"Never Give Up (On Each Other)"
Author: carmen_085
Disclaimer: I do not own any Walking Dead Characters. I do own all original characters.
Summary: In the months before the beginning of the apocalypse, Daryl finds himself homeless, alone, and with no direction. An adult Beth is struggling to balance her job, sick parents, and the farm. Feeling like the world is suffocating her, will taking a chance on a stranger change everything ? Can these two find what they need in each other before life as they know it ends and they must do anything to survive. AU but eventual ZA with full cast.
Chapter Thirteen
Slamming the door to the farmhouse, Beth slid to the floor. Tears streamed down her face as she slapped a hand over her mouth desperate not to scare her mama. How could this happen? Daryl hadn't killed anyone, she was sure of it. That just wasn't him. How could the same man that held her so tenderly just a few days ago also be capable of murdering someone in cold blood? It just didn't make any sense. Beth felt her chest heave again as all the people who had doubted Daryl came into her mind; Jimmy, her daddy, Rosita, damn near everyone had warned her at one time or another. Maybe they had been right and maybe there was a side to Daryl she just didn't want to see.
NO
No. It simply wasn't true and she knew it, deep in her heart she knew the kind of man he was. A horrible, all consuming guilt came over her as a pain settled deep in her gut. How could she even wonder about Daryl when it was her dumb idea of stealing narcotics that had made this whole situation so much worse. She knew how wrong it was but she was also desperate and scared….so scared. Nobody knew what was to come and Beth was just trying to do the right thing. Which, of course, turned out to be the wrong thing. Making an already bad situation for Daryl so much worse. She was ready to take the blame, she had done it after all, but before she could even open her mouth he had taken it for her. Why ? Why would he do that? Beth doubted that even if she tried that anyone would have believed her. Those men had their minds made up before they ever set foot on her land.
Daryl was guilty. Nobody else but the dirty redneck could have done it. Sight unseen, guilty as charged.
The pain in Beth's stomach deepened as the all consuming guilt gave way to another, more terrifying thought. She was alone now, just her and her mama, against whatever was about to come. Reaching up, Beth clicked the dead bolt as she exhaled a shaky breath. Hazy, morning sunlight streamed through the lace curtains as Maize descended the stairs slipping on the hardwood floors as usual. Coming to Beth she gave her a curious look and a sniff before licking her face intrigued by the salty tears. Running her hand over the dog's soft fur Beth took a deep breath. She had to calm herself down. She needed to see to her mama, make sure that she was clean and dry, had her pills, and breakfast. Beth wiped her face, she knew they were safe here for the time being thanks to Daryl of course. Just the thought of him made a fresh round of tears come to her eyes. Oh God, what was she going to do ?
Daryl had never been in the back of a police car, surprisingly enough. With his hands cuffed behind his back, he shifted uncomfortably. The dirt driveway of the farm kicked up a sheen of dust that now stuck to the windows as he squinted his eyes against the morning sunlight. He wasn't surprised that Jimmy had stuck his nose into it and no doubt scoured the woods until he found old man Mitchell's body. Despite having a family of his own, he was damn near obsessed with Beth. Which Daryl found strange because while it wasn't his nature to pry, he could't help but to be curious about the neighbor who seemed to be so much more than that. The first time he caught sight of him on the Greene property, Jimmy made it his business to show up and stake his claim.
HE was the one Beth called when she needed help. His own family aside, Daryl would need to get in line if he wanted anything to do with her. The message was loud and clear.
It was all so ridiculous, especially in those early days when he thought of Beth as nothing more than his employer. Now he got it, though, why Jimmy became so desperate at the thought of losing her to someone else. Well…she wasn't his but Daryl guessed that as long as there was no one else Jimmy could at least pretend. And why wouldn't he ? Beth was amazing in every possible way and Daryl knew for a fact that Jimmy had to feel like a damn fool for ever letting her go.
The streets of Senoia were relatively empty, strange for a Monday morning. Surely the news was grim this morning; those things were here…Daryl's hooded eyes floated to the deputies up front.
"Shouldn't you guys be more worried about those freaks ?…the dead ?" They stopped talking up front as the one in the driver's seat cast Daryl a look through the rearview mirror.
