"I'm telling ya, I've seen one!"

Daryl smacked his fist down on the hood of the truck, making us all jump.

"I'm sorry, what's a Chupacabra?" I asked, staring at Daryl incredulously.

"A kind of wolf that attacks goats and stuff. It's just folklore." Glenn smirked, causing Daryl to growl.

"Well whatever," Rick interrupted. "Can we concentrate on the search now please?" He asked, giving us all his best teacher impersonation.

He dished out our new search grids and cleverly gave us all coloured tags to pin up so we wouldn't all venture into each others areas.

"Any questions? Good. Okay, let's get ready."

We all separated and began preparing to get ready. I jogged to my tent and grabbed my bag, putting my jumper, spare ammunition and water in it. I slung it over my shoulder, grabbed the handgun and finally my machete.

I left the tent with a faint sense of dread and apprehension. I was getting more and more worried about what we were going to find out there.

I walked back over to the group as we said out goodbyes, each heading in our own respective areas.

I waved wearily to Alex and Helena who tentatively reciprocated the action, setting me on edge slightly. I shook it from my system and tried concentrating on the task at hand, walking quickly towards the trees. I was determined to get a lot of ground covered today.

The sound of grass being displaced behind to me as I walked across the field caused me to swing round, only to be faced with Daryl on horseback.

"Oh." Was all I said, turning back round to face where I was walking. He definitely meant business.

All of a sudden I felt extremely self-conscious. It was stupid really, but I could feel myself tensing. Why? I don't care what he thinks of me, good or bad.

Or maybe he's not focusing on you, and he's actually thinking about Sophia? Or Carol.

Shut up Sam.

I slowed slightly so we fell into step, waiting to see if he'd rear up and run away. He didn't, but merely slide to the side slightly, slowing the horse down a little.

I grasped the machete in my left and snugly and fiddled with the bits of cloth Rick gave me in my shorts pocket.

The silence was weird, but nice.

We reached the treeline, both following a worn path past the areas that we had checked the day before.

He clicked his tongue at the horse, commanding it to start going faster.

"Be careful." I called as he began to move away. Well, that didn't sound pathetic or anything.

"Ditto." He drawled, spurning the horse forward.

I felt the corners of my mouth prick slightly as I walked on, but I then focused, anxious to get looking.

I walked for around half an hour before I decided that I'd past where the group were searching the previous day.

I pulled out a piece of cloth from my pocket and searched the ground for a sharp stone. Finding one, I held the cloth up to a large tree and began hammering the sharp stone into the cloth with the hilt of my machete. Happy that it was going to stay there, I stood back and slowly sweeping the area.

I searched everywhere that a small girl would hide. Up low-branched trees, behind ridges, hollowed out trees and logs, anywhere. Not a shred of evidence. No Sophia.

I even applied some of the basic skills Otis taught me about tracking. There was no particular smells of sounds. However there were footprints.

I'd been searching for what felt like a couple hours when I saw them. I scanned the area before crouching in front of them, trying to figure them out. I could only make out one pair, but there were smudged tracks occasionally overlapping them, so there could have been more than one walk- person. It looked too big to be Sophia's though.

I tried convincing myself that it must have been from one of the group, but it was hard believing it.

I pushed myself up and kept on walking.

We were going to get to Sophia before anyone - or thing - does.

I stopped dead. There was a pungent smell of decay filling my nose and I shivered, grimacing.

I searched around me, machete brought out, ready to strike. Nothing approached me, though.

I considered calling out, but I decided against it. I wasn't going to be like those idiots in horror movies when you scream at the tv for the stupid character to shut the hell up.

As silently as I could, I crept around in a defensive position, heading towards the smell.

I eventually found the source of the smell and retched.

There lay the tatty remains of a tent. What was probably once a plastic blue cover was now ripped to shreds and littered the floor. The structure of the tent had collapsed on itself, and all of the items that were once probably in it were scattered and maybe even trampled on.

The smell was so bad. It was rotten, decayed and overwhelming. I had already pinned down what the smell was from, but I just had to check that there was some poor, unfortunate stranger decomposing in there, and not Sophia.

"Sophia?" I called out quietly.

There was no response. There was no shuffling or moaning either.

Taking that as a good sign, I walked up to the tent, trying to breath as little as physically possible.

I got towards the remains and shifted aside tarpaulin, looking for the body. I was struggling to find my way in, so I began slicing it with my machete.

