Disclaimer:
This work of fanfiction is a non-commercial, transformative piece created solely for entertainment purposes. I do not own The Walking Dead or any of its characters, locations, or storylines. All rights to The Walking Dead belong to its respective creators, producers, and copyright holders. Any original characters, settings, or plotlines in this work are purely my own creation. This fanfiction is not intended to infringe upon any copyrights or trademarks.
Warnings: This work takes place during the prison arc of The Walking Dead television series. There are original characters and storylines have been adapted. Rated M for Mature Content: Violence/Gore/Language/sex/Triggers suggestive of sexual abuse.
Summary:
In a world overrun by the dead, survival often comes at the cost of humanity. Raya, a resourceful and stubborn survivor with a past she'd rather forget, crosses paths with Daryl Dixon, a loner whose loyalty runs deeper than most realize. Together, they navigate the harsh reality of a crumbling society, forming an unlikely bond that tests their boundaries and beliefs. As Raya's past catches up to her, she and Daryl must decide whether to trust each other enough to confront their demons—or whether survival alone is worth the price.
Chapter 1: Escape
"RAYA!" The loud cry made her heart stop. She turned on the spot to see Jasmine writhing on the ground, held down by a tall man, his grip tight around her throat as she struggled.
"Jasmine! No!" Raya felt her throat go raw as she yelled back. She ran toward the pair without thought or care for her own safety. Luckily, the man's other companions had yet to catch up to them. She held her machete tight as she ran to her only remaining friend.
Raya's blade gleamed in the dim light as she charged forward, her heart pounding like a war drum. The man barely had time to react before she swung, aiming for his arm. He let out a guttural yell, loosening his grip on Jasmine just enough for her to gasp for air.
"Get away from her!" Raya roared, her voice raw with fury. She swung again, this time catching his shoulder. Blood spattered the ground, but the man was relentless, his eyes wild with rage. He lunged at Raya, forcing her to step back, but she held her ground, her machete ready for another strike.
Jasmine, coughing and trembling, scrambled to her feet. "Raya, we have to go!" she managed to choke out, her voice barely audible over the chaos.
Raya delivered one final blow, slicing deep into the man's side. He staggered, clutching his wound, but she knew she hadn't finished him. There was no time. She grabbed Jasmine's arm and pulled her away, their feet pounding against the forest floor as they fled deeper into the woods.
The man's shouts faded behind them, replaced by the eerie silence of the forest. Raya's grip on Jasmine tightened as they ran, their breaths ragged and hearts racing. They didn't stop until the trees swallowed them whole, providing a fragile sanctuary from the horrors they'd just escaped.
Raya turned to Jasmine, her voice trembling. "Are you okay?"
Jasmine nodded weakly, her eyes filled with gratitude and fear. "Thanks to you."
The two women leaned against a tree, catching their breath,trembling with exhaustion and adrenaline. The camp was far behind them now, but its horrors still lingered in their minds.
Jasmine sank to the ground, clutching her knees to her chest as tears streamed down her face. Her body shook, though whether from the cold or the trauma, she couldn't tell. "We... we made it out," she whispered, her voice breaking. "But what now, Raya? Where do we even go?"
Raya paced in front of her, running a trembling hand through her tangled hair. The machete in her other hand dripped faintly with blood, a grim reminder of the fight they'd barely survived. She bit her lip, her eyes scanning the trees as if expecting their pursuers to emerge at any moment. "I don't know," she admitted, her voice low and strained. "We can't go back, that's for damn sure. But we have to keep moving. If they find us..." Her words trailed off, the unspoken horrors too vivid to put into words.
Night fell swiftly, cloaking the woods in a suffocating darkness that only heightened their sense of urgency. Raya walked ahead, her grip on the machete tightening with every snapped twig and shifting shadow. Jasmine followed closely, her breath coming in shallow bursts as the reality of their situation began to settle in. The forest seemed alive, every rustle and whisper a cruel reminder that safety was an illusion.
