Beth's Old Sweet Shoppe

Chapter 32:

Chapter 32:

Waking up, there's growling coming from somewhere. Opening his curious eyes, Daryl is laying in a bloody bed, dirty and smelling in need of a shower. Rubbing his eyes, he rolls over to look at Beth, but she's not there. Panicking, Daryl sits up and rushes to the window, outside, the grass is dead and bodies litter the streets. Pulling on his pants, he slips into his boots and hears something in the bathroom. Going to the half opened door, he sees boots and a crouching body. Pushing the door all the way back, he finds a zombie munching Jake. Crying, Daryl shuts the door and rushes to Merle's room, which is empty, along with the living room and the kitchen. As he races downstairs, the whole candyshop is destroyed. His chest pounds as he rushes outside and tries to race throught the maze of the walking dead. Finally making it to the police station, he pounds on the door and finally Rick opens it up.

"What the fuck is going on Rick?"

"The dead are walking, numskull! What's it look like?"

"Is Beth here?" Grabbing Rick's arm, Daryl starts to panic and Rick gives him a sideways look.

"Who's Beth? Who are you?"

"What the fuck, Rick? You know me. I'm you're partner." Ignoring Daryl, Rick walks away to a hunkered group of individuals. They are all dirt and blood covered townies- none are familar and Daryl simply raises out of the station and down the road. Pounding on the church door, Father Gabriel opens up and Daryl tries to get inside, but the priest keeps him outside.

"What do you want?"

"I want inside! To see if Beth's there." The priest shakes his head and starts closing the door.

"No ones here. Now leave...Godspeed, Brother." Shutting the doors and locking them, Gabriel leaves Daryl out and all the dead start walking toward him. Jumping the step's railing, Daryl hits the ground running and races off toward Beth's house. Getting there, he finds more zombies scattered across the yard and inside the house. Running down to the barn, he throws open the doors and starts gagging. Hanging from the rafters are Hershel, Carol, Maggie, Sophia, and Glenn- zombies, swinging in their own misery.

"BETH!" Without warning a zombie Beth comes up behind him and tries to bite at his neck. "BETH!!!"

..........................

"Ahhh!!!! Beth!!!!" Jolting awake, Daryl feels stuff and achy as he lays on the wooden floor of the dark candy shop, feeling his nose, there's blood dripping from it and finally Beth and Merle come into view.

"It's okay. We're here. It's okay." Beth says as she holds his hand, leaving small kisses on it.

"Took quite a spill, brudder."

"Wha...what happened?" Merle helps him sit up and Beth braces him with her body.

"You were having a nightmare and you were sleep walking..."

"And yer body decide to travel downstairs...only you can't really just walk out the door so you took a big spill."

"I didn't know you were missing until I heard you screaming and falling down the stairs...I didn't know you were sleepwalking...it was kinda scary." Daryl can notice how shaken Beth actually is and feels terrible for scaring her, but that dream scared him.

Still breathing so drastically, Merle and Beth inch a bit away to give Daryl air.

"Do you wanna go to the hospital and get checked out?" Beth holds his hand tightly and tremulously looks at him.

"Na...I think I'm okay."

"Here, ya nose is bleeding pretty bad." Merle hands him a bandana and flicks on the hallways light so he can see. Getting behind Daryl, Beth lays him back into her lap an takes care I his bloody nose.

"Thanks...Daryl can you get me a glass of water and some Advil?" Merle nods to him and goes upstairs, leaving him looking up into Beth's eyes. Her small smile is filled with worry. "I'm sorry I scared you...."

"Don't be sorry. I was just worried you got badly hurt, I'm lucky it's just a nose bleed and not yer head." She sniffs back some tears and he just reach up and holds the back of her neck. Seeing some tears in her eyes, Daryl makes her lean forward and he places a soft kiss on her lips.

"You don't need to worry about this Beth. I'm okay."

"I know...I don't know why I'm so upset...so stupid."

"No, you just care so much. If you got hurt, I'd cry."

"Here's yer stuff, Dural. Want help back upstairs?" Merle hands him two pills and a glass of water. Drinking it, he takes the pills and nods to Merle. Helping him back upstairs, Merle leaves Beth and Daryl in their room, shutting the door as he goes.

Laying down slowly, Daryl gets adjusted and stares at the ceiling, until he notices Beth still standing by the end of the bed. Propping himself up on his elbows, he flicks on the lamp and looks at her.

"You okay, Sweetie?" Shaking her head 'no', Daryl quickly and painfully gets up and goes to her. Taking her hands in his, he looks into her hooded blue eyes and can still see the pain. "What's wrong baby?"

"The way you screamed my name...it was like I was hurting you..." Her shaky voice resembles her trembling body. "What was yer nightmare about?"

"Huh, it was like yer tv show. I ran to find you and when I got to yer barn, yer family were zombies hanging from the ceiling and I could find you...but then a zombie knocked me down and bit me and I didn't know where you were...but you were the zombie that attacked me." Holding her close, he tries to stop her shaking, but it does work. "It was just a dumb dream. I love you...now let's go back to bed and forget about this."

"Okay..."

Laying down next to him Beth tries to calm down and eventually just passes out from fear.