Disclaimer: Only Fin, is mine. Though I'd be perfectly happy to give her to AMC so she could kick ass with Daryl and Michonne!
Notes: Un-beta'd story. Appologies if You find mistakes; let me know where and I will try to fix them. Thanks!
I have gone through and re-edited a lot of typos that slipped through thanks to those who helped me find them! 4/04
Chapter Twelve
We've been walking the river bank all morning.
It's now somewhere after mid-day, not that you can tell from the dreary rolling grey sky. There's been no hint of sun all day, its refusal to come out doing nothing to stop the artic bite in the air. Without a calendar I'd say winter definably started today.
The river is high from yesterday's storm, swelling several feet beyond its normal bed. We give it a wide berth between the slick ground and quick current; falling in could be deadly.
Most of the ground is a muddy ice cold mess of leaves and downed dead branches from the wind. I'm watching my feet more than the tree line today; I've already slipped twice nearly landing on my ass. Never underestimate Georgia Mud: its wicked stuff.
It doesn't help that I'm having trouble focusing on right now; and not the events of last night.
I don't want to think about it; and can't stop at the same time. My thoughts are a complex tangle, tug one thread and five more come with it.
I have no idea exactly how to process it all.
My distraction is certainly why Daryl sees him first-the first note of his presence I have is when Daryl calls out to him.
I am much too distracted today for my own good. I need to get it together, maybe we should have stayed in bed; I think my brain did.
I look up to see a man taller and heavier set then Daryl or Rick jogging up the steep hill towards us. He's dressed warmly, if a bit ill fitted, he's carrying a hunting rifle, but doesn't look particularly comfortable with it. He holds it away from his body just enough that it looks awkward, unnatural in his grip.
Like he's afraid it's going to turn on him and blast off his own fingers.
How anyone could survive without a comfortable knowledge of weapons out here I don't know.
"Daryl, It's good to see you still alive."
"Same. Anyone else make it?"
He's nodding.
"About half the bus, quite a few people caught stray bullets in the firefight. We made it up the road but it was blocked, we had to use a different route, no one wanted to leave the bus and risk walking. We got really lucky this nice family took us all in; no questions asked. Even tried to patch everyone up. It's amazing, they have food, and said we're all welcome to stay with them."
Oh God No.
"You should come back with us, that's why I'm out here; we're looking for anyone else that made it."
Of course they are. And they're out here, right now. "Shit."
I hope my previous distraction isn't about to get me killed.
"Fin?" Daryl isn't looking at him anymore, he's staring at me.
I've already nocked an arrow, don't remember doing it. I'm too busy searching the trees, which brother is it? How many of them are out here? They wouldn't leave that many people un-attended at the farm, wouldn't risk someone stumbling onto their secret…
"Well, Well, Fin. As I live and breathe!"
Fuck! Shit. Caleb.
I've got an arrow pointed at his head, but he's already got his rifle pointed at me, a lazy predatory smile splits his face.
"Whoa, Caleb! Take it easy! This is Daryl, he's part of my previous group."
Caleb doesn't care, Daryl might as well be invisible. He winks at me. My skin crawls.
"Think you can take me out before I put a bullet in that pretty little skull Dollface?"
"Put it down asshole." Daryl's crossbow is up pointed at Caleb too.
"I've got no problem with you. Why don't you shoot this abomination for me and come back with Gary and me? You're more than welcome; She isn't." He sneers, licks his lips; all the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. I feel ready to crawl out of my own skin. I shudder.
"Hey Caleb, let's be reasonable, She's just some girl!" Gary is looking back and forth between us, no idea who to side with.
He has no idea who I am, which is good.
I don't need two guns to watch.
But it won't take him long to throw his hat in with someone.
"She's evil Daryl." Caleb is still trying to turn him against me, smart; if it's one against three I've got zero chance in a straight fight. I can't avoid three attacks at once from every direction. "She lives with Walkers man, that's sick."
"Yeah well, at least I don't eat people."
"What the Hell is going on here?" Gary is kind of freaking out; looks like he's not built for high stress situations. Which is fan-fucking-tastic; add loose cannon to my list of problems.
"Shoot her Gary and we can go home heroes."
"I'm not shooting anybody, what is going on here?!"
"What's going on is your boy needs to get that gun off my girl before I give him some extra holes!" Seems Daryl's still on my side, for now. Caleb seems to finally notice him. I try to think, plan my attack while he's focused on Daryl.
"You have no idea what you're talking about. She's obviously been feeding you lies, why don't we take a walk back to my families place. We can work this out. Bring the girl, I promise no one will hurt you." He smiles, it doesn't improve his offer.
He must be out here alone with Gary. I might have a chance.
"Let me guess, you can all discuss it over a big ole BBQ?" No fucking thanks.
Daryl is moving closer to me, I tense. I can either assume he's moving to block Caleb's shot; putting himself in danger… or worse he's taking him up on his offer.
"Stop Moving Daryl or I'll shoot."
He stops. Hisses at me, "Damnit girl."
Gary's still not aiming his gun at anyone. I need to move before he sides with Caleb; never underestimate the power of a full stomach.
A sweet tooth doped Hansel and Gretel right into the oven…and they'd been well fed to begin with...
"Give it up Caleb, we can both walk away from this. You know you don't want to be late for dinner."
His answering smile could peel paint.
