Chapter III: Tell it to the Frogs

When I woke the next morning it was late, real late. I had slept in again and the sun was already high in the sky. There was no way of telling time anymore but I guessed it to be around 1. I stood up from my little mat made of a couple of sheets and a pillow, on the camper floor, and picked through the cereals on the counter till I found what I liked. There was no milk so I simply eat it from the box and exited the RV. Jacob ran up to me from the place around the campfire where he sat next to Carl. Lori was cutting his hair and Shane sat across from him.

"Lillie, Lillie Shane's gonna take me to catch frogs and where gonna make you eat em," he said giving me a toothy grin.

"Ew, I don't think so," I replied running my had through his hair. "My thoughts exactly," Lori laughed at my comment. "Oh come on lady's When you get down to that last can of beans, you're gonna be loving those frog legs. I can see it now... do you think I could have a second helping, please? Please? Just one?" Shane replied imitating Lori. "I still don't think so," I said sitting down next to Shane. "Don't listen to them, guys. We'll be heroes. We'll feed these folks Cajun-style Kermit legs," he said giving Jacob a pat on the head and giving me a smirk. "I would rather eat Miss piggy. Yes, that came out wrong," Lori said.

Our conversation was cut short by the sound of a car horn piercing the quite of the valley.

"Tell me what do we got Dale," Shane yelled up to the old man. "A stolen car I think," Dale replied.

Then red car came to a stop in front of the RV and Glenn got out of the front seat. Shane yelled at him but I could hear what he was saying.

"Its, fine," Glenn said. "What were you thinking," Shane said. "I got a cool car," Glenn replied innocently.

Dale continued the conversation about how he was sure that we were safe because the sound had echoed. I turned around to walk towards the camper and Amy rushed past me asking Glenn about her sister. The cub vane the gang had taken pulled up behind the red car and Amy ran into her sisters arms. Morales came next and went to his family. Lori who had been standing next to me took Carl a ways back to talk to him. Morales's happy family reunion had shaken him. Then suddenly Carl ran past me. I couldn't believe it! My heart almost stopped seeing him stand there it was like the past had caught up in the present. Like he'd come back from the dead. Rick Grimes stood next to the cub van in complete shock, his face white with relief.

"Daddy," Carl screamed and ran down to run into his arms.

Lori rushed to his side and he took her in his arms. Jacob ran up to me and I picked him hugging him tightly.

"Rick," I said. He turned around to stare at me.

Me and Jacob hugged him and his family. Rick laughed."I can't believe you guys are here," he said to all of us. "It's a miracle," Lori said tears streaming down her eyes.

Rick told his story. It was like most of ours except for the coma. I couldn't imagine waking up in the middle of all this shit. It would be like a never ending nightmare you never wake up from. Rick was strong I couldn't have done not this, but he had and he's found us. If there really was a God he was shinning down on us.

"Has anyone givin any thought to Daryl Dixon?"

Merle had been left behind in Atlanta chained to a roof. The thought of anybody even the likes of Merle Dixon should come to such a horrible ending was really truly sad and I felt for him. I was suddenly scared of Daryl's temper and the pain he would feel when he learned of his brothers demise. Daryl had been out hunting all day and we where unsure of when he would return.

" I just don't see a rational conversation to come from this," Dale said. I pulled myself back into the conversation. "From what," I asked? "Merle," Glenn replied.

I hadn't realized he was sitting next to me till that moment and his face glowed from the fire. For the first time I realized how innocent and adorable his face was.

"Oh," I replied, "I'll tell him." "No it was my fault I chained him to the roof," Rick replied to me and patted me on the knee. "No ill tell him I dropped the key," T-Dog spoke up.

Nothing more was said on the subject and we spent a few blissful hours chattering about the good old days and I slowly felt myself being drawn to sleep. Jacob eventually went still in my arms and as I carried him to the camper I thought of the marrow. And the many plagues it would bring us.

"Hold on let me process this," I was awakened to the sudden screaming of Daryl in the morning. "Damn, I slept in again," I said to myself. "You chained my brother to a roof and you LEFT HIM THERE," Daryl's voice rose in anger at the last few lines.

I excited the camper just in time to see Daryl fling himself at Rick and took out a knife ready to slit him open.

"Daryl stop," I yelled at him but remained where I stood afraid of his long hunting knife. "You shut up bitch," he screamed at me.

I was takin back by his anger at me and I closed my mouth and didn't speak again.

"Don't you talk like that to her, Shane yelled at him and grabbed him from behind.

Daryl was caught of guard at chocking from Shane arms. "Shane stop," I yelled at him.

I ran over and pushed him off Daryl then pushed Daryl up against the camper.

