Chapter Seventeen
Beth stares out the window, her arms folded as her nails claw into her skin. She could feel the itch starting up again. Becoming more and more noticeable by the minute as she watches the rain pour down. The cold trickles in through the glass, causing the goosebumps to rise on her flesh, and she is inside. Near a burning fire. She could only imagine what Daryl is going through.
How frozen he must be at the moment, with a huff and another drag of nails against skin, she turns around to see the group standing around the counter. Discussing what preparations need to be done before winter fully set in.
"What about Daryl?" she asks, marching toward the counter. Rick and the others look up at her. The sheriff's eyebrow rising in question while he waits for her to continue. "Isn't anybody going to go out there looking for him?"
"I'm sure Daryl is fine. Wouldn't be the first time he wandered off on his own for a couple of days." Rick looks back down at the list sitting in front of him and Carol gives Beth a reassuring smile as she shrugs and follows suite.
"But it's been nearly two days. Don't you think he would have come back by now. Especially in this?" She motions toward the window to prove her point and Rick nods his head, though all eyes are on her. Waiting for her next outbursts. She can't wrap her mind around how they can be so blaise about one of their own being out there, alone, in the cold.
Rick rubs at his forehead, taking a moment before looking back at her. "That is exactly why we are not out there looking for him, and probably why he hasn't made it back yet. Could be held up somewhere. He'll be fine."
Beth throws up her arms, her head falling back in frustration as, again, she looks out the window. "Bethany," Maggie says, calling her attention from across the room. "Be reasonable. Please."
Beth turns a narrowed stare on her sister. She knows for damn sure if it was Glenn out there, Maggie wouldn't be reasonable. Still, Beth closes her eyes, takes a deep breath and nods. She doesn't want to start an argument. Not really, and pissing everyone off just to get her way isn't the best solution. With another withering glance toward the group, she stalks off to the living room. Settling on the couch and as close to the fire as she can get without kneeling on the floor.
She can't get rid of the feeling that something isn't right. It settles into her stomach like a heavy weight and all Beth can do is breath around it. Force herself to remain calm. It is stupid and unfounded. Daryl is more than capable of taking care of himself and has definitely proven that time and again. It is just this damn, unshakable weight that has her gripping her arms so tight until her nails practically dig into the skin. Not even close to relieving that itch that is building up just underneath the surface. Maybe it is the unknowing. The way he just left without a word that has her all worked up.
Maybe.
She could feel her fingers creeping up her sleeves. The edges of her nails barely scraping across her old scars before the sound of footsteps pull her from her thoughts and she turns to see her father holding up the stethoscope they found at some point. "Go and check on Lori and her baby for me, will ya?"
Beth nods, already standing and making her way toward her father before the request is even finished. She finds Lori in the library, relaxing against the wall while reading something to Carl, who is lying on the floor next to her. His head rests on her shoulder and Beth stops in the doorway. Not wanting to bother the two, and thinking it would be best to come back later when Lori notices her and put the book down.
"Hey," Lori says with a bright smile on her face. Carl looks up at her as well and Beth returns the smile while holding up the item in her hand.
"Daddy wanted me to listen to the baby, but I can come back later," she says, shrugging like it was no big deal.
Lori shakes her head, already sitting up as Carl moves out of the way. "No, no, it's fine."
Beth moves into the room, settling down next to the older woman with Carl sitting on the other side as Lori raises her shirt up just enough to reveal her stomach. "Wow, you gotta be what, four, five months?"
Lori shrugs, running her hand across it. "Something like that, though to be honest, I kind of expect it to be like this. With Carl, it didn't look like I was pregnant until at least eight months into the pregnancy."
Beth laughs as she mouths, "wow" while shaking her head and placing the ear buds in and leaning closer to place the other end on Lori's stomach. At first nothing comes through, but the sounds of a moving stomach, and then a small thud thud becomes apparent. Small and almost impossible to hear, but there none the less, and Beth counts the thuds while keeping an eye on the clock as her Daddy instructed. After a minute passes, she sits up, removes the ear buds and shrugs.
