Another chapter tonight, just for the hell of it. And also because I fuckin' love you guys ;)

.::.

"The devil and his had me down.

In love with the dark side, I've found.

Dabble in all the way down.

Up to my neck, soon to drown.

But you changed that all for me.

Lifted me up, turned me around."

- "Jambi" by Tool

.::.

Two days had passed, and I now found myself sittin' on top a big, chocolate brown horse in the middle of the woods. We had settled into the farmhouse and had made sure to keep ourselves busy with chores, helpin' Hershel, the homeowner, and his family out around the house and the yard in order to repay him for his hospitality.

I had been in the woods for close to an hour now but had yet to find a sign that Sophia was anywhere nearby. However, I did have a full stomach and a good night's rest, so I intended to search until I just couldn't no more.

Clicking my tongue, I dug my boots into the horse's side, ordering him to go ahead. We walked along the riverbank on the side of a steep hill for a few minutes before I happened to look down in the water. Something immediately caught me eye, but I couldn't quite make out exactly what it was. Before I could hop down, the horse shot up on it's hind-legs, neighing like crazy. It had been startled by a rattlesnake. "Woah, woah, woah!" I tried to calm it down while doing my best to hang on. It was no use. Seconds later, I fell on my ass and slid forcefully all the way down the bumps of the hill, onto the roughness of the rock, and into the water.

"Ahh." I winced in pain, unable to move just yet. "Son of bitch." I couldn't figure out what hurt more-the fact that I had busted my head open pretty good or the fact that there was a bolt sticking straight into my side. I must've landed on it in the middle of all the ruckus.

The water was chilly. Felt like little needles pokin' into my skin. I kept crouched down and waded through the water, hesitant to move too much. Finally, after what felt like forever, I reached the bank. I didn't waste any time pullin' out my buck knife and slicing off the sleeves of my brown, cotton shirt. I tied the sleeves together and fastened it around my waist, just above my injury.

I hesitated, taking a break from movement, and took a moment to gather my surroundings. I looked up at a large rock-wall in front of me. Might as well have been Mount Everest, especially with the shape I'm in. Immediately, I was distracted by a rustling in the nearby bushes. My heart began to race and my anxiety levels sky-rocketed. Especially when I noticed that I was now unarmed. I had lost all my weapons in the fall. Quickly, I picked up a nearby fallen-branch. It was of decent size and I used it to help my locate my crossbow. Thankfully, it only took a minute.

Then I saw it. Floating in the water beside me was a doll. Sophia's doll.

I scooped it up and fastened it tightly through my belt loop. I looked around, but the little girl was nowhere to be found. And because of the rustling I had just heard in the brush, I decided not to call her name.

I struggled back up the hill where I had fallen. The pain was almost unbearable. I literally had to talk myself through it or I would have passed out. Every move made it that much worse, but I knew it had to be done. I had to get back to the top. I grabbed onto a narrow tree to help pull myself up further. I had no choice at this point but to drop my walking stick if I wanted to get any further. I was getting more exhausted by the minute. Climbing this hill required usin' up every last bit of strength I had, but honestly, I wasn't sure of how much more I had left to give.

I made the mistake of looking down. I was real high up, and I mean real high. If there's one thing in this whole world that I'm afraid of (other than Molly), it's heights. Even getting' up on the ladder tree stands to go huntin' with Merle back in the day would give me the heebie-jeebies.

"Fuck." I breathed, nervous and scared as all get out. "Ah, c'mon. That ain't high. Stop bein' such a pussy." I tried talking myself through it. I lurched my body forward and attempted to grab hold of another tree, but I lost my grip. And again, I tumbled down.

.::.

I opened my eyes wearily. I had been knocked unconscious by the force of the second fall and I was unsure of how long I had been out. All I knew is that it must'a been getting' close to dark. The sky had gone from a bright blue to a dark gray in the time I had been out. My vision was still foggy, and somehow I didn't panic as I saw a figure coming to stand over me.

"Why don't ya pull that arrow out, dummy? You could bind your wound better." It was Merle. I heard it, and now I could see it for myself.

I winced from the intolerable migraine, as well as the hot pain in my side. "Merle." I whispered. Barely loud enough to be heard.

He smiled and then furrowed his brow. "What's goin' on here? You takin' a siesta?"

"A shitty day, bro." I replied weakly.

"Ya want me to get ya a pillow? Maybe rub yer feet?" He retorted, sarcastically.

"Screw you."

He chuckled. "You're the one screwed, from the looks of it. All them years I spent tryin' ta make a man a ya, 'n this is what I get?" He paused. "Look at ya- lyin' in the dirt like a used rubber. You gonna die out here, little brother. And fer what?"

"A girl." I whispered. My mouth was so dry I could barely speak. "I lost a little girl."

"So ya got a thing fer little girls now?" He quipped.

"Shut up." I narrowed my eyes at him before closing them.

"'Coz I noticed, you ain't out lookin' 'fer ol' Merle anymore."

"I tried like hell to find ya, bro."

"Like hell ya did. You split, man. Laid out first chance ya got."

"We went back for ya. Rick and I, we did right by ya."

"This the same Rick that cuffed me to the rooftop in the first place?" He smirked. "I had to cut off my own hand. This who we're talkin' about here? You his bitch now?"

"I ain't nobody's bitch." My throat was so dry.

"Yer a joke is what ya are. Playin' errand boy to a buncha pansy-ases, niggers, 'n democrats." He snorted. "Yer nothin' but a freak to them. Redneck trash. That's all ya are. And they're laughin' atcha, behind yer back. You know that, don't ya? I got some news for ya, son. One of these days, they're gonna scrape you off their heels like you was dog shit."

I could barely keep my eyes open. I could barely stay awake.

"You listen to me." He grabbed my chin and turned my head to pay attention. "Ain't nobody gonna care about you 'cept me, little brother. Ain't nobody ever will. Now get up on ya feet before I have to kick yer teeth in."

He stood to his feet and I felt my body jolt as he tried to lift me up.

And then I woke up to a walker sinking it's rotted teeth into my boot.