Bleeding Souls (Daryl Dixon)

14. Make This World My Bitch

         **TRIGGER WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER**

I opened my eyes and saw the blue sky. The sun was shining right into my eyes. I covered my eyes up with my hands and sat up slowly. I looked around and saw that Rick and Shane were fighting. Lori and Andrea trying to break them up. My eyes got wide and I felt like I was about to have a panic attack.

          I looked back at the woods and started running into the wilderness. I just kept running. Didn't stop for any reason. How can I go back there? Everyone probably knows by now. Everyone will no longer look at me the same way.

          It was now night. I felt like I've been running for days, but it was probably just for about two or three hours. I grabbed onto a tree and slid down to the ground. I brought my knees up to my chest and started crying. I heard leaves crunching underneath someones steps and I looked up to see a walker in the distance. I sighed and got up. I pulled my knife out and walked towards it.

           When I was close enough, I kicked its legs out from under him and stabbed him in the head. I pulled my blade out and wiped it down with the walkers shirt. I rolled my eyes and went back to the tree.

           After about an hour, I felt like I didn't have many tears left to cry. "Maybe it would have been better if Will had killed me." I said to myself. I pulled my knife out and looked at it for a few seconds. Then I brought it down to my wrists. I pushed into my skin with my knife and felt it slice my skin open. I didn't do it enough to legitimately hurt myself, but when I looked down, I saw blood flowing out of my cut.

         I winced at the pain and blew on my wound. I turned to put my knife back in my sheath and just as I did, I felt someone grab my arm. I yelp and tried to get away, thinking it's a walker. "Stop, June." I heard this person say. I knew that voice from anywhere... Daryl. I looked him in the eyes and scoffed. "The fuck are you doing out here?" I ask him.

          "Why did you hurt yourself? Huh?" Daryl asked me. His grip on my arm never left and his eyes never left mine. I shook my head. I pulled my arm out of his grasp and got up. "How about you go back." I say to Daryl. I heard him sigh. "Can't. Promised Rick I would find you and bring you back."

           I turned around and looked at him. "I don't care what Rick wants. I didn't want this to happen. Now... now if I go back, everyone looks at me the same damn way that everyone looked at me when you're goddamn father raped me. I'll get pity looks and looks of disgust. I'll get told that I deserved it or... or that I wanted it. Do you know how many time I saw those looks, heard those words come out of people's mouths after what happened with your dad? Huh?" I say to Daryl.

          His eyes softened and face fell. "My whole world... was destroyed because of one man... and I thought maybe... just maybe, this world will give me a fresh start. And now... here I am... going through the same goddamn shit I went through in the other world." I screamed at him. I wasn't mad at Daryl... I was mad at the whole goddamn world. Everyone and everything except him.

          I looked at him and smiled. "You're not like everyone else. You see the world... so much different than other people. Tell me... do you think... that this world will be any different for me? Just be honest with me." I said to Daryl. I walked closer to him. He looked at me and looked back down at the ground.

          "This world, June... you're going to make it your bitch." Daryl said to me. I looked at him and he looked back up at me. "You're strong... you're smart... you're a lot of things. Who gives a flying fuck what those people back at the camp say or do. You are your own person. Don't let my... father or Shane ruin you. Don't let them ruin anything. This world... it isn't going to be nice... so don't be nice back."