Status: Complete
Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse
Depression
Leah cried herself to sleep. Daryl was gone and Merle had all but locked her in her room. She had been delirious with grief, and was angry that Merle wasn't as pissed off as her, and if he was, he wasn't showing it like he should have been.
In her dream, she was walking, by herself, down the street. She was looking for something, or someone, but she didn't know what it was. The street was littered with news paper and other garbage. Wind picked it up and blew it away. The sky was gray, and she was surrounded by fog. Although the street was deserted, there were cars parked randomly on the sides of the road. Some of them even had a door open, as if it's occupants had ran off, abandoning it without a care in the world.
As she got to the end of the road she could hear footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a little girl, no more than five years old running to her. She had chin length blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mouth was open due to panting, and Leah could see that her front two teeth were missing. The girl's hair was dirty and tangled, and the pink summer dress she had on was tattered and dirty. She looked as if she was about to pass out from the exhaustion of running. When she got to Leah she stopped running. Leah knelt down so that she was eye level with her. "What are you running from?" she asked.
"I'm lost."
"I'll help you? Where are your mother and father?"
The little girl shrugged and tears slipped from her eyes, "I don't know. They left me all alone."
"What's your name?"
"Marissa."
Leah sat up in bed, covered in sweat. She reached up and rubbed her temples, that dream may not have been a nightmare, but it hadn't been a very good dream either. She was about to get out of bed when she heard a knock on the door and her mother's soft voice filtered in through the wood, "Sweetie, Sal's finished dinner. Are you going to join us?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute." Leah brushed her hair out and wiped away the sweat, trying to look somewhat presentable. She walked into the other room, but she refused to make eye contact with any one, and she refused to even glance at Jules. As far as she was concerned, it was Jules's fault Daryl had been eaten by walkers. She ate very little, and didn't speak to anyone. When someone did try to start a conversation with her, she ignored them. She wasn't trying to be rude, she just didn't want to talk.
Unfortunately, her depression caused her to not have an appetite, and she didn't bother to finish anything on her plate. She pushed it forward and got up. She walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth before locking herself in her room once more. Merle watched Leah through the open door. She gagged numerous times, and he could tell she was trying not to throw up. When she finally rinsed off her toothbrush, he got up and walked to the bathroom door. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
"Really? Because you look sick?"
"I just swallowed a little bit of toothpaste by accident," she lied. She knew she didn't swallow toothpaste. She never did. It was a combination of sickness from the pregnancy and her depression she had sunk into. Merle eyed her suspiciously, but let the subject drop. He followed her into her bedroom, still concerned about her, after all, she was family. Daryl may be dead, but he knew his brother would want him to take care of Leah regardless. Family stuck together, no matter what.
"I know...." he paused, trying to collect his thoughts, "I know Daryl meant a lot to you."
"I love him."
"I know, but he's dead now. There's nothing we can do about it. Trust me, if I could switch places with him, I would."
That got Leah's attention. She turned around to face him, "But you can't. And if anyone should be dead instead of him, it's Jules. It's his fault Daryl is gone."
"Leah, I'm just as angry at Jules as you are, but you can't place all the blame on him. We all knew the risk of Daryl going hunting, and Daryl took it anyways. What was Jules supposed to do? Even if he could have saved Daryl, he'd probably infected anyways."
"No! Don't say that!" she shouted, coming across the room while tears fell down her face. She hit Merle repeatedly. "Don't say that! Traitor! How could you say that?" Merle stood there and let her hit him, it didn't bother him. Finally she stopped, collapsing and falling into him. He wrapped one arm around her and used his left hand to stroke her hair. "It's all Jules's fault, it should've been him."
"Shhh, it's okay."
Leah closed her eyes and sobbed against Merle's chest. "I can't do this without him. I'm not strong enough."
"Yes you are."
Leah pulled away and shook her head, "No I'm not. I can't.....I can't have a baby without him."
Merle was shocked by Leah's announcement. It wasn't that he hadn't expected it to happen, he just didn't expect her to tell him like this. When he finally regained his senses he clasped her shoulder with his hand, "I'll help you. It's what Daryl would want. You're not alone."
