Improbabil Dragoste

I didn't sleep that night and I don't think anyone else did either unless they passed out, exhausted, from crying and the overwhelming sadness. We all felt a piece of our hearts break because our last moments with Dale before the accident were us arguing and him trying to convince us to keep our humanity. I left wrong for being so cold and helping go along with kill the boy though I knew it was only because Dale had died, alone, and still holding onto the hope of reason. Dale died alone because he walked away from us trying to kill a boy who did nothing wrong, yet, and it was our faults.
We buried Dale early that next morning and we all stood around the new grave that was next to the others, we all had jackets on now since the mornings and nights were getting colder. Winter is coming.
“Dale could—could get under your skin. He sure got under mine, because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought, how he felt. That kind of kind of honesty is rare and brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had. We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were. He knew things about us—the truth. Who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group was broken. The best way to honor him is to be unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together, stop feeling sorry for ourselves and take control of our lives, our safety..our future. We're not broken. We're gonna prove him wrong. From now on we're gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale.”
We all stood around in silence mourning our friend I had chose to stand next to Daryl who, always, stays in the background because though I know no one holds an ill feels for me killing Dale. I still felt I should distance myself, especially since I had been throwing stones at him so much before he died when he was trying to talk us out of killing the boy. Daryl and I shared a look and both turned away from the scene and headed back to camp. We didn't talk as we both walked just hang around camp waiting for the others to join us. I was glad I was able to look presentable at Dale's service though, Maggie had lent me some clothes, most of my clothes forever have that dirty look to them and I didn't have very many clothes to be begin with. I still wore my two tones cowboy boots that the cut outs were a dark teal and the rest were a dark tanned leather color. I had a pair if slightly distressed jeans that needed a belt so Maggie lent me one and she lent me a white long sleeve thermal shirt along with a blue, green, and peach colored plaid button up. I was very grateful for her helping me and with my hair pulled back into a tight pony with my bangs hanging out made me feel like a true country girl. When the others returned some of them gathered around the blue truck with Hershel to discuss what will happen now.
“Gonna be tight, 14 people in one house.” Rick said to Hershel.
“Don't worry about that. With the swamp hardening, the creek drying up..”
“With 50 head of cattle on the property, we might as well be ringing a damn dinner bell.” Maggie made a point.
“She's right. We should've moved you in a while ago.” Hershel commented.
“All right, let's move the vehicles near each of the door facing out toward the road.” Rick explained pointing to the house. “We'll build a lookout in the windmill, another in the barn loft. That should give us sight lines both sides of the property. T-Dog, you take the perimeter around the house. Keep track of everyone coming and going.”
“What about standing guard?” T-Dog questioned.
Rick looked over toward Daryl and I before answering him, “I need you, Daryl and Cat on double duty.”
“Gotcha.” T-Dog understood as I nodded in his direction.
Hershel came back carrying some of our stuff, “I'll stock the basement with food and water, enough that we can all survive there a few days if need be.”
“What about patrols?” Andrea asked Rick.
“Let's get this area locked down first. After that, Shane'll assign shifts while Daryl, Cat and I take Randall offsite and cut him loose.”
Shane started to talk back to Rick questioning his moves but Daryl tapped me with his crossbow making me look over as he handed over his bow to me, “Hold this.”
I took it and slung it over my shoulder adjusting it since I had my pack on with all my things moving them into the house. Daryl had walked over to his bike and passed me as he moved it over in front of the house. We who weren't in a vehicle finally caught up to the house we started unloading our things and moving them into the house. After I loading my things into the house and leaving with Daryl's crossbow I set out to the barn where the boy was still being held. I started to hear the sound of a hammer being used as I got closer to it and walked around the back to see Daryl was up fixing a hole.
“So, this mean I'm keeping this?” I asked shifting his bow showing I was talking about it.
He scoffed, “Keep that and I might have to kill you.”
I laughed “Suddenly I don't feel safe holding it.”
Daryl climbed down the barn and walked over to me, I handed over his crossbow back over to him, when he went to pull it away I held it causing a short tug of war before I laughed letting it go.
“You think you're funny.” Daryl said slinging it over his shoulder and then pulled out this holster handing it over to me.
“What is this?” I asked receiving it flipping it over pulling out the knife that was inside.
“I saw you lost your holster and your knives. So- uh I- you can't be a burden on us.” Daryl managed to say before he just, probably feeling embarrassed, turned around and walked away.
