The Belle and The Beast

Chapter Four

The night passed uneventfully for me, I ate dinner and the went to bed, relishing in the comfort of the mattress once again. The next morning, I headed back down the campsite to join everyone for breakfast. Everyone seemed quite calm and Daryl was sitting in a chair by the firepit. I took a seat in front of him as he ate eggs that Carol was making, my back facing him and pulled out the piece of rope from my back pocket.

I was practising a sailor's knot, failing a couple times or not getting it quite right. I untied the mess and started again when Daryl's voice came from behind me and I could feel him leaning over.

"No, you gotta put it through like this," he mumbled, guiding my hands to where I had to lead the rope and I nodded, fighting another blush and the close contact. I glanced up as a plate of eggs was handed to me and Carol was looking down at me smirking. I quickly took the eggs, thanking her and shovelled the eggs into my mouth to avoid her eyes.

I finished my eggs and started practising some other knots, Daryl leaning forward to correct me every so often. The mood between everyone was quite peaceful, when Glenn stood up, looking jittery and pacing over a patch of grass.

"Uh guys?" he said, grabbing everyone's attention, "so...the barns full of walkers."

Everyone's head went snapping towards him as he said this, a couple people standing up, some staring at him dumbfounded. As if we were all completely in sync, everyone stood up rapidly and began running towards the barn. We got there in seconds and Shane and Rick went straight up to it, looking through the slits in the wood to confirm that there were indeed walkers in there. There was no need though, we could already hear their faint snarls and growls. Daryl slightly pushed me behind him as some of the walkers began banging on the walls, able to smell us standing so close. I lightly gripped the back of his shirt as Shane began pacing and trying to convince everyone that it was time to leave for Fort Benning.

"We're not leaving." Rick said.

"Why!?" Shane shouted and it fell silent for a moment.

"Because my daughters still out there." Carol answered coldly.

Shane rolled his eyes and ran his hand over his head, something I noticed he did when he was stressed or nervous.

"I think it's time that we all just start to consider the other possibilities." He pressed, looking around at everyone.

"We're not leaving Sophia behind." Rick snapped at him and Daryl stepped forward, my hand slipping from his shirt.

"I'm close to finding this girl!" he shouted, "I just found her damn doll a few days ago!"

"You found a doll Daryl! That's what you did. You found a doll!" Shane shouted back at him, which set Daryl off.

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" he shouted, advancing on Shane looking like he was ready to punch his lights out but I quickly grabbed him by the arm before he could get anywhere.

"I'm just sayin' what needs to be said here now, you get a good lead in the first 48 hours-" Shane began to shout before being cut off by Rick telling him to shut up and everyone holding Daryl back.

"And let me tell you somethin'" Shane continued, staring right at Daryl, "if she was alive out there and saw you comin' all methed out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck she would run in the other direction man."

That set Daryl off and he went almost flying towards Shane and everyone was running towards them trying to stop them. I ran forward slightly and pushed my way in between the two men placing my hands onto Daryl's chest to push him away. In his fit of rage he began to raise his fist at me and I immediately cowered away stepping away from him. I peeked up from under my arms to see a look of shock cross his face as he realised that it was me he was raising his fist to.