For Daryl Dixon [part 1]

I can take care of myself (2)

It was daylight for almost an hour now and we just made it out of the woods. I saw a large field of green that seemed too nice for being all the way out here. Then I noticed a flag in the ground and saw a building. It was a golf course. I turned to see Daryl standing beside me checking out the area, crossbow at the ready.

"Golfers like boozin' it up, right?" I asked and as expected, no answer.

I started towards the country club and noticed a few walkers on the other side of the building. Nothin' to be worried bout for now.

I watched Daryl break into the building and barge in ready for a fight. I stood closely behind him with my pistol in hand. My hand immediately reached to my nose. The smell of rotten bodies overwhelmed me. I looked to Daryl but he seemed unfazed, still alert. Then I saw the bodies hanging in the corner. Three of them. They ended their lives before life could. I found myself staring at them and then noticed I was alone. I hurried to the next room looking for Daryl. I couldn't find him. Stop it Beth. Stop being so scared. You can take care of yourself. I inhaled deeply and made my way deeper into the room to my left. I'm looking for a drink. I found a flight of stairs thinking a bar would be downstairs. The stairs flowed into a tight hallway. I cocked my gun ready for anything that might pop out. Just then a walker came out of the door I had just passed and my gun was stuck. I reached for my knife stepping away from the walker who was now within reach. I pushed it against the wall and struggled to get a grasp on my knife. I could feel the breath of the walker on my neck; ready to sink it's teeth in. I could feel myself getting weak when an arrow flew into the walkers skull. I should have been relieved but anger overcame me. I looked to Daryl who had the same unreadable expression on his face and then back at the walker. I yanked the arrow out of his head feeling the blood splatter on my hands. I walked the arrow over to Daryl and pushed it against his chest.

"I can take care of myself." I said through my teeth and walked towards a door behind him.

I walked over the bar in the next room as if I knew it was there all along. There were a few bodies stacked on top of each other in the corner. I tried to ignore them as I looked for any kind of alcohol. I looked over to Daryl who was playing darts with some of the portraits on the wall. I looked down at the bottle in my hand.

"Peach schnapps. Any good?" I asked aloud, expecting a grunt or a shrug from Daryl.

"No." He said and threw another dart.

I looked around the bar for a glass to pour the drink in. I tried to wipe the blood and rust out of the cup and then gave up. I thought of Maggie. Had she drank this before? I tried to imagine her and felt my hands begin to shake. I thought of my father. I felt his hand on my shoulder as I sang to him after church. I closed my eyes and felt the tears roll down my cheeks. Before I could open my eyes I felt the bottle slip from my lite grasp and heard it being slammed on the ground.

"Ain't gon have yer first drink be no damn peach schnapps." Daryl said and grabbed his crossbow and opened the door to out side and waved to it. "Well come on."