The Darkest Storm

If you've never felt the sensation of your mind frazzling then let me tell you- it's not pleasant. It's times like these when your poor brain struggles to find the right words, the right emotion, the right answers to hundreds of things all at once and this is exactly how these two hunters felt right now.

It was completely silence as they stood a few feet away from each other in the moonlight, still trying to put all the pieces together; still trying to clear their minds to makes sure they weren’t dreaming.

Darcy tries smiling, but she covers her mouth with one hand as she points at him with the other. “Hi.” Is all she can manage to say before she lets out one final deep breath and drops her shoulders from their tense composure. She takes a step forward, and he drops his crossbow in no time to walk over to her.

“You’re alive.” Daryl pulls her to him without hesitation, fear, or embarrassment. He grasps the back of her head firmly as he pulls her into his chest and wraps his other arm around her shoulders. “I knew it.”

Daryl rests his cheek on top of her head and feels her body shake from fear, yet complete joy as he breathes her in and closes his eyes in relief. Her tears soak through his shirt. She clutches at his back and presses herself into him as much as she can, enjoying the warmth and company of such a man and friend.

After all this time to have all hopes and prays go unanswered, constantly feeling the emotion of disheartenment one day after another, to say seeing such a core aspirator of the group whom was predicted to be either dead or lost was completely unexpected and staggering was an understatement to say the least. This was the sign they waited for, the indication that maybe there was a chance for all of them to hope and get out of this alive.

Daryl takes hold of Darcy’s shoulders and pushes her to stand in front of him. “Ya alright? Ya ain’t bit or scratched right? Because if ya came all this way just to – it’s a sick joke and I ain’t gonna be ‘part of it.”

Darcy lets out a genuine laugh and wipes her eyes. “No, I’m fine.” She shakes her head. “What about you – the others? Everyone alright?”

Daryl shrugs, and makes it known to her he isn’t worried about the others in that moment. “We’re doin’ just fine.”

Behind them, the group grows restless waiting for Daryl to respond to their calls. He hasn’t heard them and neither has Darcy, they are wrapped up in the unexplainable miracle in front of them to pay any attention to their surroundings.

It was until loud footsteps through the woods heading in their direction that caught their ears. “Darcy?” Rick calls out, completely taken aback. The two break away and glance over, just realizing the group’s presence watching them, giving the same shocked expression as Daryl.

“Oh thank God!” Carol screeched, letting out a lighthearted laugh. She runs over to the beaten woman, embracing her in a tight hug and lets the tears flow. Daryl has relentlessly let her rip Darcy from his grasp and takes a step back from them.

Overcome by emotion, he puts on a scowl and rests his hands on his sides. He walks away from the group as everyone rushes to welcome her back invitingly and gratefully. He doesn’t tare his eyes off of her for a moment, pacing outside of the group and waiting. He aches to hold her again.

Darcy wipes her sleeve across her face, “I got back to the highway maybe – maybe an hour after you’d left.” She holds a smile on her face but continues to let the tears overflow remembering how hollow she felt.

“There were walkers everywhere - I’m so sorry we just…” Rick hung his head in guilt and shifted his weight from one foot to the other “I made the call… we had to keep moving.”

Darcy nodded, completely overwhelmed and not able to get very many words out. She hung Glenn, “I’m so happy you’re all okay –“ She furrowed her eyes a bit, confused once again as she ran her hands over her face and looked around. “Where’s the rest of us?”

“This is it.” Rick nodded, still staring at the ground while the crackling embers of the fire lit his tired features. Darcy returned the nod and didn’t say another word about it. The group remains silent after hugs were passed around.

“How did you find us?” Lori asks, bewildered at the woman’s strength and perseverance. “How did you know where we were?”

Darcy shrugs, “I didn’t. I walked from the highway and stayed off the main roads – knew you’d have to be dumb enough to turn back towards Atlanta.” She smiles and scratches the back of her head. “Got off the road near nightfall and climbed a tree to stay off the ground – I woke up and saw your fire.”

“How’d you know it was us?” Glenn asks.

“The whistle.” Daryl speaks up from behind the group and locks eyes with Darcy. “Taught her the whistle when we went huntin’ one time. Couldn’ o’ been no one else.”

Darcy gives a weak smile but it’s a true one nonetheless. He nods at her and she returns it just before more leaves start rustling around them.

“Let’s head back.” Rick tells them. Just as the group starts to disperse, he approaches Darcy and keeps his voice low. “I’m glad you made it back, I truly am. But I’m sure you understand that we have to take certain measures to make sure this group stays safe.”

“She ain’t bit, Rick.” Daryl comes up next to her and scowls at his friend.

“There’s no way to know for sure.” He shakes his head. “She’s covered in scratches. We’ll just have Carol look her over –“

Daryl shakes his head, “Nah, I’ll do it. I’m the only one who can tell the difference between the real thing and a damn tree branch anyways.”

He moves past them while Darcy gives a quick nod to tell Rick she understands it’s just a necessary precaution. She follows Daryl soon after who leads her to the road to stand next to the cars for some privacy.

“Daryl - “ She starts to speak.

“I know you ain’t bit.” He says with a deeper southern drawl. He turns around to face her. “Just humorin’ him – get him off ya back.”

They stand in each other’s company quietly for a few minutes. Darcy picks at her fingernails while Daryl keeps his head low but squints at her through the darkness. Daryl’s eyes have flickered unnoticeably to Darcy’s lips. She finally lifts her head up and they meet each other’s gaze. They hope the other doesn’t notice that their hearts are in their throats.