"Normal," she says, smiling at Lori. The woman nods, her hand stroking across her stomach with a smile of her own.
"Can I hear?" Carl asks, moving closer to his mother. Beth shrugs and hands over the stethoscope. Watching as Carl mimics her movements. Her smile growing bigger when Carl's eyes widened. Telling her that he hears the heartbeat.
"That's so cool," he says, leaning back and handing over the stethoscope. Beth nods, Lori's own face lighting up at her son's enthusiasm. It is good to see them bonding. Being able to share a moment, and Beth backs off, saying, "gotta report to my dad." before mumbling her good-byes and heading out the door. Letting the mother and son have their moment in private, though she does catch Carl saying, 'if it's a boy can I teach it to shoot?'
Lori's reply is cut off though Beth believes she heard, "rather boy or girl."
Heading back down the stairs, she hands her father the equipment and mumbles, "everything sounds good."
"Great," he replies, pulling her in for a hug. "Now come on. Got something else I gotta show you." He pulls her in the direction of the living room where Beth finds another set of books on the table Carol sits at. Though no Maggie this time.
"Where's Mags?" she asks, stopping to look around the space.
"Maggie has decided that sense she knows the basics she could be of use elsewhere. Besides, she's already been over this particular lesson." Hershel gives her a grim smile.
"That's bullshit," she blurts out, hands going to her hips as she looks from Carol to her Hershel again.
Hershel's face goes from smiling to fierce in an instant as he turns to his youngest. "You will watch the language."
Beth ducks her head, giving him a meek, apologetic glance. "I'm sorry. It's just..." Her argument falls from her lips as she shakes her head. "Never mind."
"It'll be fine, Bethy. Everything will be fine," Hershel says, giving her a small push toward the table. It is then, she realizes, he is just trying to keep her busy. Keep her mind off of other troubles and finds she os more grateful than irritated at that moment as they sit down and Hershel shoves a book at her.
The big book is something she already read and she raises an eyebrow at her father and Carol. "A refresher course, that's all." Carol gives her a big smile, patting her on the hand before pulling the book toward herself and opening it up to one of the middle pages.
For well over an hour Beth finds herself going over stitching maneuvers and amputations. When she gets a procedure wrong, she reread the section, doing her best to commit it to memory before moving on and then coming back. Her father insisting that more than one person needed to know this information, that everyone needed to know it really, but, "we all have our jobs to do." His constant mantra. Even on the farm, he would make that his valid argument when one of the children didn't want to do their chores.
With a sigh, Beth endures it. Thankful in the end for the distraction and the lesson. Lord knew it would come in handy one day, even as she lets out a heavy sigh and slams the book shut. The hunger pangs beginning to eat at her since she skipped breakfast. Too worried to actually eat anything, though now it was different.
Heading into the kitchen, she makes a grab for a can of food that her sister heated up and sat out for anyone to take.
"How were the lessons," Maggie, asks, giving her a cheeky grin.
Beth glances at her with a quick, "ha ha" before heading out the door and into the fresh air. By now the rain slowed from a constant downpour to a slight drizzle, though the clouds still cover the sky. Making it nearly impossible to tell the time of day. If Beth had to guess, she would say it was late afternoon. More than enough time for Daryl to return home from his early morning departure the day before.
Then again, Rick could be right, and he was just hunkered down. Waiting out the storm. It wasn't a complete impossibility and it was the most logical conclusion. Seeing as it's what any one of them would do in this situation. She just wishes he hadn't left in the first place.
Glancing down at her food, shifting it around in the can. The weight in her stomach once again returning full force as she thinks about all the other possibilities that could happen to him. The what if's and maybe's nagging the hell out of her, and she nearly jumps when a booming voice says, "Hey Sunshine!"
