Living Like You're Dead

Addie’s mind went blank. With no one to help her she was defenseless, she was bound, unable to reach any weapon, and she was stuck.

Merle… Daryl’s brother had raped her and left her defiled on the kitchen floor.

Her hands still bound to kitchen drawers. Lori and Carol sounded like they were about to break the door. Merle had taken a long time to be fully satisfied, and although Addie’s face read pain, he never stopped.

She watched blood run from between her legs; not a lot, but enough to stain her thighs, and leave a trail all the way to her ankle. He had torn her apart – and left nothing. Maybe not even her baby. Addie only tried to adjust her clothing to cover her body again, it was loosely draped across her figure, instead of lying on the floor, but that still made it a difficult task being taped to kitchen accessories.

Addie cried and heaved more than she had ever in her life. Merle smacked her, hard. He didn’t want her making a lot of noise when everyone returned.

Merle thought about how he would kill “Officer Friendly,” and then how he and his brother would leave – and start their own life. Then he thought about his bike, he wondered if Daryl had taken care of it for him. He also contemplated what this group of people had him doing. If they enslaved him because he was the best hunter, or if they simply kept him around because he constantly saved their asses from walkers. Either way – Merle was getting his brother back. Daryl would probably even give him a pat on the back for getting into the pants of the most uptight girl here.

Addie heard the door bang louder and louder – surely they would have found a way out by now. But nevertheless, Addie had no clue what was going on in there. She had no clue if Daryl was even all right, her baby, or anyone in the group for that matter. Even if they were alive, would they be okay on the way home? Was anyone hurt… besides herself?

Merle sat upon a blue couch in the living area – another beer in his hand and a gun in his pocket.

After what really were hours of: Merle drinking beer, Addie crying, and Lori yelling – someone finally walked through the front door.
____________________________________________________________________

Andrea caught up with Daryl.

“I know you don’t want to hear from me.” She said.

“Got that right.” He said back.

“Yes, but see I don’t care because we both care about Addie. I’m sorry for the shit said back there – it’s just… us caring about her too. Remember you’re the only one who trusts Merle.”

“Right.” Daryl rolled his eyes.

“We need to learn to trust him too.”

“Ya think?” he asked.

“Just that initial hostility towards Rick, it… it well brought back what we know about Merle, and we immediately worried about the girls back home. It was a swift assumption. But we’re sorry. We all are.” She finally apologized.

“Okay. I understand. I guess.”

Dale came up and patted Daryl on the shoulder.

“It’ll be good to have your brother back.” He said.

“Guess he found us. That’s ironic.” Rick said referring to their attempt to rescue Merle the first time. “He’s probably still going to beat the hell out of me.” Rick said.

“You did chain him to a roof.” Daryl said. “And then you lost the key.”

“Damnit. I dropped it.” T said. “Does it not count that I locked the roof so no geeks could get him. I was already planning on going back.”

“Well hopefully he understands that.” Daryl said.

“You’ll tell him right?” Glenn asked. “That we all came back, for him?”

“Yeah.” Daryl said. “And I’ll even leave out the part where ya’ll got side tracked and went after a bag of guns instead.”

“Not our fault he hastily sawed off his damn hand.”

“Yeah… I actually... can’t help but agree. He should’ve known I’d at least come back for him – if not a make you do it yourselves.” he smiled.

“Well let’s hope we survive long enough for Daryl to explain to Merle what happened, and hope that he believes him.” Rick added. “I’d kinda like to shake his hand for being so god damned determined to survive.”

"Well you might have some trouble with that one." Daryl added.

"Sorry, no pun intended..." Rick said.

The group seemed to get quiet after they heard a few snapping branches in the woods. Likely animals scavenging in the dark, but no one want to attract any walkers and lead them back to camp.

So silence was the way to go; often uncomfortable, but bearable. The chilly air made everyone walk fast in hopes that the house would be visible any moment. They found that if they walked closely to each other the cold was bearable. They passed the walker they had killed earlier that afternoon. Again, Rick remembered to come burn it first thing tomorrow. And eventually home presented itself. Daryl left his Geek blood arrows in a bucket of water he used for just cleaning his arrows. Everyone took off their muddied shoes and left them to dry outside – Andrea was the first to step inside.