Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

s e v e n

The farm is quiet, no moaning or groaning of the walkers. Not even the people are up. That's because it's the middle of the night, and my mind is plagued with nightmarish dreams. Each one worse than the last, they seem like walkers, never ending.

I look towards my dad. He sleeps on his back, keeping it covered, he's done that for as long as I can remember. He's also a light sleeper, and I'd move closer to him but I don't want him to wake up and worry about me, so I sit and think. A dangerous habit of mine but these days it's about the only habit I've got. I touch the necklace he got me earlier, it's small and simple, just the way I like it.

I slowly lay down, although I know the chances of me falling back asleep are slim. So I just turn on my side and wait for morning. I can't help but feel as though something bad will happen tomorrow. But who am I kidding? We're in the apocalypse, bad things happen every day.

When I 'wake up' the sun is just rising. The tent is empty and so is my stomach. I slowly get up and unzip the tent allowing me to set foot on the farms turf. Lori and Carol are hanging up laundry, my dad is by Rick looking over a map of the area. The group disperses and I see my dad going over to the stables, I follow him there. He's taking a horse out of a stable and preparing the large animal to ride.

"How long will you be gone?" I ask stroking the horses mane.

"I should be back before nightfall, and if I'm not raise a'lil hell for me." He jokes before giving me a hug and a kiss on the top of my head.

"Be careful, you're all I've got." I whisper l just loud enough so that he can hear.

"Don't worry bout me Cheri." He says ruffling my hair and then getting on the horse. "I'll be back before you know it."

"You better." I say with a small smile as I watch him, ride off into the woods searching for Sophia. Deciding that I can't just sit around and mope all day and I should actually do something I search for Carol and I find her in the kitchen cooking. She hums a tune as she cooks, cutting up vegetable's and other things.

"Do you need some help?" I ask her gesturing to the large meal she's cooking for the Greene family.

"If you wanna." She laughs lightly giving me a friendly smile.

"Well, there's not much to do around here, unless you count the wonderful staring at tree's for hours on end." I tell her sarcastically and we both share a laugh.

"Ya know it's a brave thing your daddy's doing," She pointed out. "Looking out for Sophia, he's showing a more fatherly initiative than her's ever did."

"It's not brave," I utter shaking my head and picking up a carrot. "It's just the right thing to do."

"Well, I think it's pretty brave doing the right thing when no one else would." She smiles patting my shoulder lightly. We make light conversation for a while and when Lori comes in to help I decide to leave, figuring there's not much else I can do to assist them. I laugh as Lori mentions something about being happy to see a potato and walk to Carl's room.

"Knock knock." I say knocking on the door frame of the boy's temporary room.

"Hey Cheri," He smiled at me.

"You feeling any better? I ask sitting next to him on the large bed. He shrugs and gives a small shrug.

"What's it like outside?" He asks.

"Well, the dead are still walking, and the tree's are still standing." I assured him with a playful nudge.

"I can't wait to go outside, cards are starting to get really boring." He admit's to me I agree with him, he's the only one who would play with me outside.