my angel ➶ ➶ daryl dixon

f i f t y o n e

Carl, Rick and I had been walking on our own for a few days now. My feet were cramping, and I had an extreme headache. I couldn't remember the last time I had more than a few sips of dirty water to drink. But Rick seemed to be doing much worse than me and Carl. We needed to find somewhere for him to rest, and soon.

"Hey there's a group of houses over there, let's go check it out." I made my way towards the neighborhood, and the two of them followed me. We made our way down the quiet street.

"That one looks good." Carl motions to a house, and we make our way over to it. I look through the windows, not seeing anything. Rick manages to get the door open, and we cautiously make our way inside. After we make sure all the rooms are clear, Rick collapses on the couch.

"Let's see if there's anything to eat around here." I said quietly to Carl. I could tell he was angry at his dad. He believed we lost the prison because of his dad's actions, and it didn't help that his new born sister was dead. While I understood where the boy was coming from, it's hard to lead. There's not one option that's right, and anything one chooses will have consequences. You just have to go with your gut, and hope those around you will continue to support you.

We rummaged through the cabinets, finding a few jars of peanut butter, and a few cans of beans and fruit. I quickly opened a jar of pineapple and sucked down the juice. Carl followed my lead, not knowing when we would find another meal. We made our way back out into the living room. Rick hadn't moved, and his breathing was quite shallow. I moved past him, and pushed a table to block the door. I draped dirty blankets over the windows, making sure no one would be able to see through. After making sure all the other doors were secure, I sat down next to Carl on the living room floor.

"He's the reason we're here." Carl muttered.

"Carl, I know you're upset, but it's not your dads fault."

"Yes it is! He always makes the wrong decisions! My mom's dead, my sister's dead. Soon he's gonna be dead too! Then I'll be dead." Tears began to form in his eyes.

"Carl-" I paused, trying to find the right words to console the boy. "I know it's been hard for you. You haven't gotten much of a childhood, and I'm sorry about that. You have been put under an extreme amount of stress and that's a lot for a young kid. But your dad is doing his best, just like you and me. We're all just trying to get through this. Your dad has to make extremely tough decisions, and he might not always make the best ones in your eyes, but I think he's done alright so far."

Carl nodded his head a bit, and said quietly, "I just don't want to be alone out here."

"You won't buddy." I placed my arm around his shoulder and hugged him. "I'll always be here." He smiled a little, and we both relaxed against the couch as the sun set outside.

—————

I opened eyes, rubbing a crick out of my neck as I sat up. Carl was asleep on the floor, but Rick was no where to be found. I hoped that meant he was ok, since he was moving around by himself.

I got up, making my way to a window, and pulled aside the blanket. I squinted, trying to get my eyes to adjust, and jumped back when I saw a figure walking down the street. I peered out again, but quickly ran to the door when I recognized the figure. I pushed the table aside, and pulled open the door.

"Michonne!" I called, and she turned around, making her way to our house. She wrapped me in a hug, which surprised me.

"Thank goodness!" Her eyes lit up as she scanned behind me.

"Michonne?" Rick said from the house, and made his way over to her. "Is anyone with you?"

"No." She said. "I was hoping more were with you."