I stared down at the knife returning it into the holster, then I fastened it on keeping my hand on it. I was ecstatic that Daryl had one, noticed what I lost them and two, gave me one of his weapons.
“Hey Cat?” I heard a voice call behind me.
I turned around and saw Carl walking up to me looking around for anyone else around.
“What is going on?” I asked closing the distance between us.
“Can I tell you something and you won't tell my parents?” He asked looking up to me.
I looked glanced over to where the house then faced Carl, “Yeah sure Carl but what happened?”
Carl reached behind him and pulled out Daryl's pistol from his back, “I took this from Daryl can you return it? He'll kill me if he found out.”
I took the pistol from Carl, “Carl why did you take this? Were you scared after Dale died?”
“No, it was my fault Dale died. I went down to the creek and saw the walker stuck, I was going to shoot it, but—but it got loose and came after me. I ran away and it was the same walker that killed Dale!” Carl shouted quietly.
“Carl, it's not your fault so I don't want you to think like that. If you want you can keep Daryl's pistol as--”
“No! I'm never touching a gun again!” Carl yelled at me before backing away then running off.
I stared after him before reaching my hands back behind me with the pistol and putting the gun in the waist of my pants.
Right after I dropped my hands back down Daryl came back around the corner, “Hey come on.”
I followed Daryl back to the house where I saw Rick waiting on the porch with the map spread out on the railing.
“Okay, let's get started. We'll take him out to Senoia—hour there, hour back, give or take. We may lose the light, but we'll be half way home by then.”
“This little pain in the ass will be a distant memory. Good riddance.” Daryl commented while sitting down on the rail.
“Carol's putting together some provisions for him, enough to last a few days.” Rick said then looked off at Shane returning and then looked over at me. “That thing you did last night..”
Rick tailed off, talking about how I shot Dale, I sighed and responded, “You and Daryl don't always have to do the hard things.”
Rick didn't say anything just nodded his head a few times understanding and looked off toward Shane, Daryl held my gaze for a while longer but also turned to look at Shane.
“So you good with all this?” Rick asked directing the question to Daryl.
“I don't see you and I trading haymakers on the side of the road. Nobody'd win that fight.”
Shane got out of the car ans started to walk over toward us I was gonna stay but then Daryl caught my eye and snapped his head to the side quickly signaling that we should leave.
I walked off with Daryl not too far before Daryl left me saying he needed to go do something but didn't go into details.

T-Dog and I walked over to the barn to get Randall to load him into the truck.
“Yo, Randy.” T-Dog called out hitting the barn door, “Governor called. You're off the hook.”
I lifted up the lock entering in the code on the bottom to unlock it but when I opened the door, Randall wasn't inside. I ran in lighting up the cuffs that had held Randall in there to see they were slippery with blood.
“He got out!” I yelled in frustration throwing the cuffs back to the ground.
T-Dog and I ran back over to Rick who was at the truck with Daryl.
“Daryl! The boy's gone!” I yelled as I ran up to the truck.
Daryl looked up to me grabbing his crossbow and ran over to the barn with Rick. Rick was inside looking at the cuffs and looking around the barn seeing how he could have escaped. Lori, Andrea and Glenn showed up hearing me yelling at Daryl.
“What's wrong?” Lori asked coming over.
“Randall's missing.” Glenn answered for us.
Everyone had gathered out all at once it seemed wanting to know how this happened and wanted to know how long he's been gone.
“The cuffs are still hooked he must've slipped 'em.” Rick said stepping out the barn.
Then I looked over seeing Shane, bloody, coming out of the woods.
“Rick! Rick!” Shane yelled out. “He's armed! He's got my gun! Little bastard just snuck up on me. Clocked me in the face.” When Shane got closer I saw his nose and bleeding down his face.
“All right, Hershel, T-Dog, get everybody back in the house. Glenn, Cat, Daryl come with us.
We all moved to follow Rick into the woods but then Carol spoke up, “Just let him go. That was the plan, wasn't it? To just let him go?”
“The plan was to cut him loose far away from here, not on our front step with a gun.” Shane corrected her walking over to T-Dog getting a gun from him.
“Don't go out there. Y'all know what can happen.” Carol said trying to stop us.
“Get everybody back in the house. Lock all the doors and stay put!” Rick called back.
I followed behind them as Shane started to say where he ran off, “I saw him head up through the trees that way before I blacked out. I'm not sure how long.”
