Tiptoe Through the Tulips

The next few days passed in a blur, driving, stopping to scavenge what we could. Emptying a house of Walkers and spending a few restless hours trying to sleep before they began to notice us. Conversation had failed us, more than ever so. Few words were said, even between Daryl and myself.

The Greene sisters hadn’t breathed a syllable near me, they just staggered around, eyes bleary. I know Maggie had broken down to Glenn again, even said she was glad her dad could rest, this world was too harsh, too evil. But then she just turned back into stone.

My eyes were staring blankly at the fuel gage, already verging on red, my back sore from the awkward position I was squashed in with Andrea. Glenn’s snores echoed in the silent car, the only other noise the humming of the engine. I pulled myself back, turning to Daryl.

“We need fuel soon. And we need to stop, it’s getting dark.” He nodded, hand running through his increasingly greasy hair. He refused to let any of us drive, I kept catching his anxious glances at the sisters in the rear view mirror.

I knew he hated it, caring. Caring too much. We had no plan, every place we had gone was unsafe, barren or full of Walkers. The cold didn’t seem to be having any effect on them, they still stumbled, still snapped their decayed jaws like savage dogs.

We had travelled a long way in the past five days, the map scrawled upon, crossing off area’s Daryl deemed too unsafe. We were going to be blocked off if we continued, desperate to not reach any large cities, to stay somewhat in the country.

We were running out of places, time.
We were losing the will to run.

“Where we close to?” Daryl mumbled and I leant over the dazed Andrea, her mind no doubt filled with the dark thoughts that poisoned my own. I opened the map, quickly working out the road we were on, thankful as ever for my Granddad treating me just like one of my brothers.

“We’re about five miles from a little place, tiny actually, only a couple of streets....” I squinted down at the map, the dim light straining my eyes. “This looks good actually, its small... the town we last passed from another ten miles backwards, the other about ten past”

“Middle of nowhere don’t mean it’s safe.” I nodded.
“If it’s small hopefully they will have wandered off. It’s worth a look. We wanna stop before it gets dark Daryl.”

“Yeah I figured that out funnily’ enough.” I frowned at him, averting my eyes as I placed the map silently back, trying to shuffle to a more comfortable position whilst resisting the urge to snap back at him.

Tempers were short.

“Save your domestic until we get there please.” Andrea groaned wearily, stretching her arms as she sat up, instantly relieving the pressure on my side. Her eyes were red, face pale, body bundled up in an old sweater we had taken from a house.

“I’m frozen.” She complained lightly, never wanting to sound too desperate. I nodded, glancing to the three in the back, each buried under a blanket.

“Heater uses too much fuel.” Daryl said shortly, and we both sighed, my hands clasping into fists and disappearing up my sleeves.

The silence took over again, my head resting on Andrea’s hard shoulder as we finally drew closer to the town, the car moving slowly as always, to avoid making noise. I turned as Daryl nodded at me, waking the others quickly, everyone armed in seconds. We had gotten a good haul of weapons a few days ago, some guy had stocked up on weapons but must have died of thirst or something. We had more than we had ever had before, guns with silencers, a bow and arrow, pistols, shotguns, knives. In some way we were in amazing shape.

That was until you remembered how small the group was, how we had no idea where many were.

I was right about the village, it was barely a hamlet, one road with another forming a T-shape at one end. “This place is perfect.” Glenn breathed.

“We thought the last two places were perfect, don’t hold your breath” I said lowly, my eyes, as with all the others scanning the surrounding area. “It looks quiet.” Only a couple of Walkers staggered down the road, there were no small alley ways, nowhere really to hide. A convenience store, window broken stood at one corner.

“House next to the store,” Andrea said, “We can get anything we need in the morning, park the car blocking the door after we’re taken these two out.” We nodded, Daryl pulling over and stopping quickly.

“We’ll get it,” I told him, “You guys check the house” he nodded, and I opened the glove box, pulling out two long knives and handing the other to Andrea. We hopped out of the car, sun catching behind low clouds and causing orange to erupt.

“What’s that phrase you like? Red sky at night...”

“Shepards’ delight.” I ended, smiling lightly at her as we walked further down, our presence would attract any more Walkers. “Maybe we should keep them.” I mused, causing her to shoot me a confused look.

“Like Michonne. I knew she left hers at the farm but didn’t they hide you from them?” Andrea nodded thoughtfully, “We have rope we could attach them to the porch” I agreed.

“Well then we need to remove the arms and the jaw. Could really do with Michonne right about now.”
I caught the flicker of hurt that flashed in her eyes, they had grown close. Andrea trusted her and I did. I missed her.

“If anyone can make this through to the end its her.” Andrea snorted lightly,

“Her and her stupid fucking machete.” We stopped, the Walkers just metres away and slowly turning, “We should do one at the time, split them up. One arm each then the mouth.”

“Sounds fun.” She breathed, eyes still wary looking around us. “Can’t see anymore.” I nodded, jumping suddenly as one moved and jamming the knife through its jaw, it fell to the floor suddenly.