Beth whirls to find Merle leaning against the doorway, a grin spreading across his face as he looks out at the yard and then back at her. "My brother ever tell you about the time he got lost in the woods."
Beth shakes her head in response. Unable to even imagine a time when Daryl didn't know his way around the forest. The man seemed to have an internal GPS lodged in his head the way he walks through them.
"Yep, he sure did. He had to have been about Carl's age, maybe younger. Can't remember, but he decided to go wanderin in the woods and got himself lost. Hell, that boy even wiped his ass with some poison ivy because that boy couldn't tell you north from south, much less what the different leaves were."
Beth can't stop the small chuckle from escaping as she shakes her head. Trying to envision this version of Daryl as Merle comes to stand next to her, leaning on the porch and still looking out at the woods. "Yeah, boy didn't know shit then, but he made it back. Wondered right back into the house a week later with an itchy bottom and covered in dirt, but he made it back. Survived worse then a few rainy days out in the woods, I promise ya that."
Beth turns a grateful smile to Merle, silently thanking him for trying to reassure her. It helps, a little. She already knows Daryl is a survivor. That whatever life he had before, prepared him for all this. As hard as it was.
A nudge in the arm catches her attention again, and Beth turns to find Merle staring down at her, suddenly serious. "You keep this place feelin like a home with the rest of them in there, and I promise my brother will find his way back here. Hell or high water, he'll make it back."
"Thanks," Beth murmurs, looking down at her now cold can of soup. The weight in her stomach shifting as she look back out at the empty yard. "Here," she says, shoving the can into Merle's hands and heading back inside. Suddenly not all that hungry again.
The day went on from there. The rain continuing to slow until it was nothing more than a fine mist that Carol said could turn into sleet by morning and Beth once again stood outside on the porch. Her eyes glued to the wooden fence, praying that it would swing open to reveal a certain redneck hunter that was going to get an earful about going out there by himself.
After everything that just happened to them. From T-dog and the walkers, to the men that attempted to kill them. Daryl wandering out there alone was just plain stupid, and she couldn't fathom what made him do such a thing. 'Sometimes people do stupid things for no reason.' Her mother's voice when Beth asked her why Maggie just took off with some guy to Atlanta a few years back. She didn't understand her reasoning, then, though now could guess it was teenage rebellion.
Lord knew the three of them gave their parents a hell of a run in the old days. Between Shawn refusing to go to college first and then his angst about taking over the farm, to Maggie's constant stream of boyfriends. Beth tried to be the good one, but when she watched her friend die in that car wreck and the guilt crashed over her... Well... There wasn't much left to say about that.
Without thinking about it, her hand slides up her sleeve until her finger are able to slide across those old scars. Like revisiting a few old friends, and Beth's eyes close as she runs her hand back and forth. Feeling their comfort even as the tears slip down her face. It is stupid. Purely stupid to feel this worried over a guy.
Just a guy.
'Not just a guy, Daryl.'
More tears slip down her face as she leans forward. Resting her head against the railing while whispering, "please, please, please."
x X x
Morning crept in. Yesterday's rain leaving a low mist over the land and a few white flecks that rest on the ground. None of it was looking very good for Daryl, seeing as this would be day three out in the woods. With a sigh, she looks over to her daddy and the group, noticing the way Rick gives her a long look before a quick bob of his head and he disappears.
Whatever that's supposed to be mean, she really hopes that means they are heading out to look for Daryl. That something would finally be done, and they would find him and bring him home. Standing, she turns to her bags to rifle through them. Finding the knife, and the gun that Daryl gave to her not all that long ago and makes her way toward the weapons bag for a few extra rounds.
"Where are you going?" Maggie asks, stepping in front of her sister with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
Beth's eyes go wide as she motions to the kitchen and the basement. "To get some bullets so I can help find Daryl."
"Oh no," Maggie starts, holding her hands up to keep Beth from walking around her. "You are staying here. It's too dangerous."
