Life I Left Behind (A Daryl Dixon Story)

Chapter Seventeen

Charlie

Twenty-two years old

I never really appreciated how much I missed the country until I had left the city well and good behind me. Sounds of traffic and construction were replaced by the calming noises of the crickets chirping in the grass and the soft babble of the creek that ran through the backyard. I had also forgotten how dark the night could really be when there wasn’t a constant stream of headlights and street lamps lining every road.

I gave myself a moment to take it all in, the smells, the sounds, the feels, because I knew it would be the last time I’d be able to for a while. Everything was happening so fast, it was almost hard to believe it was happening at all. Two months ago I’d been drowning in college finals, crawling towards graduation. Then, everything seemed to speed up. I graduated, I got offered and accepted a job teaching in Atlanta, and now I was at my parents’ house packing the few belongings I still kept there to take with me to my new life. All that could really make a girl’s head spin.

My thoughts were suddenly scattered as a cardboard box slammed down into the back of my pickup truck. I jumped nearly a foot into the air. “Jesus, Gabe! You almost gave me a heart attack!” I gasped.

My little brother laughed. “How did you not hear me coming? I almost dropped the thing like five times. What the heck is in there? Dead bodies?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes, Gabe. I store my dead bodies in a cardboard box in a closet at mom and dad’s house. Is that the last one?”

He nodded. “Yep! I’d tell you to go say good-bye to mom one last time, but I’m worried if she cries anymore she’ll dehydrate.”

I let out a chuckle. “Yeah, I think the last ten good-byes were enough. She acts like I’m moving to Mars. Where my new job is really isn’t much farther than where I was living at school.”

Gabe shrugged. “She doesn’t care. I think she’s just sad that you’re all grown up now.”

“Well, I don’t feel all grown up.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. I pushed the tailgate up, locking it in place. “If you ever get tired of it here, you can come visit. I know 8th grade can be tough.”

“Yeah, that sounds cool.”

“Good. Alright, I know you don’t want to, but give me a hug before I go.” I said, spreading my arms.

“Wait! I almost forgot, I wanted to give you something.” Gabe said suddenly. Before I could ask, he had already turned and sprinted into the house. A few seconds later, he came back out, this time with something grasped in his hands. “Here.” He said breathlessly, holding it out to me.

My heart swelled a little as I realized what it was. “Gabe, that’s your lucky baseball bat. I can’t take that.” I said softly. I remembered the day my dad had given it to him, as a surprise when he was eight years old. He had been so excited to have his own bat to show off at baseball practice. Ever since then, he claimed he couldn’t win a game without it.

“I don’t need it anymore. I’m good enough without it. But it might bring you luck.” He said, pressing it into my hands. “Or, you know, maybe some robber will sneak into your apartment one night and you can whack him with it.”

I laughed, although at the same time I was fighting back tears. I would wait until Gabe had gone back inside before letting the dam loose. Brother or not, no fourteen year old boy wanted to be stuck with the task of comforting a sobbing girl. “Thanks, kiddo. This means a lot.” I held the bat in one hand and wrapped my free arm around him, pulling him close. He hugged me back briefly before pulling away and giving me a grin.