“He couldn't have gotten far. He's hobbled, exhausted.” Rick explained.
“And armed.” Glenn added.
“So are we.” Rick answered back. “Can you track him?” Rick turned to ask Daryl.
“No, I don't see nothin'.” Daryl said walking off looking ahead.
“Hey, look, there ain't no use in tracking him, okay? He went that way. We need to pair up. We spread out, we just chase him down. That's it.” Shane tried to explain.
“Kid weighs a buck-25 soaking wet. You trying to tell us he got the jump on you?” Daryl pointed out turning around to look at Shane.
“I saw a rock pretty much evens those odds, wouldn't you?” Shane snapped back.
“All right, knock it off. Daryl, Glenn and Cat started heading up the right flank. Me and Shane'll take the left.” Rick said pointing out our directions. “Remember, Randall's not the only threat out there. Keep an eye out for each other.”
Glenn, Daryl and I walked off in our direction looking for the boy. The sun dropped fast while we were out there Daryl was up front looking for any signs of the boy walking through here. It was eerie walking out in woods with the sun down, it's been awhile since I had to walk in the darkness of the woods. The wildlife was still present since there weren't many walkers out eating the animals so we stopped often once hearing a sound in the distance.
Daryl slowed down lowering his bow, “This is pointless. You got a light?”
Glenn headed over a flashlight which Daryl turned on pointing it to the ground and looking a head with it.
“Come on.” Daryl said walking off with an irritated sigh.
Glenn and I followed after him but before we knew it we had ended up back where we started.
“There's two sets of tracks right here.” Daryl pointed out with the light. “Shane must've followed him a lot longer than he said.” Then Daryl pointed that light up on a tree that had fresh blood on it. “There's more tracks. Looks like they're walking in tandem. Yeah, there was a little dust up right here.”
“What do you mean?” Glenn asked.
“Something went down. A scuffle.” I answered earning two looks from Daryl and Glenn.
“It's getting weird.” Glenn said.
Then Daryl slowed down keeping the light pointed in one spot, “Had a little trouble.”
Glenn and I walked up and Glenn leaned down picking up the cloth that was used to blindfold Randall. Daryl was about to say something but then loud rustling came from behind us causing us to whip around to look where the sound came from. We quickly ran back and hid behind trees glancing around them and seeing a figure walk pass in the distance. Daryl whistled and tossed the light back to Glenn who caught it easily and leaned his head against the tree with a sigh. The figure was coming closer and when it was close enough Glenn stepped around to face it only to freeze upon seeing it was the boy had turned into a walker. The walker grabbed onto Glenn pushing him down and Daryl shot out a bolt but missing making Randall to take notice to him and grabbing at him. Daryl was keeping the walker away with his crossbow as I ran over, pulling out the knife Daryl gave, and pulling the walker away and to the ground behind stabbing him in the head. I stood up bring the knife with me as Daryl walked over to peer down at him.
“Nice.” Daryl said hitting my stomach lightly with his hand.
Daryl picked up the flashlight and knelled down to examine the body, “Got his neck broke.” Daryl flipped him over and started to look for any bit marks on him. “He's got no bites.”
“Yeah, none you can see.” Glenn commented squatting down to Daryl.
Daryl looked at the boys neck again, “No, I'm telling ya he died from this.”
“How's that possible?” I asked.
We all shared long looks before we all backed away, Daryl retrieving his bolt, and we headed back to the house.
We walked in where everyone was waiting in the social room.
“Rick and Shane ain't back?” Daryl asked looking around the room.
“No.” Lori said standing up.
“We heard a shot.” Daryl pointed out.
“Maybe they found Randall.” Lori said.
“We found him.” Daryl said.
Maggie walked in, “If he back in the shed?”
“He's was a walker.” I said answering Maggie's question.
“Did you find the walker that bit him?” Hershel asked.
“No, weird thing is he wasn't bit.” Glenn told them.
“His neck was broke.”
“So he fought back.” Patricia said.
“The thing is, Shane and Randall's tracks were right on top of each other and Shane ain't no tracker, so he didn't come up behind him. They were together.” Daryl explained to everyone.
“Would you please get back out there, find Rick and Shane and find out what on earth is going on?” Lori said walking over to Daryl.
“You got it.” Daryl replied reaching a squeeze on his arm from Lori as he walked out.
I didn't follow but Andrea along with Glenn followed Daryl but they weren't gone long before Glenn ran back telling us a giant hoard of walkers were approaching the farm.