It was getting late; probably around 9:30 at night. I decided to go outside and enjoy the warm weather. I thought about taking a walk around the block.

I happened to look up the street and see an ambulance at my cousin's house.

Immediately I ran for it, praying it wasn't Sena who was hurt.

When I reached the house, I saw Chris sitting out there, clearly upset.

"What the hell happened?" I asked, looking to Chris's friend.

"Susan got real drunk, started puking everywhere. He called the rescue squad to make sure she'd be okay." Ike told me.

I sighed. "Fucking bitch. What about Sena? She okay?"

Ike and Chris both pointed to the ambulance where Sena was talking to one of the medics, seeming to not realize what was going on.

I went over to my little cousin and the medic, happy she seemed unaffected by the chaos around her.

"You know these guys?" The medic asked me.

"Unfortunately I do. They're family." I admitted.

"Well if I were you, I'd keep the kid close tonight. That lady in there's too intoxicated for her own good. She's refusing to go to the hospital so there's nothing we can do here. And her boyfriend's gonna have his hands full tonight dealing with her."

I acknowledged the guy's concerns and bent down to talk to Sena.

"You wanna come stay with me tonight?" I asked.

She looked back at her house, uncertain.

"It'll be okay. Mommy and Chris will be there in the morning waiting for you." I assured her.

Slowly she nodded her head and took my hand.

I told Chris and his friend what I was doing, then took Sena to my house.

I don't remember falling asleep last night. I guess I just passed out from sheer exhaustion. I looked down and realized I was still clutching…her knife.

Before the grief could set in, I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and hobbled out of bed. My leg didn't hurt anymore and the swelling was almost gone.

I walked outside and saw almost everyone gathered around one of the cars.

Curious, I walked over.

"Maybe we'll pick up her trail." Rick said.

"No maybe about it. I'm gonna borrow a horse…" Daryl started.

They all noticed me.

"You're still looking for her?" I asked, feeling numb. I couldn't say her name.

"Why not? She's still a missing child." Rick commented.

"You heard Sophia…she was bitten. She's more than likely dead."

Everyone stared at me like I killed a puppy.

"It's the truth guys." I mumbled.

Autumn went to my side and hugged me.

"Don't you want any closure?" Shane asked.

I shook my head,

"Come on. Why don't you go rest in your tent?" Autumn coaxed me.

My body followed her lead but my mind and heart was a million miles away.

I laid on my cot, staring at the ceiling of my tent.

My emotions were everywhere. Part of me wanted to find Sena, to know she was dead. But the other part knew she was.

I stared around the same cloth walls till my eyes fell on the bow and arrow set I'd stolen from the highway. I should learn to shoot it…but what was the point? I was decent with a gun and knew how to use a knife.

"Nothing's trivial." A voice in my head told me.

I sighed and reluctantly grabbed the bow set.

As I walked, I found a nice field with some hay bales in it.

"They'd make nice targets." I thought as I positioned myself in front of one.

I drew an arrow and set it in the bow, holding it to the target.

I let my breath go and in a flash, the arrow was planted in the bale.

Again, I grabbed an arrow and set it up. I closed my eyes…and saw her, before everything went to hell.

She was smiling.

I shook my head to keep from thinking about it, and resumed taking aim at the bale.

I then saw her crying…her little face staring at me.

Defying the images in my head, I shot the arrow, not caring if it hit or missed.

My knees went weak and tears welled up in my eyes.

"No, no…please just stop." I sputtered.

I saw myself hugging her.

"I love you Lyla. You're my favorite cousin."

That was my breaking point. I grabbed up my bow and arrows and ran for my tent.

I couldn't cry. I had to be strong.

I sat in my tent, with a freshly sharpened knife.

I touched the flat side to my skin, savoring the cool steel against my thigh.

Through sniffles, I scoffed. I didn't think I'd end up relapsing…especially after four years.

"Walker! Walker!" Someone shouted. Sounded like a woman's voice.

I shot out of the tent and went to the RV. The rest of the guys grabbed weapons and went for the approaching walker.

I repositioned my knife and sprinted after them.

Rick reached the walker first, pointing his gun at it.

Everyone kept their weapons ready, but I dropped mine.

Daryl was a walker?

Glenn voiced what I was thinking. "Is that Daryl?"

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull the trigger or what?" An angry Daryl spat.

Relief washed over me. Daryl wasn't a walker…at least not yet. Who knew if he'd been scratched?