"No way!" Beth exclaims, moving to walk around Maggie. Furious that anyone would even think that she would stay here while they search for her friend. He would look for her. Do everything he could to help her, why should this be any different when he is the one needing help. "You can't stop me, Mags!" she shouts, rounding the corner to spot Hershel just looking over his shoulder at them.
"Stop what?" he asks, hooking his own knife to the side of his pants and picking up a rather large rifle.
"Somebody's got to stop Beth from going with the guys," Maggie chimes in. Beth huffing as Hershel raises an eyebrow at them. Leave it to Maggie to rat her out before she can say a word in her own defense.
"He would do the same for me, Daddy. I can't just sit here while he's out there," she says, stepping forward to plead her case. To her surprise Hershel nods his head with a small smile floating on his lips.
"That he would, and I can see how restless you've been the past couple of days." He walks over to rest a hand on Beth's shoulder.
"So I can go?" She can't help the way her chest heaves with excitement. That her father not only agrees with her, but is going to let her go is almost too much to hope.
"No."
Beth feel her lungs deflate as her face turns sour. The pout in her lips becoming evident even as the anger rises up again. Of course it is too much to hope for. Their father continues to treat her like a child. Sheltering her at every turn and yet Maggie is the one allowed to go on runs and do anything she can to help the place. It isn't right. It is hindering her, and if they could only see that.
"But Daddy," Beth start, raising a finger up to emphasize her point when Hershel grabs her hand and holds on to it.
"Don't 'but Daddy' me. Rick and them will find Daryl. They will bring him home, in the mean time me and you can head out to check those snares. It's been a few days, and I very much doubt Daryl went anywhere toward them."
"Daddy," Beth moves to argue again and is silent when Hershel raises his head up, giving her a hard stare.
"And we can keep an out for the young man while we are out there."
Beth gapes at him for a moment, her mouth practically hanging open as she glances over at Maggie, who merely shrugs before she looks back at Hershel. "Checking the snares? Really, Daddy?"
"I was a farmer for most of my life. I know a thing or two about hunting for dinner if need be. Now are you gonna help me or sit here and mope, because you are not going out there with Rick and them." Hershel gives his daughter a stern look, his own blue eyes going hard as they meet hers for a second before Beth nods and heads out the door. Gsrabbing up her ax that's sitting next to the door before double checking the weapons already at her side. Maggie murmurs a few fleeting words to their father, something that he responds to with a whisper of his own before following her out. The two of them remaining mostly silent as they make their way toward the fence. Rick, Merle and Glenn already heading out, nodding in farewell before the two groups separate.
Their footsteps steadily fade the further they get from the cabin. The snares are set up some distance from the cabin so that any noises that come from there wouldn't disturb the animals. As the two of them comb through the forest, Beth feels her chest ache. The further she goes from the cabin, the longer it is going take her to find out any news. Hopefully good news.
Though she did need the distraction. She needed to get out of that cabin, and have her mind focus on something as mundane as stabbing an animal and pulling it out of the claw trap. Easily tying it to a string so that it swung at the back of her bag as they march off to the next snare with two rabbits already swinging behind her. The soft swaying lulling her into an easy state.
One that allowed her mind to wander, and all the possible scenarios play through her head. Scenes with Daryl turned walker roaming up to them, the sight causing her to freeze and watch as he steadily heads toward her. Teeth nashing closer to her face before she shoves that thought out of her mind and moves on to one less horrific, but it still left bile in her throat as she imagined Daryl lying dead somewhere. A gunshot through his head, and others. None of them good as they continued on.
Beth's hands clenching and releasing for several minutes before she rushes forward to her father's side and nudges him. "Remember when we would walk through the forest just for fun."
Hershel nods, a smile growing on his lips as he glances at her. "Shawn and Maggie would race down the trail to the creek and you would try to keep up. Until that time you sprained your ankle on some tree roots. Never cared for racing after that."