"We know all about it, don't you worry." Daryl huffed slightly, it was doubtful that they knew a damn thing. "All drugs…nothing more than a bad batch of heroin, big city problems."
The deputy in the passenger seat turned around eyeing Daryl down the slope of his nose. "This here is Coweta County….we don't got to worry about it." Daryl felt his heart sink, these two idiots were going to get him killed. Briefly, just briefly, he contemplated killing them both. Would be hard in handcuffs, but he could find a way. His daddy…Merle…they hadn't been good for much, hadn't taught him much of anything. But either because of them, or in spite of them he had learned how to always survive. How to see a situation for what it was, and know exactly what to do in order to make it another day.
Shaking his head, Daryl averted his guilty eyes to the floor. He couldn't do that. Killing two cops would surely have consequences, especially if this whole thing turned out to be nothing. Taking a deep breath he steadied himself, he would need to wait and see what happened next.
"Where you taking me ?" The deputy driving let out a chuckle as he shook his head.
"Well…first you're going to the Coweta County Station to get booked and then we're calling for the first transport to take you downtown to the jail in Atlanta." Daryl felt his stomach churn. Atlanta, especially a jail in Atlanta, had to be a complete mess. He needed to do anything…absolutely anything to avoid that. Taking a deep breath he silently asked Merle, his mama, and even good for nothing Will Dixon that if they could hear him right now they would help him figure a way out of this.
Beth lay down in her bed hugging a pillow to her chest. Her belly hurt like never before as she writhed in pain. Something was wrong; it had to be. Beth let out a small moan as she contemplated having something like appendicitis at a time like this. The news, terrifying as it was, had informed her that the National Guard had now taken up residence at her hospital. 'Several psychotic patients' had been put down. She'd just been there a few hours ago, how could this be happening so fast ? Rolling onto her stomach she felt her heart pounding with anxiety. What was she going to do? There was no place to go for help, no doctor to see, no medicines left to get. If it was appendicitis she would die and there would no one left to take care of her mama. Bracing her hand against her side she sat up gasping for air.
How could this be happening ?
Pushing herself out of bed, half bent over, Beth padded silently across the hallway to the bathroom. A thousand milligrams of Tylenol and six hundred of Motrin, normally more than what she took but the situation seemed to call for no less. Looking in on her mama she was happy to see that Annette was sleeping soundly. Her pill must have knocked her out. Beth grimaced, that was another thing; she still needed to get to the pharmacy. She had felt so prepared for whatever was to come until this morning and then one stupid decision and one jealous ex-boyfriend had completely set everything awry. She felt like she had been caught with her pants down; completely and utterly unprepared.
It was nearly noon when Beth came back downstairs. Stopping at the bottom of the stairs she stroked her side tenderly as she looked around. Everything seemed normal, the house was quiet and the farm was peaceful as usual. Exhaling a shaky breath, she wondered if maybe it was just gas and she should move around a bit. She was exhausted having not slept since two nights before, but anxiety buzzed through her like a live wire. Dishes needed washed, laundry needed done, and the animals in the barn needed seen to as well. Leaning against the counter Beth gritted her teeth in pain. Something was wrong, it had to be wrong.
Tears came to her eyes as her heart pounded. It had to be her appendix. She was going to die in terrible pain from a god awful infection. Biting down on her lip she went to the sink; maybe a cold glass of water would calm her down. Bringing the liquid to her lips she choked not able to even swallow. Sliding to the ground Beth brought her knees to her chest as she began to sob quietly into her flannel pajama pants. She was scared…so, so scared.
Never mind that she had just convinced herself that she was dying. Even if she was perfectly fine how was she going defend this place from a whole world of those things? Just her and her mama, against hordes of hungry freaks. Even if the fences held, the food and the water would only last so long. She felt a sob rise in her throat as she pushed herself up to standing. Keeping a hand braced against her belly she stumbled down the two stairs at the back of the kitchen to Daryl's room. He'd only slept here one night. Taking in the small quarters, Beth saw that he had left this morning and not made the bed. She was glad for that as she practically threw herself onto the mattress and pulled the covers up around her shoulders. Burying her face in the pillows she inhaled deeply. It had only been one night and yet she could smell him everywhere. Soft, woodsy scent, something like cedar and pine needles. Closing her eyes she exhaled bringing her knees to her chest. Beth felt the tension inside of her slowly begin to unwind. If she didn't open her eyes again maybe she could pretend that Daryl was here with her right now, holding her close, and assuring her that everything would be alright.