In her dream, she was walking, by herself, down the street. She was looking for something, or someone, but she didn't know what it was. The street was littered with news paper and other garbage. Wind picked it up and blew it away. The sky was gray, and she was surrounded by fog. Although the street was deserted, there were cars parked randomly on the sides of the road. Some of them even had a door open, as if it's occupants had ran off, abandoning it without a care in the world.
As she got to the end of the road she could hear footsteps behind her. She turned around to see a little girl, no more than five years old running to her. She had chin length blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mouth was open due to panting, and Leah could see that her front two teeth were missing. The girl's hair was dirty and tangled, and the pink summer dress she had on was tattered and dirty. She looked as if she was about to pass out from the exhaustion of running. When she got to Leah she stopped running. Leah knelt down so that she was eye level with her. "What are you running from?" she asked.
"I'm lost."
"I'll help you? Where are your mother and father?"
The little girl shrugged and tears slipped from her eyes, "I don't know. They left me all alone."
"What's your name?"
"Marissa."
Leah sat up in bed, covered in sweat. She reached up and rubbed her temples, that dream may not have been a nightmare, but it hadn't been a very good dream either. She was about to get out of bed when she heard a knock on the door and her mother's soft voice filtered in through the wood, "Sweetie, Sal's finished dinner. Are you going to join us?"
"Yeah, just give me a minute." Leah brushed her hair out and wiped away the sweat, trying to look somewhat presentable. She walked into the other room, but she refused to make eye contact with any one, and she refused to even glance at Jules. As far as she was concerned, it was Jules's fault Daryl had been eaten by walkers. She ate very little, and didn't speak to anyone. When someone did try to start a conversation with her, she ignored them. She wasn't trying to be rude, she just didn't want to talk.
Unfortunately, her depression caused her to not have an appetite, and she didn't bother to finish anything on her plate. She pushed it forward and got up. She walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth before locking herself in her room once more. Merle watched Leah through the open door. She gagged numerous times, and he could tell she was trying not to throw up. When she finally rinsed off her toothbrush, he got up and walked to the bathroom door. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine."
"Really? Because you look sick?"
"I just swallowed a little bit of toothpaste by accident," she lied. She knew she didn't swallow toothpaste. She never did. It was a combination of sickness from the pregnancy and her depression she had sunk into. Merle eyed her suspiciously, but let the subject drop. He followed her into her bedroom, still concerned about her, after all, she was family. Daryl may be dead, but he knew his brother would want him to take care of Leah regardless. Family stuck together, no matter what.
"I know...." he paused, trying to collect his thoughts, "I know Daryl meant a lot to you."
"I love him."
"I know, but he's dead now. There's nothing we can do about it. Trust me, if I could switch places with him, I would."
That got Leah's attention. She turned around to face him, "But you can't. And if anyone should be dead instead of him, it's Jules. It's his fault Daryl is gone."
"Leah, I'm just as angry at Jules as you are, but you can't place all the blame on him. We all knew the risk of Daryl going hunting, and Daryl took it anyways. What was Jules supposed to do? Even if he could have saved Daryl, he'd probably infected anyways."
"No! Don't say that!" she shouted, coming across the room while tears fell down her face. She hit Merle repeatedly. "Don't say that! Traitor! How could you say that?" Merle stood there and let her hit him, it didn't bother him. Finally she stopped, collapsing and falling into him. He wrapped one arm around her and used his left hand to stroke her hair. "It's all Jules's fault, it should've been him."
"Shhh, it's okay."
Leah closed her eyes and sobbed against Merle's chest. "I can't do this without him. I'm not strong enough."
"Yes you are."
Leah pulled away and shook her head, "No I'm not. I can't.....I can't have a baby without him."
Merle was shocked by Leah's announcement. It wasn't that he hadn't expected it to happen, he just didn't expect her to tell him like this. When he finally regained his senses he clasped her shoulder with his hand, "I'll help you. It's what Daryl would want. You're not alone."