"Nah, much preferred to listen to you tell me about the different leaves, and birds that lived in the forest." Beth admits, the grin growing wider on her face as the memories surface of two brunettes rushing through the woods while she hung back with their father -not unlike she was doing now- and almost wishing she could keep up with them. Until his voice interrupts her thoughts.
"Your mother would come as well, when she needed to pick some berries for her jams, Remember?"
Beth nods. "She would pack a lunch for us on those days and we would head out to find a spot on the creek. Spend the afternoon swimming and just having fun."
God, she missed those days. Almost wishes she could transport herself back to those times and enjoy them just a little more. Fight with Maggie a little less -or not- and not steal the last biscuit out of Shawn's grasp as he grumbled about it -definitely not changing that.
Those were the moments she holds dear. When their faces shined so bright, and she could almost hear their laughter. Until after, when the screams permitted into her mind, and she could hear Shawn hollering, "get Dad, Beth. Run, Get Dad!"
Closing her eyes, she shuts out her families last few minutes and focuses on the path ahead of her. The screams growing louder, and soon followed with gunshots that pulls her from her thoughts as she turns around. Doing her best to pinpoint the sound when she hears her father take off.
"Dad!" She hollers, following after him, despite wanting to scream that they just needed to turn back. That it wasn't their problem. More screams fill the air, and as they get closer the sound of walkers could be heard mingling in with them. Out of breath and panting, Beth pushes forward, grabbing Hershel's arm to pull on it. Halting his progress.
When he turns to look at her Beth shakes her head. The fear building up behind her eyes as the tears threaten to spill out. Her chest tight as she forces out the words, "no, please."
Hershel shakes his head, his own sadness taking over his features as he says, "we can't look the other way."
Beth's head shakes, almost pleading with him that they can. No one's seen them. No one knew they were out there and the screams grow louder, the silence between gunshots growing longer and Beth stands there clenching her father's arm and nodding her head. Begging him not to go.
"We can't," he repeats, pulling his daughter forward and heading toward the chaos. Beth takes a deep breath. Her eyes watering, blurring her vision as she follows him. Just getting a view of a small group of walkers circling what looked to be a small family, a man, a woman, and a boy about Beth's age.
Beth gasps, looking for the air that she needs to steel herself as Hershel raises his rifle up and takes aim. The first walker goes down without much fuss, giving the family pause as they take in the newcomers. Beth holds up her own pistol and fires off a shot, hitting a walker in the back and as the thing turns the teenage boy takes him out.
Hershel takes out another walker, and the family seems to rile up after that. The father and son making quick work of what walkers were missed by the gun shots as the woman kneels between the two. She looks pale, and breathless. Even from the distance, it doesn't look good, and Beth is half tempted to take aim at the woman.
Stray bullets weren't the worst thing that could happen to them. Still, she focuses her mind and helps with the last walker, hitting its head and watching as it falls. The two men sag as it does so. Looking ready to drop themselves and Hershel and Beth make their way forward. Her father looking prepared to help the family in whatever way he could, though if he would ask Beth, she would say they'd done more than enough. She follows him, keeping at a distance and behind him. Her rifle still in her hand as they approach the trio.
The older man gives them a short nod as he holds his hand out. "Thank you. Thank you so much, for a moment there, I thought we were goners."
"Would have been with all that screaming," Beth mumbles, her eyes trailing across the family. She said it low, but it was obvious the words were heard as the man's gaze darts to the ground. When he swallows, he nods and looks back at his family.
"My wife, she was bitten," he says, motioning toward the woman. Hershel steps forward, his hand coming out in a silent question rather he could come closer. The woman looks to her husband and he nods.
"Where at?" Hershel asks as he kneels down and begins inspecting the arm that is held up for him. The bite is deep. A large chunk literally ripped from her flesh and Beth feels the guilt rise up at her comment. She probably would have screamed as well.