Hours later when Beth's phone rang she wondered if she had fallen asleep at all. Sitting up in bed she forgot, for a moment, where she was. Daryl's bed…at the farm…right. Exhaling she shook her head, the dullness of the light coming through the curtains told her it was near evening and she had been asleep most of the day. On the nightstand her phone continued to ring as she reached for it.
"Hello ?!"
"Bethy…what are you doing right now ?" It took her reeling mind a moment to catch up to the fact that it was Maggie on the phone right now.
"What? Maggie…" Beth swung her legs over the side of the bed as she rubbed her face.
"Bethy I called that rehab Daddy's in and they said you can come pick him up…" Beth chuffed at that; as if going two towns over was a simple task anymore.
"Maggie it isn't safe. I talked to the people there and they have the place locked down, Daddy's safe for now."
The phone went silent and for a moment she wondered if Maggie had hung up. But then a click of the tongue followed by an annoyed sigh. "At a time like this I think he should be at home…where he belongs."
Beth bit down hard on her lower lips. How typical of Maggie to call right now and issue her demands without so much as a second thought. Without so much as a hello or a how are you, how's Annette, is the farm safe ? No, of course not. Her stake in this was obvious; she was worried about herself and her own as usual. Beth and her mama were never Maggie's family and that was obvious the moment she left for Michigan without so much as a good bye. Look after your…YOUR mama and don't let daddy work too hard. Beth thought it had gone something like that. Glenn was the only thing that mattered to her now.
"Maggie worry about yourself and Glenn. I'll take care of things here like I always do." Beth couldn't hold back the bite in her tone. So nice of her to call now when everything was going to complete shit.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maggie wasn't like her, she didn't take anything that even remotely resembling an insult laying down. Beth sighed, she never won these arguments.
"Nothing…" She closed her eyes shaking her head. "I'll call you once daddy's home." Not waiting for a reply or another argument Beth ended the call and threw the phone onto the mattress as she flopped backwards. Hearing her voice Maize had tip toed across the kitchen and was now standing at the top of the step looking at her and wagging her tail. Surely the dog needed to go out, it had nearly been all day. "Come on, girl…" Slipping down the wooden stairs she trotted toward the door that led out to the backyard. Curiously the small bedroom off the kitchen was the only place that Daryl hadn't been able to fence in. They had run out of wood and talked about just nailing some 2x4s over the door to secure it. Of course time had run out on that situation as well. Taking a quick peek out the door she saw the side yard to be clear and cautiously opened the door. Grateful for the relief, Maize immediately trotted out and did her business not far from the house.
She needed to find something for her and her mama to eat and she needed to figure out what the hell she was going to do about getting her daddy home. Standing there Beth noticed that the pain in her side was now gone. It had all been in her head, a figment of her own raging anxiety. She needed to get a grip. If she had any hope of making it through this mess she would need to stay calm.
"Maize…come." Something had caught the dog's eye down near the barn as she sat at attention staring intensely. Her black nose wiggled in the air and Beth knew that she had most likely picked up the scent of an animal. Realistically she knew that was probably wishful thinking but another larger part of her was afraid to know. With a sense of urgency she patted her thigh. "Maize…come now." Hesitantly the dog came back inside but not before turning and looking at the barn once more. A surge of fear shot through her as she slammed the door shut. The wooden door was old and had no dead bolt, the only securement device aside from the knob was a chain that went across the top. Making a mental note, Beth resolved to find any extra wood she could tomorrow morning and board the door up before she regretted it. It was nearly dark now and the thought of wandering around outside made a chill run down her spine. Satisfied that everything was locked up tight as it could be, Beth turned the lights off and moved back to the main part of the house. There was so much she needed to do, she didn't know where to start.
