•A DARYL DIXON STORY•
"I need you to listen to me. When we're out there together, if I say run, run. If I tell you to leave me, then damn it, you leave and you don't look back."
"Daryl," she sighed softly, shaking her head.
"No, I mean it," he argue...
'you gave me peace, like a river that had been rushing, pulled by the current for too long, you made my waters still' -l.y.
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Hope.
It's a simple word. One syllable, four letters.
It can mean the difference between hanging on and giving up. It could mean a tiny smile in the face of a beast. It's one of the few words that has no true definition, it could mean something to one person and different for the next.
It was the glue keeping this group together.
The day hope crumbled was the day they realized Eugene was a liar.
The day started similar to any other. Scout with Carl, return to the group, see what Daryl found, huddle up with Rick. This day was different.
Aaron.
That was his name; the intruder, the spy. He had been following them for days, hiding in the shadows and watching their every move. Zepp mentally kicked herself for not tracking him, and the look on Daryl's face told her he felt the same.
He was a relatively non-intimidating man, average build and height with a warm smile and crinkles around his eyes. Though Zeppelin knew all too well that this meant nothing when it came to what he could be capable of.
He showed no signs of fear, though Maggie and Sasha had bound his hands tightly behind his back. Zepp quickly marched over to the trio, snatching his backpack off his shoulders and dumping the contents onto the ground. Her mouth salivated at the sight of the few jars of applesauce but she shook it off and tossed the empty bag next to him. A small yellow envelope caught her eye as she turned to stand just behind Rick, her usual perch when a threat confronted the group.
"He has a camp nearby. He said he wants us to audition for membership," Maggie continued, one hand tight around the man's elbow and the other clutched on the hilt of her knife.
Aaron grinned sheepishly and shook his head. "I wish there was another word.. audition makes it sound like we're some kind of dance troupe.." he breathed a small laugh. "That's only on Friday nights."
His harmless joke was met with cold eyes and grim faces, the only sound was Judith gurgling in Rick's arms as he bounced her up and down.
Aaron cleared his throat, semi embarrassed, and brought his gaze to Rick's. "Um, and it's not a camp. It's a community! I think you would all make valuable additions," he grinned widely, his teeth sparkling in the dim rays of light that came filtering through the barn.
"But it's not my call," he continued. "My job is to convince you all to follow me back home."
The group wordlessly gauged each other's expressions as Rick handed Judith to Carl, Zepp caught Veronica mouthing "no" in her direction and gave a small nod to Daryl. He immediately stepped closer to her and raised his bow to the strangely happy stranger before them.
