Survive

The back porch

It was early the next morning when I heard a knock at my bedroom door. I just ignored it and pushed my face deeper into the pillow and pulled the covers higher as I let myself forget where I was and blaming the noise on my imagination. Then I heard a door open. My eyes shot open as I slowly moved my hand around to find the knife I had put under my pillow. When I finally found it, I gripped it tightly. I then felt a hand grab the covers causing me to shot upholding the knife out in front of me.
"Woah Woah, easy now." a raspy voice said with his hands raised. I used my other hand to wipe the sleep out of my eyes.
"Daryl? What the hell?"
"I knocked and you didn't wake up. Do you still wanna see if your brother is out there?"
I lowered the knife and nodded, suddenly getting butterflies for no reason. Maybe cause he cared or cause I found him attractive. From shooting up so fast my side started to hurt a little. I brought my hand down and placed it on top of the bruising and healing cut.
Daryl watched my movement.
"Still hurts." He asked and I nodded in response
"I still wanna go."
"Ok great," Daryl said
"Ok, can you leave now? I have to get dressed." I said. He looked me up and down before he walked out of the room. I smiled to myself, seeing the effect he had on me and I prayed I had on him.
I got out of bed going to brush my teeth and fix my hair. Once I was done with that, I got dressed, grabbed my knife, and went downstairs. Daryl was sitting on the porch outside. I walked up next to him, closing the door behind me.
"I'm ready," I said. He stood up and started walking towards the front of the town. It was still quiet and only a couple of people were walking around. Daryl pulled the doors open and we started heading towards my old camping ground. I wish we grabbed a car, but he said that he found me far from the road, deep in the woods.
"I felt like I have to scrub down the shower now from how much dirt you left in there," I said trying to make small talk. He looked behind him and let out a scoffing noise.
"Watch it sunshine."
"Wow, nice threat."
We continued to walk for what felt like forever.
"Was I really this far away from your little town?"
"Ya I guess so." That was all he said. He then suddenly stopped and put his arm out to stop me. I recognized the tent that stood by the tree I was tied up to. I ran up to it against Daryl's protests. When I got there I looked at the campground. It looked untouched. I dropped to my knees and could feel the tears coming.

"It looks the same." I choked out.
"Is that a good thing?"
I turned to look at him with tears welling in my eyes.
"No. Even if I wasn't here he would of pack up our stuff and left. He isn't here, he just isn't. We made a plan and this is not it."
Daryl stepped beside me.
"What was the plan?"
I took a deep breath.
"To keep moving. Even if one of us is lost keep moving, leaving signs and messages. I don't see any of that here. No messages, no signs, no nothing."
Daryl then started to walk around the camping ground. After a little while, he came back over.
"We should go." That was all he said. I knew that this meant that he didn't find anything. I wiped my eyes and slowly stood up. Daryl started walking ahead of me to lead the way.
"I don't even know where he went." I choked out before letting more tears slip out. Daryl didn't respond. He just looked at my face, studying the pain.
When we got back to the town, it was a little bit more lively. I walked straight to the house and into the downstairs small bathroom. I locked the door and sat down on the cold floor.
"Can you open up?" I heard through the closed door. I slowly stood up and walked over to the door to open it.
"What do you want?" I said harshly, trying to put on a brave face to hide my tear-stained face.
"I Uhm..." He did not know what to say.
"I'm fine, just leave me alone."
"Uhm I..." He tried to speak again but again could not find the words.