Months now
I had been here for months
The sun hadn't touched my skin
Nature hadn't graced my eyes
It was dark
I hated small spaces
But dad locked us in
Told us he would come back for us when it was safe
He hadn't come back
And we were running out o...
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I was broken.
Everyone was right now. The men were taking care of Dale's body while the women seemed to return back to camp. Andrea's sobs could be heard from anywhere on the farm, they were loud and gut wrenching so Hershel pulled her inside the house so we didn't attract any attention from anymore unwanted visitors. The last thing we needed was another walker attack. If anyone else got hurt I don't know how I'd survive.
I was curled up in my tent, covers pulled up over my shoulders with the lantern flickering, reflecting the shadows. Guilt consumed me for not being able to stay and watch as Dale's life ended. Even Carl was there when he shouldn't have been, but he was still there for his last moments. If a child could take it why couldn't I?
My thoughts continued to go down hill. I hadn't realized just how close to these people I had gotten, but I had. Losing Dale felt like I was losing a blood relative, what happened if I lost Daryl. How would I feel then?
What if I did lose him.
What if he got bit?
The thought of losing him to made me feel sick to my stomach with fear. As much as Daryl wasn't the dying type, the world we lived in was harsh and cruel and death was around every corner if you weren't careful. All it took was one wrong turn, one wrong move and you were dead. By a bite, by a scratch, by a horde, being ripped apart and eaten alive. That was the reality. Being on this farm made it easier to forget what was beyond the tree line , what was beyond the fences that kept this place secured.
The world was one big nightmare you couldn't wake up from.
Death was inevitable.
I looked over to the tent zipper is Daryl unzipped it and slowly walked in, setting his crossbow down. He had cleaned the blood off of his hands and clothes the best he could, but I could still see the remnants. His face showed no emotion, but I knew better. I knew he cared. Dale thought highly of him even if others questioned him.
He slipped his vest off and looked over at me, our eyes connecting. He watched the tears trickled down my cheeks and he kicked his boots off from his feet, taking off his shirt and pants before crawling in under the blankets with me.
Feeling his presence brought me so much comfort that I could almost let all of tonight's events fade into the back of my mind, but Dale's pained gaze lingered in the forefront. I turned towards Daryl, allowing him to wrap his arms around me and pull me close. His scent of sweat, leather and cigarettes may not have been desirable to many other people, but to me it was the definition of masculine. He looked down into my eyes as he brushed some hair from my face and I sniveled and snorted, blushing from how much of a wreck I knew I was.
"You okay?" He asked me gruffly.
It was a silly question with an obvious answer, but I knew he was trying to start a conversation with me. I shook my head, sniveling again "Losing him felt like losing my own blood relative" I said softly to him through my tears.