They pushed forward through the night, their silence broken only by the occasional hushed exchange of words. Each step felt precarious, as though the ground beneath them might betray their presence. And yet, they moved with a single, unyielding goal: to stay one step ahead of whatever—or whoever—might be hunting them.
The first day was a blur of aching limbs and relentless fear. Raya and Jasmine moved through the dense woods, their steps uneven and hurried, driven by the haunting thought of pursuers. They stumbled upon an abandoned gas station as the sun dipped below the horizon, its shattered windows and rusted pumps a testament to the world's decay. Inside, they scavenged what little they could—half-empty water bottles, a few cans of food, and a flashlight with flickering batteries. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep them going.
The second day brought no reprieve. The woods seemed endless, the trees towering above them like silent sentinels. They found an old farmhouse, its roof caved in and walls covered in ivy. Raya searched the kitchen while Jasmine checked the upstairs bedrooms. They managed to find a dusty blanket and a box of matches, treasures in their current state. That night, they camped just outside the farmhouse, the blanket wrapped tightly around them as they huddled by a small fire. Neither spoke much, the weight of their situation still pressing heavily on their minds.
By the third day, exhaustion had taken its toll. Their pace slowed, their movements sluggish as they trudged through the underbrush. Jasmine's feet were blistered, and Raya's hands ached from gripping the machete so tightly. They came across a dilapidated shed, its door hanging off its hinges. Inside, they found a tarp and a rusted tin of crackers. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
That night, they camped deep in the woods, far from any signs of civilization. Raya spread the tarp on the ground, creating a makeshift shelter beneath the canopy of trees. Jasmine sank to the ground, her body trembling with exhaustion as she leaned against the trunk of a massive oak. Raya sat beside her, her machete resting within arm's reach. The fire crackled softly, its warmth a small comfort against the chill of the night.
"We're still alive," Jasmine murmured, her voice barely audible. "That's something, right?"
Raya nodded, her gaze fixed on the flickering flames. "It's everything," she replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her.
Jasmine looked up at her. "We can't just run forever, Raya. We need food, water... somewhere to rest."
Raya's expression softened. "I know," she said gently "but we don't have a choice right now. We have to keep going, at least until we're sure they're not following us. Once we're safe, we'll figure things out"
Jasmine nodded slowly, wiping her face with the back of her hand. "Okay," she whispered.
A couple hours later Raya crouched near the small fire, its flickering flames casting fleeting warmth against the chill of the night. Jasmine lay curled up beside her, her sleep fitful, punctuated by murmurs and twitches that betrayed the nightmares clawing at her mind.
Raya had spent the last hour scavenging for anything edible—bugs, roots, and a handful of bitter leaves that barely qualified as sustenance. The taste lingered unpleasantly on her tongue, but it was enough to keep her moving.
Her eyes darted to the shadows, scanning for movement, her muscles tense and ready. Sleep was a luxury she couldn't afford, not when danger lurked in every rustle of leaves and snap of twigs. The horrors of the past months pressed heavy on her chest, threatening to suffocate her. She tried to push them away, but they clawed at the edges of her mind, refusing to be ignored.
Images of blood, screams, and the faces of those they'd lost flashed before her eyes. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her sanity intact. The fire crackled softly, a fragile barrier against the darkness, but it did little to ease the storm raging within her.
Jasmine stirred, her voice a faint whisper. "Raya..." she murmured, her tone laced with fear. Raya reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Jasmine's face, her touch gentle despite the turmoil inside her.
"I'm here," Raya said softly, her voice steady despite the tremor in her heart. "You're safe."
But even as she spoke the words, she knew they were a fragile promise. The pale light of dawn began to filter through the trees, casting long shadows across the forest floor. The fire had burned down to embers, its warmth now just a memory. Raya crouched beside Jasmine, her hand gently shaking her friend's shoulder.
"Jas, wake up," she whispered, her voice low but firm. "We need to keep moving."
Jasmine stirred, her brown eyes fluttering open, hazy with sleep. "Already?" she murmured, her voice groggy. She sat up, rubbing her arms against the morning chill. Her gaze flicked to Raya, noticing the dark circles under her eyes, the stiffness in her movements. "Did you even sleep at all?"