Daryl refused to sit down as he paced back and forth behind the bars. He nearly quivered with anxiety at the notion of being locked up in a cage like some animal. The building was hot as the two deputies bitched about the AC being down. Propping both doors and the windows open didn't help as a bead of sweat rolled down the back of Daryl's neck. Phone lines also didn't seem to be working as numerous calls downtown for a prisoner transport had been met with a busy signal. Thank God.
"Hey oh…anyone in there?" Another cop appeared in the doorway, a man in handcuffs at his side. Unlike the two who had hauled him in here, this guy was wearing brown pants and a tan shirt. 'Sheriff' was emblazoned on his shoulder and he wore a silver star on his chest. Daryl leaned against the bars studying the man through hooded eyes. He was tall and built strong. Judging by way his nose was flattened and crooked it looked like he had taken his share of punches and kicked ass more than a few times.
"What can we do for you ?" The Deputies eyed the Sheriff….Daryl eyed his chest a bit closer, Sheriff Walsh. For his part Shane didn't miss the suspicious glance and threw back one of his own before turning his attention toward his brothers in blue.
"Was on my way downtown with this fella and I got a call. Gotta get back to King's County." The deputy sitting at the desk kicked his feet down as a flicker of concern flashed across his face.
"Oh yeah? What's going on there?"
Shane let out a long sigh as he shook his head. "My partner's in the hospital up there…Rick Grimes…got shot by the Leroy Brothers at that traffic stop on Highway 85 few weeks ago."
"Oh yeah…yeah we heard about that." The other deputy went to the bulletin board over the small collection of desks where they had a news article taped up. Daryl could see big black letters and the picture of a dark haired man about his age.
'Cop Shot'
Grunting and turning on his heel, Daryl resumed pacing back and forth. Shane cast him a glance before nodding back toward the deputies. "Just got word the hospital's overrun with those….well whatever the fuck those things are. I need to get up there and try to get him out…" Sighing Shane worked his lower lip like the next part was really tearing him up inside. "And I need to find his wife and his boy. They'll be with me now."
Daryl stopped pacing and froze for a moment. The way he said that last part made the hair stand up on the back of his neck. They're mine now. Not said but that was the message all the same. Whatever, wasn't his problem and surely didn't shock him that yet another cop could be solidly placed in the douche category. Was like a goddamn trend today. Pacing again Daryl caught sight of the man in cuffs and the way sweat was pouring down his face. He looked like he needed a doctor but it sounded like the hospitals were ground zero right now for these psychos. He only hoped that Beth didn't do anything stupid like try and go to work because it was her job. Girl needed to worry about taking care of herself and her mama right now.
He wondered what she was doing with the Morphine in her purse. Wondered even more why she didn't say a word about it to him. Looking down Daryl reminded himself that he was nobody to Beth. She didn't need to tell him anything if she didn't want to and clearly stealing narcotics was something she planned to keep to herself. If the world wasn't going to shit he would be flat out shocked by it, but knowing Beth she had her reasons and the drugs were no doubt for her mama. If something happened to Annette and she was upstairs in terrible pain, crying and moaning, and Beth could do nothing about it. Well he was sure that would be enough to make her come completely apart. She had her reasons, and she didn't own him any explanation. If he had to do it again and take the fall for her he would. Not only because it was right; she didn't belong here, her place was at home looking after her mama and the farm, but also because he cared about her that much. Cared more for that girl than anyone else in his whole damn life.
"I was hoping I could drop him off here with you boys for a bit while I run back there and sort things out." Daryl exhaled a shaky breath as his attention turned back to the front. The cop at the desk stood up, and Daryl couldn't help but to suddenly notice that there was just one holding cell.
"No problem at all…We're waitin' on a prisoner transport for that one right there." The deputy came to open the cell and Daryl stood to the side. He wondered if he could run out but decided that the odds weren't in his favor with three to one.
Shane threw a smug ass smirk in his direction as he shook his head. "Oh yeah…what's he in for?"
"He killed an old farmer in the woods. Didn't have no reason to either….must just enjoy killing." A switch inside Daryl flipped at that as he lunged toward the bars.
"That's bullshit and you know it!" One of the deputies reached in and shoved him hard in the chest.
"Shut the fuck up." Daryl's fists clenched into tight balls. "Let's also not forget the three vials of Morphine he swiped from the hospital….." The two deputies burst into laughter.
