn't even cross my mind. Morgan, do you want to fill us in on exactly how deep of a shit puddle Tessa has gotten herself into?"
They sit quietly. The three of them expecting Morgan to answer but he just continues to stare into the flames.
"Do you even know?" ask Abraham again.
Morgan calmly inhales.
"From what I know, it's nothing she's gotten into but something she was already in. However deep that is... we all are in it now." Confess Morgan finally breaking his gaze with the fire.
An eerie silence hang the air. Nothing but the crackle of the firepit is heard as everyone ponders his words.
"Sounds like we're up for somethin' real heavy," says Abraham.
"Let's not jump to conclusion. We'll find Tessa and hear it from her. Til then, we should all get some sleep or we'll just be lagging behind Daryl tomorrow," says Sasha getting up and walking off to get ready for bed.
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
In the RV, Daryl lie wide awake in the grayish dark space on his back in the bunk bed. He tried sleeping but anxiety pumps through his veins at such a speed it made him want to just fight bears since Morgan has talked him out of searching for Tessa tonight. In the dark, they would just be tripping over themselves and greatly decrease their safety.
Daryl has lived this chapter before only this time the girl he is after chose to leave and for a reason any man should be pissed over. All he could do was force himself to sleep. Daryl rolls over on his side and closes his eyes. Upon doing so he realize... "Why am I even doing this?" Is it simply because Tessa is Michonne's cousin that he feels such dedication to this mission? After all, it was Michonne that lead him back to his brother, Merle. Perhaps this is a chance to repay the favor and reunite Michonne with her only living relative.
Or maybe, since all the conflict has died down, Daryl Dixon just doesn't have anything else to do with his time. Possibly, his willingness to go after Tessa is for a reason he feels but can't admit nor understand. Whatever the reason, Tessa has to come back and he was going to be sure of that. She belonged there in Alexandria.
Daryl reflects on all the things she adds to the community. Through her secretive lifestyle, he could see that Tessa has a high respect for herself and she's not afraid to call things how she see it. After the conversations, he knows this girl had a lot to live for in her previous life and still does. Tessa had drive, ambition and goals something he never thought to explore whilst living in the shadow of his brother. That kind of devotion, encouraged him to reach for something though he's not quite sure what yet.
Tessa's aura is as mighty as a lion, being opportunistic and fierce yet her spirit as free and gentle as a bird. She is perfectly capable of providing for herself and her strong persona proves that she doesn't need a man for protection which makes Daryl, in a strange way, want to protect her. Stupid right?
Even so, she couldn't be strong all by herself. Tessa needs their help and this time Daryl is willing to aggressively defend.
Michonne wearisomely looks out the living room window watching for a hopeful return. Rick obverses her from a distance for a bit. He's never seen her so on edge like this. Usually when there is something on his mind, Michonne eases his worries. He can only hope to do the same for her. Rick quietly approaches her from behind.
"Hey… " he calls to her gently. "You should get some sleep. I'll keep watch for them."
Eyes still glued to the window, Michonne casually ignores his request.
"I should be out there," she whispers just loud enough for him to hear.
"Well, you can't be two places at once. If she comes back you need to be here. If she doesn't, Daryl and the other's will find her. He will," assures Rick now messaging her shoulders. Michonne just sits still feeling numb.
"And when he finds her... can he bring her back? Tessa's not the most cooperative when she's set to something."
"Yeah. I can tell…." sighs Rick. "Go, get some rest. If we don't hear word from him by tomorrow, I'll send out another party. "
He leans over to kiss her on the forehead.
Michonne ponders this thought for a moment. She can live with that for the night as long as she is apart of that search party in the morning.
"Okay. But I'm going with them."
Rick nods.
"Alright… but only if you're well rested."
Michonne slightly smiles and gets up. Once she is out of sight, Rick turns to the window.
Thanks for reading!