Living Like You're Dead

“Daryl thanks for coming along.” Rick said.

“Don’t be thankin’ me.” He said back.

“Well the three of us is a good group, too small to detect, but strong enough to fight.” T added, also glad Daryl came along.

“Unless we run into a horde.” Daryl said.

“That’s unlikely.”

“Well think about it – what do we really know about these geeks anyway?”

“Now we know they affect the normal dead.” T said.

“We ain’t sure of that!” Rick said. “That’s why were going to dig up Shane.”

“You don’t seem to upset about digging up your old best friend.” Daryl said.

“Shane and I were partners. But he had issues.”

“What like screwin’ your wife?” Daryl asked.

“Daryl shut the fuck up.” T said.

“That ain’t true, Shane’s trouble but he wouldn’t have done that.”

“Right. But you don’t suspect he could… at all?”

After a long hesitation, Rick replied, “Of course not.”

Daryl raised his eyebrow at Rick easily. Course he wasn’t going to believe him Summer was ending, but It was Georgia, and it was still hot.

The car ride was short, they hadn’t need to go very far, Daryl was glad – because that lengthy conversation was giving him a head ache, along with the heat. Seemed like cars never had air conditioning these days. Finally they reached the school house and they stepped out of the vehicle with shovels in hand. And began to dig up the grave.

Dirt, it held bugs, worms, slime, things made of the earth, and this time, even a human body. They covered their mouths with rags, unknowing as to what this disease could really do to them. Finally, a hand reached up to meet their shovel, Shane was alive.

“Fuck me.” Rick said.

“That’s disgusting” T added to Ricks comment.

“Well shoot him damnit!”

Ricks hesitation was felt by both men standing next to him. The barrel of the gun pointed at his partners head. The face still familiar to him, the memories still burned in his head – but he shot him.

Several near by walkers heard the shot.

“Rick, RICK! FUCK!”

“They’re everywhere!”

It was quite a few near by walkers, it seemed that several had lingered in the school house, as well as many in the near by forest.

“Should be run!?”

“There are too many of them between us and the car!” Rick said. Daryl was intensely propelling arrows into the faces of near by walkers.

“Think of a plan now guys.”

“The school house Daryl! Kill what’s inside.” Daryl turned quickly releasing several arrows into dazed walkers lurking inside. And they all followed him into the once abandoned schoolhouse. Desks were moved, and a campfire had been inside – someone here had attracted these walkers perhaps they had even become dinner.

Daryl thought quickly as he pushed the largest desk against the doors. The dead outside began to push and knock, their groans were audible through the door.

“Is there an attic? A higher level?” they checked the ceiling and found a small opening that was locked. The padlock was quickly broken and Daryl hoisted himself into the above space and quickly helped Rick up so that they both could hoist up T dog.

Only a broken board provided them sight to the outside, and Daryl could see walkers everywhere, no doubt responding to the shot.

“What do we do?”

“I think they’ll leave after a while.”

“Why? Because you think they’ll grab takeout instead of waiting for a table here?” Daryl added sarcastically.

“Well If they don’t know we’re in here…”

“Oh they know.” Daryl said, “the dinner bell already rang.”

“We got no choice but to wait, someone will come down here to check on us.” Rick said.

“Yeah, except for the part where you told Dale not to.” T said.

“What the fuck did you do that for?” Daryl asked astounded that Rick had done such a thing.

“I didn’t want him Risking his neck to come save us if we got in a bit of trouble.”

“A bit?”

“Well we hadn’t seen any walkers around here! They’re so rare I didn’t think that we’d run into so many. Call it bad judgment on my part.” Rick admitted.

“Oh I’ll admit something alright.” Daryl said. “I’ll admit you’re an idiot.”

“Well fuck you.”

“No fuck you Rick. Incase you remember – we didn’t BRING ANY FOOD!” T said. “Just so you know Rick – you’re the smaller one Daryl and I will eat you first.”

“Ah disgusting don’t talk about cannibalism.” Rick said.

“Well what are we supposed to do talk about Shane? HM? Talk about Lori?!”

“What the hell are you getting at?”

“What do you think!”

“Just everyone shut the hell up.”

They did. Out of frustration and anger. Daryl had to remind himself that he didn’t want to hurt Rick even though he was angry with him. He had learned that from Addie.
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For two nights the spent throwing around the occasional argument and a joke or two about eating Rick. While both getting angrier each day that Rick had told Dale to stay behind, they remained calm, only snapping when Rick said something foolish. The only thing that was heard during their silence was the groans from the walkers downstairs still waiting for their food.

Finally on that third morning there came a distant rumble. Something Daryl couldn’t quite see through his small opening. But it sounded like a motorcycle. Something similar to his, perhaps the same model, and as it got closer, he realized perhaps even the same year. But he was sure that no one knew how to ride one back home – unless someone had stolen it.

The rider went right on past them. The walkers clearly chose to follow the fresh meat, the loud noise attracting them as well as the smell of living breathing human.

“Look they’re leaving!” T Daryl said, T glanced outside after him and confirmed his observation.

“There following that noise! Lets get to the car now!”

They quickly jumped down, eager to get to the bottle of water in the car, Daryl slowly opened the doors armed and ready for any stragglers. One walker missing his leg, obviously wasn’t able to follow as quickly as the others, and Daryl shot him dead. He fell to the ground with pale blood oozing from the wound. Daryl claimed his arrow again and jumped into the car where T and Rick already waited.

They drove off, speeding home.