If it wasn't for Beth and the shred hope that he might be able to get back to her, he would charge these bastards right here and now. Shane made eye contact with him, seemingly memorizing his face, as he removed his cuffs and pushed the kid inside.
"Shame…" He shook his head disapprovingly. "To be doing that kind of stuff at a time like this…" The door to the cell slammed shut as Daryl let an angry little puff of air escape his lips.
"We'll keep him locked up tight and as soon as the transport comes we'll send him downtown. Be our pleasure to do that. Take care of your partner and his family." Shane nodded his thanks before handing over some paperwork.
"I sure appreciate this fellas."
"We got him…don't you worry about a thing." Throwing one last look toward Daryl, Shane disappeared back out the door.
The cell was small and now that someone else was in here with him it seemed even smaller. Pressing himself against the far corner of the bars Daryl gave the kid a brief once over. He was pale and soaked with sweat which didn't account for much as the place was near sweltering. He cradled his left side tenderly and Daryl had to wonder how many lumps Officer Douchebag had given him before the cuffs went on. His eyes were glassy and his lips were dry. Goosebumps broke out across his flesh as he huddled himself into a miserable ball on the cement bench. Looking away Daryl swallowed hard.
It was eight pm and the sun was beginning to sink below the horizon. Beth had managed to make herself a sandwich and her mama some shredded chicken and rice. They both had cups of applesauce and soft chocolate chip cookies that Beth had warmed up in the microwave. Her belly ache from earlier all but gone, she realized the hold that anxiety had over her brain. Not like she could do much about it now. She'd never started the Lexapro and while she was certain it would have helped her she was now glad for her decision. It was going to be hard enough to find her mama's medicines without also having to worry about herself as well. Lexapro, while not life sustaining, can have a nasty withdrawal period if stopped too quickly. It was one of the reasons why she had been afraid to take it in the first place. Now she could only imagine adding that situation onto to everything else she had to deal with. Maybe this wasn't the end of things…God that sounded so dramatic. But still, maybe it wasn't the end, maybe this was just a thing that would last a week or two and then the world would go back to the way it was. If that did happen, Beth promised herself that she would take the medicine and do everything to get her life in order.
"Mama you need anything else?" Beth peeked into the room across the hallway from hers as she saw her mama laying in bed with the TV on. A Hallmark Christmas movie was on and Annette seemed at peace for once.
"Why don't you come watch some TV with me, Bethy ?" She stood in the doorway considering that for a moment before sighing. Casting a glance downstairs she did a mental checklist; the front door was locked tight, the basement door was boarded over, and the the door to Daryl's room was shut as good as it could be. She'd latched the gate to the fence this morning and the small animals had been tucked away in the barn securely. There was nothing left to check and nothing left to do, at least not tonight.
Coming around the bed, Beth sat down tucking herself under the covers on the other side. Maize hopped up settling herself between the two women as she sighed contentedly. Turning on her side Beth curled up to face her mama as she stared at the TV. "What's wrong, Bethy? You've been upset all day." Sniffling into the pillow, Beth felt her mama's cool fingers in her hair.
"Daryl got arrested…they think he killed Old Man Mitchell." Annette's fingers stopped for a moment.
"Well they should be thanking him…that old ass had it coming for years." Beth let out a strangled laugh as she shook her head.
"Jimmy's been trying to get rid of Daryl since I hired him. I guess he found Mitchell's body in the woods, cops said it had arrow holes in it." Annette was quiet for a moment considering that.
"Daryl is a good man. I've seen that myself." Beth felt another round of tears sting her eyes as she buried her face in the pillow. "Are they sure that Old Man Mitchell hadn't turned into one of those things ?"
Beth's breath caught in her throat. It seemed so simple, so obvious that even her mama had thought of it. But how could that be possible? There hadn't been any of those things around the farm that she knew of…that she knew of. Her and Daryl had just talked about building a fence and overnight it seemed like he had nearly completed it working non stop to the brink of exhaustion. Daryl had always been a hard worker and that was what she attributed it to, but now looking back it seemed more frantic and desperate.
"I don't know mama…I do know that I didn't help matters." Annette went back to gently stroking her daughter's hair.
"What do you mean, Bethy ?" She hesitated, wondering if she should tell her mama everything.