I turned, Andrea rolling her eyes as she did the same to the other, “Sorry." I panted,"It made me jump. I panicked.” She offered me a grim smile,

“Better get back before Daryl thinks I’ve kidnapped you.” I grinned at her, walking closely beside her back to the house.

“I Miss Michonne” she said just as we passed the car, the boot open and a blanket in her arms.

“Me too.” I agreed, forcing a small smile on my face, “Hopefully we’ll bump into her before long” she just gave me a long withering gaze.

“Optimism doesn’t hurt.” I teased, grabbing another blanket and closing the car.

“Optimism will be what kills you.” She muttered under her breath, my own catching in my throat.

____________________

It was dark, the house was clear. That was if you ignored the decomposing bodies of the older couple who had committed suicide in their bedroom upstairs.
I was finding it hard too.

The house was in good condition, as they hadn’t tried to run there was quite a lot of food left, spare bedrooms that had clearly once belonged to their children full of clothes that we were happy to wear. We had left their room; Glenn had found them and simply closed the door. The smell hung slightly upstairs but we didn’t want to move them, to ruin the ending they had chosen.
We were going to look around the place more in the morning, stay in a different house.
The pictures, still visible but coated in a layer of dust reminded us this was theirs.

Beth was asleep as usual, trying to blur out the horrors of life by sleeping it away, Daryl stood, illuminated by the lantern in the centre of the room, making sure that no light would be visible from outside whilst the rest of us spoke finally. The conversation forcefully not about the situation, about the past.

“The best holiday I ever had must be when my brother got married back in Italy.”

“Which one?” Glenn teased, his arm around Maggie’s shoulder, her eyes more intense that they had been in days, more present.
“I only have three. It’s not that hard.” I rolled my eyes at the questioning looks,"Michael, Matt and Phillip." They nodded, my eyes landing on Daryl, who finally turned, leaning against the wall,eyes on me.

“Well...” I continued, “It was Michael's wedding, and my Granddad had always joked that one of us should get married where he and my Grandma had. So Michael being Michael he went for it and we had a week there including the wedding and it was so beautiful. The village was right on the coast, it was like the kind you see in brochures, ridiculously beautiful.”

I paused, my throat suddenly clogging, tears threatening to fall. “Sorry.” I mumbled, everyone’s face instantly growing downcast as the thought of death struck them.

It always happened, always ruined every moment.

“Better get some sleep anyway.” Andrea yawned forcefully, moving herself to an old armchair and draping herself in a blanket, Maggie moving next to Beth on the couch with Glenn sitting on the floor close to her.

“I’ll take first watch” he offered, forcing a closed smile and pulling himself up, flicking the light off plunging us into darkness which took a few seconds to adjust too.

We had formed a kind of mattress from some spare duvets upstairs and I blindly crawled towards it, squeaking as my hand met Daryl’s face rather than the soft I expected. “Watch it.” he grumbled, causing me to breathe an apology before I pulled myself down next to him, back to back.

I sighed to myself at his mood flinging myself onto my back, his silhouette visible, his open eyes staring at the ceiling.

I sat up, twisting my body so I was I was straddling him, his hands resting gently on my hips as I bent down, hair hiding us both. I kissed his forehead lightly, hearing his exhale and finally loosen his muscles. “Try not to stress so much. We’re in better shape now than the last few days. Try and actually sleep tonight. I’ll take the next watch.” He went to shake his head but I pulled a hand up and covered his mouth.

“I mean it Dixon.” I removed my hand after a few seconds to find his own slide up from my hips to my head, slamming my lips down to his. The kiss was passionate, slightly painful. Desperate. One hand slid down, causing me to moan into his mouth slightly.

“Daryl!” I hissed, pulling away. “We can’t. People are still awake. And that’s not what I meant by de-stressing yourself.” He grinned and I felt myself melt, my mouth molding with his again.

“Can you guys go fuck upstairs?” Andrea half whispered, causing a giggle to erupt from me.
I looked down at Daryl who shrugged and shook me off, pushing me up and trying to tiptoe around the already asleep Maggie and past an uncomfortable looking Glenn.

I mouthed him a sorry to which he rolled his eyes as we dashed up the stairs, Daryl cautiously opening a door, “There’s nothing in here you dick.” I joked, hitting his chest as he pulled me in. Closing the door and instantly slamming me against a wall, his hands struggling with my jeans as my hands did the same.

“You need to pull out though before...”

“Wow. That’s romantic’.”

“Have you met you?” I scoffed, moaning as he suddenly bit into my neck my need to have him increasingly instantly. “I love you” I moaned into his mouth as our jeans and underwear finally met the carpet, my leg hitched around his toned waist.

“Course ya' do. I’m fucking awesome.”

“Daryl.” I whined, hitting his chest lightly and pouting, trying to keep a straight face as he continued to thrust into me. He grinned at the struggle on my face, reconnecting our lips and absorbing my moans,.

“I love you too Barbie”