Daryl fought himself inside his mind. There was another reason why he brought her over and away from the others. He had thought about it for some time, but never dared to go there. Now he considered it unavoidable, something that needed to be done and couldn’t be changed. That knowledge was frightening in its absolute decision. But it was also easy to accept, because it was going to happen. Right here, right now.

Maybe that was why some words, some places and some people were frightening? They brought to light what was going to happen, what was already underway and what was unavoidable.

Daryl swallowed the lump in his throat and took a wary step towards her…

“Did you find out what happened with Randall?” Darcy spoke. Daryl finishes his step but stops in his tracks. She isn’t aware of what’s going through his head and doesn’t know what she interrupted.

Daryl clears his throat and regains his self-composure. “Shane killed him.”

“But he turned?” Darcy furrows her brows.

Daryl sighs and turns to sit on the railing on the edge of the road. “”Member Jenner?” He asks, she nods. “Right before we high-tailed it out of there, he told Rick somethin’.” He pauses, and looks to her to make sure she’s listening. “We’re all infected.”

Darcy blinks. “I’m sorry, what?” She takes a step backwards.

Daryl stands up, “He told us today. Don’ matter how we die, we turn into one. You, me –“

Darcy rests her back up against the Honda and lets herself fall to the ground. She covers her mouth and Daryl kneels in front of her to wait for her to focus again. It was like seeing everything in a new way, like everyone was a ticking time bomb ready to devour everything around them but no one knew for sure when.

“Why didn’t he say anything sooner?” She asks.

Daryl shrugs, “Felt like we didn’ need to know.”

“So what did Rick know Shane did it?” She focuses on another issue instead. There isn’t anything she can do about the truth at the moment. Nobody could. A part of her though didn’t seem to mind that Rick hid that secret from them, he had gotten them so far already, she trusted him and believed he had his reasons why.

“Think so.” He nods. “Didn’ seem to surprised when I told ‘im.”

“And Shane?”

“’S far as I know, he got bit. Killed by ‘em.” Darcy lets out a deep breath as Daryl jerks his head towards camp. “C’mon.” He grabs her arm and helps her up. “Let’s head back.”

They walk in comfortable silence back, side by side. They both feel overwhelming relief that the other is safe and in each other’s sights. Daryl watches Darcy burrow her neck into her scarf and put her hands in her jacket pockets.

“Ya cold?” He asks.

She shakes her head, “I’m fine. Just coming to realize that winter isn’t going to be good to us this year.”

“Gonna be a long one.” He agrees, but then remembers something. “Ain’t you from Colorado?” He chuckles slightly, making Darcy side step into him weakly to make him stop teasing her.

“It’s different when you have heating and shelter and a bed to sleep in.”

“We’ll find a place.” He nods to her as they approach the fire and Darcy stands next to Carol. He joins her as he continues. “Promise.”

“There’s something out there.” She tells the two. “We heard it, it’s close. We need to leave, I mean, what are we waiting for?”

“We didn’t hear anything.” Darcy whispers to Daryl and he shakes his head to confirm her statement. Apparently, however, it wasn’t enough to convince the group. Everyone is standing now, holding their weapons at the ready and turning their heads in every direction to point out the disturbance.

“Which way?” Glenn asks.

“It came from over there.” Maggie said.

“Back from where we came.” Beth nods.

“Yeah.” Maggie confirms.

“The last thing we need is for everyone to be running off in the dark.” Rick spat; Darcy notices the irritable change in his tone. “We don’t have the vehicles. No one’s traveling on foot.”

A branch then snaps from outside the stonewalls. Darcy lifts her bow off her shoulders and turns around toward the sound. Daryl already holds his crossbow.

“Don’t panic.” Hershel whispers.

“I’m not –“ Maggie takes a breath. “I’m not sitting here, waiting for another herd to blow through. We need to move, now.”

“No one is going anywhere.” Rick shouts a hoarse whisper.

Just then, Carol hisses at Rick. “Do something.”

“I am doing something!” He retorts. “I’m keeping this group together, alive! I’ve been doing that all along, no matter what. I didn’t ask for this! I killed my best friend for you people for Christ’s sake!”

Darcy’s head whips around at his confession as does the groups. The expressions of shock and a rude awakening were unmistakable. Darcy and Daryl shot unnoticeable glances at each other and back to Rick as they wait for him to continue.

“You saw what he was like. How he pushed me, how he compromised us, how he threatened us.” Rick shifts between his feet and his focus is now on Lori. “He staged the whole Randall thing, led me out to put a bullet in my back. He gave me no choice! He was my friend, but he came after me.”

Carl beings to cry into Lori’s chest, “My hands are clean.” Rick tells them.

No one moves or says a word. They all know it had to be done, that Rick’s actions where in self-defense. But the thought and realization of their leader murdering his once best friend had everyone on edge, no matter how out-of-line Shane was. It was the right choice, but the exhaustion of everyone in that moment made it bigger than what it ought to be.

“Maybe you people are better off without me.” Rick scoffs. “Go ahead. I say there’s a place for us, but maybe – maybe it’s just another pipe dream. Maybe I’m fooling myself again. Why don’t you – why don’t you go and find out yourself?”

“Send me a postcard!” He points to the woods with his gun and Darcy lowers her head trying to hide that she’s looking at the other’s reactions. “Go on, there’s the door. You can do better? Let’s see how far you get.”

Rick’s voice is like snake venom. He knows that no one will leave, that he is the best chance they have at survival. Darcy has no intention of leaving, and she hopes Daryl feels the same.

“No takers? Fine. But get one thing straight – you’re staying, this isn’t a democracy anymore.”