FALLEN ANGEL ➵ DARYL DIXON [1] ✓

Chapter Eighteen: Rad Brad And His Bandits

Chapter 18

Danny, Daryl and Kendra walked out of the farm house, Danny out in front while Daryl and Kendra were mildly aggravating in the background. Brenda agreed with Kendra, wanting Daryl not to go because of his condition. Daryl didn't listen.

"I wish you would listen to me for once in your life," Kendra argues as they walk over to the barn to get the guns.

"Do me a favor and shut your mouth, yeah?" Daryl swings the barn doors open in an out brust, horses chanting and kicking with Daryl's unsteady nature. The barn has three stalls on either side for the large horses that they have. A wheelbarrow is parked into the corner with hay, a dirty broken window up above it with a pitch fork dug deep into the hay. Cob webs make up the roofs, spiders crawling and flies trapped and pinned into the mess, just waiting for the predator to come back and eat them alive. Sunlight is impossible in the barn, so Danny has to turn on the low hanging barn lights to destroy the eerie darkness that consumes the three.

"These are mighty fine horses y'all have," Daryl says, walking up to a black stallion. He pats the horses head where a white patch is, messing up its black mane. Kendra pats the horse along with Daryl, stroking the bridge of its nose in circular motions. The horse nuzzles into them both, pushing its head into their palms. Kendra cracks a smile. Daryl copies.

"Mare or stallion," Kendra asks Danny as Daryl still continues to make smooching sounds.

"Stallion," Danny responds, going over to collect the guns.

"He's beautiful," Kendra says, going back to cuddle the black horse. "Don't you think he's beautiful?" She asks Daryl. Daryl incoherently montones, "I dunno."

"Don't 'I dunno' me. Well?"

"Suppose," Daryl shrugs. "He's jus' a horse."

"Just a horse?" Kendra raises her voice as Danny hands them a gun each, cocking back his gun. He has three brown leather reins in the other. The pair glance down at them knowingly.

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"It's been years since I've rode. Last time was actually with Daryl," Kendra says to Danny who is on a chestnut colour horse beside her. On her other side, Daryl is there, his fists tight together on the reins, his boots tight up against the black horses stomach.

"That black horse is called Buttons. Bobby named it," Danny says, referring to Daryl. "Have him since a foal."

"I use to have a horse growing up. Called him Applejack. He was an appaloosa, black with white spots all over him," Kendra says, remembering him. "I remember, I couldn't even climb up on him he was that big. My dad had to lift me up or else I would get a step and get on him that way."

"Is your dad still out there?" Danny asks and Kendra's chest tightens. Daryl knows the story, but he still listens in.

"He died before all this... Cancer. It's a horrible thing to go through. By the end of it, I don't even think he recognized me anymore. He didn't recognize my mum, his friends or even Daryl. I don't even think he recognized himself. He was... A strong man, you know. But as time passed by, he became weak, his face shrivelled away. He became extremely doppy to the point where you couldn't help but to laugh at him half the time... One time, I asked him to turn off the light. He became puzzled and asked, 'How am I suppose to go up there and turn it off?' At the time, I didn't know what he was on about. But then a couple of hours later, I caught on. He was referring to the sun."

Kendra laughs at the memory, the many memories her and her dad had. "There's not a single day that passes that I don't think of him," Kendra adds, straightening up on the horses back since there is no saddle.