Sweet and Salty ~ Carl Grimes

Red Poncho - 080

I know I'm breaking my own schedule but class is SO BORING, and I need some comments to entertain me, so please, help a girl out xoxo - this does also mean it hasn't been properly proof read, so as British Railways likes to say: see something, say something.

Daryl, Aaron and Brooks had been walking for a couple of hours. They'd passed a White Admiral butterfly, which was rare for their region, so she couldn't help but spill her facts on them... And, then her facts on butterflies... And then her facts on moths, which led her onto her facts on blackbirds, then American Wigeon and finally Woodpeckers. She only stopped because they came across something that rendered her silent.

Daryl gently pushed Brooks behind him as he took lead. She pulled Hershel's gun from her belt, and held it tightly in her hands as they walked further into the sight, and she pushed Aaron behind her carefully. Brooks knew she was a better fighter than Aaron, it was just facts, and the man was strong enough to not be offended at the fact.

They saw multiple limbs, all separated from whatever body they came from. There were three legs, and five arms... The torsos and heads all missing, as well as at least one arm, and at least one leg. They weren't separated because walkers had eaten them though, they were surgically separated, like someone cut them up... Potentially, while they were still alive. There was a blue tarp abandoned to the side too, like perhaps the people who did this took everything else - but, somehow a tarp was useless to them?

"Whoever did this?" Daryl said, glancing between Brooks and Aaron, before back to the body parts. "Took what was left with 'em."

Wetting her lips, Brooks spoke. "Like- like cannibals?"

"Maybe." Daryl's gruff voice sounded, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth. "Either way, this just happened."

"How do you know?" Aaron asked.

Brooks looked back to him, an excuse to take her eyes away from the body parts. "Blood's still wet." She answered, scanning the area for any walkers or eyes on them. As soon as she realised Daryl continued to walk, she stuck to his heal. When she noticed what he was walking too, bile rose to her throat and she felt her heart dropped to her stomach.

A woman was tied to a tree, her blonde hair fallen over her face, and she was naked. Not that they could see any private parts though, because walkers had gotten to her. Her torso was ripped open, what was left of her organs hanging out. It was a wonder she wasn't devoured more, the walkers must've gotten distracted by something and wandered off, forgetting to eat the rest of her.

"This just happened?" Aaron asked, voice thick with sympathy as he looked her up and down with a heavy heart.

Daryl nodded, briefly glancing to Brooks who was staring at the woman with horrified eyes. "Yea." His voice answered, thinking about the thirty seconds Brooks was in the woods and he didn't know she was following them. He'd caught on pretty quickly, so when she thought she was tracking them?... Daryl was pretty much keeping his eye on her and planning his angry speech in his head.

Brooks pulled out Marliya's knife, and instantly began cutting the ropes. "What are you doing?" Aaron asked.

"We can't just leave 'er 'ere like this." Brooks responded.

"Brookie-" Daryl began.

"It ain't right!" She yelled, interrupting him. She sighed, and softened her voice. "It just- it ain't right, Daryl. This shouldn't have happened to 'er. To them." Brooks nodded to the limbs a few feet away. Daryl nodded, and pulled out his own knife, helping her to cut the ropes.

As the Dixons were cutting the final ropes, Aaron held her arms to support her. Once the ropes were completley cut, he gently lay her on the ground. Brooks wandered back over to the bodies, and grabbed the blue tarp that had been left behind, before she brought it back over. She lay it gently over the woman, and brushed the blonde hair out of her face.