Stand By Me (Daryl Dixon)

T h r e e

I wake up the next morning with some what of a headache. Looking over to Chase I see that he's still asleep. Looking up to the ceiling, tracing each crack with my eyes. Today is going to be one hell of a day. First we need to get up. I look over at my brother once more. I sit up and huff. Picking my pillow up and throwing it at his head.

Groaning, "I'm up."

"Good!"

Pulling my bag out from under the bed, I grab a clean shirt. Probably my last clean shirt for a while. Knowing what's out there, bad people and walkers. Two months since being out there. Two months of protection down the drain. It will be hard out there, but three years out there without walls, so what will make this time any different?

Chase still has yet to move I quickly slip off my shirt from yesterday and put on the grey shirt I grabbed from my bag. I slip on my boots over my dark jeans.

"Chase, come on!" I whine, removing my pillow from his head, his brown hair all over in a mess.

"Okay, okay!" I watch as he struggles to get up in a sitting position.

I pull my bag up onto the bed and I start to go through it. I pretty much have what I need, besides food. I'm pumped to get out of here, my time here has been terrible. Always having to watch where you step, or what you say. Always kneeling to Negan. I'm done with that bullshit. Unnecessary when he just stands there, starring at us with a evil grin on his face. I can't wait to be away from his face, from this place.

"Are you set?" Chase interrupts my thoughts. Nodding, I stand and swing my bag over my shoulder, throwing my black beanie on my head. "First, we have to scope it out. Second, I have to go to the armoury."

"My bow?" I ask.

"Your bow is still there." He smiles, nodding at the same time. "I'll be sure to grab it."

Smiling at him I follow him out. We just walk as we would normally would if we were going down to breakfast. Dinner will be short a person from now on and people I work with are not going to like that. But, fuck them. Turning the first corner I knock into something hard. Stepping back a few steps and looking into the eyes of Daryl.

"Daryl?" I ask, bringing my hand up to the now sore spot on my forehead, and that's when Chase lunges at him, "Chase no! Stop!"

Daryl, pushes Chase back and right hooking his jaw. Chase goes for one back but was blocked.

"Stop it! Chase, just let him go!" I pull Chase away, and watch Daryl pass me.

"Why'd you stop me?" Frustration in his voice.

"Because this place doesn't matter anymore, that man," I point toward where Daryl ran off, "doesn't matter to us anymore. Our best bet, is to follow him and see where he gets out. Then, go to the armoury. Yeah?"

Chase shakes his head at me, "No, I'm going to see if Negan and his crew left for Alexandra, then the armoury. I know where he's headed, you follow him. Just don't let him know that you're behind him."

Nodding, I turn and follow Daryl quickly but, quietly. I stop before the next bend, and listen. That's when I hear a crash coming from the room down hall. I peek around the corner to spy. I jump back when I see the door swing open, looking around the corner again to see him run down the hall to a door to the outside. I waiting there till the door closed behind him to go up to it and watch him fiddle with one of the bikes in some new clothes. That when I see Fat Joe come around the corner. Joe suddenly stop in his tracks, putting up his hands and dropping the sandwich he was eating. His mouth moving, can't make out what here saying. Daryl swiftly moves before raising a rod and smashing it down on his head. I crouch down cover my mouth. My mind goes back to where Negan swung Lucile, killing the redhead and the Asian, Glenn. I can hear each hit with the rod. Tears form in my eyes and cover my ears. I don't know how long I sat there like that, scared about that night, seeing blood spray out of all three men's heads in less than a week!

I'm startled with my hands being pulled away from my ears, "Shay! It's okay!" I nod and he pulls the door open. "Lets go!" I follow closely beside him as we pass the disfigured body of Fat Joe.

•

On the road, not knowing where we are going Chase holds out my bow. Taking it in my hands, I smile. I remember when I first got this bow. I was seventeen, and my dad and I would practice in the backyard. I'd practice almost every weekend, so we can all go on hunting trips during the summers. I got a pretty good shot, practically a bullseye every time.

"You're really quite." Chase interrupts my memories of dad.

"Just thinking." I smile at him.

Readjusting his Colt M4A1, "We're coming up on some town. You want to scavenge?"

Nodding at him, we begin stealth running. Two walkers in sight of the first building. The building being a bar, not important. Chase takes out both walkers with his knife, and we continue through the town till we come across a house.

The house, much like our old house. I stop in my tracks;

She just lays there, mouth wide open and the smell of the room burns my nostrils. The tears in my eyes making my vision blurred. I hear Chase leaving the room and down the hallway. Wiping my tears away I get up and make my way to my room. It was left the way I had it before my brother, a few friends and I took a trip to Atlanta. My bed was neatly made before I sat upon it. I traced the purple swirls with my fingers.

"We gotta go!" Chase appears in my door way. "So, pack up! Those things are outside, so hurry."

"Go away!" I yell.

"Shay, shut up! They'll hear you!" He frantically come into my room and puts a hand over my mouth. For seventeen, he's pretty mature. Him taking charge in decisions. "We need supplies and weapons, so pack a bag and go get whatever we need from the kitchen. Can you do that?"

I nod, the tears forming once again, "They didn't want to try."

"I know, I'm disappointed that they didn't wait for us. But we have each other, so let's do this and get out of here. Okay?"

I nod and watch as he leaves the room. I get up from my bed and go to my dresser, pulling the drawers open and throwing clothes onto the bed. Ripping my bedroom apart makes feels come up that nobody should feel, just like seeing your parents like the walkers outside. Feelings of regret, regretting leaving home. Feelings of agony, having to shove a knife through both of my parents skulls. Feelings of hate. Feeling of being tortured by your mind. My mind playing what just happened in the other room.

Moving on from packing my bag with clean clothes, to the kitchen I scavenge the cupboards, grabbing what I can and shoving them in the bag. Chase catches my eye through the window over the sink, he's struggling with the lock and key to the shed.

"Are you okay?" Chase asks, moving in front of me and placing his hand on my shoulders. I nod, looking him in the eyes.

"It looks like our house."

He turns his head to the house and back, "Its just a house, Shay. I'm going to check the house, stay out here and watch."

"Okay."

"I'll be right back." Chase then nods and slowly walks up the the house.

I pull out my knife just in case. I hear the drying brush shake and out appears a small cat. It meows at me, then turns to go to the back of the house. Me, being the lover of cats follows it quietly. Making it to the side of the house, the cat trotting with no care in the world and just like that the car takes off. Coming around the corner I'm startled by two walkers, my knife falling out of my hands to the ground as I do, the walkers toppling onto me.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I'm failing to hold them up, the smell coming out of their mouths have me wanting to throw up, "Help! Someone help me! Chase!"

I continue to struggle, my strength giving out. Then the walkers drop still. Looking up to see my saviour.