FALLEN ANGEL ➵ DARYL DIXON [1] ✓

2: The Spiteful Brother

2

I jag the needle into my toe so it would be harder for Daryl to see the mark. Immediately, it made me calmer, more peaceful. I got it from my neighbor that lives next door to me, Vladimir Mcgoth. He's a right dick but he's the only decent dealer I know. Daryl left ten minutes ago. Something about surprising Kendra...(haven't got the slightest clue what he said.) Don't really care either.

I pull the needle out of my toe and I lay back onto the bed, my energy slowly dying down. Dad bursts in through the door with a woman I've never seen before. She's got bright red lipstick that's smudged all the way down her chin and her mascara was down her cheeks. Her blonde hair was like a birds nest.

"Hey, Merle," she says in a flirtatious way, smiling and giggling to herself beside dad. She swings her head back in the process.

"We're gonna go out. Be back after midnight," dad informes me and I nod, knowing I'll have the house to myself.

Dad lunges forward and places a sloppy kiss on her lips. Dad then left my flat with his new woman that probably won't last. They never do. I decide to call Jess and I grab my phone and I land on my contracts.

The phone rings three times before Jess picks up. "Well, well, well! How is Merle doin' today? Literally jus' back from work." Jess says.

Jess has always been there for me and Daryl since we were young. When we were young, he would always come round and take us out hunting. I have the best memories with Jess and sometimes I wish he was my dad. Jess is my dad's half brother, making me and Daryl his half nephew. We treat him as our full uncle. Besides, he's the one that got Daryl his crossbow for his birthday. Now, you never see Daryl without that damn weapon.

"I'm doin' okay... Just wanted to chat with someone, y'know?"

"I understand, Merle... Doin' anythin' the night?"

I walk over to the fridge, picking out a beer. "Not really... Jus' gonna lounge up and watch the telly with a beer." I sit down on the dark green couch and switch on the TV. The TV flashes red and black bold letters spell out "Breaking News".

My eyes go wide as I turn the volume up. "Are ye seein' this?" I ask frantically to Jess.

"See what?"

"Turn on your TV... Quick!"

Jess doesn't reply and I can sense he's turning on his TV as I hear a click sound. Seconds go by and there's no reaction from Jess. I begin to panic. "Jess?... Jess?!"

"I'm here, I'm here," Jess rushes his sentence. "Holy fuckin' shit... What are they?"

I shake my head, adrenaline keeping me alive and real that I know I'm still here. Then a thought comes intruding in my mind, taking a seat on my brain. I holler and get up, keeping the phone close to my ear. "Daryl..." I say, hardly a whisper and I think I mouthed it instead. "Daryl!" I shout, kicking an empty bottle of beer that was lying on the ground.

"What about Daryl?" Jess says. "Ya don't mean- he's out there?"

"That's exactly it!" I say, pacing back and forth. "And I can't remember where he was goin' cause I was high as a goddamn kite, Jess! What am I goin' to do..."

My body is trembling. I need to get weapons. I run over to the kitchen and grab the sharpest and biggest knife there. "Merle." Jess says into my ear. "I'm comin' over to you." I hear the exhaust and the reeve of his black jeep. I slam my hands down on the kitchen counter.

"Tha's suicide! Ya can't!" I basically scream into the phone. I hear beeps of the phone. "Hello? Jess! Are you there?!"

The line has been cut off. I turn my attention to the TV.

"We advice you to pack and get away from here as far as possible and head to the motorway." The news reporter says. "Please be careful; we don't fully understand what is going on yet but we know this: once you get bitten by them things, you turn into one of them-"

My TV turns black and I know what to do.

Welcome to the apocalypse.