Something To Savor

Subtle Scar

As they walked their way back to Alexandria through the woods the sun was starting to set. Golden sun beams strayed through branches as the sky turned into a soft yellow mixed with hints of orange, following with a nice breeze brushing through the trees.

Their boots crunched the leaves beneath their feet on the dirt trail back as the sound of silence filled the area in a rare peaceful way. An afternoon of hunting well spent. Lydia wanted to come along and Daryl didn't mind, so he brought her with him.

There was some conversation here and there, but only about the tracks they were following and how close they were to a buck they'd been tracking. Only problem was that the tracks led to a deer that'd already been someone else's dinner when it'd been laying half open and cleaned out by some walkers.

Frustrated a curse had slipped past his lips, but their plans for hunting hadn't been over just yet. Squirrels were the second option and Daryl knew how to hunt squirrels. They'd wrapped up the day with a rope filled of the little bastards. Seventeen to say the least which wasn't that bad for a win.

With his crossbow strapped onto his back and the rope of squirrels hanging on his shoulder, Daryl had been looking straight ahead, eyes briefly looking around the forest in habit when he'd heard Lydia's voice catching his attention.

"You know I saw it.."

His brows furrowed, "What?"

"Your scar."

Feeling his feet come to a stop, he watched as she kept her eyes on him.

"What scar?"

"The one on your wrist" she pointed towards his left hand, watching as he gave it a glance. Knowing all too well on what she was talking about he felt his stomach knot at the thought. The faded scar on his wrist she'd somehow spotted was only visible if you really focused on it. It was old, but it was there. Just barely.

"It's faded, but it's there" she continued softly," it's not like mine. It's different like if you'd done it yourself" his eyes dropped from hers as he shifted his footing, biting the inside of his lip.

"Why'd you do it?"

He shrugged," I was stupid"

"No" she shook her head, drawing his eyes back to hers," You were in pain."

Biting the inside of his lip a little harder, he felt himself becoming vulnerable. The thought of why he'd cut himself in the first place brought a wave of nerves he hadn't felt overcome him in a long time. He'd never told anyone about that little scar, but that was because no one ever saw it. It was that subtle. No one knew about.

Lydia was different though. She'd been in the same position, but her mother wasn't a redneck drunk who'd get wasted and beat on her kids for absolute no reason at all. Her mother had just been psychotic. Beating her because she said she loved her. That was bullshit.

Taking a breath, he kept his eyes on hers for just a moment before lifting them to the trees around them. Taking a moment in silence before he'd go telling a story he'd never told before.

"I was in the woods.." he started off low as he gave her a glance before returning his gaze back to the trees," Had a shitty day. The day before I got jumped on my way home from school by some assholes" his eyes fell to his feet before looking towards Lydia.

"Got home and my dad was drunk. He beat my ass, threw glass and yelled at me" he lightly shook his head," after that I got in my room and I didn't feel a thing.."

"You felt numb."

He nodded," yeah, until I didn't."

"What do you mean?"