The Walking Dead - Drained and Insane ([Daryl Dixon]Fanfic)

Chapter 21: Strangled

"Come on!" Maggie yelled, her eyes wide and puffy.

Despite the chaos, the shouting, gunfire and explosions, all Evangeline could hear was a quiet ringing and the faint, muffled sound of Maggie's urgent voice. Her entire relationship with the person she thought she was destined for was destroyed within the single second the bullets connected with the tower.

All she was left with was the lingering tingly feeling his touch left behind, the way his voice was like vanilla and honey, smooth and low and his stare sent shivers down her spine and made her heart skip a beat.

The way that his fingers laced perfectly with hers and his arms would gently wrap around her waist.

The way he tried to act tough and scary but she knew deep down in side he was as soft as a teddy bear and cuddled like one too.

The way he would look at her and she would feel like everything was ok.

The way he would place his hand on the small of her back.

The way he helped heal her corrupt mind and fight off her demons.

The way he could make her laugh until she couldn't breathe and her stomach ached.

The way that he made her feel alive.

And yet despite all that she had never built up the courage to say the three words that she knew that she meant. It was not the fact that it was too late to say it that she know realised it, she had felt it a while ago. She felt it the day she stopped trying to die and end it all. Evangeline began to feel it in the days that he would sit outside her locked cell and speak to her quietly. She saw the look in his eye as he struggled to get the key, the pure desperation and fear that shrouded them made her feel like she had hit a brick wall. The way he held her and rocked her back and forth, whispering in her ear was when she could feel it radiating from her heart.

Now she knew exactly why people spoke of love as a deadly and painful thing. It destroys both when you do and don't have it. It rips apart your insides, tears mercilessly at your soul, infects your mind and poisons your heart. It leaves you empty, cold and bitter.

It destroys you.

It destroyed Evangeline. 

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"Glenn!" Daryl spluttered, trying to use his shaking, weak arms to help him up. The pressure was too much and his arms gave way and he collapsed back onto the ground. The thud knocked more air out of his heaving lungs and sent ash floating into the air. He winced as he could feel every cut, graze and burn that covered his body, he was not looking forward to seeing the injuries the explosion had caused.

Daryl heard a cough and a painful wheeze and squinted to try and focus on the shuffling figure in the corner.

"Glenn, you alright?" Daryl asked, attempting to try and get up again. He groaned as the pressure weighed down on his arms but slowly made his way to his feet as ash and soot fell from his skin and clothes. Daryl reached down to grab his crossbow and notice the deep cut running along from his shoulder to halfway down his arm. He had obviously been unconscious for a while as the blood that was once pouring out had now dried and covered his entire arm in red. 

Clenching his teeth, he hobbled over to Glenn who leaned against the wall, struggling to breathe against the ash that lined his throat with what felt like a burning flame. Daryl gently pat him on the back, cautious of any wounds he might have there.

"Hey, look at me," Daryl said.

Glenn looked painfully up at Daryl with tears leaking down his cheeks, revealing clear lines of skin through the black soot that covered his face.