When Hunters Become the Hunted
Chapter 2
With the Dawn of Morning
Birds chirped within the camp as morning came, the low pop of the fire outside sounding faintly from what was left of it.
Inside the RV, specks of light floated through the curtained windows, sections falling upon Celeste's face. It was still pale from the previous day, but a bit of color had burrowed its way to the top, lightly dusting her cheeks with a pink hue.
"Mmm…"
Slowly, Celeste opened her eyes, her fingers twitching at her side. Her vision was hazy as she laid there, eyes staring up at the ceiling.
"Kenzie…?" she murmured.
She turned her head to the side, looking out in front of her. There was no one there save for a wall. Her brows furrowed for a moment as she tried to take everything in. The last thing that she remembered was walking through the woods with Kenzie. They'd been following two men; brothers. Merle and what was his name? She remembered Merle's because it wasn't that common of a name. In fact, it'd been the first time that she'd ever met anyone named Merle. His brother's name was a bit more common though, but she couldn't quite remember what it was. It began with a D. Dave? Dan? Derrick? Dale?
Celeste shook her head as she stood up, quickly regretting it as things started to spin. She grabbed hold of a side panel near her, clutching it tightly as she tried to steady herself.
T
Daryl let out a sigh as he laid there on his cot. He merely stared up at the ceiling of his tent, the blue drowning all the other colors out for a short time.
"Daddy…"
Daryl tensed, eyes snapping toward the small child that laid not three feet away him.
Kenzie was curled up in a ball, her blanket wrapped tightly around her, and her thumb in her mouth. She was shaking ever so slightly, foot twitching beneath her.
Seeing this, Daryl let out another sigh, sitting up and grabbing a loose sheet from his bed. He dropped it on top of Kenzie, kicking it out a bit with his foot before stepping outside of the tent, his crossbow in hand. He wasn't going to sit there the whole time with a child that kept whimpering for her daddy. He never once cried for his father and he didn't want the thoughts or memories in his head this early in the morning.
T
Celeste swallowed the lump in her throat as she took her first steps through the cab. She had no clue where her shoes were at the moment, but she really didn't care that much, merely making her way toward the front.
Outside, she could hear as set of voices, quiet laughter filling her ears. Stepping out carefully, she found that the voices belonged to a couple of kids, little girl and boy. They looked to be around 12 or 13, but she couldn't be sure. The little girl quickly ran off though, calling for her mother.
"Momma, Momma!" she called, running to the other side of the camp.
The boy merely stood there though, staring up at Celeste with curiosity in his eyes.
"Um…" Celeste tried, not really sure what to say.
Before she could get anything else out though, the little girl came running back, dragging a woman by her hand.
"See Momma?" she smiled, pointing at Celeste.
"Thank you, Sophia," she smiled, patting the girl on the head affectionately.
She then turned her eyes to Celeste, looking her over for a moment.
"Why don't we sit down dear?" she suggested.
She placed a hand on Celeste's shoulder and gave it a small squeeze, her eyes smiling with a gentle gaze. It wasn't until then that Celeste took in the woman's form, noticing how frail she seemed. This woman in front of her was thin, her arms long and slim to match her legs. Her pale blue eyes shown in the light, reflecting the area around them. There was something else that Celeste noticed though, her eyes squinting slightly as they sat down. A bruise.
"How'd you get that?" Celeste asked quietly, pointing at her wrist.
"My name's Carol," she smiled, pretending as though she hadn't heard Celeste's question.
Perhaps it was better left alone for another time.
"C-Celeste," she managed, her throat sore from misuse.
"Here, why don't I get you a drink of water?" Carol suggested, quickly getting up and walking over to the RV that Celeste had come from.
Letting Carol walk off, Celeste took the time to look around her, taking everything in.
Celeste turned her head to the right. There were other people there, one woman air out her clothes as she hung them up on a line of string. The woman in question gave her a small smile and a nod of the head before returning back to her work. There were several other tents out that way as well. Some were simple while some were a bit more elaborate, but she didn't really care that much about the particular style of the tent or even their colors. No, she was mere curious for the moment, logging everything into the back of her mind for future references.
"Here you go honey."
Celeste jumped with a start as a water bottle was placed in front of her by a hand. The in question belonged to Carol, an apologetic look on her face.
"Sorry…" she murmured, eyes cast down as she relinquished her hold on the bottle.
"No, it's fine, Carol," Celeste assured her, quickly procuring a smile for emphasis. "I just wasn't paying attention."
The young girl's words were debatable in Carol's mind, but she tried to ignore it, sitting down by her instead. Her husband didn't need her at the moment, so she felt that she wasn't doing anything wrong by sitting outside with the girl.
"How long have I been asleep?" Celeste asked suddenly, taking a sip of water and coughing a couple times.
"Only since the other day," Carol explained, folding her hands in front of her.
"And Kenzie?" Celeste asked, looking up at Carol.
"Kenzie?" Carol asked, tilting her head to the side for a moment.