"I took some things from work…" What did it matter now anyway? "I took some medicines in case things got really bad and I needed them for you or daddy, or anyone…" Pushing herself up on her elbow she looked her mama right in the eye. "And then they fell out of my purse in front of the police. And Daryl…Daryl took the blame for it." Annette was silent as she stared at her daughter for a moment.
Sliding back down into the bed Beth waited for her mama to say whatever she was going to say. "You put too much pressure on yourself, honey. Trying to take care of everything and everyone, I know I don't help matters." Annette let out a disgusted sigh. "I'm in this condition because of me and the choices I made. Don't try to kill yourself saving me. Bethy, honey…" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "What's going to happen is going to happen…no matter what you do."
Beth stared at her mama with glassy eyes. She couldn't believe she was hearing this right now, that after years and years of living under the cloud of chronic illness, her mama had finally gained some clarity. "Mama ? What do you mean ?"
The power flickered on and off causing the whole house to groan and turn black. Beth gasped softly as both her and her mama went rigid in bed. "It's alright, they'll have it back on in no time." Beth didn't know how her mama was doing this right now but she had never been more glad. If there was ever a time when she needed a mother, it was right now. Fisting the sheets Beth let a strained exhale out, she was so scared right now. "Bethy, maybe you should go get Daddy tomorrow and bring him home. He can help you…" Annette trailed off, not having the slightest clue what the world had turned into but knowing, somehow, that she was most likely asking a lot.
Beth contemplated that silently. It had been such a fight to get Hershel into rehab in the first place, and he'd only been there a week or so. Detoxed yes, but fixed; absolutely not. If the hysteria with whatever this was passed and he relapsed, Beth would never forgive herself. She also knew that she would never be able to tolerate another bout of his alcoholism without completely coming apart herself. There were just so many what ifs…
The lights flickered and the power came back on. Beth exhaled a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "See, Bethy…everything's going to be ok." Content that they were safe for tonight and there was nothing more that needed to be done or decided until morning Beth closed her eyes hoping that sleep would come to her.
"Where the hell are they ? I was supposed to be home an hour ago…" One of the deputies got up from his desk slamming the metal chair back underneath. Coming to stand in the open doorway he huffed in frustration.
Slamming the phone down the other deputy shook his head, "No answer downtown….that transport ain't comin'." Daryl swept his eyes over both of them. It was nearly nine pm and he had been here all day. The kid on the bench had fallen asleep a few hours ago and Daryl made it his business to keep a close eye on him. Ever since it became apparent that their relief was no where to be found that was all they could think about. Capitalizing on their inattention, Daryl scanned every square inch of the place. Weapons, keys, exits; he made a mental note of them all. Of course first he would need to get out of this cage which was another matter entirely. His heart raced at just the notion of being locked up and he had to force himself to focus and not dissolve into a puddle of anxiety. This was literally one of his worst fears.
Resting his forehead against the metal he took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind. There had to be a way out of this. Daryl's hearing was better than most so it was no surprise that he heard the shuffling and the growling before anyone else. The moaning and snarling. It was a sound that wasn't wholly unfamiliar as his mind drifted back to the woods and Old Man Mitchell. Hairs standing on end, he backed away from the bars. "Now you just wait right there…" The deputy in the door held one hand up and rested the other on his gun. Stepping out the door and into the parking lot he was out of sight. "I said hold on now…"
Three gunshots and a blood curdling scream.
Daryl backed all the way into the cell until he was pressed against the cinderblock walls. The deputy at the desk stood up, rushing outside. Moaning, hissing, screaming; it all blended together in a melange of misery. Daryl's eyes frantically searched every inch of what he could reach, there were no weapons he could easily get his hands on and he supposed it was designed that way. It didn't escape his attention that the boy on the bench had hardly moved despite all the ruckus. The last deputy out the door backed in, covered in blood, Daryl saw that a chunk of his bicep was missing.
"Get back ! I said get back !" One shot…two shots both to the body, both having no effect. Blood spurted onto the floor and everywhere else. The deputy stumbled and staggered, the freak closing in on him. It was an older man, probably in his seventies or eighties, who wouldn't have had much strength at all before but now lunged with the force of someone much younger. Teeth snapping, eyes glassed over, hungry for flesh and blood. Daryl's stomach rolled, he'd seen some fucked up shit but never anything quite like this.