"Beth, my bag," Hershel says, not looking at her. Beth quickly grabs his bag from where he dropped it and pulls a small first aide kit out. He quickly busies himself with her wound. Cleaning and applying a small dressing to stop the bleeding. As he wraps it up, he looks up at the older man. "It's not going to make much of a difference, but I suppose you know that."
The man nods, his gaze darting to his son who's eye are wide as saucers. She remembers that look. Knows it all too well, and she quickly darts her gaze back to her Daddy, who is finishing tying up the small wrap. "Now the other one." He looks the woman straight in the eye, and she shifts to bring the shirt up, revealing a rather large gash where it looks as if someone dug their nails into her skin and ripped away.
Beth swallows the bile that wants to rise up and looks away. Not able to forget the sight of the woman's stomach ripped open. "Guess I should have looked at that one before I used the gauze." Hershel gives her a sad smile and looks up at her husband.
The man returns the grateful smile as he glances from Hershel to Beth. "We know what's coming. We'll be prepared for it, we just.."
Hershel nods, pushing himself off the ground. "I know." He glances over the family one last time, before looking back at her. "Beth, make a small camp. We'll take a break here," he says, turning back to the other man. "If you don't mind?"
The man shakes his head, eyes darting from Hershel to her with a grateful look. Beth wants him to swallow it. All she wants to do is continue checking their traps and head home. They helped them take out the walkers, and the woman is dying. She didn't know what more there was to do, except bring them back to camp and Beth isn't sure how Rick and the others would take to that.
A small fire doesn't take long to build up, one that won't attract any notice, but still capable of keeping them warm. Not that it would do the woman any good, already she is leaning against her husband, turning blue and chattering away. Telling Beth that she wouldn't be here much longer.
Too much blood loss, and shock finally settling in. Maybe it was better that way. It was how she would want to go. If she ever wanted to think about that. The sight of Walker Daryl nashing at her comes into mind once again and she shakes it off. Knowing she wouldn't be able to deal with that.
There is silence for a moment. The man sitting closer to his wife, wrapping an arm around her as she leans heavily on him while the younger boy-their son- she assumes sits on her other side. Giving his mother and father side glances while keeping an eye on them.
"The names Hershel," her daddy says, nodding toward the man before pointing at Beth. "That there is my daughter, Beth."
Beth nods, not sure if giving out names is the best thing to do with these people. They didn't know them, couldn't tell if they were genuine or just desperate enough to do anything. Though the man nods in turn and mumbles, "I'm Allen, my wife Donna, and my son Ben.
The five them give short nods in greeting, getting out quick, "nice to meet you's" before the silence falls over them again and they all stare at the fire. Beth wonders what is so nice about meeting this family. Their circumstances aren't all that great. Maybe if they'd just come across the cabin without the walkers and the bites, then it would have been good to meet them. Could have taken them in, and helped them out. At the moment they were all useless. Sitting, waiting for death to come and claim one of them, if not all of them.
The situation nearly similar to the one Daryl found himself in not a week ago, and Beth swallows. Feeling the guilt of cursing him for walking away like he did. He needed the alone time. Knew he enjoyed it, just couldn't find it in her to forgive him for just walking away without a word. For slipping off into the early morning hours, like his presence at the house wouldn't go unnoticed.
"What are you doin out here, Allen?" Hershel asks, seeming determined to keep the conversation going. Beth isn't sure why. Maybe just to fill the silence and she keeps her gaze glued to the fire, not wanting to know more about this family.
"We were with another group, a smaller one, when our camp got over run and well..." he shrugs as he looks at his wife. The rest of the story not needing to be explained as Hershel nods in understanding.
Beth glances at them, noting the boy glancing at her, but remaining just as silent as Allen looks back at Hershel. "What about you?"
This time Beth does glance at him, noticing his eyes scanning over first her father and then herself. Taking in their cleanliness and the stocked backpacks and Beth narrows her gaze at him. Wondering just how desperate this man really is. What he is capable of doing.