"Yeah, let's do that. Let's all just back away!" Poor Gary, sounds ready to have an aneurism. "It doesn't have to be like this,"
Oh but it does.
And we both know it.
Caleb fires with almost no warning—the twitch near his eye is all the signal I have to move. I jerk to the side; turning making myself a smaller target. I let my arrow fly, but my aim is off with the spin-with Daryl shoving me away even as I move.
Whether it was that or a crappy shot: by some miracle he misses us both, even at this range.
Maybe his ammo has gone bad…
Like I'd be that lucky.
Gary has made a snap decision in the commotion, raises his rifle towards me. Daryl fires, Gary screams and drops his arm but not the rifle, charges him. I can't watch-can't help.
Caleb is moving, I duck behind a tree, nock another arrow.
"Come on out Fin, let's talk about this, maybe over dinner?"
"Go to Hell." I step out, slip in the loose mud as I fire. I hit him in the shoulder not the throat. Fuck. At least he's a shit shot running, heat slices the left side of my neck, wood slivers from the tree he just massacred cutting me as the crack of gunfire explodes through the surrounding trees.
He's got the gun up before I can retreat, still trying to sliding out of my pack, dropping my bag and quiver to the ground, if this is going to be a fist fight I need to move quickly, don't want him to grab me…
I manage to smash his stomach with a swing of my bow as he charges me screaming. But he's close enough to smash my head with the butt of his rifle instead of backing off. I sprawl backwards slipping, rolling, get up to find my vision still spinning. I'm trying to put a tree between us so I have a split second to recover.
I catch a glimpse of Daryl and Gary as I move, Gary has his gun again; but he's not shooting; he's swinging it like a club.
Daryl moves lightening quick sends him flying with a boot to the chest. But Gary's bigger then him by at least a foot, and damn near 80 pounds, he doesn't go down-recovers fast enough that he connects the rifle butt with a crack to Daryl's head.
I hear it connect, screaming my warning a second too late.
Then I lose them, having to duck around a trunk to avoid Caleb's arms, he jumps at me gambling on his bulk to take me out.
I'm a little faster though, blocking the hand that's swipe down at me with a hunting knife. It's enough force that I almost fall though; I kick out, he knows enough to jump back, protecting his knees, clearly he learned that last time...
He swings his rifle forward again, apparently deciding that he is going to just shoot me, I freeze expecting the blast; see him turn, aim the shot at Daryl. I Blindly charge forward grabbing the hot barrel, spinning him away. Then I can't hear anything but the ringing in my ears…
Someone might be screaming, maybe it's me. It might be Daryl...my heart nearly stops. I can't see; I'm too close to Caleb who grabs me, wastes no time inflicting pain….At least he's lost the knife. We both slip; go down in a tangle of limbs. I twist: gain some leverage ripping the arrow shaft out of his shoulder, know if I end up on the bottom I'm dead.
If I'm not already.
His knee hits my stomach, knocks the arrow out of my hand before I can stab him with it again. I smash the heel of my hand into his nose as hard as I can, slam a hand over his ear making him recoil long enough for me to try to get away. But it's not enough, he grabs me, I try to spin away, slipping again in the God Damn mud. and wet leaves.
We go down, tumble, roll...
Crashing down the other side of the hill. Something; maybe an elbow, hits my throat, something rough and ice cold a root or rock smashes the back of my head. We're still tumbling, kicking out, I'm clawing at anything I can to stop...
I have about a split second to realize the roaring isn't from the blows to my head before I'm air born. Caleb clinging to my back and I'm plunged down into icy breath stealing cold.
Inky Dark, swirling cold engulfs me with Caleb's hands still griping my body. I panic, thrash to break free, need to get away from him. It will be all too easy for him to drown me all he has to do is keep holding on while the current makes it almost impossible to tell which way is up…
He's as panicked as I am though and kicks towards the surface, taking me with him. I have only a moment to gasp for air before he recovers, shoves me back under, holding me down as we sail down river smashing into rocks and debris as we go.
I lash out, try to hit him; but I'm fighting the resistance of the water and my own terrified mind; my blows connect with no force. I try to tell myself not to scream, panic and drown faster…
The currents press up my nose, fill my ears with the endless rushing of water. My lungs are on fire, I exhale, desperate to stop the fire in my chest, try to suck in air, water fills my mouth. I twist trying to escape his hold, air...I need air…all I find is water.
This is it. My vision starts to fray, darken with red spots.
I realize with an almost serene calm that they've won. They got to me first.
Caleb's hands go slack on my shoulders but I'm so numb, so dizzy it barely registers. I'm just floating with the swirling water, its warm now, that's nice.
I'll just float along like this, it's peaceful. More peaceful and aware than I thought death would be…
maybe I'm finally one of them…This isn't so bad…
A vice grip slams over my right arm, pinches my other arm; hauls me up against the current; out of the blackness. The current swirls and spins angry over being robbed of its prize.
Sharp cold air hits me like a slap in the face…or maybe that was a hand…
Someone is shouting; the words smear together, blend with the water in my ears to nonsensical sound with no significance.
I'm moving, tumbling, land with a bone jarring thump that wakes up the tiny angry ice picks jabbing at every inch of my skin in the open air...
God put me back in the water; it was warm there…
I lie there watching sky swirl overhead,
I feel so heavy...
I try to breath but only wet gurgles from my lips.
funny that used to work...
I'm spinning so fast….can't work out why.
The darkness is nice.
::Walking Dead ::