The deputy stumbled and fell, the freak seeing its opportunity and diving after him, jaws wide open. Screaming, shaking, begging as the old man sunk his hungry teeth into the deputy's neck. "The head…shoot him in the head !" Daryl didn't know why he yelled that out just now, situation seemed to be too far gone, but still he could't help himself.
One last shot. BANG…
His ears were ringing at being so close. The gnashing teeth stopped but it was too late as both the deputy and the dead laid in a pile on the floor. The room was quiet for a moment before Daryl realized that he was alone now, left locked in this cage with no one to get him out.
"HEY ! CAN ANYONE HEAR ME ?! I NEED HELP !"
The house was pitch black when Beth woke with a start. Laying beside her, her mama was sound asleep. Looking around the room she wondered what had woken her up and then saw that Maize wasn't in bed anymore. Propping herself up on her elbows, Beth craned her neck to see if the dog had gotten hot and was on the floor. Not seeing Maize anywhere, Beth swung her legs over the edge of the bed rubbing a hand across her face. Searching for her phone, she saw that it was now dead and the screen was black.
A low growl from the hallway made Beth snap her head. In the dim moonlight she could see Maize's bushy tail swishing back and and forth against the hard wood floor. The dog was laying at the top of the stairs staring at something down below. Beth froze in the doorway of her mama's bedroom. Something wasn't right. Sliding down against the door frame she lightly whispered.
"Here Maize…come." The German Shepherd looked back to Beth before running down the stairs. Letting out a soft gasp, Beth felt her heart seize in her chest. Part of her wanted to climb back in bed next to her mama and pull the covers over her head. She wanted to hope and pray that Maize had just heard an animal outside and that she was getting a drink of water and would be straight back to bed. But she couldn't…she couldn't believe any of it and no matter how much she wanted to run and hide she had to go see what it was.
Pulling the door to the bedroom until the latch clicked, Beth softly descended the stairs. The house was so dark without any nightlights. Beth had grown up in the country and she was used to the darkness but this was different, it was complete blackness with only a sliver of moonlight to guide her. The living room and dining room were quiet and empty and she heard Maize's toenails clicking on the kitchen floor. It was nothing….she was scaring herself for nothing. Then, just as Beth was about to let out a sigh of relief, she heard a low growl. A beam of dim moonlight shone through the big window over the kitchen sink. The dog sat at the top of the stairs to Daryl's room staring down into what amounted to a dark hole of blackness. Coming closer, Beth could see that Maize's hair was standing on end.
An awful smell, like something rotting. A hiss and a scratching sound. She wanted to turn and run, scream, hide…pretty much anything that involved getting the fuck out of there. Gritting her teeth she reminded herself that her mama was upstairs completely defenseless. Whatever this was, she needed to take care of it. They kept a flashlight right next to the sink in the cabinet with the batteries and light bulbs. Exhaling she pointed the light toward the blackness and with shaking hands flipped the switch.
Beth screamed. She screamed a blood curdling, horrifying sound. One of those freaks…those things…the walking dead; it was inside the fucking house. Dropping the light Beth stumbled backwards, her mind going completely blank with white hot fear. The walker, however, wasted no time lunging straight for Maize who scampered backwards avoiding the attack just barely. Barking like a lunatic, the dog was too nimble for the walker as it shambled falling against the table and then the refrigerator. Beth was on her ass now pushing herself back across the smooth wood floor not sure where she was going or what she doing. The flashlight rolled around the floor casting shadows on the walls.
How did this thing get in ? How ? She'd checked, once, twice, three times. Everything was locked. How the fuck did it get in? Her mama was just up the steps, totally unable to move much less fight one of theses things off. It was a man, middle aged with a bloated belly and a tuft of black hair. He wore coveralls from one of the garages in town, but she didn't know him. Beth now backed all the way against the front door shaking like a leaf and with tears coming down her face. She had to do something…to get rid of this thing. Reaching up she unlocked the door. Maybe she could get it to follow her out.
