Living Like You're Dead

After Daryl found little sleep, he woke up to his beautiful… beautiful… Hm what do I call her? he thought. Girlfriend? Fiancé? Lover? …Wife? Baby mama. Yeah she won’t like that.

“What?” she said as he stared at her.

“Nothing. Oh nothing.” He said. “Your pretty when you wake up.” She shook her head in disagreement.

Their room was cozy; they had one bed, a dresser, a nightstand, a closet, and a desk. Andrea had Abha sleeping in Addies old bed. Addie and Daryl had been inseparable since that first night they spent together.

“When I thought you were sick… I was really worried.” He said. “I never wanted to get attached to you – because if I lost you… well, I just don’t want to go through that again.”

Addie was about to respond when her first wave of morning sickness kicked in and she had to leap for the door.
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“So I guess this place is pretty secluded from them zombies huh?” John said while sitting at the breakfast table.

“Luckily yes.” T said. They were cooking powdered eggs; today Rick was supposed to make the men leave.

“We’ve gathered you some grain, and some canned goods. I apologize but this is all we can offer you.”

“I understand.” Said John. “This is your home, you’ve got a pretty god set up goin’ on here and we’ve disturbed it.”

“Yes that’s exactly it.” Lori said.

Daryl came down stairs,

“Where’s Addie?” Carol asked.

“She’s sick.”

“Then we’re in the same boat.” Lori said.

“No joke.” Daryl said.

They all seemed to eat their fair share of eggs, and the silence that overcame the table was awkward.

“So where ya’ll from?” Rick asked.

“Oh. North.” John said.

“We’ve been traveling for quite some time – we’d been down here further from cities – figured towns were safer.”

“True – Atlanta is overrun.” Rick said.

“How’d you find this place?” Jeremy asked,

Rick paused, but answered: “We ran into someone, it’s their house.”

“Well who?” they asked. Daryl gave Rick a look that said “Shut the fuck up.”

“No one important.” He said ending the conversation.

“You guys got kids? How many?” John asked. They had seen the children when they arrived, but since the mothers had confined the kids to their rooms the men hadn’t seen them.

“Well three for now.” Rick said.

“For now?” he asked.

“For now.” Rick said. “If you fellas are done with breakfast we’d love to show you out.

“Well that will do just fine,” he said. “I thank you again for the hospitality.”

“Yes, thanks,” “Thank you.” The twins said.

Daryl helped them carry the sack of canned goods to the truck. He threw them on top of their gear, and then noticed something.

They were hunters. Explained why they hadn’t found food in a while, even Daryl could rarely find some meat. Daryl saw several bear traps, rope, knives, netting.

Nets. Oh my God.

Daryl didn’t know what to do but he ran his fingers through the netting… the fabric, the holes. It was all too familiar.