A Soldier's Girl

Chapter 29:

Chapter 29:

Beth's View

It's been three months since Daryl had to stop writing. And another month since all chatter stopped coming through. Sitting on the couch, I watch the Opera Show with Carol and Sophia. We've gotten on a better basis since her wedding to Merle. I hate staying at home alone all the time, so Carol, Michone, or Maggie usually come over and sit with me or we go out.

"Mom, what's this one about?" Sophia has just come upstairs from playing with Moose and sits down on the floor.

"It's about a WWII vet who just wrote a story about bein a POW in Poland."

"Oh, that's interesting. Beth, when's uncle Daryl coming home?" I sit and am about to answer when the tv switches over to the National News.

"Carol, turn this up..." I say to Carol, who has a remote.

"In top news today, HPSP leader, Abu al-Decari and several others of the regime were taken out early this month by a special Naval force lead by Captain Daryl M. Dixon, a resident of Georgia.

Dixon and his men lead a party of 35 officers into the old Syrian Presidential home in Damascus where Decari had been held up for five months after the death of the regime's last leader.

A petty officer who was just outside the chamber where Decari was held, had this to say about the event.

'We stormed in after Capt. Dixon encouraged our bravery. When we got into the main building, Dixon, Lt. Oscar Vice, and Lt. Tomas Espinosa, were the ones who encountered Decari...we had him, until he opened his robe and showed a bomb strapped to his chest ticking down with very few minutes left. Dixon tried to talk him down, but after that one of his men locked the two steel doors and turned and shot me. It was fuzzy but in about 20 seconds, there was a big boom and that was the last thing I remember other than the heat.'

No further word on the where abouts of Capt. Dixon and his two Lt. but the US forces are trying their hardest to get into the chamber to find the remains of our heros. Now over to President Obama with his take on the incident..."

Carol mutes the tv with tears in her eyes and she looks at me. I slide onto the floor and can't even begin to breathe. My head is spinning and the picture of the blown building haunts me as I close my eyes. Sophia and Carol come over and pull me close as we cry.

I can't feel anything. My head is heavy and my chest hollow. How could this happen to me? How could this happen to him? I just want to roll up in a ball and be buried in the ground.

After a few hours Carol and Sophia leave to tell Merle. Making my way upstairs, I go to the bathroom and through up in the sink. Looking up into the mirror, I look like shit, but anger courses through me. Grabbing the full metal soap dispenser I forcefully slam it into the mirror, crushing myself into shards.

"Grrrrraaa!!!!! Ahhh!!!!" Sitting on the ground, I lean against the tub and mindlessly grab a big shard of glass. Placing it against my left wrist, I cut myself deep and let the blood run onto the floor while I cry. I can't feel anything but the pain in my heart.

I pass out sometime later, but my nightmares play over and over again.

My head feels wet and my body restricted. Opening my eyes, I find Maggie dabbing my forehead with a cool rag.

"Beth...thank God! Glenn, she's up!" She calls and Glenn comes running up the stairs. I feel mindless, heartless, and dead.

"He's gone...he's gone..." I lay staring at the ceiling and look down at my arm. It's bandaged up and burns like it's on fire.

"Sweetie, why would you do this?"

"He's...." I roll over and bury my face in his pillow. It smells like him and suddenly I get angry all over again. Picking it up I chuck it across the room and break a lamp.

"Beth, calm down. It's gonna be okay..." Getting up I go to the closet and they watch me. Grabbing his clothes I pick them up and go to the balcony. I scream as I throw them from the balcony. Going back inside I take the mounted dear head off the wall and throw that also. Going to throw his wedding band, Maggie grabs me as Glenn shuts the door.

"Beth stop. Stop, before you regret this..." She backs into the bed and pulls me down to the ground, holding me tight around my stomach as she begins to cry.

"He promised me....he promised me...hhheee promised....." My tears burn my cheeks and I feel my heart breaking.

We lay on the floor and cry.

For two days, I stay in bed as Daddy and Mama keep watch over me. I can't begin to think about life ahead of me. No more news comes over from Syria, and if there is, they don't broadcast it.

When I wake up from the eighth nightmare today, Mama comes running upstairs.

"Beth come down stairs! Quick!"

I ignore her plea and roll over.

"Damn it, Bethany I'm not playing with ya! Get up!" Pulling the blanket up to my shoulder and tugging the pillow over my face I hear her leave.

Hershel's View

As Annette runs upstairs to get Beth, the news roars on with chaos. When she descends the stairs, Beth isn't with her and the news is over.