Maize continued to bark hysterically as the walker lunged for her. "Maize come !" Beth issued the command and the dog obeyed. Both of them out the front door now the walker sniffed the air as it shambled from the kitchen and into the living room. This was going to work, they could lure it outside and then slip back in before that freak could. "THIS WAY ! OVER HERE!" Beth shouted, noticing that the walker was drawn to noise. This was going to work…it had to work.
"BETH ! What's going on ?!" Her mama screeched from upstairs as the walker paused at the bottom of the stairs. Almost sniffing the air it turned, putting one unsteady foot on the step and then another. Maize reacted before Beth could even think as the dog bounded back inside charging toward the walker barking aggressively. The mindless freak turned and, eyeing the dog, saw an easier meal. Beth watched in horror as the walkers legs gave out when stepping down and the weight of the whole thing fell on top of Maize. The dog's back legs split on the slippery floor as she yelped in pain. Clawing at the wooden planks she tried to free herself as the walker righted itself and came toward the animal's neck with open jaws.
Gotta be the head.
Daryl's voice rang out in her ears clear as day and she saw red. Any fear, any doubt, any second thoughts evaporated as Beth saw the situation with nearly supernatural clarity. Yanking the knife Daryl had given her from her purse, Beth was across the living room in two leaps as she latched onto the walker's back and with all the strength she had pulled it off the dog throwing it onto the the kitchen floor with a groan. Snapping and reaching for her, she cocked her arm back as far as it could go and sunk the blade into the walker's forehead with a sickening wet sound. It immediately went still, but she didn't stop plunging the blade in over and over again. Black, stench filled blood splattered all over the kitchen floor but she didn't stop. Not until his face was all but gone did she drop the knife on the floor and collapse backwards onto her ass. Getting herself up, Maize shuffled around the blood stopping to give it a sniff before sitting next to Beth.
"Beth ! ARE YOU ALRIGHT !?" Her mama sounded nearly hysterical. Pushing herself up she walked the stairs in a trance leaving bloody footprints behind. Opening the door she heard her mama gasp loudly, and she knew she must be a frightening sight right now covered in blood. "Oh my God!"
"When the sun comes up…" Her heart was pounding so fast she was out of breath just trying to talk. "I'm going to go get daddy and bring him home." Taking a deep breath she felt the adrenaline begin to wear off a she shook violently. "I can't do this on my own…" And she meant that, she couldn't do it…didn't want to do it. She needed help. With no idea where Daryl was or if she could get to him, the next smartest thing to do would be to get her daddy home. So come hell or high water….that's what she was going to do.
The sun had just begun to lift above the horizon as Daryl squinted his eyes. He'd been up for almost two days now and he was beyond exhausted but he couldn't sleep, didn't even dare to entertain the notion. The Police Station was empty, the power having been off since the middle of the night. On the floor the deputy, having been bit by the walker in the neck, had now turned into one himself. Thankfully he was pinned to the floor by the dead one and despite all his hissing and moaning couldn't move much.
Bite and you turn. Bite and turn. Shoot them in the head. Gotta be the head.
Daryl made a list of all the things he knew so far and sadly it wasn't nearly enough. He suspected it was more than most, with an overwhelming portion of the public content to pretend shit like this just wasn't happening.
Sometime in the middle of the night, Daryl's legs had finally given out as he slid to the floor. Sitting back against the bars he kept as much space between himself and the kid as possible. Despite all the chaos the kid never woke up. In fact he hadn't stirred in hours. He was still breathing though, Daryl watched intently as his chest rose and fell. Dipping his head for just a moment he rest his forehead against his knees letting his eyes close for just a few seconds. God he was tired.
And that was all it took. Five seconds of inattention for everything to fall the fuck apart. A scream, a moan, and the kid rolled off the bench. Pale as a sheet he shook violently as his eyes rolled up in his head. Daryl jumped to his feet not sure what to do….not sure there was anything to do. Blood tinged frothy foam poured from his mouth and nose. Then, just as quickly as the episode had come over him, it was over and the boy went limp. Cautiously, Daryl approached him looking into his lifeless eyes.
Lifting the boy's shirt carefully, Daryl's eyes settled on the bloody, infected wound on his side.
He had been bitten and now he dead…
TBC…..
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