Cherokee Roses {Daryl Dixon's Daughter}

t w e n t y

I don't know how long we've been stuck. I can barely keep my eyes open. At some point, a walker fell in front of the door and we're stuck. Carol and I have barely said a word to each other. Instead, I rest my head on her shoulder as I drift in and out of consciousness. My stomach growls and I need water.

This can't be the way I die. I don't want to go out this way, not trapped in a room. I don't want my dad to find my dead reanimated corpse. This can't be it.

___

Daryl was in the catacombs with Carl and Oscar. He watched as Carl looked around sadly. With a whistle, he signaled the boy to follow.

"You know, my mom, she liked her wine. She liked to smoke in bed. Virginia slims. I was playing out with the kids in the neighborhood." He didn't know where exactly he was going with this. He just wanted to get the young boys mind off of all the deaths that happened. "I could do that with Merle gone. They had bikes, I didn't. We heard sirens getting louder they jumped on their bikes, ran after it you know, hoping to see something worth seeing. I ran after them but I couldn't keep up. I ran around a corner and saw my friends looking at me. Hell, everybody was. Fire trucks everywhere, people from the neighborhood. It was my house they were there for. It was my mom in bed burnt down to nothing. That was the hard part, you know she was just gone. Erased, nothing left of her. People said it was better that way. I don't know, just made it seem like it wasn't real, ya know?"

"I shot my mom." Carl spoke up. "She was out, hadn't turned yet. I ended it. It was real. Sorry about your mom."

"I'm sorry about yours." Daryl told the boy. He placed a hand on his shoulder and nudged him forward. "Come on."

The two found Oscar in a cell picking up a pair of slippers.

"What the hell you need slippers for?" Daryl asked.

"You know, end of the day, relaxing." Oscar said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. A walker came up behind them and they quickly shot it and the rotting corpse fell to the ground.

Daryl kneeled down, noticing the knife sticking out of it's neck. Upon closer examination he noticed that it was his. Not only was it his but it was the one he gave Cheri at the start of this whole mess.

"That's Cheri's knife." He said examining the object.

"Is that the little girl?" Oscar asked quietly.

"Yeah, my little girl." Daryl mumbled sadly standing up slowly.

"I miss her too." Carl said touching the girls father softly.

"Why don't you head on up." Daryl muttered to the two. Neither Oscar or Carl said a word as they listened to Daryl.

The man slid down the wall, holding his daughters knife in his hand. Suddenly, everything felt real as he stabbed at the ground. A door with weak walkers in it kept opening and closing, it was growing to be annoying.

Frustrated he stabbed the knife at the wall and stood up kicking the door and pacing before grabbing the dead walker that laid in front of it and dragging it out of the way. Swinging the door open he was ready to kill a walker; only to find the limp bodies of Carol and Cherokee huddled together.

Carol weakly looked at the man before looking towards Cherokee who hadn't opened her eyes. Daryl reached for his daughter and her eyes fluttered open.

"Daddy?" She called out softly.

"Yeah." He whispered tears falling down his face before he grabbed her in his arms pulling her into a tight hug. He picked the young girl up like a small child and supported Carol, the three of them making their way to the cellblock.

Things were looking up.

Word Count: 666

I know this is short but, it felt right to just end it there.