"Just passing through," her father says, giving the man a brief smile. Likely noticing the man's inspection as well and Beth swallows again. Glad that her father is still as observant and mistrusting of newcomers as he was on the farm.
The woman is shivering now, her teeth clattering together as she clings onto her husband's arms. Beth can see the way her face twists, the pain getting the better of her as her breathing becomes labored. No, it won't be much longer now and Beth looks to her father for an answer. He rests a hand on her shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze before nodding toward a bush.
"Going to be a moment," he says, pushing himself off the ground. Beth nods, her gaze darting toward the family in front of her as they gather around the woman, Donna. Beth almost doesn't want to think about her name. Doesn't see the use of knowing it when it was obvious it wasn't going to make much of a difference soon anyways.
Her focus goes to the boy, noticing the same desperation she held in her eyes as she sat helpless at her mother's bedside. All the prayers, and whispered words of encouragement that went to mute ears as the fever steadily took her, and then the screams. Her screams filling the house before Shawn barged into the room. Fighting off their crazed mother, and receiving his own wound and the process starting all over again.
The nights she sat up praying that a cure would come. The days she spent, believing her father was right and that it was only a matter of time. All of it a complete waste. All of it useless. The only relief comes from the scars on her wrists. The scars she is reaching for now. The one's she is picking at now, hoping to reopen them as she watches the woman grow still. Watches the fear in the boy's eyes as he leans closer. Waiting for the unavoidable evidence that his mother is gone and would soon be replaced by something else. Her hand goes to the knife at her side, barely pulling it out to hand it over when a strangled scream comes from behind her.
Her head whips around in time to see her father falling just beyond the bushes. His shouts filling the air while she shoves herself off the ground, rushing around the bushes to find a walker chewing on his leg. The things upper torso barely connecting to its hips as its teeth sink into her father's leg and fear crawls over her. Freezing her for only a moment before she rushes over, kicking the damned thing off her father and standing over it.
The blade embeds itself in its head before she yanks it back out and stares at the wound on her father's leg. His breathing is ragged, labored even as he sits up and nods toward the camp. "Your ax," he breathes out. Almost a whisper and Beth feels something rise up from her stomach, catching in her throat as she stares at him, and then the large wound on his leg.
"The ax, Bethany, now," he all but shouts, forcing the words between gasps of air. Beth bobs her head. Her vision blurring, making the forest swarm around her. Almost surreal as she rushes to the camp, the eyes of the two men standing before her wide and confused. She ignores them of course, fear driving her quickly back to her father's side as he closes his eyes and lays back.
"Daddy," she whispers, raising the ax. When he shakes his head and stares up at her, Beth nods, and brings the ax up. Praying to God that she can make it swift and clean before she swings the ax down. His screams filling the night air, causing her other two companions to jump up and rush over. Both of them frozen at the sight of her bloody ax coming back up, and the leg hanging half off of the man that just attempted to help them.
"Hold him," Beth shouts, tears streaming down her face as she brings her ax back up. "Please."
The men nod, and Beth waits as the older man, Allen, comes to stand at her Daddy's head, holding his shoulders down as the younger one goes to the other side. Putting pressure on the one good leg and his stomach before Beth brings the ax down again. Doing her best to ignore the strangled cry that comes from her father.
I would have had this up sooner, had it written just not edited but I got into the From Dusk Til Dawn TV series, and that kind of sucked me in. I'm loving that show at the moment and may have even found another ship. Cause I need another ship. lol
Anyways, I hope this chapter doesn't drone on with Beth's rambling thoughts, and doesn't sound to repetitive. Tried to keep it from doing that. Also attempted to make sure it was all in present tense, but seeing as I write my chapters out in past tense and then edit, some parts might sound funny and could even be wrong.
Hope you enjoyed it and thanks everyone for commenting and following/favoriting. It means so much to me.