Living Like You're Dead

Addie could hear someone… Merle he was talking. His voice was so faint. Addie was slipping away at this point lights were cloudy, noises were muffled. She had exerted herself and her body was shutting off senses. She felt like she was going to sleep.
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“Well if it ain’t my favorite blondie.” Merle said to Andrea. Her eyes followed him cautiously as he stepped towards her, he stopped when Daryl appeared behind her.

“Brother.” He said with a smile. “If it ain’t my baby brother!” Merle came straight to him and wrapped his arms around him. He placed his left hand on his face and then patted his shoulder.

Daryl’s eye immediately went to the stump he sported on his right arm.

“Jesus Merle.” He said with a whisper.

“Oh yeah, I blame him.” He said pointing to Rick. Ricks arms went quickly to the defensive position when Merle stepped towards him.

“Wait wait Merle.” Daryl said.

“Daryl don’t start now. You know I have business with this asshole, now git out of my way.”

“Not till I explain. And ask a question.” Merle didn’t care about an explanation, but the question intrigued him. “They left you Merle, they did. But we came back. The next day we all came back for you.”

“Well-“

“No, this is where my question comes in, why didn’t you trust me man? You knew I’d come for you. You should’ve known that.”

“Daryl guess you’re right. But it was burnin’ on that there roof. And I have done bad things in this world, I was sure that God was trying to make me pay.”

“God was trying to… make you pay?” Daryl questioned.

“Guess the hunger got to me.” He said. “I’m still gonna kill the cop and the nigger.”

“Merle god damnit. Just have a beer.”

“I DON’T WANT A BEER!” he said “I WANT THOSE TWO DEAD.”

“Well we ain’t killin’ no one tonight.” Daryl said.
“Wrong.” Merle said, raising his gun, Daryl quickly jumped on Merle knowing he wouldn’t risk pulling the trigger with him so close, and he finally got the gun from his left hand. Merle always was right handed.

Daryl put the gun in the waistband of his jeans. But Merle charged trying to get past him to Rick, Glenn and T tried to apprehend him, and knocked over a vase full of flowers in the process.

That’s when Lori and Carol started to bang on the door again, they heard the crash of the vase.

“What the fuck did you do?” Rick asked.

“I ain’t done shit!” he spat. “Git yer nigger hands off me! It’s cause of you my goddamn hand is missin’.”

Rick, Dale, and Andrea all turned down the hall to head up the stairs. Glenn, T, and Daryl tried to keep Merle under control.

“My own kin, turned against me.” He spat at Daryl. “You’ve been fuckin’ brain washed, they got you food so yer nice to ‘em? Is that it? How about the women? Is it because of all the tight pussies around here? Cause I’m pretty sure they’re all loose whores.” He said.

“Merle shut ye mouth. You don’t know shit. Yer my brother, yer just drunk like always – and when you sober up you’ll understand.”
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Rick pounded his fist against the door. “Baby you in there?”

“Rick oh thank god.” Lori said. The pounding stopped. “Addie’s been gone for hours! We’ve been trying to get someone to hear us. Is she okay?”

“Uhm; I’m not sure. We didn’t see her. Let’s get this door open.” Rick said to Lori, “Andrea – I need a screwdriver, can you find one? And keep an eye out for Addie.”

“Yeah I’ll be back.” She said. Andrea took off down the stairs while Rick and Dale tried to move the door, it was stuck, very stuck.
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Andrea saw the screwdriver… it was on the kitchen floor, and she bent down to grab it. Then her eyes caught something peculiar. Through the legs of the table she saw skin… feet, legs, knees. She stood up and saw Addie, her wrists still tightly fastened.

Andrea immediately ran to her and ripped the tape. Her fingers would only bunch the tape together so she used her teeth, Addie’s poors wrists were bruised, her face was bleeding.

“Daryl.” She said. Quietly at first. “Oh god… oh god.” Andrea held Addie’s face in her lap. An image of Amy quickly entered her mind. She saw Amy in her lap. “Oh god no…” she cried.

“DARYL!” she yelled.

“Kinda busy.” He said, while attempting to help Glenn and T sit Merle back on the couch.

Andrea had a lump in her throat, it was getting harder to call out. She tried to wipe the dried blood from her face, but little came off. She lay her body on the kitchen floor and put her head to her chest. Thank god, there was a heartbeat.

When Andrea lifted her head she noticed Addie’s eyes were slightly open, Addie’s vision was still fuzzy but she knew it was Andrea who held her. She outstretched her hand and Andrea took it, Addie felt the warm tears from her face. Andrea fixed a few button on her shirt, no one should see her like that. She shimmed her skirt back down her waist, then she saw the blood.

She touched her thigh… and her hand came up covered in blood. Addie had begun to cry again.

“DARYL GOD DAMNIT.” She cried. “SOMEBODY HELP ME!” she yelled louder than ever. Surely everyone heard it, it even seemed to shake the house.

Daryl finally came in after Andrea’s last cry for help, he immideately fell next to Addie’s head and touched the blood to her face… her tears made the blood smear. Daryl was clearly furious. But Addie reached her hand to his cheek and smiled at him. He was back… he was safe.

“Daryl.” Andrea said holding up her hand stained with blood. Daryl was quick to realize it came from under Addie’s skirt.

Rick came in the kitchen, obviously answering to Andrea’s cry. He was disturbed at the image he saw.

Daryl slowly picked Addie up careful not to hurt her. She slid into his arms, she was light, and she was still. God his heart hurt. He stood up with her in his arms and began to head to his room, to take care of her; but that thought stopped him short.

Being in the hallway made him visible to those in the living area, but he avoided Merle’s gaze, Daryl was afraid of the anger that would be produced.

With Addie in his arms, and watering eyes he said:

“I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what to do.”