"Now stop it both of you," I said giving them my angry bitchface. "Chokeholds illegal," Daryl spit at Shane. "Oh yeah well file a complaint," Shane spit back with spite in his tone. "Watch it," I said to him my hand still pressing Daryl against the camper. "Your brothers still alive," T-Dog said. "What you say," Daryl asked? "I changed the doors just before I left," T-Dog replied, "Those geeks can't get to him." Daryl walked away. "Where are you going," I asked? "I gotta go get em," he replied simply. "I'll show you," Rick said. "Hill do better than that, he'll take you won't yah Rick," Lori said her voice full of spite, they had obviously already talked about this.

It was then decided that Glenn and T-Dog would accompany them and Shane was against it but Rick had made up his mind, he convicted the others when they heard about the bag of guns he had lost in Atlanta. I walked up to Daryl and we stared into each others eyes for several long minutes before I looked down at his boots.

"Stay outa trouble till I get back he said before turning around and walking away. I grabbed him by the hand before he got to far.

"Be safe and come back in one peace," I replied.

He nodded and then walked away towards the cube van. I had a feeling that something bad was about to happen.

Me and the other ladies piled into the back of the car as Ed drove us and the laundry down to the lake. We made compulsive chatter as we did our work and I listened with a smile of light curiosity. Jacob, Carl, and Shane sat on the other side of the lake fishing for frogs and i laughed out loud at how much fun it seemed they were having.

"Im beginning to question the division of labor here, Jaquie said starring at them. . "How did we end up do all the work?" "The world ended didn't you get the memo," Amy said. "It's just the way it is," Carol said eyeing Ed.

Lori walked up and called for Carl to go back to the campsite. I frowned at her odd behavior and her treatment of Shane.

"What do u guys miss most," I asked?" Everyone explained and we all laughed at Andreas response. "My vibrator," she said. "Oh my God," Amy replied. We all laughed. "Me too," Carol said in a hushed tone. We all burst into fits of laughter that was hard to contain.

"What's so funny," Jacob asked sitting down in my lap. "Nothing," I replied kissing him on the head.

Ed wondered down to us and walked around smoking a cigarette. He eyeballed me and the look of list entered his eyes again. I thought back to the other night and the places where his hands hand scavenged my body burned.

"Take a picture," I said to him," It'll last longer."

He scowled at me and I noticed the bruise below his eye where Daryl had hit him. "Is there a problem Ed," Andrea asked standing up from where she was sitting. "Your suppose to be working this isn't a comedy club," Ed replied.

Ed and Andrea argued for several minutes and she slung a wet shirt at him only for it to hit her in the face with it. Then he grabbed Carol by the arm and tried to drag her away. I picked Jacob up out of my seat and pulled Carol away from Ed.

"Go pick on somebody your own size," I said pushing him to the ground. "Bitch,"he replied and grabbed me but the collar of Daryl's shirt which I was still wearing.

He threw me on the ground and hit me over and over again. I felt the copper taste of blood in my mouth and the women screamed.

"Get off my sister," Jacob said and hit him in the head with a long stick he had found by the water.

It only succeeded in making him mad and he pushed Jacob away from him. Shane lifted Ed off of me and proceeded to hit him. I grabbed the crying Jacob and hid his eyes so that he couldn't see Shane kill Ed. Shane beat Ed over and over again and Carol screamed.

Jacob leaned in and into me and his behind my hair, "make him stop." "Shane," I finally said.

He stopped and looked up at me and the frightened Jacob and then went back to hitting Ed. I handed Jacob off to Jaquie and pulled Shane off Ed.

"Stop Shane, that's enough your gonna kill him," I yelled at him. "If you ever put you hand to Lillie or your wife, or anyone else in this camp I will not stop next time," he screamed at Ed.

I lead Shane back to the campsite as Carol fell to her knees crying out in agony over her husband. I led him over to the campfire and took out the first aid kit from the RV. Dale looked down at us as I rubbed Shane's hand with peroxide and bandaged them up using what was left of the band aids and the tape.

"I'm sorry Jacob had to see that," Shane finally replied putting his head in his hands. I felt sorry for him and I held him while I cried. I thought of Daryl and I hoped he was safe.

I knew it was wrong, that it was the worst thing in the whole world. I was looking for my brother and all I could think of was her. That clumsy, hair brained, annoying, beautiful, sweet, girl. Lillie, even her name made him get that sick feeling in his stomach. How could he do this, have feelings for someone so completely different from him. His brothers words came back to him and doubt filled his brain

"No, Daryl, focus," he said to himself drawing his attention back to his brother.

The pain that he had felt for losing his brother was almost to much to bear and he looked over at T-Dog. His anger came flooding back to him and he glared at the man.

"He better be there and that's all I'm gonna say on the subject he spit at him."

"I told yah the geeks can't get to him," T-Dog replied in his he wasn't there and Daryl cried out in sadness. This was the worst day of his life.

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