A Simple Coincidence // Daryl Dixon

12 | Lost Hope

I never believed in making plans, because I just knew that they would be changed and cancelled as time passed. plans never go as planned, things change, things come up, things disappear, people disappear. Too bad for all those people who planned things for the future, never expecting the world to end, always cancelled things, and holding back, always putting things off, and never living in the present, instead always planning for the future. Well, this is it, it's the future that no one expected. No money, no fame, no amount of anything will save anyone, it won't bring time back, and it sure as hell won't bring people back.

I always tried not to regret things, but I do regret some things. I regret not visiting my mother more often, the last couple of years I barely visited her which led to us not being as close as we used to be. It was mostly because I was messed up and didn't want her to see me like that, or maybe it was my anger towards her.

I loved my mother, but she never did anything to stop my stepfather, she left me alone at home with him knowing what he was capable of doing, and then she dared to comfort me at night, drying my tears and patching me up after letting him use me as his personal punching bag. I never understood it at the time, maybe I never will; How could she let someone do that to a human she made and raised for years, her daughter. Even after I was in an abusive and manipulative relationship myself, I still would never let any man touch my child.

Never again.

My mind was consumed with horrible memories, the same dangerous road I hate going down until I felt someone nudge my side. looking to my left to lock eyes with Daryl who was giving me a concerned look.

Was it that obvious?

I looked away from him and to my right to be met with yet another concerned face but only that time it was from Glenn. I let out a breath and rolled my eyes looking forward.

Why do they even care? They just met me a couple of days ago.

We were all squished in an elevator, looking very homeless, but that was the style at the end of the world, so no one cared. I had sort of cleaned up, but only my face, my body was still dirty and sweaty, and worst of all, I had dried blood on my clothes. My once shiny golden brown hair was now greasy and a horrible mess, I had tied it up in a high ponytail to get it out of my face buy I probably had twigs and leaves in there. I had changed into a maroon t-shirt the day before, but I still had the same dirty black pants. My boots were covered in dirt and blood as well, but I couldn't care less about any of it, I don't think anybody cared about their looks. I was the dirtiest of us all, probably because I hadn't properly showered in a while. Oh well, we all smelled bad so you couldn't tell who it was coming from.

I miss clean clothes. I miss cookies.

"Doctors always go around packing heat like that" Daryl asked, making the two doctors turn around and face him.

"There were plenty left laying around. We familiarized ourselves," Dr. Jenner answered before glancing at all of us and saying, "and you look harmless enough" he then looked down at Carl who was Infront of him, "Except you, I'll have to keep my eye on you," he said to the boy with a soft smile, making him also smile.

Aww, Carl is adorable!

I always wondered how kids' lives have changed, and what their future would look like. I mean we were all going to die at some point, parents would probably die protecting their kids, but what would happen to the kids that are left alone? How would they survive? Could they survive?

Oh well, that for the parents to figure out.

We exited the elevator and followed behind the two doctors through a lit hallway, it was very quiet and seemed empty. I hadn't seen anyone except the two Doctors so far.

Are there others?

"Are we underground?" asked Carol who was holding onto Sophia very tightly as we walked.

"You claustrophobic?" asked Dr. Jenner turning around to face her.

"A little"

"Try not to think about it" was the doctor's advice to the scared women.

"Is that supposed to help?" I whispered to Glenn as we walked side by side. He looked down hiding his smile while shaking his head.

"Vi bring up the lights in the big room" ordered one of the doctors as we entered a big room that lit up when we entered. There was a walkway with railings that led to a round platform, on it were machines and chairs lined up in an organized matter, above it was a huge ring light hung up from the ceiling. It wasn't too dark, but it wasn't as bright either, it was cold and the air was moist, making me shiver.

We were all looking around taking it all in when Dr. Jenner spoke again, "Welcome to zone 5" as he walked forward making us all follow him once again.

The other doctor dude is very quiet, I wonder why.

"Where is everybody? The other doctors? The staff?" the former sheriff asked the question everyone wanted to ask.

"Are there any other survivors?" I asked curiously as I stepped onto the platform along with everyone else.

The two doctors turned around, sad and disappointed looks on their faces.

Dr. Davidson made direct eye contact with me before speaking, "No one survives"

Creep alert! I REPEAT creep alert!

"we're it. It's just us here" said the other doctor eyeing his partner. 

"What about the person you were speaking with? Vi?" asked a shaken-up Lori. We were all shaken up, the news we had just received devastated us, it meant that the hope that had just lit up in our hearts was gone just as fast as it came. Dr. Davidson chuckled at Lori's question making me glare at him.

something is clearly wrong with this man.

"Vi, say hello to our guests. Tell them... welcome"

"Hello, guests. welcome." Said a monotone robotic voice making me and everyone else look up to find the source of the voice.

"we're all that's left. I'm sorry"

And there it goes, my hope out the window. It was like someone took a spoon of delicious chocolate and brought it so close to my lips, making me almost taste it and just as the chocolate was about to touch my lips to give me the sweet taste. it was pulled away. Leaving me with a bitter taste in my mouth instead of the sweet glory of the chocolate.

How come we never get anything good, maybe I was being too pessimistic. Maybe there was a bright side to the situation, but at the time I couldn't see any light, nowhere near or nowhere far.

I couldn't see any light at the end of a tunnel. All I could see was a dark, cold, and lonely tunnel.  

Just like that, my hope was lost. 

I'm so done.

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