Bittersweet (Daryl Dixon Love Story)

Chapter 10: Apocalypse

7 years later

Maria woke up to an empty bed, which was unusual. All the dressers were open and clothes were gone. Pictures that once hung on the wall have disappeared as well. "Daryl?" Maria called. No answer. She wrapped a sheet around herself and ventured to the kitchen. She saw Merle and Daryl outside from the window. They were loading things into the bed of the truck. She turned and looked at the kitchen table, all the guns were out. What was going on? Maria focused back on what the boys were doing. She saw someone walk towards the boys, a person she's never met. Merle stabbed a knife through their head. Maria gasped in shock, leaning against the counter. "Oh my god!" She screamed.

The front door busted open and Daryl walked in. "Ya' okay?" He asked. Maria backed away from him. For once in her life she was afraid of him, both of them. "He...he killed-stabbed...someone." She cried pushing herself into the corner of the kitchen. "They're already dead," Merle spoke up. "It's the apocalypse, we gotta get our shit packed and get the hell outta' here and into the woods." Daryl nodded at his brother. "What are ya' talkin' 'bout?" Maria asked. "Why don't we jus' show her?" Merle suggested. "Hell no!" Daryl yelled. "Quiet down baby brother, yer' gonna bring the geeks 'round," Merle said. "Baby listen to me. Ya' go pack yer' stuff and we're gonna leave, okay?" Daryl asked softly, making sure Maria understood. "Will ya' come with me?" She asked Daryl. Daryl looked to his brother to make sure it was okay. Merle nodded and Daryl helped Maria up and they headed towards the bedroom. Maria started pulling out all her hunting clothes. "Make sure ya' got everything, once we leave, we ain't ever comin' back," Daryl said pulling out more guns from the closet. Maria went over to the nightstand beside the window. She looked outside and didn't understand how the apocalypse could be happening when it was still beautiful outside. Suddenly someone smacked against the window. Their skin was decaying and they had yellow eyes. Maria screamed and fell backward. Daryl went over and started lifting up the window. "No Daryl! Get away from it!" Maria yelled, Daryl waited for the creature to get its head in the window and smashed it back down, breaking its skull. "Come on, hurry up." He said softly. Maria let out a shaky breath. After an hour of getting everything they would need, Maria slipped her tennis shoes on. "Where are we gonna go?" She asked as they got in the truck. "Where ever we can," Daryl said and they pulled out of the driveway. Maria looked back at their small house. The place she lived for ten years. It was gone.

2 weeks later

She carefully got out of her tent. The fire was going strong; supplies were scattered on the ground such as guns, arrows, and knives. Maria wasn't sure what to think anymore about the world they live in. There was no guaranteed safety, but she knew her husband would do whatever he could to protect her. "Maria!" She quickly whipped her head around to see Daryl. "I'm goin' on a hunt with Merle. Stay safe, jus' yell if ya' need me." He touched her arm with his rough hand. Maria nodded and kissed his cheek. "Enough with the lovey-dovey shit. Come on!" Merle complained. Daryl pulled his crossbow over his shoulder. He gave Maria a sympathetic look. He hated leaving her here alone in the woods. He pulled his knife out of its holster. "Here," he said. Maria was completely untrained with weapons, but she had Daryl to keep her safe, at least that's how she saw it. Maria took the knife to make him happy. He still hated the idea of leaving her, but he felt better knowing she had something to protect herself with.

A few minutes after Daryl and Merle left Maria began to clean up their camp. She picked up the men's dirty clothes and put them in a pile. She separated the clean from the dirty. She picked up the empty cans that once contained food but now left nothing but ants inside. Maria heard footsteps and was soon to her feet. She grabbed the knife from the ground as a geek appeared from the trees. Maria never killed a geek before. Daryl always did it so she didn't have to. All Maria knew was that she had to go for the brain. As Maria was about to make her first kill, three more came into view.

"Daryl!" Maria yelled. He was probably too far away to hear her. She took off running in the direction that Daryl and Merle went; repetitively calling his name. Maria could hear shouting in the distance. "Who the hell are ya'?" That was Daryl's voice. Maria; paranoid made her way to Daryl. "Daryl!" She called out. Maria came into view. Daryl was pointing his crossbow at two men. "Daryl?" Maria asked. She heard the groaning of the geeks behind her. She ran towards Daryl, ignoring the men. Daryl lowered his crossbow as Maria pushed him in from of her, protecting herself from the geeks. Merle and Daryl took them out with ease. "Ya' okay?" Daryl asked grabbing her face. She placed a hand on his and nodded. "Yeah," Daryl dropped his soft face for an angry one, he turned toward the two men. Maria didn't really look at the men. One had a baseball cap, and he looked Chinese to her. The other was tall and buff with dark, brown hair and he was staring directly at Maria. She didn't like him already. "Now I suggest ya' move and let me have my damn deer," Daryl spat. "How do we know you shot it?" the buff man asked. "There's a damn arrow through it," Daryl yelled, gesturing to the deer with his hands. "Listen. We got a camp. You can come with us," The Chinese boy said. "Oh shut the hell up Chinaman." Merle yelled. "I'm Korean." He growled, "And my name is Glenn." "I don't care what yer' name is. I want my damn deer. I gotta' woman to feed here!" Daryl yelled, pointing back to Maria. "Just come with us. I'm a cop, we got food, supplies, weapons, women, and children." Maria zoned out as the buff man went on. "I'm Shane Walsh." He said. Maria didn't look at him. Maria tugged on Daryl's arm, pulling him away from the others. "Are we goin'?" she asked. "Maria we don't know these guys." He said softly. "Well, we could be safe again, please!" she begged. "Ya' are safe, no one's gonna hurt ya' as long as I'm 'round." Maria gave him puppy dog eyes, "Please." He sighed, "Fine." He said softly. Daryl turned back to the others. "I'll go with ya", but one rule. Ya' touch 'er," he pointed to Maria, "I'll kill ya'," he grabbed Maria by her wrist gently and pulled her back to their camp.