Never Feared Death (Daryl Dixon)

Sanctuary

We were walking in the woods with weapons in each of our hands. We would call out for Sophia but we always got the same result. 

Nothing. 

I could feel the unbearing stare of Carol from behind me. If looks could kill, I'd be on the floor withering in pain from the death glare she was giving me. 

She had the right to be looking at me like that too. I had lost her daughter and for all we knew she could be dead. Or even worse... a walker. I was at fault here and I don't blame her one bit for the pain I had caused her.

Suddenly this loud ringing fills the air. 

My ears perk and my back straightens as I stop to listen to the buzzing. I didn't even wait for everyone else before I started sprinting toward the source. 

I could here my group calling for me to wait but I couldn't. I had to find this little girl no matter what happened to me in the process. 

"Please be there, baby, please." I whisper to myself as I hear the rest of the group running behind me. 

Being an Olympic gymanst, I was far more in shape than them and a helluva lot faster. I arrive to the opening of a field surronding a small church before the rest of the group but I didn't stop. Instead I sprint toward the church. 

My eyes scan everywhere as I call out for Sophia. 

I throw open the church doors only to find three figures sitting in the sanctuary of God. None of the figures resembled the body of a child. 

My anger overpowers me as I strode forward and stabbed the walker that resembled a bride right in the head. I let it drop without even giving it a second thought before moving to the next one. 

I killed all three of them before the rest of the group got to the church, panting from their sprint. 

"The....bell...it's-" Glenn starts but leans against one of the pews in the back to catch his breath before continuing, "The bell is on a timer, HJ."

Anger floods through me again, "It doesn't matter, she's not here anyway."  

I push past them, glancing back once at the statue of Jesus Christ nailed to the cross.

Not everyone in the group had come along. Dale stayed behind with T-Dog who had a really bad cut on his arm. He wasn't looking to good but everyone else had come along in the effort. 

I lean my back against a near by tree, sinking to the ground. I pull my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them. My knife lay right beside me in case any walkers show there ugly faces. 

I stare at the grass wondering why I had let that little girl run away. How could I have been so stupid to have put her in harms way? 

"You can't keep blaming yourself, Harley." Lori says approaching the tree where I sat. 

I look up at her, studying her face closely. 

"You wouldn't be saying that if it were Carl that we were looking for." I say bluntly before returning my gaze to the grass. 

"No, I guess I wouldn't be. But you protected that girl with your life and that counts for something." Lori spoke as if she knew what I was feeling. 

"Yeah and you know what? My protection got her killed or even worse a fucking walker." I shot back without looking up.

I hear her take a deep breath, "You don't know that." 

I don't have a chance to say anything else because she walks away without another word. I knew she was right but it didn't matter. It had been two days since she had gone missing and I don't think she could survive on her own out in this type of world.