One way or another [Daryl Dixon]

[28] BACK TO SQUARE ONE.

"You, me or nobody is going to hit as hard as life. But it's not about how hard to get hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
-Rocky

They're all dead, I kept telling myself over and over and over.

If I convinced myself everyone I cared about was dead, it wouldn't hurt so much when I don't actually find any of them. Then I won't loose myself, I'll be able to carry on like nothing happened.

I lost myself for a short time when I didn't find Aiden and then came to the realisation that it's too late to find him.

They're all dead I repeated once more.

Since leaving the prison and venturing deeper into the woods, I've been checking the soil for any form of tracks. Granted, I wasn't the best tracker. The Dixon brothers were much better, but they taught me a few things when we were out together. However, there were either no tracks at all or tracks that were all over the place, overlapping one another.

Staying in the woods felt like the most sensible choice for now. It provided coverage and I'd previously stayed in the woods for extended periods of time. The most terrifying aspect of being alone is not facing the dead; however, if I come across the living. There aren't many good people left. Even me and the group had done things we wouldn't exactly brag about in order to survive just another day.

The toughest part was that I didn't have time to mourn. I needed to keep my game face on, and keep moving forward.

I'll never forget their names.

All I wanted to do was let down my guard for a few seconds and shout or cry. Perhaps both. I couldn't even do that since it would draw unwanted attention to myself.

It wasn't all horrible, though. At the very least, I was able to protect myself if needed.

I've got my bow, dagger, throwing knives, and even an automatic rifle with no ammunition left. Better than nothing.

A branch broke not far from me, and as I tuned in, I heard the dreadful groans of the dead.

When I turned back and studied the surroundings, my eyes were drawn to only two walkers.

I could use my bow and arrow, but it got boring after a while. Plus, I had a lot of pent-up rage that needed to be released.

I dropped my backpack on the ground, followed by my bow and arrows, and grasped the knife in my hand to stabilize myself.