Only Hope Left

Hope looked up at the woman in front of her. Her hair tangled in a wavy mess, eyes wide as they made contact with her own and the clothes she wore a floral blouse matched with light colored jeans – two things her mother wouldn’t wear without hiding it under motor oil or a leather jacket.
But Hope’s eyes still stung, for she herself knew that the woman that was standing in front of her was in fact the very woman who raised her.

“Mom!” Hope flung herself at the woman, who quickly wrapped her arms around her and held her in a warm embrace. At first things were quite, Hope could feel the holes being burnt into her back by Carol, but in all honesty, she didn’t care. Her mom had stood in front of her, she was holding her and soon… they would be traveling onward together.

There was a moment of silence and confusion, in the other group. Tension grew from the new member. Hope slowly let go of her mother, when she heard the walker sit up behind her, but it was soon silenced by Daryl’s arrow.

“Shuddup,” he muttered as the arrow sailed through the air and into the walkers head. Hope turned and watched as Daryl walked over to Andrea and hauled her up to her feet.

Hope stood up straight watching Daryl closely as she pressed herself against her mother who stood straight beside her.

Daryl walked past the two, ignoring them all together before passing Glenn and Carol. When no one moved he shouted over his shoulder “you guys comin’ or not?”

With that every body’s feet shuffled towards the sound, Hope reached down to grab the pack that Lori left behind, only to have her mother take it from her and toss it on her shoulder.

The group moved on without a word.

~

Hope had slid herself in the middle of the group, following alongside Glenn and her mother. Glenn had introduced himself to her, the first of her new found friends to even acknowledge the blessing given to her.

“She talked a lot about you.”Glenn said a smile on his face. “And her grandparents.”Hope’s mother smiled, and commented on something he had said previously.

Before they knew it they were close to the highway. Daryl was several feet behind of them, keeping himself from earshot of the rest of the group. Andrea and Carol where behind them a couple of paces. Hope and her mother were just hopping over the railing when, Glenn was explaining Lori’s absence.

“Shot? What do you mean shot?” Dale said, his eyes were wide, as he looked back and forth from Glenn to Hope’s mother.

“I don’t know, Dale. All I know is this chick and Hope’s mom came out of nowhere like Zorro on a horse and took Lori.” Glenn’s voice spoke frantically.

“And you let her?” Dale said, Glenn just shrugged and walked past him. Hope moved aside as Daryl jumped over the railing.

“Climb out of my ass, old man. Rick sent her; they knew Lori’s name and Carl’s.” Daryl said as he headed for the RV.

Dale looked down at Hope. His eyes then turned to the woman holding her hand. He was about to speak to her when Andrea stepped over the railing.

“I heard screams. Was that you?” Andrea brushed passed him, following Daryl to the RV.

“She was attacked by a walker.” Glenn said, “It was a close call.”

Dale quickly called after her and tried to speak to her.

Glenn then turned to Hope and her mother, who quickly passed him the pack. He accepted it with a smile.

As they began to talk, Hope wiggled her way out of her mother’s grasp and pursued where Daryl had escaped too. She found him by his bike; he sat on the seat with a rag in his hand, cleaning the rotted blood off of the tips. He looked closely at it, focusing, his lips puckered in concentration.

“What?” he asked, when he finally noticed her staring at him. “ Ain’t you suppose’ ta be wit’ your mama?”

When she didn’t answer, he sighed and looked back down at his arrow. “Go on. Get.”

“You don’t have to be mean to her.” She finally said. Daryl looked up at her. “It’s not her fault. That I was gone.”

“shoulda been watchin’ you..” He retorted, then pointed an arrow at her, “how come she wasn’t wit ya? Huh? I didn’t see her cryin’ when she found ya.”

“Mama doesn’t cry, not in front of strangers.” Hope said, she took a couple more steps before sitting on the pavement in front of him.

Daryl shook his head and brought the rag back up to the arrow. Hope slowly got up, “It’s not her fault that dad was a bad man.”

Before Daryl has a chance to say anything, Hope is gone.