"Let's get you inside." I managed to say as I stepped towards him.

He huffed went to say something before a gunshot rang out. Daryl collapsed to the ground.

"NO!" Rick screamed out.

I knelt by Daryl's side, looking to see where he was shot.

"C'mon don't do this to us." I muttered.

I then saw a nice long streak on the side of his skull. It didn't look deep but it was bleeding badly.

"NO! STOP!" Rick yelled again, hoping to keep whoever it was from firing.

I placed my hand on Daryl's wound. "He's not dead!"

Rick and Shane bolted to my side and helped get him up.

"I was kidding." Daryl mumbled, going in and out of consciousness.

I sighed and followed Rick and Shane back to the farm. Glenn walked with me.

"Who the hell would be so stupid?" The Asian asked.

I just looked at him. "Dunno, but I'm taking a swing at the dumbass. Lucky they didn't kill 'im."

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Is he dead?" Andrea shrieked as she and Dale met us halfway to the farm.

"Unconscious. You just grazed him." Rick told her.

Did I just hear right? That dumb bimbo shot at one of our own? AFTER Rick told her not to?

"But look at him! What the hell happened?" Glenn voiced, worried. "He's wearing ears!"

I looked at Daryl's appearance. Blood around his mouth could've been from some game he'd killed and ate. His horse was gone, so maybe it threw him and he had to walk all the way back. The geek ears though…they were trophies.

Rick ripped the ear necklace off and stuffed it in his pocket. "Let's keep that to ourselves."

All of silently agreed as we kept walking.

"Guys!" T called out behind us.

We turned around to face him. He was holding up a child's necklace.

"Is this Sena's?"

I took the necklace from him and examined it closely. It was a Celtic cross necklace I'd given her one Christmas.

Everyone looked at me like I was a ticking time bomb.

"Get him inside." I said wearily, walking back to the farm.

Shane and Rick walked out of the room where Daryl was.

"He'll be alright." Rick assured me and Lori.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "He's a tough mother fucker."

"He is." Rick agreed.

"I hate to say it, but I'm with Hershel and Lyla. We can't keep going out there, not after this." Shane admitted.

"You'd quit now? Daryl just risked his life to bring back the first hard evidence we've had." Rick argued.

"That's one way to look at it." Shane shot back.

"Alright, enough!" I growled, stepping between the two men.

"Rick, you are a good man, and I have no doubt you're doing the best you can for this group, but we…we have to face the truth." I told the group leader.

"So you don't even wanna know if she's still alive?"

"It's been 4 days since she went missing, and Sophia told us what happened. She was bit. By now, she's probably a walker." I said, feeling like my heart was breaking.

"She's right, Rick. We should cut our losses and be on our way to Fort Benning by the end of the week." Shane agreed with me.

I looked between Rick and a horrified Lori.

Rick walked outside while Shane and Lori stared at each other.

"I'm gonna check on Daryl." I mumbled awkwardly as I quietly went into the sick room.

I could vaguely hear Shane and Lori arguing in the hall after I shut the door.

I half expected Daryl to be awake and making some smart-ass comment, but he didn't. He was sound asleep. Guess Hershel gave him some strong painkillers.

I sat down in the chair next to the bed and pulled out the necklace he'd found.

The childlike faith she—Sena had, used to be inspiring.

"What now God?" I questioned, whispering so I wouldn't wake Daryl.

Why had she trusted God? He let her down. He let her get bit. And she was more than likely dead.

I sat there for a long while, and did what I hadn't done since I was a kid; I prayed.

I couldn't tell you what I prayed for, because well, I didn't know. God had let me down so many times, I didn't know if I could trust him to answer me, to even acknowledge me. But nevertheless, I prayed.

Third Person POV

Daryl laid there, pretending to be knocked out. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. He heard someone open the door and shut it.

It was quiet for a long while till a little voice whispered. "What now God?"

He knew who it was in the room. It was Lyla.

He continued listening to the poor girl's whispering. She was praying. Praying for her cousin, for her friends, for the group, for him…

An emotional punch was thrown at him. He didn't deserve to be prayed for. Hell it should be him out there bitten and dying, not some kid.

It was his fault Sena had been bitten anyway. If he had found that cabin sooner, she'd be just fine!

Anger rolled through him like thunder. He'd rest tonight and tomorrow, then he'd go out and look for the girl. He'd bring her back and she'd be just fine! She had to be.