Janie's Got A Gun (A 'The Walking Dead' Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight: From A Friend

Three weeks had passed and the group were walking along a desolate road in the sweltering heat, they hadn't found any water for two days and they were weak.
"I'm gonna head out." Daryl said to Rick as he handed him his rifle. "See what I can find."
"Don't be too long." Rick replied.
"I'll go with you." Janie said but Daryl shook his head. "You gonna stop me?" She asked as she followed him off of the road and into the forest.
They found themselves in a meadow with grass that was so tall it went up to their waist.
"What are you thinkin' about?" Janie asked as she slammed her booted foot down onto the rock solid mud below her.
"It's too dry here." He replied although he knew she was talking about Beth.
"Wanna start headin' back?" She asked and he nodded.
"You go ahead. I'll catch up."

Daryl sat down against a tree and sighed before pulling a cigarette from his pocket. He held it between his lips, lit it and took a drag letting the smoke fill his lungs. Then he took it and pushed it firmly into the side of his hand, he listened to the sizzling of his flesh burning and took in every second of pain he endured.
"Put it down." A voice said making him jump and drop the cigarette. He looked up to see Janie stood in front of him with her arms crossed, she stepped forward and crushed the cigarette under her boot before sitting down next to him.
"Thought you were headin' back." He said nonchalantly,
"I'm not stupid Daryl." She sighed. "I know when somethin' is up." There was a beat as she waited for her uncle to say something before she spoke again. "We used to always talk about our shit. You're the only person who understands me."
"You first." He grunted.
"I'm sad Merle's dead." She replied. "I'm more than sad, it feels like my whole world has ended and the world basically has ended and I'm terrified about whats gonna happen. Daryl I don't want to die." Daryl just nodded.
"I've killed people." He spoke,
"Bad people." She replied.
"Nah, everyone that's died has been my fault. Merle, your mom, Beth." By now Daryl had started to cry and Janie put her arm around him.
"How could you say that?" She asked. "None of that was on you."
"How could you know, you weren't there."

They returned back to the group to see them all stood in a circle around something on the road. Rick handed Daryl a piece of paper that read from a friend in neat handwriting, in the middle of the circle was a case of water bottles.
"What else are we gonna do?" Tara asked,
"Not this." Rick replied. "We don't know who left it."
Suddenly there was a loud rumble and the clouds became grey, Janie looked to the sky as the first few droplets of rain fell out of it. She wiped her face and looked at the wet on her hand in disbelief as the rain continued to pour down on them.

That night they found a barn to stay in. Daryl tossed a stick into the small fire they had created, he picked up another from the floor and felt it before putting it back on the floor again.
"I'll try." Glenn said grabbing his own stick,
"Nah." Daryl replied. "Too wet." He looked over his shoulder at Janie, she was asleep on the floor next to Carl with Judith sandwiched between them, they all had Merle's jacket thrown over them.
"I used to feel sorry for kids who have to grow up in this." Rick said as he looked over at the kids. "But I think I got it wrong. Growing up is getting used to the world. This is easier for them."
"This isn't the world." Michonne replied. "This isn't it."

- Princexiero xx