I managed to get inside the tent and was hit by a wall of stench.

Gritting my teeth, I spotted a small bundle laying a yard away from me, partially obscured by the tent. I could feel my heartbeat start to race and my breathing start to get faster and shallower, the smell almost burning my nose.

What if it is Sophia? What if I've found her? I'd have to go and tell Carol. I'd have to get bet body back to her. She'd have to live without any hope.

Forcing myself to concentrate, I tentatively stepped towards it and nudged the body on the shoulder. It didn't react, and I saw that it was festering with all sorts of larvae and maggots.

I let out a harsh shaky breath and felt the panic rushing round my body slowly dissipate. It wasn't her. It wouldn't have decomposed so quickly, and the hair was too long and the wrong colour. It had dark brown hair.

Just like my little sisters.

I reeled back at that and quickly exited the tent, gasping for fresh air. My heart restarted it's erratic beating, and I felt an irrational fear and needed to run. Just run.

I hoiked my bag high on my back and started moving, getting faster and faster.

I stumbled past the tent, desperate to feel some sobering burn. Something physical.

Erin. Mum. Dad.

No. Keep running. Keep running.

They could look like that body-

No! Shut. Up. Sam!

I tripped over roots, branches smacked into my face and my eyes threatened to well up. I tried fighting them, forcing myself harder and further, needing to get away from the tent.

I ran. I kept going. Time didn't exist. Destination was irrelevant.

A million thoughts ran through me, thousands of horrific images of my family that made me cry out in almost physical pain.

"Fuck off!" I shouted, not caring about what came at me.

I stopped and doubled over, my face and legs stinging. I crouched and threw my machete down, clutching to my knees.

I heaved a heavy sob and gritted my teeth to prevent tears from flowing.

No, stop, I repeated to myself over and over. You don't want to be walker bait. Pull it together. At least until you're somewhere safe.

At the thought, my gaze snapped up, checking my vicinity.

I was totally alone. I sighed as that thought sank in.

I stood still, feeling the pain shoot through my limbs. I turned around a few times, trying to find familiar ground.

I knew I'd get lost. Great.

I'm lost, I'm in pain and I just want to crumple and forget everything.

I tried thinking about how I could find north and look at the sun and all that, but after meaningless wondering, I gave up on the idea.

"Shit." I grunted loudly. I don't need this. Not now.

I took a deep breath and wavered on the spot.

Eugh, I'm gonna pass out.

I tried to get control over my breathing and wriggled my ankle, trying to get the tight feeling out of my calves. I rolled each foot in turn, shifting my bag so I could rub the area bellow it. It hit me hard as I ran, and so was a little uncomfortable. I gave up with rubbing it, pulling myself together.

Priorities. Sort out your priorities.

A rustle of a leaves made my breath catch in my throat, sobering me. I held in my breath as I tried to gauge where the sound was coming from.

Something started pushing through the branches, causing my already flustered body to start racing with panic again. I reached down for my machete and crept towards it, waiting for it to come into my sight. I'd have to fight whatever it was - my legs were refusing to work, so I couldn't run.

Eventually a figure emerged from the trees, and I choked on the air I was breathing in.

"D- Daryl?" I gasped, taking a step back.

He was a walker. He was- no!

I felt my eyes welling over, and there was no stopping the tears falling this time. They trickled down my face as I took in his mutilated appearance. My hand came up and clamped over my mouth, the other with the machete held across my stomach as I felt a harsh, stabbing pain working it's way through my system.

His eyes were heavy lidded and assessing me freely as he stumbled forward slowly. Blood coated his face and had leaked down his chin and his chest, matting with his clothes.

I shut my eyes, not wanting to see anymore. After everything I'd just felt and to then find him like this... I tried repressing a heavy sob. But I can't just leave him like this.

I haven't had to worry about mercy killing. I didn't want to have to. I wanted to be sick.

Convincing myself that I had to do the right thing, I opened my eyes and fixed on his face. He looked at me with a dazed expression, and I half expected him to pounce at me.

I raised my machete up high and prepared to force it through his skull. My lower lip trembled as I watched his once piercing eyes drag across my face.

"ain a gee.."

"Wa- What?" I faltered.

"I ain a geec." He mumbled.

My machete dropped from my hands as I threw my hands across my mouth.

"Thank fuck!" I gasped as I jumped forward and cupped his face, my relieved smile growing. I felt both new and different tears threatening to fall, but this time I had better control.

