Dixons Never Cry |TWD|

Missing

My wet eyelids ached, begging for sleep but I refused. I heard Daryl calling my name earlier but I ignored him, curling even further into the corner of the haystack. The hay was itchy and spiky, irritating my legs even through my jeans. I'm sure something crawled on my arm earlier too.

My outburst at Lori definitely surprised me. I've never repeated a curse word before, but I know plenty of them from living with my Daddy and brothers. The kids at the trailer park had lots of colourful words to say themselves. Lori definitely told Daryl and the others. I wondered if her full name was Lorraine and Lori just a nickname, then I'd get to call her "Lorraine the Pain".

The creaky noises of the barn doors shook me from my thoughts, making me tense like a stone statue.

"Marnie, you in here?"

I calmed once I realised it was Carl's voice, but it was his mother I dropped the F-Bomb on. He probably came to find me so he could tell the others. Daryl was definitely going to take his belt off once he found me. I swore at a grown-up.

I stayed silent, hoping and praying for Carl to go away, but his soft footsteps began walking in and the ladder rattled. There was no actual lumps of hay up here, just thin bristles decorating the ground like snow, so I couldn't hide behind anything.

Carl spotted me straight away. "Everyone's been looking for you, your brother's convinced you went into the forest so he's gone searching there."

Remorse bubbled in my stomach as Carl sat next to me, a friendly smile on his face. Daryl could get hurt or lost, looking for me. I always mess things up.

"The barn is an easy hidin' spot," I said with a sniffle, voice dry and hoarse from all the crying.

"I know, I saw you run here in and I persuaded my dad to give you some alone time. I like alone time too," he said.

I looked up into his cerulean eyes. "You ain't mad?" I asked. He furrowed his eyebrows.

"Why would—Oh," he trailed off, glancing away briefly. "No, I'm not mad. I say bad things when I'm mad too, even curse words."

"Really?"

"'Course...but, why were you angry?" he asked confusedly.

I sighed heavily and looked down inbetween my legs. "I-I don't know," I exclaimed, exasperated. "I j-just got angry and I-I tried to not be, but—I just couldn't control it and-and then I was bad and Daryl's out lookin' for me and he could get hurt—"

Carl interrupted me. "It's okay. Everyone gets angry no matter how hard they try not to be. I'm sure my mom will forgive you if you say sorry," he said.

I sniffled. "Everything's goin' bad lately," I admitted. "I miss Dale. I miss a lot of people."

"Me too," his voice was quiet, unusual for the confident one he just had a moment ago. It's probably because I mentioned Dale. Carl misses him too.

"Thanks, Carl." I offered a gentle smile which he returned.

"I did persuade my dad to give you time here alone but he said he'd tell your brother once he gets back, and he's going to realise there are no tracks in the forest," Carl said, hinting Daryl would be back very soon.

I nodded. "Okay. I'll say sorry to your mom. I really didn't mean it."

"All right, and by the way, Rory's a bit mad too so don't be surprised if she isn't speaking to you for a bit," he chuckled as he climbed down the ladder. I hummed.

"She gets over things quickly," I said. I found Rory annoying at first, and she still is, but her company is nice when the time's right.

"Marnie!" I froze at the sound of my brother's voice shouting me, and Carl waved before dashing through the back of the barn, leaving me alone in the wooden building. The doors burst open, the sudden gush of wind causing hay to fly about.