Chapter Seven

The flames reached higher, begging to spread further. The blazing hot tower that used to be the barn stood still like a tower of dread. It used to mean shelter, that there was somewhere safe out in the hellish world, but now it meant damnation. It meant that they'd all have to start over again with nothing and find a new place to build a life. Emily watched it as it started to crumble, the walkers still staggering out of it. There was a soft rumble of an engine and Emily knew that it was time to leave. She wrapped her arms around Daryl's waist for balance as the bike drove away from her previous home.

In the short time she had stayed there, it had become like a home to her. Daryl was Aaron, her big brother who seemed to protect more than he could handle. Carol seemed to be her mother, always trying to help children. Emily thought that Carol was just making her a replacement for her daughter and Emily was okay with that. She wanted a mother figure now. Oddly enough, she still trusted Daryl. Emily wanted to believe that it was because he saved her but she knew deep down that it was because he was like Aaron.

A day or so ago, Emily wasn't keeping track of the time, the group had lost Dale. She had just started to warm up to the elderly man when suddenly he was gone, his stomach torn open by the hands of a demon. Emily enjoyed the company of the man for only a day. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it was like for everyone else, especially Andrea. She had learned that Andrea lost a sister and Dale was the only thing she had that was close to a family. Everyone seemed to have lost someone or something at camp except the Grimes'. Of course, Emily didn't hold that against them, but Lori seemed to take it for granted. Lori didn't watch over Carl as much as she should have, which was why she and the boy had escaped into the woods and ended up partly responsible for Dale's death, and Lori didn't seem to realize that just because her family was whole and Rick returned to her that she could lose them in a second.

Once they were far enough from the farm to even consider safe from the horde of walkers, Daryl pulled the bike over. Emily took herself out of her thoughts and released her grip on Daryl's waist. There was a moment of silence between them until Daryl spoke.

"Ya alright?" He questioned, staring ahead of him as if there was something to look at.

Emily snorted lightly and replied.

"Yeah. You?"

"I wouldn't be drivin' this damn thing if I was bit now would I?"

"Guess not."

Emily reached up to her face and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"We're alone." She looked to the right and behind her as if expecting someone to drive up. She felt hollow again, like she had just lost a second family. In a way, she had. If they were gone it would just be her and Daryl. Just like before with Aaron. God seemed to like to throw bad memories at you in times where you felt horrible. That's what it seemed like to Emily. "You think everyone else is alright?"

As she spoke, Daryl had his thumb in his mouth. Dirt from under his nails got in his mouth and he spit before saying anything back.

"Can only hope they are. It ain't in anyone's hands but there's."

What seemed like a minute turned into twenty minutes of waiting for someone. The duo had long since got off the bike and were sitting on the side of the road, hoping that someone would eventually turn up from the group. Emily knew that she and Daryl would be alright on their own, no matter how awkward that would be, but she just missed the others. They had become her surrogate family, something to fill the empty spot her blood relations used to lay, and she'd be damned if she was going to lose another family.

That seemed to be all Emily could think about as she lay on the ground, looking up at the dark night sky. She turned her head towards Daryl, who was carving yet another arrow out of a stick he found.

"See that one?" She said, pointing up, not quite caring if he was actually listening or not. "I think that's the Big Dipper. Probably isn't, though."

She could hear a slight chuckle come from him as she continued to look up. Her eyelids seemed to fall beyond her control and she slept for a good half an hour before daylight. She woke up to the rumble of the motorcycle engine. As her eyes slowly opened, she could make out the daylight. She had survived yet another day of Hell On Earth.

"Whatcha doin'?" Emily questioned. "Weren't you gonna wake me up before you left?"

"I wasn't goin' nowhere," Daryl said in return, sliding three makeshift arrows into the holder on his crossbow. "Yet, anyways. I was gonna wake you up, figured you needed the sleep."

The girl smirked and rubbed her eyes. She did need the sleep. She hadn't slept well since Dale died, full of worry that someone else was going to die any second. When she shook the thoughts of death off, her mind just seemed to remind her that those were completely rational thoughts and add more details to the already horrid daydreams and nightmares.

"Thanks." She told him. "But where are we going?"

"I figured that if anyone was in there right minds, they would've gone off to the highway. You didn't sleep as long as you think, it's been about half-hour or so, so if we get there now the others might already be there."

"Let's get moving, then."

Sorry I haven't been on here in a while! Lost my internet service for quite some time, it might go out again so I figured that I'd better get this typed.

A couple more things;

1) I've had terrible writer's block so that's why I had a time skip there. If I get inspiration, I might just type up and post those missing chapters. - 2) Sorry that this is a filler sorta chapter. It'll pick up next chapter.- and 3) sorry of this seems kind of rushed. It was. I wanted to get this up quickly so I could begin the next chapter for this.

Please review! It means a lot :D