A look of realization dawned on her after a few moments, the pieces clicking into place before she met Celeste's gaze.
"Oh, you mean the little girl you were with?" Carol asked, a knowing smile on her face. "Don't worry, your little girl is safe and sound. Daryl's been looking after her."
"Daryl?" Celeste questioned, her brows furrowing together for a moment.
She then realized who she was talking about. She'd forgotten his name earlier, but after hearing it, she knew who it was. It was younger of the two men that had come across them, the one that she accidentally shot at. She grimaced as she remembered it, feeling bad that she'd nearly killed him.
"Is something wrong?" Carol asked, seeing the look on Celeste's face.
"N-no," Celeste shook her head. "I know him, it's just…"
She paused for a moment, scratching at the back of her head. She wasn't sure if she wanted to admit to nearly hurting one of their group, afraid that it might get her into trouble.
"Never mind," she sighed, dropping her hand down at her side. "Where are Daryl and his brother anyway?" Celeste asked curiously, looking around the campsite for a moment.
"Well, I think Merle left early this morning," Carol told her, taking another moment to think. "The last time I saw Daryl though, I think he was down by the quarry."
"The quarry?"
Again, the young girl's brows furrowed together in a look of confusion. It was clear as day that she hadn't any clue as to where they really were.
"Why don't I show you?" Carol offered, getting up on her feet.
She couldn't believe her eyes as Carol brought her over to the edge of the campsite. The view was just behind the RV, the rocky terrain of the quarry gleaming back at her in the morning light. In all her years, she'd never seen such a thing, and it'd been a long 25 years. This on the other hand was a first, the luster of the rocks drifting farther than she could ever hope to reach. There was even an array of water within the valley of the quarry that spanned maybe a quarter of a mile.
"It's huge," Celeste breathed out, taking a step forward.
"Careful!"
Carol's hand shot out without hesitation, quickly grabbing hold of the girl's arm and pulling her back. She didn't want to see her go tumbling down the hill of the quarry and breaking her neck.
"S-Sorry," Celeste stammered, taking a step back.
It wasn't until after that though that she caught sight of someone down at the quarry. Their was back was turned, so she couldn't make out who it was. Although, from what she could tell, it was a man. The way that they stood told her that much, their shoulders pulled back, but slightly slouched.
"Who's that?"
Carol had to squint her eyes for a moment as she looked down at the quarry. She cupped a hand over them even to block the light.
"Oh, that's Daryl," she smiled, before turning back to Celeste. "I can go get him for you if you'd like?"
"No!" Celeste said quickly.
Her eyes widened when Carol flinched, a frown forming on her face.
"I'm sorry," she apologized, touching the woman's arm tentatively. "I…I'd like to talk to him myself," she told her. "To thank him."
"I see," Carol said quietly.
"Not that I don't appreciate your kind gesture," she assured her, giving her a small smile. "It's just, I'd like to be able to talk to him in private for a few moments."
Carol nodded her head in understanding, before turning around to the shouting of her name.
"Woman, get yer ass back here!"
Celeste turned her head toward the voice, her eyes narrowing slightly at the man's tone. Just by that, she already didn't like him.
"I'm sorry…" Carol whispered quietly, before making her way toward him, leaving Celeste to her self.
Celeste watched as the man grabbed Carol's arm roughly, before shoving her toward a tint, his eyes glaring back at Celeste.
"Prick," Celeste muttered, before turning toward the path that led down to the quarry.
T
Sitting there in the sun, Daryl let out a breath of air, running a damp rag over his arm. It was stained with blood from skinning squirrels, his knife laid faithfully at his side. Despite being a man of the woods, he didn't necessarily like having the blood all over his hands once everything was said and done. Not that it really bothered him that much, but he didn't want the smell on him and the potential of an animal or walker getting wind of it. If they did, that could mean either he'd lose his catch or find himself face to face with one of those no good flesh eating bastards.
In the back of his head, Daryl could hear his brother calling him a pansy ass as he washed the blood off, joking that it made him sick. In all honesty though, Daryl was used to it by now. After all his years of hunting, he ought to be anyway.
"Damn stuff never comes off some times," he muttered, scrubbing roughly at his hands.
The last thing he needed was that woman's little girl freaking out when he went back up. He could practically see the looks on everyone's face if he did, a look of annoyance pulling at his features. He hated those people because since the very first day they set up, they'd looked down on him and his brother. They thought that they were just a couple of inbred hicks. They thought that they were nothing. Nothing, but trailer trash.
"Daryl?"
Daryl narrowed his eyes at the voice, tossing his rag down at the water.
"The hell ya w-"
He stopped short as he turned around, his jaw going slack. It was the girl that they'd picked up the other day, her feet nearly sliding out underneath her as she tried to navigate down the trail in her bare feet.
"Get yer ass back to the RV and put some shoes on," he shot out, eyes narrowed at the woman's stupidity.
