Alone Together

Chapter Five

Beth looked at the sun as in fell beneath the trees. She had counted three suns have fallen since they had lost the prison. For the first time in three day she could relaxed; a load had been lifted off of her shoulder. Of course that could be the fact the she had another whole cup of moonshine. She looked across from her to see Daryl staring at the sun set just as she was. He has not said anything since, he has told her the truth. He blamed everything on himself? Beth still could not wrap her head around it, and she had lost her own father. Time seemed still yet she could tell that it was getting harder to see. Was the because it was getting dark, or because she was wasted? Only god can tell.

“I get why my dad stopped drinking.” She said with a hint of a smile.

“Are you feelin' sick?” He asked snapping out of his day dream.

“Nope” She said. “I wish I could feel like this all the time”

Daryl huffed in air. “That is bad.”

Beth shrugged and just let out a lazy “Hmm”

“You are lucky your a happy drunk” He said looked at her.

“Yeah, I am luck” Beth said a bit more flirtatious then she wanted.

He must of not even notice. “Some people can be real jerks when they are drunk”

“Yeah” Beth said, then took a little sip. The moonshine was starting to taste more and more like water.

“I'm a dick when I'm drunk. Merle had this dealer. This janky little white guy. A tweaker. One day we were over at his house watching TV. Wasn't even noon yet and we were all wasted.” He paused. “Merle was high. We were watching this show and Merle was talking all this dumb stuff about it. And he wouldn't let up. Merle never could. Turns out it was the tweaker's kids' favorite show. And he never sees his kids, so he felt guilty about it or something. So he punches Merle in the face.So I started hitting the tweaker, like, hard.... as hard as I can. Then he pulls a gun, sticks it right here.” Beth could see the fear in Daryl's eyes “He says, "I'm gonna kill you, bitch." So Merle pulls his gun on him .Everyone's yelling. I'm yelling. I thought I was dead... Over a dumb cartoon about a talking dog.”

“How did you get out of it?”

“The tweaker punched me in the gut. I puked. They both started laughing and forgot all about it.” He said then looked down at his lap. “You want to know what I was before all this? I was just drifting around with Merle doing whatever he said we were gonna be doing that day. I was nobody. Nothing. Some redneck asshole and an even bigger asshole for a brother.”

“You miss him, don't you? I miss Maggie. I miss her bossing me around. I miss my big brother Shawn. He was so annoying and overprotective. And my dad.” Beth let out a chuckle but did not know why... she wanted to cry. “I thought-- I hoped he'd just live the rest of his life in peace, you know? I thought Maggie and Glenn would have a baby. And he'd get to be a grandpa. And we'd have birthdays and holidays and summer picnics. And he'd get really old. And it'd happen, but it'd be quiet. It'd be okay. He'd be surrounded by people he loved.” She said with another laugh “That's how unbelievably stupid I am.”

“That's how it was supposed to be.” Daryl said, doing his best to make her feel better.

“I wish... I could just change.”

He sighed. “You did.”

“Not enough...Not like you” She said. “It's like you were made for this world.”

“I am just used to seeing messed up stuff.” He said, then pointed at the house.. “Growing up in a place like this”

“You got away from it”