"I'm fine," Raya said shortly, brushing the question aside as she began packing their meager supplies. Her hands moved with practiced efficiency, though there was a tension in her shoulders that Jasmine couldn't ignore.
"Raya," Jasmine said softly, "I can take watch for a couple of hours. You need to rest."
"I said I'm fine." Raya's tone was sharper now, though she didn't meet Jasmine's eyes. She hoisted her pack onto her shoulder and reached down to help Jasmine to her feet. "We don't have time to waste."
Jasmine sighed but didn't push further. She knew Raya well enough to recognize when her friend had locked herself away behind a wall of stoic determination. But she also knew that something was eating at her—something more than just the exhaustion and fear they both carried. Raya had endured something at the camp, something far worse than Jasmine could imagine. And though Raya hadn't spoken a word about it, the haunted look in her eyes said enough.
As they began their slow trek through the woods, Jasmine tried to ease the heavy silence that hung between them. "Remember that time in high school when we got lost in the woods during that field trip?" she said, forcing a lightness into her voice. "We swore we'd never leave the trail again, and now look at us."
Raya managed a small, almost imperceptible smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah," she said quietly. "Except back then, we weren't running for our lives."
Jasmine winced at the truth of her words but pressed on. "Still, we made it out, didn't we? And we'll make it out of this too."
Raya didn't respond, her focus fixed on the path ahead. Her machete was in her hand, ready for anything that lay hidden in the trees. Jasmine fell silent, sensing that her attempts at distraction weren't working, but she stayed close, her presence a silent reassurance.
The woods stretched endlessly before them, and they had no idea where they were going.
The forest echoed with the crunch of leaves beneath their boots and the distant calls of unseen birds. Jasmine, ever determined to break through Raya's silence, kept her voice light as she recounted another memory she loved to recount.
"Remember when we first got our licenses?" Jasmine said, a faint smile gracing her lips. "We thought we were invincible. Driving around for hours like we owned the world. Your parents nearly grounded you for a month when we got lost and came back past curfew."
Raya's jaw tightened, her machete slicing through a low-hanging branch blocking their path. She didn't reply, her gaze fixed ahead, scanning the dense woods for any sign of danger. But Jasmine pressed on, undeterred.
"And those late nights? Just us, a tub of ice cream, and a stack of rom-coms. We'd stay up until sunrise, talking about boys and how we were going to conquer the world. It was simpler then...so much simpler."
Something in Jasmine's voice cracked, but she quickly recovered, her tone shifting back to forced cheerfulness. "If someone had told me we'd end up like this, I'd have laughed them out of the room. Us? Army girls turned woodland survivalists? Never would've guessed."
Finally, Raya stopped abruptly, turning to Jasmine with an irritated glare. "Can you stop?" she snapped, her voice sharp and cutting. "This isn't helping. It's just...making it worse."
The words hung heavy in the air, cutting through the hopeful comfort of their shared memories. Jasmine's lips parted slightly, hurt flickering across her face before she nodded in understanding and fell silent. For a moment, all that could be heard was the rustling of leaves and the soft creak of tree branches swaying in the breeze.
After a few long, tense moments, Raya sighed, running a hand through her messy braid. "I'm sorry," she said quietly, her voice strained with guilt. "I shouldn't have...snapped at you like that. I know you're just trying to help."
Jasmine shook her head, a faint, bittersweet smile tugging at her lips. "You're carrying more than anyone should have to, Raya. I get it."
Raya looked down at the ground, her machete held limply at her side. She felt a knot in her chest tighten, Jasmine's understanding only adding to the guilt that threatened to consume her. "It's just...hard," she murmured, barely audible. "Thinking about what we've lost, about everything that's happened. I can't...I can't let it in, Jas. If I do, I'll lose it."
Jasmine stepped closer, resting a hand on Raya's arm. "You won't lose it," she said firmly, her voice gentle but resolute. "You've held us together this far. We'll keep moving, okay? One step at a time."