In a twisted way, it reminded me of when we first met, saying he 'ain't a geek', but instead of angry I was totally relieved, but also majorly worried about him.

He didn't react, but merely stared back. I reached up and kissed his forehead. He's okay? He's okay!

I didn't remove my hands, but I checked him over, when I remembered him limping out.

"What's injured?" I asked urgently.

"Leh.." He mumbled as I stated at his new piece of jewellery.

Are those ears?!

I shuddered, drawing my eyes back up to his.

"Le - leg? Okay..." I muttered as I began waving a hand in front of his eyes. He didn't look at the hand - in fact he was totally oblivious - as he continued to stare at me, blinking heavily.

He began walking forward, and I backed up, scooping up my machete and holding out a hand to stop him.

"Do you know where you're going?" I asked, but he merely grunted in response.

Assuming that was a yes, I fell into step and walked beside him.

"Give me that.." I sighed, heaving the heavy crossbow out of his hand.

He tried holding on to it, but I huffed at him and yanked it out of his grip.

"I'm not going to swing it about you idiot. You're just in enough trouble as it is." I sighed.

He seemed to accept that as he walked on, and I wiped furiously at my eyes.

Well, he'd just seen me cry over him, which means he'll probably never speak to me again. But knowing he wasn't dead, that was the biggest relief.

I took one of the arms of my backpack off my shoulder and slung the crossbow over the free shoulder. I held my machete in my right as my left hovered behind Daryl, just in case I needed to grab him.

I know that Daryl and I don't even talk, but for some totally obscure reason, I cared about if he had been turned.

Are we even friends? To be honest, I don't know, but I'd fight for the man's life. The thing is, I'd fight for anyone living, no matter how much of a douche they are. He's no different - is he? He's just another human.

As we walked, I cast my eye over him. I had offered many times to lend him my arm, but he only grumbled swear words at me. I shrugged it off.

Occasionally he'd talk to himself too, but I put that down to being delirious. I spotted how bad that gash was on his hip, and he'd most definitely lost a lot of blood. His heavy-lidded eyes were drooping lower, and his skin had lost all colour.

There was one crucial thing I noticed though - he had a doll strapped to his belt. I knew it was Sophia's. I had never seen her with it, but I felt it in my gut. I just couldn't pinpoint if this was a good discovery or not.

I began to grow more worried about his as we walked. He wouldn't stop walking though. He would even take any water that I offered. The man managed to walk non-stop.

I, on the other hand, could feel my shoulders going stiff and I moaned loudly at the dull ache. He turned to look at me, and I blushed at my outburst. Trying to hide it, I looked away.

In doing so, however, I spotted the piece of dark blue cloth that I'd hammered into the large tree. I grinned and turned back to Daryl who swayed on the spot.

I reached out to steady him, placing my machete between my legs. He shut his eyes for a second as he stopped moving.

"Come on. Not long left." I encouraged. He nodded once, before walking out of my grip and carried on.

The treeline was eventually in sight, and I felt all the air leave my lungs.

We did it. We actually made it!

I was stopped short of voicing my relief when I heard a sound behind me.

Daryl noticed it too, as he stopped and limped round to face both it and me.

'Go.' I mouthed. He hesitated before moving off towards the clearing where I knew the others would be. Heaving a deep breath, I spun round and cast my eyes over the area.

I stepped towards the sound, worried. It was frighteningly close to the camp and the group.

I stepped closer to a few bushes surrounding a tree, waiting. The rustling continued but nothing emerged. Not wanting to wait around any more, I kicked at the bush.

Scuttling away from it fled a squirrel, and I let out a shaky laugh. Okay. That could have been a lot worse.

I spun on my heels and walked out of the gap in the trees, running a hand through my hair.

I only reached the field when the unmistakable sound of a gun shot was fired. It echoed, scaring a few birds out of the surrounding trees.

I snapped my gaze up towards the camp, only to see Daryl being supported by Rick, T-Dog and Glenn.

I stumbled towards them, my heart going at a million miles an hour again, picking up speed as I drew closer.

Wait-

Had Daryl been shot?!

Hello all. :)

Sorry for the late upload - but what did you all think?

But yeah, how's everyone liking the new series so far?! Here in the UK the first episode only showed a few days ago, and we've got to wait until Friday for the next! I can't handle it, haha. :)

Let me know your thoughts, and thank you for all the lovely alerts. :)

- Loré. X