"I got your name right, didn't I?" she asked, stumbling forward as she got closer.
"Yeah, ya got my name right, now scram," he narrowed, going back to scrubbing at his hands.
"But I-Ah!" Celeste was cut off as her foot slipped, gravel flying everywhere.
"The hell's yer problem? Ain't ya got ears woman!" Daryl yelled, brushing himself off in irritation as he stood up, glaring at Celeste.
He stood still as he stood there, his glare slowly receding as he looked her over. She was just laying there on her back, eyes scrunched shut as she winced. The gravel had no doubt sliced into her skin, leaving red patches behind. Her dark hair was now dusted with a layer of dirt, her hands clutching the ground below her. Her blue green eyes caught his attention though, their gaze locking with one another.
T
"Well?" he asked, snapping her out of her daze.
Celeste blinked as she laid her, the skin of her back pressing into the gravel painfully. She tried to sit up, but winced, looking down at her hands. They were all scuffed up now, the skin red and peeling. She was pulled up onto her feet with a grunt a moment later though, Daryl's hand wrapped around her arm.
"Well, ya gonna say something or are ya just gonna stand here all day?" he asked in annoyance, his hand still clamped on her arm.
"I just wanted to talk to you," she replied, flexing her fingers as she stood there.
"And why the hell would you wanna talk ta me?" he asked, eyeing her skeptically.
"To thank you," she said quietly, looking up at him.
At that moment, Daryl let go of her arm, taking a step back. It was as if he were unsure of her words, as if they may possibly bite him.
"For the other day," she elaborated, wringing her hands for a moment.
Again, she winced, fingers twitching. She then turned to the water, eyeing it before walking over to it and kneeling down, dragging her hands through the water. The chill itself was a welcomed relief to her, a small smile forming on her face.
"Look, I didn't mean to bother you," she told him, rubbing her fingers lightly, freeing it from the dirt. "I just thought that I'd thank you in person," she explained, looking up at him as he continued to stare, a hard look on his face.
"Ain't no reason to be thankin' me," he told her, reaching down and picking up his crossbow.
He slung it over his shoulder with ease, before picking up his bucket and knife, making his way up the path.
"Hey, wait!" Celeste called, quickly standing up and going after him.
She nearly tripped again as she went, making her way up the hill behind him at an uneasy pace.
"I wasn't done talking yet," she told him, trying to keep up as best she could against the rocky terrain, the rocks cutting into her feet.
"We ain't got nothin' to talk about," he said simply, shouldering his crossbow a bit more as he kicked a rock out of the way with the toe of his boot.
"And that's where you're wrong," she said, stepping over a few of the more pointed rocks in the ground.
"And how's that?" Daryl scoffed, glancing over his shoulder for a moment as he climbed the top of the hill.
Deciding to take this opportunity before he could fully get out of sight, Celeste pushed herself forward, slowly making her way to the very top.
"I never got to apologize," she told him, watching as he turned a bit, brows furrowed in confusion.
It was as if no one had ever apologized to him before, like it was the first time ever hearing it. Regardless though, Celeste felt the need to apologize to him. She'd always been like that though. If it were because of something that she'd done wrong, she'd always apologize because she knew that she was in the wrong, not the other person.
"What ya apologizin' for?" Daryl asked, eyeing her uncomfortably as he stood there.
"For shooting at you the other day," she answered. "I should have been paying better attention and because of that, I nearly shot you," she explained, wringing her hands as she came forward.
"Listen, I-"
His words were stopped as a small cry broke out, the voice familiar to both of them at this point.
"Daryl!"
Suddenly, Kenzie ran forward, wrapping her little arms around Daryl's leg. She had a smile on her little face, even though she had a bit of dirt on her nose, and crust in the corners of her eyes.
Celeste herself was at a loss for words as she stood there at the edge of the quarry, her eyes trained on Kenzie. The little girl looked so happy, her eyes a light as she hugged Daryl's leg in her little arms. Celeste wasn't sure the last time she'd seen her like that, a small smile pulling on her lips as she watched Daryl place his hand on top of Kenzie's head.
"I think ya should be saying hi ta someone else," he told her, ruffling her hair for a moment, before pushing her in Celeste's direction.
"Hm?" Kenzie turned her head, her eyes going wide as she caught sight of Celeste. "Celeste!" she cried out, running forward and launching herself into the woman's unsteady arms.
Sadly, that had been the wrong move, Celeste still standing in her bare feet on the slippery incline.
"Oh shit!" she yelled, bracing herself.
Before Daryl could even blink, the two fell backwards, tumbling down the slope of the quarry.
Alright everyone, that was chapter 2. I really hope that you all liked it. Also, I realize that its a bit shorter than the last one, but that was deliberate. Don't worry, the next chapter will be longer though.
Please, let me know what you think? REVIEW AND MESSAGE!
Also, thank you to: Emberka-2012, mrskaz453, Tell me you're still you, and MagicalElf73 for your reviews so far. I really appreciate it!